Customer Rating:  
Summary: Not Bad At All
Comment: I didn't read the back cover close enough because it mentions the word "romance," and I would have left it on the shelf had it sunk in. I'm glad I didn't, because though I had to crank up the "ick" factor a few times with the love scenes, they didn't dominate the story. As it was, I just skipped over them and it took very little away from the overall reading experience.
Deadly Harvest is a murder mystery with supernatural and romantic elements. It reminded me of one I read back in the seventies called The Undying Monster, though they are totally different stories.
A million authors have written mysteries and though there are no original plots anymore, that's okay, as long as the author adds their unique twist on things. Ms Graham does just that. She supplies plenty of twists, and by the end, I was surprised to find out who the bad guys were. The supernatural twists were the visions Rowenna had that still gave no direct clue to who the bad guys were. I was guessing throughout and that's good enough for me.
The editing could have been much better. Besides typos, she shifts points of view with no scene breaks. That was a little irritating because in one moment, you are in the head of Joe the cop (for instance), when the next paragraph shifts to someone else. There were also a few typos and grammatical errors. I guess since she's previously published, she doesn't have to live up to the same standards as first time authors. That's not really her fault, as the editors should have caught all of this.
Despite the editing, this is a very entertaining story, and I recommend it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Comment: This was a great addition to my first Flynn brothers trilogy book. I like that the books can stand alone, or you can start with number one and go through number three. Great story- the only problem was that it was a quick read, and I was sad it finished so quickly! Oh well...guess I've got to find something else to read! I really like this author, though.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The haunting continues
Comment: In her second of the Flynn brothers trilogy we have Jeremy a partner in his brother's New Orleans private investigations firm and ex cop who finds out that his ex partners wife went missing in Salem Mass. and his friend is the prime suspect. Bring in Rowena Cavanaugh Salem Mass life long resident and author who has a thing for Jeremy and all he's done is tried to avoid her so she's going home to Salem to put some distance between them, little does she know they'll be spending a lot of time together because the cop investigating the missing wife of Jeremy's friend is a close friend of Rowena's. Sit back and watch the sparks fly.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good story - Horrific editing!
Comment: I found that the basic storyline of this second installment of the Flynn Brothers trilogy was well-contrived and entertaining. Although I feel there was a better initial spark between the main characters of the first novel, Jeremy and Rowenna were "destined" to be together just by virtue of the genre of this novel, so I almost respect the author more for not beating around the bush with regard to getting them together. The mystery, thereby, took the central focus and I think everything was richer as a result.
That being said, I am an absolute stickler for editing mistakes in books that I read. These are professionals we're patronizing when we purchase these novels, so I feel that the least we can hope for is a distinct lack in typos while reading. I honestly don't try to pick them out, but for some reason my eyes always seem to find them. (Four years as a copy editor at my old college newspaper might have something to do with that...)
In this novel, the mistakes were GLARING. From basic mistakes in grammar (improper context of the word "there", etc.), to sentences that were obviously missing endings, to clear section changes that had no alloted space on the pages... But, the most distracting mistake I found (at a point in the novel that was clearly meant to invoke a spine-tingling reaction) was the discrepancy in the surname of Rowenna. On the back cover and throughout most of the book her last name is said to be "Cavannaugh". However, in this one particular instance the name "Donahue" was used. I suppose the author changed her mind half way through writing the story, but to not notice something like that before sending the book to print really concerns me.
All I can say is that I REALLY hope this is not a sign of what's to come in the third installment of this trilogy. I think this might be a definite lesson for the author in why it's not the smartest decision to release three books in three months. But, only time will tell...
Customer Rating:
Summary: A legend/myth brought to life by a madman...
Comment: Jeremy Flynn, a serious man who doesn't believe in what he can't see or touch, is a private investigator with his brothers' firm. The middle brother, he was once a police diver but quit when the last straw was when a drunk foster father drove the family into the river, drowning everyone inside. Jeremy had rescued Billy, who had been still alive when found, but pronounced at the hospital DOA. The foster children had all been tied in the back of the van; not belted in, tied. He quit, became a private investigator and began a children's charity for orphaned and abused children. (You will get a lot of that in Book #1, Deadly Night.)
Rowenna Cavanaugh, good friend of Kendall Montgomery (Book #1 - now Aidan Flynn's wife,) a bestselling author and world-reknown speaker, is a complete opposite of Jeremy. While he prefers cold hard facts, she prefers to discuss the unknown, the unexplanable. And for some reason, using her intuition, she can somehow imagine herself in someone else's shoes; feel what the other saw/felt. Completely unexplanable, and don't know how she does it, she trusts it.
For the last couple of weeks, Jeremy and Rowenna have been on radio and TV talk shows (mostly radio), debating just about everything. Ro felt an attraction to Jeremy when she met him. Jeremy, on the other hand, thought of Rowenna as slightly absurd - how can she possibly believe in the unexplained and so on. But he did respect her for her debating abilities.
On her last night in New Orleans, Jeremy receives a call from his former diving partner and friend, Brad. He and his wife were in Salem, Massachusetts, trying to put their marriage back together after he cheated on his wife, Mary. Mary had forgiven him, much to her parents chagrin, and they had decided to take a vacation to Salem for Halloween. But Mary has disappeared, Brad is the prime suspect, and he's beside himself, looking and wanting Jeremy's help. So Jeremy follows Rowenna to Salem, her hometown.
Investigating Mary's disappearance, Jeremy uses the more conventional way of investigation, while Rowenna uses her intuition and research. Ro, through her dreams and intuition, is convinced that what is known as the Harvest Man is behind it. The Harvest Man was believed to be a myth/legend, but with more research, she discovers that someone is trying to repeat stories of the past. Jeremy doesn't believe it - can't believe that a myth is to blame - and that a flesh and blood killer is who they're searching for - and someone local to boot. No one wants to believe that - and most don't, until it's almost too late.
**Incredible second book - better than the first!
I felt a click between Rowenna and Jeremy right from the start, no matter how much Jeremy tried to fight it. Both are hardheaded, and yet still manage to come to the same conclusions, regardless of how they get there. Brad was very believable as a loving husband trying to correct his past wrongs. You feel his angst, his belief that Mary is still alive - he loves her that much. With the author's descriptions of scenery and characters, you immediately like the place and them and, like the characters, don't want to believe someone local is being the disappearances and murders - you like them that much.
The mystery is great, and I liked the legend of the Harvest Man. Different from what I've read before, I enjoyed the history of Salem. Like some of the characters, you get the chills at some scenes (especially when a suspect is named Tim Richardson, the name of my parents late nextdoor neighbour, LOL!) Steamy love scenes, really great action scenes, excellent mystery all wrapped with beautiful scenery, great characters, and a touch of paranormal make for an excellent read! High recommendations!
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