Wicked Deeds (Krewe of Hunters)

Another fabulous book of the Krewe of Hunters. I can never wait till the next one comes out and have to stop any other book that I am reading at the time to read this new book. It is always exceptionally good and always has tid bits of history of the area. Heather Graham is an exceptionally good author and have yet to come across a bad book. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND STORIES!!

Love all her easy relaxing stories have bought all of them. I read these when I am tired at night and very tired of listening to arepublicans and Democrats blame each other for EVERYTHING including the weather....better to read slight fantasy.

Up to now, my only acquaintance with this author has come by way of "Infernal Night," a short story co-written with F. Paul Wilson for the David Baldacci-edited "FaceOff" in 2014. That's my bad; after reading this one - courtesy of an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review - I'll make that mistake nevermore. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which adeptly mixes mystery and history and sprinkles it with the paranormal.

The plot also centers around one of my favorite story-tellers and poets, the late, great Edgar Allan Poe, who makes several ghostly appearances. The book is, you see, the latest in the "Krewe of Hunters" series, featuring historian Vickie Preston and FBI Special Agent Griffin Pryce. Members have been recruited to this unique paranormal FBI team not only because of their investigative skills, but also because they are able to communicate with the dead. On their way to their new home in Virginia - which will serve as home base as Vickie enters the rigorous FBI training academy in Quantico - they opt for a quiet, romantic visit in historic Baltimore.

Peaceful stopover? Fuhgettaboutit. Griffin gets a call from the FBI powers that be informing him that they're needed to help with a "bizarre" case; horror writer Franklin Verne has been found dead in the wine cellar of a the Black Bird, a Poe-themed Baltimore restaurant (for the record, Poe is buried in the city). It appears the death is a suicide - a recovering alcoholic who went off the wagon and on a drinking binge - but his widow, Monica, insists otherwise. The case is complicated by the fact that not a single soul saw him enter the restaurant - nor did they see any of the three dead blackbirds that now surround his body.

As they begin to assist local police with the investigation, Vickie and Griffin get their first visit from Poe, who claims to want to help solve the murder because it might provide clues to his own death way back when (although several theories abound, exactly how he died remains a mystery). In fact, a chunk of the story is a history lesson; it's all put together quite interestingly, woven in and around the investigation and the ghostly dreams and sightings by the main characters.

But wait, there's more: It comes in the form of a second dead body, which turns up during a seance led by a very kooky and almost totally unlikable character who believes she's got a direct connection to the dead (Vickie and Griffin, though, aren't quick to agree). Now, the FBI is called in officially, and the race is on to find the killer before he, or she, targets someone else and possibly puts the future life of Vickie and Griffin in jeopardy as well.

Once I got going, I found it hard to stop reading, and I apologize to "my" Ohio State Buckeyes for keeping one eye on my Kindle and the other on their game with Army (admittedly made a bit easier during the second half, when the Buckeyes pretty much ran rampant up and down the field). My only suggestion, for what it's worth, is to put the brakes on exclamation points at the ends of sentences. In my mind, they're like laugh tracks on TV comedy shows; if you have to tell me when to laugh, it's probably not very funny (and in any case, I prefer to make up my own mind). That said, this may be my first "Krewe" book, but it certainly won't be my last. Well done!

Bestselling author Heather Graham began writing her Krewe of Hunters series in 2011, and Wicked Deeds is the 25th installment. The novels are paranormal/romantic thrillers. While the novels are quite well-written, the fact that three or four are released each year should be a clue that they aren’t going to end up being literary classics. However, the series is fun, and for those who like light, fast-moving thrillers, this will be a great series for them to follow.

Wicked Deeds begins with historian Vickie Preston and Special Agent Griffin Pryce stopping in Baltimore while on a short romantic vacation and getting mixed up in solving a murder that happened at an Edgar Allen Poe themed restaurant. Because the corpse has some strange circumstances surrounding it, the FBI's Krewe of Hunters paranormal team is called in to investigate. Since Griffin is already a member of the Krewe and close by, and Preston is scheduled to join the Krewe shortly, they stay in Baltimore.

Graham has done an excellent job of developing her characters, giving readers the impression that they might be real people. Preston has some interaction with Poe’s ghost during the investigation, and there is palpable building suspense as favorite characters are put in danger and more murders occur. Another plus is that Edgar Allen Poe fans will enjoy reviewing some of the facts from Poe’s life; it seems that Graham does do her research. Even though this is a fictional novel, the background has factual information woven through in which the characters interact, making the novel even more fun.

While Wicked Deeds can be read as a stand-alone novel, readers who enjoy this genre will want to start with the first installment and read them in order.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Vickie Preston and Griffin Pryce return in for a third time in this book, following their reacquaintance in Dying Breath and collaboration in Dark Rites. But while those two Krewe of Hunter books took place in Boston, Massachusetts, Wicked Deeds has our couple heading to the Washington D.C./northern Virginia area. (No spoilers for those who didn’t read the first two Vickie & Griffin stories; this can stand alone, but the preceding books are very good and set the stage, so to speak, for this one.) Stopping in Baltimore for the weekend, Vickie and Griffin are drawn into the investigation of a popular local author. Soon the “Krewe” is on the job, trying to discover who is committing murders echoing Poe’s literary works.

The main reason I read this series by Ms.Graham is that I love the way the paranormal gets woven into the story and the “Krewe”s”mission. With the legend and ghost of Edgar Allan Poe lurking around, this book nerd and Poe fan loved that the plot revolved around Baltimore and Poe’s backstory. I truly did not mind the history lessons built into what was a decent and fairly well-written suspense book. I find that the writing in Ms. Graham’s books can be very uneven, but here it flowed fairly well. Although I normally like a different protagonist(s) in each book, this trilogy within the series worked for me and I was still very engaged in Vickie and Griffin’s story. Enjoyable read!

This book is definitely unique from other Krewe of Hunters books from Heather Graham. First, this is third book where Vickie and Griffin are present as the main couple. I really enjoy their characters and appreciate getting to spend more time with them. The other thing that is different with this story is that I laughed several times during this story. From the synopsis, we know that Edgar Allan Poe makes an appearance in this book and his character is really quick-witted and sharp (as one would expect). 

One scene stands out to me and it's Vickie and Poe in her car and she calls him a name; for one second, she's horrified and I laughed really hard. It only gets better as the story went on. The reason this really stood out to me that this book still has the trademark history and suspense that readers expect from Heather Graham. The slices of humor added another level to an already great story.

Another factor that stands out in this story is that we get to see Vickie and Griffin's relationship grow deeper, but we also see Vickie's skills in the paranormal strengthen. She hasn't entered the academy yet but she's just getting ready to start in this story. If you've read "Dying Breath" and "Dark Rites", then you'll get to see Vickie grow and develop and that's something I always enjoy in characters. You could still read this story as a standalone, but my honest thoughts are that you'll enjoy this story a lot more if you've read "Dying Breath" first.

The ending of this story is a flurry of activity and I had a lot of respect for the author spinning the ending for the reader. The ending is dramatic but it's also a little different from other Krewe of Hunter books, and again, I appreciated how this author can add slight touches to make the story different, and still stay true to the series and what readers have come to know and love. 

If you enjoy reading books about the paranormal, mysteries, or Heather Graham in general, you will love this book. It's incredible to see this author who has been writing for years and years still be able to switch it up and give readers a story like never before. 

Wicked Deeds, like all the Krewe of Hunters books, is a delightful mix of lots of history and mystery combined with a dash of magic and romance. For the third time historian Vickie Preston and Special Agent Griffin Pryce gets to star a story as they run into a crime while taking a weekend off before their new life starts.
I like Vickie and Griffin, they have a great chemistry, and they are perfect for each other. They compliment the other and have a tangible connection and fierce passion. To say I am bored with them would be wrong, I am not. But I do like the spark of a new romance igniting in the stories and the energy it brings to the tale.
Vickie is always filled with stories from the past, her knowledge is beyond most. But what was the fun and intriguing part for me in the story was the appearance of Edgar Allen Poe as the ghost. I loved the characteristics the author had given him, so fitting. Most of us have wondered at one time or the other how it would be to meet someone from the past, and the way this story is told, it just tickled my mind immensely.
The murder mystery gets intense. It is a tangled web of clues and suspects and like most of the Krewe stories, the past and present interweave with visions and dreams.
This is a good, satisfying story and a wonderful addition to the series. It is not my favorite within the Krewe books, but it is a solid tale of history and mystery
~ Three Spoons with a teaspoon on the side

This book started out slow...very slow. However I eventually got into it and was glad that I kept with it.

Of course, I’ve heard of Poe, heard some of his poems, and can even imagine his profile. But, I had never read him. Alas, I learned a lot about him in this book as he appeared to Griffin and Vickie, the latter being a new member to the Krewe team. Poe appears to both of them in this story with Vickie being the main person he speaks to.

A member of a group of Poe fans is found dead and that starts the mystery of this book.

I enjoyed reading this book and stayed up late to discover “who did it”. However it doesn’t rank as my favorite from this author.

Entertaining, but slow for me to start.

Thanks to Harlequin, MIRA and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review

When a famous author dies under suspicious circumstances in an Edgar Allen Poe themed restaurant the Krewe Of Hunters are called in. The authors death appears to be a suicide but no one saw him enter the restaurant and his wife doesn’t think its a suicide. Historian Vickie Preston and Spec Agent Griffin Price are on the case. Edgar Allen Poe begins to appear in dreams to historian Vickie Preston. Edgar wants to help solve the mystery. When there are more weird deaths they are under pressure to solve the case before the death toll mounts.

This was a good addition to the Krewe Of Hunters series. It could possibly be read as a stand alone, but there is a lot of history with the characters that is in the previous books. This book falls into the paranormal series but it has mystery and history too. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

All Vickie and Griffin wanted was a little stop on the way to what would now be both of their homes, before Vickie enters the FBI Academy as part of the Krewe of Hunters, a paranormal group inside the FBI.

But that isn't going to happen. When Mr. Poe himself puts in an appearance in Vickie's dreams and in public, she is drawn in to helping him figure out how he died and who did it! But with bodies turning up badly staged like Poe's works of fiction, they have more current crimes to figure out. Or are they all tied together in some bizarre way?

Always a fan of Graham and especially this paranormal series of characters, this one did not disappoint. Fans of history and fans of Poe will be thrilled with the outcome!

Netgalley/Mira Books September 19, 2017

As usual, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I also loved the fact that it went into the many different theories on how Edgar Alan Poe actually died. I didn't know there was such a controversy and mystery about his death. I found that part of the story fascinating. I also enjoyed the modern-day murder mysteries which had taken place in the same restaurant where one of the many Edgar Alan Poe Society kind of headquartered. The story lines were easily meshed and I loved trying to figure out who the killer really was, in both cases.

If you like to have a bit of history intermingled within your stories, you will find this a good read.

I have read and enjoyed the Krewe series by Heather Graham. It seems very odd to me,, but this did not feel like her writing. Oddly, the premise of the book seemed almost to be a taunt to the reader. The wording, the feel, just nope. I have heard that some writers who have been popular for a long period of time have others write under their names these days. They have what is called a "stable" of writers. I certainly hope I'm wrong about that where Graham is concerned. Maybe she was just not feeling it for this book. But, nope. Not a good one in any way.

I love the krewe books generally, but am having a hard time with this one, and the previous one in this series. While the storylines may be interesting, i can't stand the dialogue...or maybe it's just the overuse of exclamation points! So many! Ugh!....

Loved Poe's ghost and how he "speaks" to everyone. The newlyweds interaction with each other was nicely written and kept us interested in them and the people they worked with. I also liked how Vickie worried about starting with the FBI as well as Griffen's desire the " help" her!

I love the krewe books generally, but am having a hard time with this one, and the previous one in this series. While the storylines may be interesting, i can't stand the dialogue...or maybe it's just the overuse of exclamation points! So many! Ugh!....

Loved Poe's ghost and how he "speaks" to everyone. The newlyweds interaction with each other was nicely written and kept us interested in them and the people they worked with. I also liked how Vickie worried about starting with the FBI as well as Griffen's desire the " help" her!

I love Heather Graham books. . Krewe of Hunters series is a favorite that I have read over twice. I want to get the whole series and I am almost there. What can I say? YES I love this book and recommend to all who like mystery, paranormal and romance. This is another one I will reread.

This was by far the most suspenseful book written by Heather Graham. As in her other Krewe of Hunters books, there is both ghost and romance, but I loved that Edgar Allan Poe was involved in the mystery of the killings. Heather outdid herself with this novel.

Heather Graham’s The Krewe books always provide a wonderful mystery while she brings in history and where it has taken place in the United States. This book has inspired me to read Edgar Allen Poe next, until her next Krewe book comes out. Thank you for such entertaining books.

Heather Graham is a very talented author who researches her books thoroughly and the series follows each other very well. She makes paranormal believable and makes her people's reaction true and realistic. The suspense is palpable and the mystery convoluted and riveting. I don't miss any of the Krewe of Hunters.