Sacred Evil by Heather Graham (Krewe of Hunters #3)

The details of the crime scene are no coincidence. The body of a promising starlet has been battered, bloodied and then discarded between two of Manhattan's oldest graveyards.

 

One look and Detective Jude Crosby recognizes the tableau:

 

A recreation of Jack the Ripper's gruesome work. But he also sees something beyond the actions of a mere copycat. Something more dangerous and unexplainable.

 

As the city seethes with suspicion, Jude calls on Whitney Tremont, a member of the country's preeminent paranormal investigating team, to put the speculation to rest. Yet when Whitney and Jude delve deeper, what they discover is more shocking than either could have predicted, and twice as sinister.

Series: Krewe of Hunters #3 |  Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense | Source: Purchased | Rating: 3

I’m still on my Krewe of Hunters catch-up and I finally found a minute to pick up the third book in the series. As I’ve stated in my reviews for the first two books, I started out in the middle of the series rather than the beginning and I’m glad that I did as I feel that the writing is stronger in the later books.

In this this one, we have an actress that’s been brutally murdered and two ‘Jane Doe’s’.  Whitney, a member of the Krewe of Hunters, is called in when it appears that the cases resemble those of Jack the Ripper. While reluctant at first, Jude soon realizes that Whitney’s expertise is valuable. As the case grows more twisted and the investigation ramps up, they find themselves caught up in a past case that could help them solve their present mystery.

I want to start by saying that if you’re looking for a romance-driven romantic suspense, this isn’t going to be your cup of tea. While there is a romance between Jude and Whitney, there’s very little ‘on the page’ development and is an instalove type. While there was something between Whitney and Jude from their first meeting, I felt it was more an instant attraction rather than chemistry. Still I found the characters likable and enjoyed their interactions.

The meat of this story is the mysteries and the investigation. I found the author’s approach to the Jack the Ripper aspect to be interesting. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that the ‘historical’ mystery in the book was well-crafted and was the reason why I was able to finish this book.

This one was a bit of a struggle to get through at the start. The first 40 pages were sluggish and laden with typos. The pacing does pick up once the investigation truly begins but the typos do persist through the book. I also felt that this one was a little heavy on characters that didn’t really serve a purpose other than to look suspicious and, unfortunately, a few things that appeared to ‘something’ during the first third of the book was never mentioned again or resolved.

Overall, if you can look over a few issues, I do think this is a worthy read for those who enjoy a well-crafted and layered mystery.  If you’re an audiobook person, I highly recommend the audio over print. Luke Daniels does an excellent job narrating this series and you’ll avoid the typos.

If you’re looking to start this series, go into it knowing that the first few books have a few teething problems and the series does get stronger as it progresses. Had I started my reading journey at the beginning, I don’t think I would have continued on with the series.