4 stars out of 5
The concept of this new series is both original and intriguing - a special, almost clandestine FBI investigative team of agents who can "see" and interact with ghosts who, in turn, provide historical clues and other assistance that's possible coming from someone who can walk through brick walls. But the finished product reminded me of that TV ad for spaghetti sauce: It's in there. But it could use a little more blending.
What I mean, I guess, is that it just didn't "flow" - and thus really didn't grab me. Having ghosts telling tales is unique, in part because they can provide up-close-and-personal looks into the history of wherever the main characters find themselves - but the history part was repetitive and almost overwhelmed the thrill of the chase.
That chase, though, is one that can't help but draw readers in: Carefully laid-out bodies turn up along rivers devoid of blood, suggesting the impossible: a vampire killer is on a rampage. That's when Blackbird, a subdivision of the Krewe of Hunters, gets called in; all the members are cognizant of, and conversant with, dead folks. Two of the agents called in, Della Hamilton and Mason Carter, haven't met before; as might be expected, there's an attraction that goes beyond respect for each other's investigative skills. As partners - with help from several other police officers and agents from whatever country the leads take them - they work hard to identify the person - or persons - behind the growing number of blood-letting murders.
The trail eventually leads to the New Orleans bayou, where Della and Mason get help from a special, and quite likable, ghost who knows the area well. Things there take a turn for the worse in more ways than one, but readers are left with fodder for the next book in the trilogy. And while I had a few reservations about the book, it's good enough that I'm looking forward to what comes next. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for giving me the opportunity to get in at the beginning of what I think will be a good series.
Whispers at Dusk by Heather Graham (Mira, June 2023); 311 pp.
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