2 Bloggers 1 Series - The Presence (Harrison Investigations #2)

 

This month Stormi and I decided it was time to pick up another book in the Harrison Investigations series.  The first one was decent, but the male protagonist drove me crazy.  Read on to see if this one fared better and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads and see what she thought.

 

TITLE: The Presence (Harrison Investigations #2)

AUTHOR: Heather Graham

PUBLISHER: Mira

PUBLISHING DATE: August 25, 2004

PAGES: 422   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: The ultimate moneymaking plan—buy the ancient, run-down Scottish castle and turn it into a tourist destination. Toni Fraser and her friends will put on reenactments combining fact and fiction, local history, murder and an imaginary laird named Bruce MacNiall. 

Just as someone arrives, claiming to actually be Laird MacNiall—a tall, dark, formidable Scot somehow familiar to Toni—the bodies of young women are found, dumped and forgotten in the nearby town. 

But even stranger, how is it possible this laird exists? Toni invented Bruce MacNiall for the performance…yet sinister, lifelike dreams suggest he's connected to the recent deaths. Bruce claims he wants to help catch the murderer. But even if she wants to, can Toni trust him…when her visions seem to be coming from within the very eyes of the killer himself?

MY THOUGHTS: I have to say that as much as the main male in the first book irritated me, I was worried about the character of Bruce MacNiall.  And while he may have started off kind of rocky, it wasn't long before I ended up loving him.  In fact, I liked him a lot better than the female MC, Toni, who I felt made a lot of stupid decisions and was downright bitchy at times.

Toni, her cousin and some friends from the US have rented a Scottish Castle and are doing historical reenactments for tourists.  They believe they have a legitimate contract until the owner, laird Bruce MacNiall, shows up and orders them to leave. Over the past year of so they have also been two dead women found on the woods of the property and McNiall fears allowing the Americans to stay may put them at risk. Toni and her friends convince laird MacNiall to allow them to stay while they figure out the contract scam.  To further complicate things, Toni keeps having visions of a historical laird MacNiall who allegedly killed his wife, standing at the bottom of her bed with a sword dripping blood.  

Now that I'm writing this review, it does seem like there was a lot going on in this book.  However, Graham pulls it together quite well and it was an enjoyable read.  I will say the author works extra hard to steer the reader toward the wrong perpetrator making it obvious it certainly can't be him.  However, the mystery element of the book wrapped up nicely and it was fun to see the tension between Toni and Bruce turn into something else.  Also, I will add I feel that Adam Harrison, the founder of the Krewe of Hunters, did take a long time to appear in this book and I was starting to wonder if he would show at all.

This book was definitely better than the first and I am looking forward to the third one.  Don't know when we will get to it as we have quite a few series reads going right now but the good thing about them is when we decide we want to move forward, all of the Harrison Investigation series is complete.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Farm News - July 1, 2024

 

It's been a while since the last news update but as usual, summer has been pretty hot and busy.  Mr. Barb and I had a five-day weekend which started June 19th, but I spent four of those five days repainting and redecorating the bathroom. Our home is 124 years old and doesn't have central air so there is no AC in the bathroom and as the heat index was over 98 on most of those days, I could only work a few hours before being totally exhausted.  Most of it is done now just waiting for a few things we ordered to come in and put on the finishing touches.

We are also on our annual 4th of July staycation right now.  We aren't doing anything spectacular except hanging out with the pups, doing a few more things around the home, and chilling.  I've managed to finish two books on my first two days off so I'm hoping that trend can continue.  I also need to get my haircut if my stylist can work me in.  It's been a while and I need about six inches taken off.

We watched two really good movies over the weekend.  First up was Furiosa, the latest in the Mad Max saga.  I really enjoyed it and if you like action movies or any of the previous Mad Max ones, then you don't want to miss this one.  We also watched The Watchers.  I wanted to read the book first but that wasn't happening.  However, I'm glad we jumped in because it was a great Saturday night scary feature.  I highly recommend it.

The pups are doing fine.  Apollo went to the vet and the vet wants to monitor his lump on his leg a while. It's sitting right on a major vein and his vet says if it doesn't grow and it stays soft, then he's not too worried. He and Zekey are enjoying their summer, but it's been so hot they haven't been able to walk too much

A fresh month means fresh new reads and I have a lot planned this month.  Here's what I think is up first this month.  I'd love to get all three of these read before heading back to work on July 8th but that's probably wishful thinking.  

Fool Moon (The Dresden Files #2) - Jim Butcher
A Novel Love Story - Ashley Posten
Still, Dark Places - Christina Graves

I also received a few ARCs which I'm thrilled about and appreciate more than I can express.

The Book of Witching - C.J. Cooke
The Visitor - Kevin Bachar
An Academy for Liars - Alexis Henderson
Influencer - Adam Cesare
Pretty Dead Things - Lilian West
Memorials - Richard Chizmar

Hope everyone is having a safe and happy summer.  Have you read any of these books already?  If so, where should I start?