Phantom Evil by Heather Graham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In Phantom Evil, Jackson Crow is an investigator in the Behavioral Sciences Unit in DC has been on leave since his last assignment ended in the tragic deaths of 3 team mates. Adam Harrison, a government insider (working either alone or unofficially), especially in cases of “extreme weirdness” offers Crow a job heading up a new team, and their first case takes them to a New Orleans mansion with an infamous past that is supposedly haunted. Most recently, Regina Hollow, wife of the well-liked Senator Holloway, fell from her bedroom balcony to her death. Crow’s team – a motley crew from all walks of life and interests, but all with special gifts of their own – is given the task of proving or disproving the existence of ghosts in the house and figuring out the mystery behind Regina’s unexpected death. With no lack of suspects – including a cult and a group of Aryans, Regina’s death may not be all that it appears.

I found the whole premise of Phantom Evil intriguing. I love books set in New Orleans’ mansions, especially the haunted variety. The house has a very interesting history that slowly unfolds as you read, and I loved other aspects of the story as well – namely the romance that builds between two of the characters. I also enjoyed learning about each of the team members and what their specialties were and seeing them all become fast friends. It had all the elements I usually love in a story.. but for whatever reason, and I really can’t put a finger on it, I just had a hard time getting INTO the book. It took me longer to read than it normally would have, and that’s when I realized I was having trouble keeping focused on it. There are really no obvious flaws to point out, nothing that I hated; so I think it was just a case of me reading it at the wrong time. I learned that this is the first in a new series, and I will be reading the second book, because I did like all the characters, and I hope that the next book will be a little more action packed and hold my interest a little more.

All in all, I give Phantom Evil 3 stars because I did like it, it just wasn’t the fabulous book I was expecting from the premise. However, this is the first Heather Graham book I’ve read and I do plan on reading her other books, and I recommend this book for anyone who loves a mystery – or books set in New Orleans.

**Galley graciously provided by Harlequin, however the opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.