Review: Before The Poison

Before The Poison

by Peter Robinson

Quote: "Well, let's face it, the place is hardly a cottage, and it is rather remote, isn't it? Talk about Wurthering Heights or Bleak House. And it's not a great spot for farming. Then... Do you know much about it, yourself?" ~ Ted  pg. 71

Started: Jan. 17, 2013

Finished: Jan. 24, 2013

hardcover/ 594 pages

From the cover:

After twenty-five years abroad in America, Chris Lowndes decides to return to the Yorkshire dales of his youth. The rambling old mansion he buys is charming, but something about it disturbs him- a feeling made ever stronger when he learns that the house was the scene of a murder more than fifty years before. The former owner, a prominent doctor named Ernest Arthur Fox, was supposedly poisoned by his beautiful and much younger wife, Grace. Arrested and brought to trial, Grace was found guilty and hanged for the crime.

 The more Chris discovers about the case, the more convinced he becomes that grace may have been innocent. Ignoring warnings to leave things alone, he sets out on a quest that takes him deep into the past and into a web of secrets that lie all too close to the present.

My Review:

I enjoyed the way this story was written. Jumping from present day 2010, back to the 1950's. It was broken up to give you details of the past and of the trial. Also we eventually get to read pages written in Grace's diary. 

 As Chris takes on a quest into finding out more about Grace Fox and who she was, Before the Poison, he finds out more about himself.  Maybe who he is can help him find what he's looking for and understand better who Grace was.

Loved the idea, liked the book. All in all, there may have been too much focus on what I considered "not important" parts and too little detail or understanding on the " big stuff".

I still gave it 3 stars*

Review: The Unholy(Krewe of Hunters #6)

The Unholy

by Heather Graham

Quote: " If the cops could just understand what this has done to him, how he's feeling...they'd know he couldn't have done it."~ Eddie pg. 134

Started: Nov. 1, 2012

Finished: Nov. 27, 2012

486 pages/hardcover, large print edition

From the cover:

The 1940s: Hard-boiled detectives and femmes fatale are box-office gold. In one iconic scene, set in a deserted museum, the buxom beauty is throttled by an ominous Egyptian priest. 

NOW: The Black Box Cinema immortal-izes Hollywood's Golden Age in its gallery of  film noir tributes. But the mannequin of that Egyptian priest is hardly lifeless. He walks- and a young starlet dies a terrifying death. Movie mogul Eddie Archer's son is charged with the murder and calls agent Sean Cameron. As part of an FBI paranormal forensics team, Cameron works with special-effects artist Madison Darvil- who has her own otherworldly gifts.

My Review:

This is book six in the Krewe of Hunters series. Each of these books has their own story line and setting but still very many, maybe too many similarities. While they are different enough to keep you from feeling deju vu with each book as an individual, they do seem to have the save theme. crime=krewe=2 single people=both have "otherworldly gifts"= damsel in distress= cased solve=happy ending.

You get the idea, right?

I enjoyed the setting of this one only after about half way through the book when they actually started describing the history of the property and how the ancestors were connected. That was probably the best part other than the main hunk-o was named Sean and I may have been a little too biased and kept reading solely to see what action he got.

I probably will finish out this series. Even if only to see where they send the Krewe next...

*4 stars*

Review: The Evil Inside(Krewe of Hunters #4)

The Evil Inside

by Heather Graham

Quote: "Most people do mock what they don't understand- especially when we're all taught to be brave, that ghosts don't exist and there's nothing hiding under the bed." ~ Jake pg. 146

Started: Oct 4, 2012

Finished: Oct. 13, 2012

479 pages/ hardcover, Large print edition

From the cover:

Lexington House, overlooking New England's jagged coastline, has been the witness to madness and murder throughout its history. But in recent years the malice has lain silent. Until now. Jenna Duffy is a member of the nation's foremost paranormal forensic team. Yet nothing could prepare her for the string of slayings once again plaguing Lexington House, or for the chief suspect- a boy barely old enough to drive, much less kill. With the young man's life on the line, Jenna teams up with attorney Samuel hall to pinpoint who- or what- is taking the lives of those who get too close to the past.

My Review:

Ok, first off I will tell you that I am going to rate this book high. Probably higher than I should. Only because I feel this book would be amazing as a stand alone. The reason I'm so bummed is that Graham is becoming SO predictable! I really do enjoy this series but every book by chapter 2 we know that 2 people are going to fall for each other and usually have figured out which 2. :(

With that out of the way...I did enjoy The Evil Inside. This story was a great book to choose just around Halloween. Set in Massachusetts during an event called Haunted Happenings, it focuses on a number of murders and trying to determine if they are looking for one killer or possibly two. Once again the Krewe of Hunters are called in to use their talents to try and gain insight to the string of mysteries and murders. Jenna is called in to help by her Uncle a to help with a boy he once had as a patient who is now being held as a suspect in a brutal crime, the murder of his entire family.  

*4 stars*

Review: Sacred Evil (Krewe of Hunters #3)

Sacred Evil 

by Heather Graham

Quote: "Are you still convinced that it all has to do with Jack the Ripper and someone obsessed with him?" ~Angela pg. 196

Started: Sept. 23, 2012

Finished: Oct. 4, 2012

479 pages/ hardcover, Large print edition

From the cover:

One look and Manhattan Detective Jude Crosby recognizes the tableau: a re-creation of Jack the Ripper's gruesome work. but he also sees something beyond the actions of a mere copycat. something more dangerous...and unexplainable. As the city seethes with suspicion, Jude calls on Whitney Tremont, a member of the country's preeminent paranormal investigating team, to put the speculation to rest. Yet when Whitney and Jude delve deeper, what they discover is more shocking than either could have predicted, and twice as sinister.

My Review:

This series continues to get better and better. While I won't say this book was one of my favorites out of the series, I did love the story line and the historical theme that went along with it. I think I like these so much because they use real events from the past and put a new spin on them. many of the historical events I had heard of but never learned any of the details. With these being "cop stories" they do seem to use a lot of facts and follow the crimes in a realistic way.

This book brings the story of Jack the Ripper to modern times with a paranormal twist. Once again, the Krewe of Hunters are called in to use their personal talents to shed light on an unsolved murder case. Sacred Evil seems to focus mainly on Jude and Whitney. I like how each story lets you get to know certain characters more intimately and gives a more detailed look into each of the members.

*5 stars*

continuing on to the next book...

Review: Heart of Evil( Krewe of Hunters #2)

Heart of Evil

by Heather Graham

Quote: " I believe that there are spirits here, spirits of the past, of happiness and of trauma. But if we have ghosts, they're here to guard us, to watch over us. There's nothing evil at this plantation." ~ pg. 279

Started: September 17, 2012

Finished: September 23, 2012

436 pages/ hardcover, Large print edition

From the cover:

Donegal Plantation is known for its captivating atmosphere, haunting legends... and now a corpse swinging from a marble angel in its cemetery. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed just before the Civil War. Desperate for help traditional criminologists can't provide, Ashley Donegal turns to an elite team of paranormal investigators who blend hard forensics with rare intuition. Among them is Jake Mallory, a gifted New Orleans musician with a talent that stretches beyond the realm of the physical, and with a few dark ghosts of his own.

My Review:

This is the second book in what I am discovering to be a great series! I love that the first book forms the team, the Krewe of Hunters. Now each book is a new story, a new crime they must solve using logic and intuition. The team has a bond and you see them growing and the characters developing evermore.

I love anything to do with American history so these books have a bonus for me.

 The story takes you on "flashbacks" or into the minds of those long dead, showing you how they saw things.

Heart of Evil  is about an murder on the Donegal Plantation that uncovers a much darker secret and raises a lot of unfinished business. Several families and a lot of bad blood, a mystery over 150 years old and all the lives it affects. I'll definitely be reading through the rest of this series and see what becomes of the Krewe of Hunters!

*5 stars*

Review: Phantom Evil (Krewe of Hunters #1)

Phantom Evil

by Heather Graham

Quote: " You have the ability to find all the answers- if you let yourself do so." ~ Mama Matisse pg. 113

Started: Sept. 11, 2012

Finished: Sept. 17, 2012

493 pages/hardcover, large print edition

From the cover:

A secret government unit is formed under the oversight of Adam Harrison, famed paranormal investigator. The six members he's gathered know a little of the other-worldly; each has honed a psychic talent of their own. The case: In a historic mansion in New Orlean's French Quarter, a senator's wife falls to her death from a balcony. Most think she jumped, distraught over the loss of her young son. Some say she was pushed. And yet others believe she was beckoned by the ghostly spirits that inhabit the house- once the site of a serial killer's grisly work.

My Review:

this is the first book in the Krewe of Hunters series. I had actually read #5 without knowing it was a serious. So for me this was a sort of back-tracking to the beginning.

I am so glad I did. The book shows how the team or "hunters" are formed. How each member has something special to contribute to the group. I love that it shows so much diversity and a somewhat realistic view of how they work together despite their individual backgrounds or beliefs. They pull together for the greater good and to help others. 

It's also mainly about politics and the behind-the-scenes type stuff. Great book before a big election(although it is fiction).

This book did have a few unexpected twists which made for a great mystery. I am currently on #2 and will continue to read and review this series.

Great new story-line for me to become obsessed with!

*5 stars*

Review: The Hunt for the Seventh

The Hunt for the Seventh

by Christine Morton-Shaw

Quote: "This one, he sees her. This one, he knows where her name, it is written down. All of the children's names, six names in total, they are written in the church." ~ Henry aka Einstein pg. 63

Started: Aug. 23, 2012

Finished: Aug. 27, 2012

273 pages/ paperback

From the cover:

A haunted mansion.

Six dead children.

A garden of statues.

With every step he takes around the carefully manicured grounds of Minerva Hall, Jim is haunted by the ghosts of children, long dead, whom no one else can see. Urging him to "find the Seventh," the children leave him cryptic clues pointing to a devastating ancient prophecy that only he can stop from being fulfilled.

If Jim doesn't figure out the clues, innocent people will die. But how can Jim find the answers while the dangers of the Hall grow ever more threatening? And even if he can, the real question is- is Jim already too late?

My Review:

This was a great little MG book. It has just enough mystery and "scare" factor to be enjoyed by any middle school reader. The main character is an eleven-year-old who has recently lost his mother. Now his father, sister and himself are starting over. New home, job, school, friends and life. The changes they experience are not what any of them had in mind. This is not what Jim had imagined when he dreamed of more adventure and excitement in what had become a dull, routine life of  feeling alone and overlooked. I give it *4 stars*

Review: The Unseen( Krewe of Hunters #5)

The Unseen

by Heather Graham

Quote: " Bodies with no names. and now a name with no body." ~ Logan Raintree pg. 101

Started: Aug. 4, 2012

Finished: Aug. 8, 2012

Hardcover/ 337 pages

From the cover:

1800s. San Antonio, Texas:  In room 207 at the Longhorn Saloon, in the long shadow of the Alamo itself, a woman renowned for her beauty was brutally murdered. Her killer was never found.

One year ago:  In that same historic room, another woman vanished without a trace. Her blood was everywhere...but her body was never recovered.

Now:  In the last month, San Antonio has become a dumping ground for battered bodies. All young women, many of them long missing, almost all forgotten. Until now.

Texas Ranger Logan Raintree cannot sit by and let his city's most vulnerable citizens be slain. So when he is approached to lead a brand-new group of elite paranormal investigators working the case, he has no choice but to accept the challenge. And with it, his powerful ability to commune with the dead.

Among Logan's new team is Kelsey O'Brien, a U.S. marshal known for her razor-sharp intuition and a toughness the belies her delicate exterior. Kelsey has been waiting all her life to work with someone who can understand her ability to "see" the past unfolding in the present. Now she has her chance.

Together, Kelsey and Logan follow their instincts to the Alamo and to the newly reopened Longhorn, which once tempted heroes with drink, cards and women. If the spirits of those long-dead Texans are really appearing to the victims before their deaths, only Kelsey and Logan have the skills to find out why.

And if something more earthly is menacing the city's oldest, darkest corners, only they can stop it- before more innocent women join the company of San Antonio's restless ghosts...

My Review:

I have to admit this is my first time reading Heather Graham. A friend of mine has been reading her books for quite awhile and I stumbled upon this one by chance. I loved it! I'm kinda bummed that I read this one first since it was her latest. Now my TBR list will go up by 5 more. I will have to start at the beginning of the Krewe of Hunters series. I can't wait to find out how it got started and learn more about Jackson Crowe, since he became a minimal character in this book.

I would compare this book to works of Tess Gerritsen, one of my favorite authors. Some similarities are: lots of characters, the crime, medical and paranormal/mythical feelings, the facts within the story, and the way the characters end up being connected throughout the events.

This story was very well written. I loved the suspense, the characters and all the elements it included. Mostly, I think I liked the history aspects of the story. I'm always excited when I can learn more historical facts, even when the book is fiction. It makes learning fun and keeps me interested. I will definitely be checking out more of Graham's work!

*5 stars*

Here is a link to Heather Grahams website including list of books:

Heather Graham

Review: The Night Strangers

The Night Strangers

by Chris Bohjalian

Quote: " Nothing to say. You just keep that greenhouse for the girls- the twins. You just keep them twins safe."~ Hewitt Dunmore

 pg. 161

Started: May 16, 2012

Finished: May 31, 2012

hardcover/ 375 pages

From the cover:

In a dusty corner of  a basement in a rambling Victorian house in northern New Hampshire, a door has been long sealed shut with thirty-nine 6-inch-long carriage bolts. 

  The home's new owners are chip and Emily Linton and their twin ten-year-old daughters. together they hope to rebuild their lives there after Chip, an airline pilot, has to ditch his seventy-seat regional jet in Lake Champlain after double engine failure. Unlike "the Miracle on the Hudson," however, most of the passengers aboard Flight 1611 die on impact or drown. The body count? Thirty-nine__ a coincidence not lost on Chip when he discovers the number of bolts in that basement door. Meanwhile, Emily finds herself wondering about the women in this sparsely populated white Mountain village- self-proclaimed herbalists- and their interest in her fifth-grade daughters. Are the women mad? Or is it her husband, in the wake of the tragedy, whose grip on sanity has become desperately tenuous?

  The result is a poignant and powerful ghost story with all the hallmarks readers have come to expect from bestselling novelist Chris Bohjalian: a palpable sense of place, an unerring sense of demons that drive us, and characters we care about deeply.  The difference this time? Some of those characters are dead.

My Review:

I hate to give this book a bad review. I really, really wanted to love it. Alas, I didn't. It starts out so slow, and drags on and on about the details of the airplane, the flight, the final moments from so many different perspectives. The book is divided into parts, 4 in all. Part 1 is almost entirely about the flight that ends the lives of thirty-nine people. Which does  eventually, have significance. It just seems to take a long way getting there. 

 I also felt this book was a hodge-podge of stories. there was way too many elements in one novel. e.i.( pilot, tragedy, herbalists/witches, twins, PTSD, ghosts...) It's like Bohjalian had so many good story ideas and then ruined it by putting them all into one novel. 

Sometimes less....really is more!

3 stars(only because some of it was interesting enough to keep me reading until the end)