Heather Graham – Deadly Harvest

The second book in the Flynn Brothers Trilogy series, published October 21, 2008.
Genre: paranormal romantic suspense, ghosts
Cover: creepy



When a young woman is found dead in a field, dressed up as a scarecrow with a slashed grin and a broken neck, the residents of Salem, Massachusetts, begin to fear that the infamous Harvest Man is more than just a rumor. But out-of-town cop Jeremy Flynn doesn't have time for ghost stories. He's in town on another investigation, looking for a friend's wife, who mysteriously vanished in a cemetery.
Complicating his efforts is local occult expert Rowenna Cavanaugh, who launches her own investigation, convinced that a horror from the past has crept into the present and is seducing women to their deaths. Jeremy uses logic and solid police work. Rowenna depends on intuition. But they both have the same goal: to stop the abductions and locate the missing women before Rowenna herself falls prey to the Harvest Man's dark seduction.


These books get creepier and creepier! This killer sure is something else. I read this story in little bits and pieces at a time, to avoid nightmares. But it sure was good!
The formula was the same though, as the other books I have read. A woman with paranormal abilities who denies it, and a man who refuses to believe in anything paranormal, even though he has a touch of it himself as well, but that is just “good instincts”.
Jeremy Flynn is a former police diver, who quit his job after a horrible find of a van full of foster children. He thought he had rescued one boy, only to loose him later on the way to the hospital. To garner money for his brother’s charity, Jeremy has been doing radio talkshows with Rowenna, pro and con paranormal events. Rowenna only tells about proven stories, never claiming she actually believes in the paranormal herself. She lost her fiancée three years ago, and Jeremy is the first man she has been interested in since then, but Jeremy sure keeps her at arms length.

Until after their last show, when they go out for a drink together, and one thing leads to another. When Jeremy finds out that Rowena lives in Salem, he immediately thinks she is a witch herself. But Rowenna denies it, she is not Wiccan, but she does have Wiccan friends. Then Jeremy gets a call from his former partner, whose wife has gone missing in Salem, asking for his help. Brad is of course the number one suspect and he needs Jeremy’s help to find his wife and to clear his name. And so Jeremy and Rowena meet again in Salem, where they will both help the local police to find the killer, and start having a relationship.


Yes, a formula, but it works if you space the books out. Very creepy this book, as we do have cornfields and scare crows here in Holland as well. I could picture it all way too easily. Still, a good book and I really liked Rowenna from the start. She does not accept Jeremy’s disbelief and sneers, if he does not accept her as she is, she will walk away from him.
Jeremy grows very protective and possessive of Rowenna, especially against the main detective, and her almost father in law. But eventually they reach an agreement, as it all concerns Rowenna’s safety.

Rowenna sure has some weird and highly suspect friends and acquaintances, and I had my pick of suspects. I did not guess the real one though, and that was the creepiest part.

If you like creepy, this sure is the book for you. The romance part, and the love scenes, are good and I enjoyed it all. Not certain if I ever would want to visit Salem though, with its very dark past.

8 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian