Secrets in the Dark: A Paranormal Mystery Romance

Blackbird Trilogy #2

by Heather Graham

Over a century after Jack, a new Ripper is on the loose.

Following in the footsteps of notorious serial murderer Jack the Ripper, a killer is stalking the streets of London. The self-dubbed Ripper King strikes at night, leaving a trail of eviscerated bodies in his wake. Fresh off a case with potential ties to the recent rash of killings, FBI agents Della Hamilton and Mason Carter are all too familiar with a slayer set to rule with a lethal fist. And they’ll stop at nothing to end his reign.

The killer’s MO may be nothing new, but his desire to be infamous makes him dangerous. Della and Mason know it’s only a matter of time before their investigation emboldens this new Ripper, forcing the agents to work quickly before another woman winds up dead. But now that the heat is on, their game of cat and mouse takes an unexpected turn, leading Della and Mason into a deadly trap they never saw coming…

The Blackbird Trilogy

Book 1: Whispers at Dusk
Book 2: Secrets in the Dark
Book 3: Cursed at Dawn

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Thriller, Audiobook

311 pages, Hardcover

First published July 25, 2023

About the author

Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written, entertaining, fast paced, paranormal suspense novel. It has a likable, strong and capable female protagonist, an engaging, former military male protagonist, a touch of romance, murder, mystery, ghosts, and a satisfying conclusion. The references to the Jack the Ripper case are interesting and informative, and add depth to this story. This is the second entry in Ms. Graham's outstanding Blackbird trilogy and can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone, but it is even better when read after reading "Whispers at Dusk". I am looking forward to reading the next entry in this series with great anticipation. I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narrator, Mr. Roger Wayne, has a captivating voice and does an excellent job depicting the characters and their personalities.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book #2 in the Blackbird Trilogy. I didn't read the first one yet.

There are many readers who loved this one, so by all means read those reviews too. I didn't love this one, but I didn't hate it either. It was "fine."

The story line kept me in....Jack the Ripper lives on in perpetuity. That definetly had merit. But I think with that particular premise, I was expecting more action, more anticipation, more sitting on the edge of my seat. When I didn't experience those things, it lost some appeal. So 3 stars.

[Carrie Esler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.3
Meh. I got excited for Jack the Ripper and international team investigating. But mostly it was dialogue about how the killer can change his appearance and he’s a copycat. The excitement wasn’t there for me and while it was a short book, it felt repetitive
Mix in ghosts and vampires and it was kind-of all over the place

[Babs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this second book in the trilogy better than the first. However, there are a lot of issues with it. Incorrect names, sentences out of place and various grammatical errors. Similar to the first book in the trilogy, I wonder if someone else wrote it. Or, was there no copy editor? Something has changed, but I will continue to buy at least the next couple of books.

[Kelly Couture · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too much repetition. Had to force my way through it. Not nearly as good as earlier books. Storyline was good but prefix.

[Judy Goertz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not enough paranormal for me. To much information I didn’t need on Jack the Ripper

[Karen A. Haunert · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's less of the "Master Vampire" in this one, so it's got that going for it, but it's still pretty bad. More terrible, almost life-ending decisions made by people who should know better. Back-up? I don't need back-up. I'll explore without telling anybody where I am. The bad guy knows where we've been living and has been watching us, but we're going to have food delivered and not have cameras at the front of our safe house. This is why I think this trilogy is not new, but a previously rejected one dug up because fans will read anything by a favorite author. There is minimal tech in these stories: no facial recognition software, no doorbell cameras, no cell phone camera footage being searched for signs of this guy. And all 3 novels are coming out within a month of each other. I think I'll pass on the 3rd, since its premise is both impossible and was heavily foreshadowed. I refuse to believe that every single federal law enforcement employee is incompetent or that infirmaries don't have any security.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new series is amazing. You have the regular cast of the Krewe of Hunters, but with the additional manpower of the new Blackbird team. They caught the so called King of the Vampires in book 1 and now Della and Mason and crew are on the trail of the King of Rippers. Great storyline and characters.

[Ann C. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Would have been a good 50 page short story. But as a full length book, no way. Too much history.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vampire King as he calls himself, was training a few more egotistical psychopaths to follow in his lead, or make their own way as we learned in book one. Book two deals with a left over would be vampire, and a new self appointed King posing as a better Jack the Ripper. Since White Chapel has been up dated and changed over the years , the murders cannot be exactly the same. They are still gruesome. A lot of time is spent on trying to find the man, who changes accents, and disguises with ease. The book also takes you back to the original time in history, and the premiere suspects, and whether he killed five women, or more. There were evidently eleven killed during that time. The thing that surprised me is how stupid people are. The police know who it is at one point, and have pictures made up so the public can see how he has been spotted looking, and still crazy chances are taken. They warn everyone he is not acting, or looking crazy, but instead a nice, and charming man. He is also drugging the ladies, in the pubs, and then just disappears with them. The same team as last book is at it again in this one. You can see the ending he has planned because he tells you in the book. They manage to save a few would be victims, but the young ladies just can’t believe it could be true. Honestly the female ghost helping out that lived from the original time, has the most sense of all. It does have a suspenseful ending, but the whole time your thinking one of their lead detectives who is female does not listen to her own advice. It has a good ending, and they get a few days break, but get called back into headquarters because the vampire King has staged an exit out of the prison he was Incarcerated in. Really ? I have already heard all the information both mental, and physical on this killer. I read how he was killing and why. So I’m going to skip the third one. I really like the Krewe of Hunter books, but this new off shoot that has formed to cover all the weird cases. Think X Files, is off to a sluggish start, even with a vampire who drinks the blood he takes, and a copy cat of the ripper. I like the author so I went 3.5 for trying something new. Perhaps it should have had more fog, and been more scary since Dracula was no slouch, and the Ripper was a ghoul they never caught. There is a touch of romance from the couple in book one. Not overly graphic.

[Vakaris the Nosferatu · Rating 2 out of 5]

all reviews in one place: night mode reading ; skaitom nakties rezimu

Continuing my journey with Dracula-not-Dracula trilogy by Heather Graham with second book called Secrets in the Dark. In this one we have Jack the Ripper return.

My Opinion: How is everyone so damn dull, I don’t understand. It’s a very mild story aside extremely gruesome murders, and a few facts about them we receive. No unknown, no mystery, and the only suspense that happens is at the very end of it. Everyone’s kind, polite, very helpful, or very unhelpful, with a mean streak, caricatures of personalities. Repeated “you have no authority here” when repeatedly told that it’s not so got old so fast, and yet didn’t stop, like a clock-work reminder lest we forget, these are authorized foreigners. Plot? Bar hopping and talking about who this guy could be, then ordering food to their hotel room.

A 2 out of 5, will finish the third book too, and be done with it.

[Nicole Liwanag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great murder mystery involving a real life historic murderer. Just as good as the first, but had a lot more history explained than the first book. Still had chills knowing about the killer, but it got repetitive when they talked about how he's a master of disguise. I appreciate the camaraderie between the Blackbird team as they work so well together.

4.3 stars

[Sgbowman · Rating 2 out of 5]

What happened to one of my favorite writers???? I have read HG for over almost 40 years. But the last dozen or so books of hers has been so repetitive and frankly boring. But i would to say that "it's not you , it's me" ...but maybe it's both.

[☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full RTC.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah, loved reading this book, it was another great read, and I can't wait to finish out this trilogy!

[Ursula Witt · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I said in my previous review not my genre, but said I would read all three of The Blackbird Trilogy’s. Just surprised I stuck with it! One more to go!

[Heather Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
First HG book, probably should’ve read the first one in the series, but didn’t need to as most of the character information was given.
I enjoyed the Jack the Ripper mystery, however a lot of stuff the characters would say felt like info vomit. Wish it had more supernatural (ghosts) and a little more romance involved.

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The newly formed Blackbird team of international investigators is looking for the disciple of the Vampire Killer captured in book 1. This killer trained with the skills of Vampire Killer Stephen Dante, is looking for the fame and notoriety of Jack the Ripper. The team of two American FBI agents, a British agent, two Frenchmen, one from Interpol, work together to stop the killer. As with other members of the Krewe of Hunters, spirits that they can see and speak with assist in the investigation.

The plot is good, the characters are likable, especially the ghost Abigail Scott, but the writing is sloppy. It felt like the book could have been written by someone else. There are multiple data dumps on the original Ripper case, multiple sermons on how ‘we will catch him,’ and reruns of how the Krewe was established. There is more telling than showing, lots of ‘teasing’ and ‘hmms.’ There are lame jokes. The text felt amateurish. Even the editing is sloppy – ‘competed’ when the word should have been ‘completed,’ an incorrect name, amateurish dialogue, and missing words. Other titles in the Krewe of Hunters are much smoother and more accomplished. Only for fans of the series.

Readalikes:
Karen Robards – The Last Victim; Beverly Barton – Dead by Midnight; Julie Garwood – Sweet Talk; Kay Hooper – Blood Dreams; Alexandra Ivy – The Intended Victim; Rebecca Zanetti – Hidden; Shelley Coriell – The Broken; Karen Rose – You Belong to Me.

Pace: Moderately paced
Character: Likeable
Storyline: Plot-driven
Writing style: Engaging
Tone: Suspenseful; Steamy
Frame: London; Contemporary
Themes: Race against time

Red flags/Trigger warning: Some description of brutal murders

[R K Garner · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 of 3

This is not going to be a favorite. Ms. Graham's newest team doesn't gel well yet, too much FBI for an international point of view. I kept reading a few pages and then putting it away. The disjointed pieces weren't up to the author's usual quality.

[AlwaysV · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kind of creepy mystery thriller! Love the creepier ending scene! ↙️

Still, the sun had barely been risen when Mason heard his phone ringing. He reached over to the bedside table and answered it sleepily, not looking at the caller ID.

He was startled by the hoarse, mechanically altered voice that came to his ears. speaking three words, and three words only.

"Vampires are real!"

"What is it?" Della asked.

He shook his head, frowning.
"I'm not sure. . . "

He saw his phone was ringing again. This time he looked at the caller ID.
It was Jackson Crow.
"I don't know, . . . But I think I'm about to find out."

Looking forward to the Finale!

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are characters that never die. Some are fictional, as yesterday’s review of a brand new Sherlock Holmes pastiche proves. Some, however, are completely factual – or at least as much facts as are known – and they seem to have a life of their own.

Especially those who were into the business of killing in a really splashy way. Like Jack the Ripper. Who would have been a contemporary of, and might even have been identified by, the above mentioned Sherlock Holmes. If both of them had been factual, that is.

(If that idea appeals, take a look at either Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye or Sherlock Holmes & the Ripper of Whitechapel. I digress.)

Secrets in the Dark, however, presents a modern-day Ripper going head to head (or heads) with a much different breed of detective – the new international branch of the Krewe of Hunters, codenamed Blackbird.

Blackbird, in the persons of FBI agents Mason Carter and Della Hamilton, forms the heart of an investigative team that includes agents seconded from Britain, France, Norway with connections to and sanctions from Interpol, to hunt down and apprehend serial killers crossing international borders to carry out their grisly ‘work’.

In the first riveting book in the Blackbird trilogy, Whispers at Dusk in addition to ‘getting the band together’ and Mason and Della getting romantically together, Blackbird brought the notorious ‘Vampire Killer’ to justice in the U.S.

Or so they believed.

But Stephan Dante, AKA the ‘Vampire Killer’, wasn’t just a serial killer – as frightening as that thought is. He was every bit as expert in finding others just as disaffected, disillusioned and downright psychotic as himself, and training them in his methods. Not just his methods of killing, but in his all-too-successful methods of denying the police even a scintilla of trace evidence for forensics to sink their investigative teeth into.

Now that the Vampire Killer is behind bars, one of his best (worst, most-adept, all-of-the-above dammit) apprentices has decided it’s his time to shine. Jack the Ripper is back, leaving a trail of bloody corpses in the back alleys of modern-day Whitechapel, taunting the police and the public by way of both old-fashioned letters and new-fangled social media. Promising a spree that will put his old mentor in the shade and make the original Jack’s gruesome trail seem downright tame in comparison.

Blackbird has the new Jack in their sights, just as they did his old teacher. They’re getting closer than he believes – in spite of his ability to hide in plain sight and follow their every move.

Escape Rating B+: This was a bit of the right book at the right time. I did fall straight into the story because I already knew the characters and the premise after the first book, Whispers at Dusk, and I did find it a compelling read, but I did have a couple of niggles along the way, which I’ll get to in a minute.

First, and not a niggle at all, you do not need to have read the entire Krewe of Hunters series from which this is a spinoff to get into Blackbird. I’m certain of this because I haven’t. By the nature of the team and the way they work with local police liaisons, there’s always a natural opportunity to give any newbies, whether in story or reading the story, to get caught up enough to make it work.

I think one probably does need to read the first Blackbird book, Whispers at Dusk, because the events and circumstances follow directly on from Whispers, and Whispers has done the heavy-lifting of getting the team together and putting Mason and Della into both their working AND their romantic partnership.

The idea of someone attempting to recreate the historical Ripper killings, whether by location or method or both, is neither new nor even completely fictional. The Yorkshire Ripper, AKA Peter Sutcliffe, was clearly a more northerly copycat who operated between 1975 and 1980. Not long ago at all.

But the Ripper King of the Blackbird Trilogy is thankfully fictional – and also totally out of his gourd. The reader does get to take a few trips into his head – and I’d rather have skipped those bits. I read this kind of suspense to see the competent team catch the killer so that part wasn’t my cuppa. It wasn’t too much or too far over the top, but I’d have enjoyed the book more without.

I also wish the killer hadn’t focused on Della exactly the way that his mentor did. I also wish the team had at least one more female agent on it. I can’t put my finger on why, but it bothers me that there don’t seem to be any other female agents except for background characters.

(I recognize that’s a me thing and may not be a you thing.)

So I liked this as much as I did the first book in the Blackbird Trilogy, Whispers at Dusk, and I certainly got into it every bit as fast and stayed stuck in it just as hard to the very end. More than enough that I’m looking forward to see this case get wrapped up in Cursed at Dawn later this month!

Originally published at Reading Reality

[Legacyangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the finest and most suspenseful books I have ever read 5⭐

[Barb (Boxermommyreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a planned buddy read from last month that I didn't manage to get to. For some reason, I was doing some serious mood reading (I still am if I'm being honest) and it wasn't calling to me that strongly. However, once I made myself sit down and focus on it, the book wrapped up pretty quickly and I'm glad that I finally knocked it out of the way.

In the first book, the reader sees the development of a new international Krewe of Hunters group deemed Blackbird. This book finds them fresh off of realizing the main killer in book one had help and some of them have taken over where he left off. Della, Mason and several other inspectors from London are in the Whitechapel area looking for a new Ripper killer. This individual has taken on the role of recreating the old Ripper murders but with a new spin. This time around, Della and Mason get some help from the ghost of Abigail Scott, someone from the Ripper era who worked to save women who were struggling to survive and make it on their own. Will the team be able to stop this new Ripper before too many people die, including people from their own group?

As I mentioned, I did enjoy this book. I really love Ripper related tales as the unsolved mystery of his true identity has always fascinated me. Della and Mason are still enjoying the newness of their partnership, both professional and romantically and they make a good team. I did have a few issues thought. I feel like there was a lot of repetitiveness in this book but when I think about it, it does make sense. Every night the team would go out and basically pub crawl, but they were looking for men who fit the description of their Ripper suspect and all his disguises. Also, the ending seemed a big anticlimactic. There was a huge buildup for Ripper's next killing and when it finally came around, he was thwarted pretty easily. Abigail the ghost was a great addition to this novel though and she was actually one of my favorite characters.

If you like mysteries, action and don't mind a supernatural element, then I think you would enjoy this book as well as any other in the companion series. Graham has definitely found her niche in writing and for the most part, I find it an enjoyable one.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets in the Dark, by Heather Graham, is the second installment in her new and exciting Blackbird Series. In this novel, there is a vicious killer hunting the streets of London for just the right victim. This vile killer refers to himself as “The Ripper King,” striking at night in the most horrific ways possible, completely emulating Jack the Ripper.
In this novel we again meet FBI special agents Della Hamilton and Mason Carter who have been dispatched to London to assist in the capture of the self-proclaimed “Ripper King.” These two special agents are part of a very unique unit of the FBI; a unit that deals with the paranormal and sees and communicates with the dead. With the aid of these spirits Della and Mason are able to gain information that otherwise would remain unknown.
As the plot thickens, so to speak, “The Ripper King” develops a brutal obsession with Della. He imagines killing her in the most heinous ways in the style of Jack the Ripper. This killer is truly a diabolical master of disguise with the ability to completely change his appearance and turn the tables around until the hunted becomes the hunter.
The mystery and intensity of this novel remains constant and ever present. There is also a substantial gore level which one would expect when dealing with a killer who is imitating Jack the Ripper. With a good solid plot and likable characters that continue to evolve from the first Blackbird novel and even more into this second installment, I’m looking forward to the third novel in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley, Heather Graham, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this novel. I am leaving an honest and voluntary review. I rate this novel a 4 out 5 stars.

[Addy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
I'm very glad that book 2 ended up being better than the first! It was HEAPS more interesting! This time, the rating was bumped up to 3.5 out of 5 stars!

This time around, we're following a killer who is imitating the Jack the Ripper murders. He called himself the Ripper King. They caught onto the fact that this man was Jesse Miller, who worked under Stephan Dante for a bit. The book really was mostly the chase rather than trying to figure out who did it.

However, before they took down Miller, they took down another killer before him: Gary Hudson. He also worked under Dante, alongside Miller, acting under the Vampire killings.

We found out that Edmund also had the power to see ghosts! Truthfully, that one was a total shock! I wish we got more ghost-related content featured within the book though.

Why on Earth are they all obsessed with Della?! Every person who's been revealed as a killer has had this weird af fascination with her for one reason or another. She's currently the only woman within Blackbird, and it's just kind of ugh.

There was less random infodumping this time! Sure, it still had its moments, but it felt as if there were fewer of those moments. At times, Secrets in the Dark also felt fairly flat and anticlimactic as events continued to unfold. The ending also felt like it was really rushed which was disappointing. But, hey! For the most part, I managed to keep all of the characters straight this time!

I'm curious as to how the final book in the trilogy will conclude things! I'm ready to read the next one!

[Antonin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is my first Heather Graham book and will probably be my last. A lot of people really enjoy this author, but to me, "Secrets in the Dark" seemed like a self-published book badly in need of a professional editor. Tissue-thin characters, no plot to speak of, and pointless, rambling dialogue with too many commas and too many exclamation points.

Such as:

"I will let you have fun before I drink your blood, and for me, it will be delicious, I will drink, and drink, and drink, and lick my lips!"


Or how about this exchange:


"Hey, you know a smattering of several languages," Mason reminded Della.

She nodded. "A smattering! Hey, I can buy coffee in several languages! And, of course, find the restrooms."

"Why do you think they call them restrooms?" Edmund asked, grinning. "I mean you don't go there to rest."

Mason suggested, "Well, let's see, in lots of countries, say France, they are much more specific! Toilets!"



This is tenth grade stuff. Or maybe ninth grade stuff. If we had handed in a story with this kind of trivial gibberish in my high school English class, our teacher would have given it back with "Needs work" written across the top.

The biography in the back says Ms. Graham has written more than 200 novels, so I guess she is doing something right. This book shows that there is an audience for every kind of writer. In this age where few people read, I suppose that's a good thing.

[Darla Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a killer in London who is following in the steps of Jack the Ripper and making plans to be the King of the Rippers. FBI agents, Della Hamilton and Mason Carter, are on the case along with the rest of their international team. The team has to work quickly in order to prevent another death and catch a killer, but there's a trap they don't see coming.

This is the second book in the Blackbird Trilogy which is a spinoff of the Krewe of Hunters series. I really liked the first book and enjoyed this one very much. While the book was well-written for the most part, although there were some typos and grammatical errors as well as a part that contradicts a part at the end of the first book. There was also a "background" character called by the wrong name. Still this captivating story is full of romance and suspense and it kept me hooked. I love Della and Mason as a couple and the other relationships are well-done. I'm eager for the next book and highly recommend the first two in this trilogy.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dove right in

Picking up from book one the Blackbird team is back and focusing in London for a trainee of the killer from the last book, but on who sees himself as the Ripper with more power. The team continues to grow and build relationships as a team and in two of their cases a couple. The focus on history was good and expected for a Krewe-esq book. I find the international component and nod to the different laws intriguing and was thrilled when one of the team shared they also see ghosts. While the USA Krewe was referenced through Jackson, Angela and of course the benefactor Adam, no other Krewe members made an appearance. The focus was on the international liaisons and how the could potentially make a full time team. There were two bad guys again which was an additional element that built the team and history as we followed their steps to finding the villains. Of course ghosts were helpful and played a role in saving a life or more! It was an enjoyable read and I am really liking this new team and approach!

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

If her other 199 books are as hideous..thrn I'm damn impressed at what a great salesperson she is..a d how mu h people like badly wrutten "mysteries .

The choppy way of writing ..is a hideous trait this person and Patterson and other modern writers have .
SO annoying.

And I wouldn't of thought a seasoned writer or even adult wrote this .
Its written for teenagers..by a teenager ..

And the " talks to ghost " novelty of this series 1 stupid 2 done really bad

As for Della and Mason? of course they're the stupid cluche of both gorgeous as is everyone on their team .
in the ckiche of sleeping together ( i laughed hysterical at the inane explanation .

AND SO SO annoying and not as smart as thry think they are .

And again so teen angst written. I quit less than halfway through rhen the last chapters.

oh and the book had the begining of the next in the series...sounds like another hideous snoozer.

so this person just might be a female Patterson. won't be trying her again. one book and done.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Blackbird Krewe of Hunters series sees the team primarily in London's Whitechapel neighborhood, as someone has started imitating the notorious Jack the Ripper murders ... and there seems to be a connection to the previous case.

Mason, Della, and the rest of their international team visit film and archaeology sites during the course of the story, because they keep finding out more about the killer ... and just how much he has Della in his sights. As is the case with the last book, the team gets more than a little help from a ghost that Mason and Della can see.

The red herrings are sprinkled throughout; the book is more of a thriller than it is a fair-play puzzle, as we keep turning the page to see whether Blackbird will be able to stop the baddy in time.

Heather Graham really is the queen of romantic suspense; these new entries into the Krewe series are not to be missed.