Mystery

This starts a new series for Heather Graham. A murder in the Everglades gets the attention of the Florida State Police because so many were killed and none of them resisted. Enter a FBI agent that had a situation he was investigating that was similar. There are numerous people that help with the investigation. The investigation leads them to believe this is a more dangerous situation than they imagined and they believe it will take them all over the country and they try and keep people safe and find the leader of this group. ( )

Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham
Part contemporary Mystery / Thriller, part police procedural, with a dash of romantic suspense. Stand-alone at this point with hints of an upcoming series.

FBI agent Hunter Frost joins Florida Law Enforcement in the investigation of what appears to be a ritualistic murder crime scene. Select chapters bring 1993 into evidence that this may be the reemergence of a cult.

I listened to the audio version which led to a bit of confusion on the two timelines. Once I realized it was two stories, or flashbacks, I restarted and listened closely for identifying differences with “Sam” being the key to the last. I thought the ending to the 1993 storyline was weirdly timed and presented like a happily-ever-after but it didn’t detract from the suspense of whole.

Gripping and gruesome, this book is fast paced and eerie. Can a dynamic individual really influence groups of people to commit murder in the name of faith? History shows it’s entirely possible and this story delves deep into rituals and a corrupt and selfish leader.
The romance in the story was minimalistic. ( )

Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham

Heather Graham has been a go-to author for me for some time and this book, dealing with cults and a horrific ritualistic killing sounded like a good read…and it was. This is a great introduction to what will be a four-book series starring Amy and Hunter and I am eager to read them all.

What I liked:
* Amy Larson: Special Agent for Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), newer at the job than some but not a novice, bright, dedicated, an artist that makes drawings at the scene of crimes, capable, thinks on her feet, from a family in law enforcement, likable.
* Hunter Forrest: FBI Special agent, ex-military, knowledgeable about cult and ritualistic murders, mid-thirties, well known on the job, intelligent, interesting backstory, likable.
* The slow development of the relationship between Amy & Hunter – can see them together on the job and off and am looking forward to seeing them together as the series unfolds.
* The side/back story and how it played into the overall larger story.
* The supporting characters: CSI, ME, her FDLE partner-John, FBI agent assigned to assist, others
* The dark, gritty aspects even though the crimes and cult and all the rest were as horrific as expected…and perhaps a bit more.
* Not knowing for sure which characters were good/bad
* It was believable
* That both main characters came from loving families
* That Amy and Hunter seemed balanced people and that they didn’t come into the story with a lot of baggage that drew away from the plot.
* Looking forward to what will happen next

What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that cults exist and are as bad as or worse than the one in this book
* The baddies I was meant to dislike
* Having to wait till book two is published to find out what will happen next.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Mira for the ARC – this is my honest review.

4-5 Stars ( )

There has been a brutal murder on the edge of the Everglades. Special Agent Amy Larson has a bad feeling about this one. She teams up with FBI Special Agent Hunter Forrest to find the killer and the cult.

Hunter has a special interest in this case. He is an expert in the occult. He has a past dealing with them. And you will have to read this to find out.

This story is fascinating. With the cult undertones and the weird murders, I was completely engaged from start to finish. You just didn’t know who to trust.

This author and I go waaaay back. I remember reading her very first book in the 80s. I loved her then and I love her now. I don’t think I have read one bad book. Now, I have not read them all, but I have read the majority. She just keeps putting out good reads!

Grab your copy today…you will not be sorry!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. ( )