The Forgotten (Krewe of Hunters)

Someone in South Florida is creating "zombies"... This sounds like the making of a fascinating story, and I was hoping it was. However, I just could not get past the dislike for the characters. Heather Graham went into maximum overdrive with her perfect beautiful main characters in this one. The perfect beautiful character in this novel is Laura from the previous novel The Silenced (which I felt was much better). She has landed the perfect job in South Florida working PR for a dolphin rescue. Not only does everything she touches turn to gold, but I think rainbows and sunshine follow her wherever she goes. Everyone loves her, including the dolphins, I thought I was reading the script for a new Disney movie. Though she was the PR lady, she suddenly becomes a gifted dolphin trainer (without any experience what so ever). I giggled when the long time intern at the dolphin rescue mentioned that Laura was the "golden girl", because she literally was. Like almost all Graham novels, beautiful Laura falls madly in love with handsome dashing FBI agent Brett and are in bed within 48-72 hours of meeting. During her trysts with Brett, Laura is dragged into the mystery of the zombies when her best bud Coco the dolphin, finds body parts in the nearby lagoon. The body parts belonged to a man who was dead, then not dead, and then dead again. I found myself skipping all the Harlequin romance sections (there were a lot), trying to get back to the mystery of the zombies. The whole story just fell flat to me.

"The Forgotten" the sixth book in the "Krewe of Hunters" series begins with FBI agents Brett Cody and Diego McCullough investigating Miguel Gomez's murder of his wife Maria after his death while miles away at "Sea Life" the dolphin Lara Ainsworth Mayhew's working with in her new job brings a human hand to the surface of the lagoon. In a deadly hunt for the motive behind killings the media quickly sensationalizes as "the Miami Zombie Attacks" Meg Murray and Matt Bosworth of the Krewe of Hunters join Brett, Diego and Lara to solve a mystery that may be linked to the powerful Barillo cartel.

Set in Miami Florida the Krewe of Hunters - FBI agents who investigate the unexplained- join Brett Cody and Diego McCullough to uncover clues to a mystery that has dead bodies being revived and killing someone close to them. The tension mounts when Lara Mayhew escaping from the media frenzy after suffering the terror of being abducted ("The Silenced") takes a job at Sea Life, a research facility only to suddenly find herself swept up in a murder investigation when the dolphin she's working with brings body parts of the murdered victims to the surface. As the list of dead increase, suspense escalates when Brett not only receives visits from Anthony Barillo a powerful crime boss but Lara is threatened. Heather Graham sweeps you up in a story infused with ghosts, a clever and determined dolphin, the undead and a delightful romance to break the tension.

Sparks fly when Lara Mayhew meets dark, brooding Brett Cody who she contends has a "stick up his butt" because of his obsession with finding the motive behind Miguel and Maria Gomez's murders. A man who has only enjoyed casual affairs and wants a loving, committed relationship like Miguel and Maria he is attracted to the smart, savvy and strong Lara who hasn't let the horrific ordeal in her past stop her from offering her help with the case. With Brett, Lara feels protected and secure especially as she comes to recognize his warmth, caring and amiable nature. As the investigation heats up and clues to a "conspiracy of the unwitting" are uncovered, the romance between Lara and Brett ignites.

It's these two main characters and a host of others that fuel the plot with passion, excitement and drama. Confident and cool Meg Murray and calm, disciplined, and fit Matt Bosworth are back to investigate the unexplained and otherworldly with Brett and his partner the good-natured, observant Diego McCullough. But it's Cocoa, the friendly, clever and brave dolphin who steals your heart.

I liked " The Forgotten" and will venture further into the world of the paranormal with the Krewe of Hunters' investigations in future novels.

3.5/5 stars

I admit to being a trifle disappointed in this latest entry in the "Krewe of Hunters" series. It seems as though author Heather Graham was just in too much of a hurry to put zombies into her story and get in on the latest supernatural literary trend.

Lara Mayhew, who was in the previous book ("The Silenced") is the main character here. She's in Florida, working for Sea Life, a marine mammal sanctuary, as their PR liaison. One of the dolphins, Cocoa, has taken a particular liking to her ... and one day, brings Lara a human finger during a session of playing "fetch."

In the mean while, people who are already dead are being seen around town killing their loved ones -- and then turning up "really, truly dead" later. One of them shows himself to Lara as a ghost -- and that's why the FBI's special Krewe are brought into the mix. They are basically law enforcement ghostbusters. One of the FBI agents, Brett Cody, finds himself attracted to Lara -- and vice versa -- but only after the stereotypical "hate at first sight.'

And yes, zombies. With a plot lifted straight from the pages of "The Serpent and the Rainbow," someone is making zombies using tetrodotoxin (referenced in the book even by scientists as "puffer fish poison"). The reason isn't revealed until the end of the book.

Graham told, rather than showed, the passion and attraction between Brett and Lara, which cost the book half a star. A full star was taken off because I'm just as sick and tired of zombies as I was of vampires when they were the character du jour.

4 STARS

The Forgotten takes place right after The Silenced. It can stand alone but better to read them both in order. While this is a Krewe of Hunters we really only see two of the team.

There is plenty of drama, suspense mystery, cute animals and some scenes that will have you jumping. There is also romance that really lasts and some that happen fast. There is a few love scenes.

It opens to drama right off the bat. Maria Gomez is murdered by her deceased husband Miguel. or so it seems.

FBI agent Brett Cody is taking this case hard. He had been the one who Miguel and Marie trusted to keep them safe after they came to him and was giving them evidence about some drug lords. Now they both were dead.

Lara Mayhew has moved down to Florida after the ordeal she went through. She is working in dolphin research center as the media person. Lara hits it right off with a dolphin Cocoa.

Cocoa responds to Lara and brings her treasure and she also brings her a finger from the lagoon. The finger belongs to the dead guy Miguel and not from where he was killed.

Brett and his partner want Lara and Cocoa to work with the FBI dive to see if there is more pieces of Miguel and others.

Lara's friend Meg & Matt come down to work the case from Virgina. Because having the dead commit murder is not normal.

I would love to swim with the dolphins or just watch the dolphins at the research center.

I like reading stories from Heather Graham. They are interesting and full of drama and suspense.

I was given this ebook from Net Galley and Harlequin. In return I agreed to give a honest review of The Forgotten.

I listened to this recent installment of the Krewe of Hunters series as an Audible book and thoroughly enjoyed it! Phil Gigante as usual did a superb job with narration, and really brought the book to life!

Lara Mayhew, the kidnapping victim from the previous book, "The Silenced," has decided to get out of politics and has moved to Florida to take a position in public relations for a dolphin research facility, a far cry from working for a high-profile Senator. Unfortunately, it seems that her experiences with the supernatural are far from over. FBI agent Brett Cody is investigating the murder of woman who seems to have been killed by her husband, an FBI informant that was presumed dead, yet when one of the dolphins at the facility brings Lara the man's finger, more questions are raised as to how this could have happened! Brett knows that the informant loved his wife dearly, so what could have caused him to murder her? He knows that is what happened, though, because she has appeared to him telling him so, although Brett would prefer to believe that the organized crime family Miguel worked for is to blame. Lara reluctantly agrees to assist the FBI by working with Cocoa the dolphin to try and locate the rest of Miguel, the informant's remains, but her relationship with Brett is quite a prickly one. When another murder is committed by a man thought to be deceased, the question of whether someone is turning people into murderous zombies is raised, and Brett and Lara's investigation leads them into Miami's immigrant voodoo community, with intriguing results. The truth behind the "zombie" murders is even more sinister than what they learn from the voodoo practitioners, and the dolphin research facility is involved, which puts Lara in the killer's crosshairs.

I enjoyed the mystery as well as the supernatural and romantic elements to the story, and would definitely recommend the book!

After I read Heather Graham's book, 'Silenced', I decided to select her next book in the Krewe of Hunters series, 'The Forgotten', off my Vine queue. It is an excellent addition to the unfolding story line of this unusual FBI team that solves crimes with the assistance of paranormal abilities. 'The Forgotten' revolves around Lara Mayhew, one of the stars of the previous novel, 'Silenced', after she moves to Florida to work at a dolphin training facility. Despite a fresh start that is well-separated from her frightening past both mentally and geographically, she is drawn into a series of murders perpetrated by dead people. When she experiences a vision of a ghost, she knows she needs help from her best friend, Meg Murray, and the FBI unit she works for, Krewe of Hunters, that specializes in paranormal activities.

As with the prior novel, Silenced, I don't find out much about any of the other team members' otherworldly talents except as they relate to the murders. There are no gratuitous flashbacks or vignettes whose only purpose is to bolster the supernatural theme. Truly, I expected ghosts and undead mirages to people the landscape much more than they did. In fact, these sorts of events were judiciously sprinkled through the plot, never overbearing and always just the right amount. Even for someone like me who doesn't usually choose this sort of novel, I enjoyed the uniqueness they added to the story arc.

Although this is part of a series, it definitely stands alone. In fact, it took almost a third of the book before the Krewe of Hunters took main stage.

Overall, a fun story with just the right amount of other-worldiness to make it a unique experience. I definitely recommend it as a quick read.

As suspected, I loved this book. Heather Graham's Krewe of Hunters series is excellent and I think it's great that she does the trilogies, and one quartet, connecting certain characters within the series. "The Forgotten" is the second book in Heather's latest trilogy and it focuses on Lara along with Brett and Diego. We first met Lara in "The Silenced" while Brett and Diego are two local FBI agents who are working a case. Heather draws you in from the start and keeps you hanging on. You find yourself rooting for the good guys, cheering when something goes their way. Lara has moved down from Washington DC to Florida and is working at Sea Life where they are caring for a number of dolphins among them an older female named Cocoa. Cocoa bonds with Lara. During a game, where she dives for an object and returns it, she brings a human finger. Brett and Diego are sent to investigate on the chance that it connects to their case which it does as they find out. Lara begins seeing a man who turns out to be a ghost, the ghost of the man who is the center of the case Brett and Diego are working while Brett sees the man's wife. The case becomes know as the Zombie Killings because men who were dead seemingly come back to life then kill someone who was very dear to them. Lara calls her best friend and newest Krewe member, Meg, asking for help. Both Meg and her husband, Matt who is also a Krewe member, come down. The five of them work together to solve the case. As they get closer to solving the mystery, Lara is threatened but she doesn't scare easily. Cocoa plays a vital part in solving the mystery and it is her bond with Lara that ultimately saves the two women. There are two important connections that begin in this story, they are Brett and Lara's relationship and the bond between Cocoa and Lara. The psychic connection between Lara and Meg is further explored here. I whole-heartedly recommend this book; however, at minimum you need to read "The Silenced" first if you can't read the entire series.

Stories about zombies bring to mind certain images I tend to shy away from, but author Heather Graham tackles the subject matter in an intriguing way that quickly pulled me in.

Narrator Phil Gigante does an excellent job giving the ‘living’ and ‘dead’ characters their own unique voice. His mannerisms are such that even the female voices capture your attention. Gigante’s interruption of the emotions and suspense enhances an already well-developed story.

FBI Agent Britt Cody finds he has a most unusual crime on his hands. A woman has been murdered in her own home by her husband. But the husband had been murdered weeks earlier in an explosion tied to a local crime boss.

Meanwhile, Lara Mayhew is settling into a new job working with a dolphin research facility. When one of the dolphins brings Lara a human finger from the lagoon, Britt is called in. The finger, along with a number of other body parts, turns out to be the dead man accused of killing his wife.

As more zombie-like killings occur, the Krewe of Hunters (an elite FBI unit of paranormal investigators) is called in. As Britt and Lara work with members of the Krewe, they soon discover everything is not what it seems including their attitude toward each other.

Graham has crafted interesting characters that draw listeners/readers in and holds them spellbound until they discover answers. She blends the paranormal with realistic for a smooth, fast-pace story filled with mystery, suspense, and touches of romance. Combining all these elements with fascinating tidbits about dolphins, Graham captures your imagination.

THE FORGOTTEN is the 16th installment in Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series, but can be listened to or read on its own. While several characters from the previous installment (THE SILENCED) return in this story, new listeners/readers won’t be left in the dark and returning fans of the series will enjoy the follow-up to a former character’s journey.

Graham brings dark and deadly zombies to life in her latest paranormal thriller.

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Maria Gomez misses her husband, they had a love most were jealous of, but Miguel has been dead and buried, murdered the FBI thinks by the Cartel. Maria hears a noise and turns, her Miguel is there in the doorway, it is Miguel but it isn't and Maria knows it as he walks quickly lifts her and without reserve tosses her over the balcony to her death.
Laura Mayhew has come to Miami to start a new life and put tragedy behind her, she knows all about evil and death and just wants to forget all that has happened. She works at sea life a dolphin research facility, but they also put on shows, educate visitors and offer dolphin swims and soon to a group of vets with PTSD.
Working with Coco the dolphin who had saved Laura once from a shark, she has found her peace,and though she is the media specialist, she can do things with Coco that no one else can, and it's fun, until, Coco likes to fetch but soon she brings Laura an object, first a finger and then more.
Brett Cody is after Miguel's and Maria's killer he feels responsible, and now Miguels body parts start showing up in the ocean, after Brett has seen him buried, soon another murder occurs with witnesses, and they all say the killer is a man who was dead and buried months ago.
"Zombie Murders" the media screams, and though Brett does not believe in raising the dead, he does know something creepy is going on and he is going to find out but can he do it before Laura and Coco end up in danger, Brett feels the need to protect her and if he would admit it, to love her.