Romance

So, I actually went into The Betrayed knowing that this is a well established series, and that I'd be coming in on the most recent book. There are 13 books in the Krewe of Hunters series that come before this one, but I was told that I'd have no problem reading it as a standalone. I have to say, that was accurate! I may have been missing a bit of the history of the Krewe, but these characters and their story line stood firmly on their own. If you're thinking of picking this up, and worried that you might be lost, never fear. It truly can be read separate from the rest.

On to the review, shall we? In all fairness, I don't read a lot of romantic suspense. However Heather Graham has been hailed as a master of the genre, so I wasn't afraid to pick up one of her books. I've been told that Graham loves her settings, and I now know that to be the truth. This particular book is set in Sleepy Hollow and the surrounding area. Places rich with history and old tales. I was completely impressed at how vivid everything about this setting was. The places become characters in their own right, adding just the right amount of tension to the story. I've never been to these places, but after reading this book I might just have to make a trip and soak up the atmosphere.

The problem was that, although the setting was beautifully done, the characters just didn't catch my attention. I didn't mind Mo or Aiden. They weren't obnoxious, or over the top. Unfortunately, that was exactly what I couldn't latch onto. These characters felt flat. Like paper cutouts of human beings. There wasn't anything wrong with them at all but, because of that, there was nothing attractive about them urging me to care to them. Adding to this, was the fact that the dialogue between all the characters in this book felt very awkward and disjointed. Their interactions were just so uncomfortable for me to read. It made getting through this book take a lot longer than I expected.

At the end of the story, I just felt unfulfilled. As I said, the setting of this book is gorgeous. Perfectly rendered, and definitely with a charm all its own. The mystery aspect isn't half bad either. I liked the twists, and turns. If it weren't for the wooden characters, and disjointed dialogue, I really think I would have enjoyed this story immensely. I've been assured by other readers of this series that the books prior to this are much better. So this might just be a case of a rocky book in the mix. I liked what I read enough to be interested in continuing, at least. ( )

This book was a page turner and very interesting as all of Heather Grahams supernatural stories usually are. The book is centered around the legend of sleepy hollow and the headless horseman. The great thing about Heather Graham is she creates a mystery and leaves you guessing who did it until the very end. ( )

As always, Heather Graham doesn't disappoint. I especially enjoyed The Betrayed because of my love for the story of Sleepy Hollow. One of the features I love about all of her books is the history. In this case, that included the story of the town and surrounding area during the Revolutionary War era, the people who lived at this time, and the traditions surrounding Washington Irving's beloved story. The ghost of Irving himself even makes an appearance on a few occasions.

Our main characters don't stray from the norm. Graham continues to give us the gorgeous FBI agent with special gifts and the "non" FBI agent who also has gifts. They of course meet under horrific circumstances as someone is murdering people and taking heads in typical horseman fashion. The Halloween season setting adds to the atmosphere as our Krewe of hunters tries desperately to get ahead of the killer. The story is fast-paced, full of suspense, and truly hard to put down. There is a bit more gore than usual but it isn't overwhelming and there were a lot of fun twists and turns. I had fun trying to figure out who the killer was and was surprised once I realized who it was. And of course, if you are a romance fan, you won't be disappointed. We get the added bonus of the two main characters getting together as is to be expected from this series.

This is a perfect read for the season. Lots of ghosts, murder, and mayhem. I'll be waiting for the next one! ( )

According to Ms. Graham's website, The Betrayed is book 14 in her Krewe of Hunters series. I've previously read only book 13, The Hexed. Both of those books were first published by Harlequin, known for their romances. I've read Oriana Papazoglu's Patient McKenna mystery series about romance writers (definitely recommend looking that one up). In the first book, Sweet, Savage Death, there are guidelines for writing for a new category romance line. I suspect that Ms. Graham is following a guideline for this series. Why?

Both The Hexed and The Betrayed take place in towns with a spooky reputation, Salem and Sleepy Hollow, respectively. Both heroines can see and talk to the dead. Both live with ghosts. Both books are full of interesting historical facts. Both have as supporting characters couples from the Krewe whom I suspect were the leads in previous books. There's romance in the air between the handsome Krewe agent and the local heroine. I dare say that Mo and Aidan will be supporting characters in a future book.

Maureen 'Mo' Deauville and her huge (even for his breed) Irish wolfhound, Rollo, have been locating missing persons for years. Mo moved to Sleepy Hollow (where she spent summers when she was a kid) because she kept finding too many corpses back in New York City. Rollo is very good at his job, but Mo is hiding her psychic talents behind her dog, just as she did with his mother, Heidi.

FBI Agent Aidan Mahoney has been refusing to believe in his own psychic talent, so it's stunted rather than developed. That didn't keep him from being transferred to the new Krewe unit, New York Krewe. Aidan grew up in Sleepy Hollow. He also has a personal stake in this murder investigation because one of the victims was a very old friend.

Was Richard Highsmith truly an honest politician? Was he killed by political enemies or for some other reason? Why were two more persons murdered? The method of disposing of the bodies was in keeping with both the town and the Halloween season. The third murder was especially daring. There's a nice little boy who gets to be put in deadly peril more than once.

If you're in it more for the romance than the murder mystery, there are ghost couples as well as the living. That there appears to be a formula involved is not necessarily bad. Edgar Rice Burroughs and Phyllis A. Whitney had a formula for their books and they were still entertaining.

Will I be checking out the earlier Krewe books? Yes. ( )