Customer Reviews

Haunted

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

As a senior in high school, Darcy Tremayne had been in a car wreck that killed her prom date, Josh. Josh had been her best friend for years. Most avoided him due to his "gift". But Darcy loved Josh like a brother. When Josh died, he passed his gift on to Darcy.

Matt Stone does not believe in ghosts. But too many were convinced his home, a historic Virginia estate that dated back to the Revolutionary War, was haunted. The strange happenings began to worsen. And whatever ghost haunted the Lee Room, had become physically harmful to the living. Matt finally agreed to let Harrison Investigations explore the house. But Darcy was more than he ever expected.

Darcy Tremayne worked for Josh's father, who owned Harrison Investigations. She had proven many "hauntings" were simply pranks and such. She warned Matt beforehand that often people do not like the skeletons she turned up. Once she got into the investigation though, Darcy realized this house was unlike anything she had dealt with before. The house held more than a simply mystery from the past or a ghost who did not know how to move on. This house held a lethal danger! Darcy must fight the living and the dead!

***** Outstanding! Author Heather Graham has done an excellent job in creating believable characters and setting them in a spine chilling setting. Do not begin reading this one until you have plenty of free time because you will NOT want to set it aside for even a brief period of time. Highly recommended! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This was a fun paranormal romance with plenty of twists and turns, ghosts, and sizzeling chemistry between Matt and Darcy.

Secondary characters were important to this tale of a haunted historic landmark set in Virgina. Darcy speaks to ghost's and with help from a childhood friend who died early in life, attempts to set things right in order to give these tortured souls a chance to rest. What she is not expecting is falling for her rather reluctant host Matt who does not believe in ghosts or things that go bump in the night, nor does she expect to feel the fear that accompanies each encounter with the lady in white.

When things start happening and Darcy starts to experience rather dangerous accidents she wonders if the ghost is really human and why she poses such a threat. Matt wonders if he will be able to get over the fact that he is falling for a ghost buster and he fears for her safety.

This was a fast paced read. The only complaint that I have is that I didn't think Josh was used enough. He was a character that I would have like to have seen more often. Outside of that this was a good read that was entertaing and fun. If you like romance, ghosts, and suspense...then you will like this story.

Haunted is the story of Darcy, a professional paranormal investigator, and Matt, the local sheriff and owner of an old mansion with many unexplained activities happening. Beginning with Darcy's initiation into the paranormal, the story covers the ground of what's really haunting the mysterious Lee Room in Melody House, Matt's ancestral home. This being a romance, the sparks fly soon and often between Darcy and Matt, even though he's an open skeptic and she senses the ghosts that live in his house.

The writing is good in this novel; Graham has obviously done her research in that she presents paranormal investigators realistically, even incorporating real tools of the trade. There are a myriad of characters, which at times seems confusing; a few are caricatures, but overall the dialogue is witty and engaging. The attraction between Dary and Matt is edgy and tense, but the romance side of it isn't as fully developed. But overall this book achieves its goal of being both creepy and sexy, and it's highly readable and entertaining. If you can look past the actions of a few characters, you'll enjoy this one.

Haunted actually gave me a few chills here and there. Great characters and story. Really good mystery. It won't bore you too much, until the extended sex dialog. There are atleast of couple pages of each sex scene. That may not sound bad, but that's two pages of, "then he felt her here and there as she moaned..blah..blah..blah". Not very interesting. I could see a little but pages?...c'mon. Anyways...awsome read, characters, and ending.

Overall I enjoyed this book - since many others have summarized the plot, I won't bother. I enjoy Ms. Graham's thrillers and paranormal books, but I am not a fan of romance novels and this book reminded me why - because she stuck right to the formula when playing the romance. Why oh WHY does a guy who is normally perfectly nice turn into an obnoxious jerk when he meets the woman to whom he is attracted? And WHY does a woman who is normally fairly self-assured start questioning her every move and motivation? And WHY WHY WHY do they need to spend practically every encounter at each others' throats and then suddenly at the end of the book it is happily ever after? It drives me mad. I am absolutely certain there are other ways of creating dynamic tension - mainly because I HAVE read other paranomal romance thrillers that utilize them. But the other characters are very well written, the mystery is tight and keeps you guessing, the paranormal aspects are very well done and highly believable and overall I have to give the book 4 stars because other than the romance aspect, I did enjoy it. If you like romances, you won't have any troubles with Ms. Graham's book here - if you like thrillers and mysteries, she has other wonderful books that have much less romance cluttering up the scenery, also. She's a very well-rounded writer, overall. Give her a try.

Matt Stone owns a historic bed and breakfast home, Melody House, in Virginia that was built before the Revolutionary War. When people start telling him the house is haunted, Matt agrees to let Harrison Investigations check out the strange happenings even though he doesn't believe in ghosts!

Darcy Tremayne is a paranormal investigator for Harrison Investigations who does believe in ghosts. She is also a bit on the psychic side, guided by her dead friend Josh, she often sees things others don't. When the ghosts appear to Darcy one issues a warning. Darcy tries to prove that they not only exist, but one is trying to tell Darcy who killed her. This is when accidents begin to happen to Darcy - someone doesn't want the truth to be told.

In this romantic suspense genre, nothing is left out - you have a mix of romance, suspense, murder, lies and cover-ups. The story line starts out as a typical romantic "who dun it", but soon has you holding on for a wild ride - Graham changes directions as quickly as free-fall roller coaster.

Heather Graham has excellent character development and creates a support cast that is wonderful. Darcy and Matt are both strong characters and often debate any issue at hand. Penny, has worked for Matt for years as the caretaker of Melody House, is like part of the family, and truly believes the house is haunted wanting to use that as a marketing ploy for the bed and breakfast trade. Carter is Matt's childhood friend and Clint is his cousin, both stay near Melody House and help Matt with the upkeep and everyday chores. Carter also dabbles in Real Estate. They both have their individual charm and charisma. Clara is the resident ghost - yes, she's been seen and everyone except Matt believes she exists. Along with this cast, we're given glimpses of colorful town folk -Mae the bar owner, Lavinia the ex-wife, Mrs. O'Hara the librarian, Delilah newly elected town councilwoman and a host of others. This diverse group only adds to the charm and witty exchanges found throughout HAUNTED.

HAUNTED is tricky and the reader will think they know the identity only to have red herrings tossed out and the doubt begins. I figured it out about half way though the book, but enjoyed Graham's attempts to distract me. She is a master at deception and only the die-hard mystery fans won't be fooled!

Haunted is the first Heather Graham book I read and I was immediately thrilled to read the whole story after reading the first few pages. It was a perfect read: the haunted house mood is just what I wanted, and the characters are affectionate. The story is intriguing in that connections are drawn from past, present, to future, which is very difficult to write, but the writer managed it so well, making the story so coherent that a flaw is yet to be found. I would recommend this book to readers who are entertained by a constant suspenseful plot.

Heather Graham is a great author, but this was not one of her best works. It is a decent and average romantic suspense novel but readers have come to expect more from heather graham than average.

Haunted tells the story of ghost-buster Darcy. The book actually starts out great w/ the prologue that introduces Darcy and how she came to obtain her paranormal gifts. But once it comes into the present story, the book loses its steam. it should have stuck with the original characters- darcy, josh, hunter. But instead, we get Darcy who is called to investigate the haunted house of Sheriff Matt Stone.

Matt is predictable as the skeptical small town sheriff. Darcy must overcome his attitude and skepticism while she investigates the ghosts of Melody House. Darcy starts to have dreams about past murders and must figure out who haunts the house. Soon, Darcy herself is placed in danger with suspicious accidents - falling into an open grave, falling through rotting floor boards etc. And she soon finds out that the hauntings of Melody House have a very real and present cause.

Heather Graham fans may be disappointed as this book is not up to her usual caliber, but it is a decent read. Some of the dreams/hauntings are quite creepy and the plot does have some twists (but not surprising ones).

I have been a Heather Graham fan for over ten years, and have read almost everything she's written (Including her books written as Shannon Drake and Heather Graham Pozzessere). She is a fantastic story teller and one of my favorite authors. That said, I don't feel this book is one of her best. It is a decent read if you like your romance mixed with a little bit of the paranormal, but I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed.

The book starts off wonderfully with the introduction of the heroine and her childhood friend, Josh. I think Josh was a very well written and sympathetic character, and the prologue really grabbed my attention from the start. However, toward the end the book did become a bit predictable, and at times I wanted to slap the hero for being so stubborn and bull-headed. I wanted to scream "Get over it already!!"

My other complaint is about the love scenes. Just a little too flowery for my taste, but some may love it. To each his (or her) own. I myself found the long, drawn out prose distracting and by the third love scene, I was simply skimming.

I know that I am picky and have extremely high expectations having been a fan of Ms. Graham and the romance genre for so long, but I definitely feel that Ms. Graham has written better stories than this one. If you have never read any of her other work, please do not judge her as an author by this book. Read some of her others, then make a decision.

As I put down the recent "Idiot's Guide to writing a Horror Story", I have to wonder where have all the dysfunctional, psychotic, and downright creepy writers gone? Was there a mass relocation I missed? Have they gone into hiding or been taken down by a group of angry soccer moms? Or has it simply been turned into giving the people what you think they want and no longer infusing your own nightmares into it? (I'm looking at you Mr. D'Ammassa.)

The book started out so good, with a plot that was both chilling and curious, only to switch to more romance than horror. With a story remade countless times, Ms. Graham had the opportunity to make it her own, and instead chose the path that has been well traveled. The atmosphere is hazy with a dark overcast, neither good or bad, it worked for this book. The pace in the story is level with the exception of the end, which ties up way too rapidly. Graham's style of writing is heavy with considerably more dialogue than description.

The characters were boring, stereotyped, and unintentionally hilarious, my favorite being the main character. She is supposed to be an experienced ghost hunter, and yet turns into a skittish kitten the first time she experiences a noise. Even Shaggy and Scooby would have slapped her.

Overall, this book may not be terrifying or scary, but it was one of the funniest books I have read in awhile. I give this book a 2 . The next time you think of revisiting your old grade school horror books, just go to the library and borrow this one.