Dark Rites (Krewe of Hunters, #22)

by Heather Graham

The witches are real...

A series of bizarre assaults is mystifying Boston police!

An unknown attacker is viciously beating random strangers and leaving a note quoting an old warning about witchcraft.
History professor Alex Maple was one of the victims, and now he's gone missing. Vickie Preston is certain that someone has taken her friend for malicious purposes. The escalating attacks suggest that a dangerous cult is at work behind the scenes - a cult so powerful that its members would rather die than be apprehended.

Vickie is grateful to have Special Agent Griffin Pryce and the FBI's elite Krewe of Hunters on her side. She and Griffin are finding their way in an increasingly passionate relationship, and Griffin is desperately trying to keep her safe, and the two of them sane, amid the disturbing investigation. The search for Alex will take them deep into the wilderness of Massachusetts on the trail of a serial killer, and it will take everything they have to survive the ancient evil that awakens and threatens not just the man they're striving to save but their very souls.

• ISBN10: 077831992X
• ISBN13: 9780778319924
• Publish Date: 25 July 2017
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Imprint: Mira Books
• Edition: Original ed.
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

While this is a paranormal romance, we already have an established relationship, and Graham used that to lighten the darker tones of DARK RITES. We did get some hilarious moments between Griffin and Vickie which I thoroughly enjoyed. On a side note we do see other romances develop mostly off page, but again these lightened the tone.

Griffin and Vickie were supposed to be heading to Virginia, but a series of murders with notes have Griffin sticking around. The notes reference a Puritan man, who left and formed his own congregation. Some believe he worshiped Satan. When Griffin almost captures a killer, and then, history professor Alex Maple goes missing, Griffin begins to think they may have a dangerous cult in their midst.

Vickie concerned for her friend begins having visions in the form of nightmares. She thinks she hears Alex calling her and sees a young woman deep in the woods. All of this has the Krewe traveling into rural communities around the city. We even get to spend the night at Liz Borden's house! 

Graham always delights me when she weaves in historical tidbits from the past into her tales. This time we have the Puritans, Satan worshippers, unsolved murders, Lizzy Bordon and more.  I loved seeing Vickie come into her own and watching them piece together clues from the past to help those in the present. A ghostly couple and a silent, spectral figure assist them, but it is Vickie who emerges as the hero in this story. The story built slowly, and as the pieces clicked into place, we moved into a suspenseful, nail-biting conclusion that freaked Griffin out as much as it did me.

The cryptic quote that seemed to foretell of an evil coming was quite smart and I was delighted by the way it all came together. For me, DYING BREATH and DARK RITES have been excellent stories in the Krewe of Hunter series. I am eager to get my hands on WICKED DEEDS which includes Edgar Allen Poe!

Copy provided by the publisher. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer