2 Bloggers 1 Series - Krewe of Hunters

 

So some time ago Stormi and I stated reading the Krewe of Hunters.  We only read the first one, but I really enjoyed it and knew I definitely wanted to continue on with it.  So read on for my thoughts and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads to see her's.

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

AUTHOR: Heather Graham

PUBLISHER: MIRA
PUBLISHING DATE: June 28, 2011

SOURCE: Hoopla

PAGES: 376

FROM GOODREADS: Emerging from the bayou like an apparition, Donegal Plantation is known for its unsurpassed dining, captivating atmosphere, haunting legends and now a corpse swinging from the marble angel that marks its cemetery's most majestic vault. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed in a skirmish just before the Civil War.

Desperate for help traditional criminologists could never provide, plantation heiress Ashley Donegal turns to an elite team of paranormal investigators who blend hard forensics with rare & often inexplicable intuition. Among the Krewe of Hunters is an old flame, Jake Mallory, a gifted musician with talent stretching far beyond the realm of the physical, and a few dark ghosts of his own.

The evil the team unveils has the power to shake the plantation to its very core. Jake and Ashley are forced to risk everything to unravel secrets that will not stay buried even in death.

MY THOUGHTS:  I have to admit that it took me some time to get fully invested in this one.  There was quite a bit of historical references as early on, there is a Civil War enactment which prompts the beginning of the main mystery.  However, I quickly settled in and loved learning about the history of Donegal Plantation and all the ghosts which had taken up residence and why.

Ashley Donegal used to be involved with Jake, one of the Krewe Hunters, but left him when she learned he could "sense" things and possible communicate with the dead.  Fast forward a few years and her grandfather calls in some favors with the special FBI team when someone goes missing after the most recent enactment.  Ashley is glad to have the help but doesn't know how she feels about Jake returning.  However, is her unease amplified by her own unexplained experience with some long-dead family members?

I love the paranormal aspect of these books and it's always fun to see what the team will be investigating next.  Each book seems to place the main focus on different characters so it's nice to see a variety of people which I believe will keep things fresh moving forward in such a long series.  The mystery was intriguing, and it goes to say I tend to enjoy any book which is set in Louisiana.  The plantation, bayou and creatures all lent themselves well to the paranormal aspects of Heart of Evil.

SO overall, this book was a hit and I am excited to move on.  They seem to be quick reads and I can see them quickly taking place of another favorite comfort read series once it's completed soon.  

RATING: 4 PAWS

2 Bloggers 1 Series - Hidden Summit (Virgin River Series)

 

So this month Stormi and I decided a comfort read was due, so we reverted back to an old favorite and picked up the next installment in the Virgin River series.  I have enjoyed all of the books so far and feel like the end is finally in sight.  With only a few books left, I will be glad to finish this series because it will be a big accomplishment, but also sad to see them go.  So read on to see what I thought of Hidden Summit and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads to see her's.

TITLE: Hidden Summit (Virgin River #15)

AUTHOR: RObyn Carr

PUBLISHER: Mira

PUBLISHING DATE: December 27, 2011

PAGES: 347

SOURCE: Hoopla

FROM GOODREADS: Sick of running into her cheery ex-husband and his new wife, Leslie Petruso accepts a job at the Virgin River branch of Haggerty Construction and takes the high road right out of town. Now she's got Paul Haggerty's business running like a well-oiled machine. In fact, things are so busy Paul jumps at the chance to hire an extra set of hands.

Just like Leslie, Conner Danson has been burned by love. But if Leslie was disappointed by her relationship going bad, Conner was decimated. He's got no time for women... although he spends an awful lot of time pretending not to notice Leslie. And she's pretty busy "ignoring" the chemistry between them.

According to Conner and Leslie, they have only one thing in common—they're done with love. But everyone in Virgin River can see that things are heating up at Haggerty Construction. And as far as Paul Haggerty can tell, the best thing he can do is hang on to his hard hat and watch the sparks fly!

MY THOUGHTS: I have to admit, when I first started reading this one, I had my reservations.  For a switch, we are actually following two new characters who are completely new to the Virgin River scene.  They both had some ties and connections so their arrival in town totally made sense and after a few pages, I started to love them as much as everyone else.  

COnner witnessed a murder in Sacramento and is in town lying low, with the assistance of Jack's sister Brie, until he can testify.  Leslie worked for the Haggerty Construction Company in another town and wants to escape her ex-husband who insists they remain friends despite a new wife and baby on the way so she moves to Virgin River to assist Paul with his new business branch.  Conner gets a job working for Paul and after a few small misunderstandings, he and Leslie cannot deny their attraction despite neither wanting a serious relationship.  There are a few ups and downs and surprise occurrences along the way, but once again, Carr delivers a great tale.

I am glad to once again see that the novel is not focused on babies everywhere.  If I have one complaint about this series it's that it seems overly focused on reproduction, and I'm sorry, I don't believe every family needs a baby to feel fulfilled.  I loved learning about Conner's past and the insight into Leslie's ex really added some extra tension and drama.  In addition, we also got to see some old faves again such as Brady, Cheryl, Paul, Jack and my favorite, Preacher.

If you have ever considered picking up this series, I can't recommend it enough.  They have become comfort reads for me and I am usually able to crank them out in a day or two.  Reading them is like visiting an old childhood friend and I am anxious to see what the next book has in store!

RATING: 5 PAWS