On the edge of the Everglades, an eerie crime scene sets off an investigation that sends two agents deep into a world of corrupted faith, greed and deadly secrets.A ritualistic murder on the side of a remote road brings in the Florida state police. Special Agent Amy Larson has never seen worse, and there are indications that this killing could be just the beginning. The crime draws the attention … The crime draws the attention of the FBI in the form of Special Agent Hunter Forrest, a man with insider knowledge of how violent cults operate, and a man who might never be able to escape his own past.
The rural community is devastated by the death in their midst, but people know more than they are saying. As Amy and Hunter join forces, every lead takes them further into the twisted beliefs of a dangerous group that will stop at nothing to see their will done.
Doomsday preppers and small-town secrets collide in this sultry, twisty page-turning thriller.
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Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham
Part contemporary Mystery / Thriller, part police procedural, with a dash of romantic suspense. Stand-alone at this point with hints of an upcoming series.
FBI agent Hunter Frost joins Florida Law Enforcement in the investigation of what appears to be a ritualistic murder crime scene. Select chapters bring 1993 into evidence that this may be the reemergence of a cult.
I listened to the audio version which led to a bit of confusion on the two timelines. Once I realized it was two stories, or flashbacks, I restarted and listened closely for identifying differences with “Sam” being the key to the last. I thought the ending to the 1993 storyline was weirdly timed and presented like a happily-ever-after but it didn’t detract from the suspense of whole.
Gripping and gruesome, this book is fast paced and eerie. Can a dynamic individual really influence groups of people to commit murder in the name of faith? History shows it’s entirely possible and this story delves deep into rituals and a corrupt and selfish leader.
The romance in the story was minimalistic.
***I received an ebook copy from the publisher at no cost***
What a wild ride.
Amy is a local police officer. Hunter is an FBI agent. The two end up working a case together after Amy’s long-time partner suffers a heart attack. Their investigation centers on a gruesome murder that has cult written all over it.
There’s a bit of everything in this one—romance, murder, suspense, and mystery. The most intriguing aspect of the book for me was the cult piece. It’s clear that the author did a ton of research, or is very knowledgable on the topic of cults in general. In addition to the cult element behind the murders in the story, Graham gives mention to numerous infamous cults from across the decades. Hunter’s expertise on the topic made it feel like he was a real person versus a fictional character.
This story takes readers in many directions. There are some past items sprinkled in amongst the present and at first I wasn’t sure how these flashbacks played into the present-day events taking place. Graham shows how they connect though, and I was a bit floored when that was revealed.
The romance was a slow-burn, which I enjoy. Graham left room for future books if she wishes, but I was satisfied with the ending.
I enjoyed this read overall. It’s got plenty of twists, the characters are solid, and the plot is unlike anything I’ve read up until now. Graham knows how to write suspense and thrillers, and if you like these types of books, then Danger in Numbers will be right up your alley.
Four stars to this novel!
DANGER IN NUMBERS by Heather Graham is the first of a four book series featuring two agents chasing after a multi-tentacled cult based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This book can be read as a standalone and does not end on a cliffhanger, but it does have an ending that sets up the next book in the series.
FDLE Special Agent Amy Larson is studying the horrific scene of a ritualistic murder with her partner when an FBI agent appears at their location without being requested. At first, Amy has reservations about this agent, but soon ends up assisting him when her partner is off the case.
FBI Special Agent Hunter Forrest has heard of the crime scene discovered by the FDLE and believes it ties into his current case. He rushes to the scene to see it for himself. He soon proves to Amy that he is uniquely qualified to investigate cults and is impressed with her abilities and knowledge.
In rural small town central Florida, women are being gruesomely sacrificed and the crimes seem to be following an interpretation of the white horseman of “Death” in the story of the Apocalypse. The group wants Amy. Will Hunter be able to keep her safe?
I enjoyed getting to know these new protagonists and I am looking forward to following them through the future Apocalypse books. Amy was a strong female heroine who did not wait around to be saved and Hunter was her perfect foil. He is intelligent and determined to save people from cults, but he never overshadowed Amy. The romance grows as the two work together, but for me it was a little forced and I would have been OK with it happening later in the series, although I did enjoy the epilogue. The plot moves at a fast pace to the ultimate climax with several twists. All the secondary characters add to the story’s depth and not all are as they seem.
Overall, I can recommend this start to an exciting new romantic suspense thriller series.
FLDE Special Agent Amy Larson and her partner are assigned to a murder in a remote part of Florida. While still on the scene, they’re surprised by the arrival of FBI Special Agent Hunter Forrest. Special Agent Forrest connects this killing to one he’s investigating in the northern part of the state and joins the FLDE agents on the case. When Agent Larson’s partner is sidelined in the hospital, her supervisor teams agent Larson up with Agent Forrest to solve the case before the killer or killers kill again.
This is one twisted case, you meander through Florida’s swamps, pass through the amusement park mecca on your way to horse country, all while the FLDE and FBI are trying to stop a cult bent on killing women in their own version of the apocalypse. You think you know all the players, and you might, but I didn’t. There was one I missed.
If you like twisted thrillers, ritualistic cult cases, great writing, and strong characters, make sure to check out this novel. It’s a really great read. I read it all in one sitting, I didn’t want to put it down. Didn’t help that I live in the area (Ocala) and before I went to sleep, I had to make sure all the doors and window were locked. Now you know that’s when you hit upon a great book!
**I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest review.
Florida State Police Special Agent Amy Larson is working with FBI Special Agent Hunter Forrest when a ritualistic killing is discovered. Forrest is a man with insider knowledge of cults and how they work. His experience comes from his own past.
As their investigation begins, they discover that the rural community, as a whole, are keeping secrets … lying about what they know….
This was a little bit of a slow start for me, but the more I read, the more the pace sped up and the more engrossed I became. There’s mystery, crime, deceit, as well as a hint of romance. It’s well written with a surprise here and there to keep your attention. There are a few flashbacks showing that this particular cult will stop at nothing in order to stay in the shadows.
Many thanks to the author / Harlequin – Mira / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction/romantic suspense. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Hoping for a sequel.
Not up to Graham’s usual standards but enjoyable nonetheless.
Murders, cults, mystery of who are really the bad guys and romance!
Thriller is an excellent description for this book. Also, if you are interested in cults, they get good attention here. Those sections were actually quite informative. The blurb for this book says that it’s a stand-alone, but there were times that I felt like I was coming into a series. The way the characters related and referred to each other made me feel like I was missing some background. That didn’t detract from the overall plot, however, which was extremely interesting. It took a while to circle around to connecting the prologue, but the ride on the way was entertaining. For a detailed review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Harlequin (MIRA) and NetGalley for a digital ARC of the book.
This book was picked for book club and I have never read this author before. I enjoy a good a good murder and suspense mystery and this one didn’t disappoint. I listened and read this book because if I was forced to put it down I had to switch to listening. I loved the book and the narrator was well chosen foe the characters! The main cop characters are both strong and compromising and play off each other well. This is a nice change from the norm of power struggles you see in a lot when there are different agencies or even just a f/m combo. The gruesome murders happen across a good chunk of Florida which has them going all over and meeting tons of people. Any and all of which could be a suspect. There is suspense, mystery, crime scenes and heart in this book. I love when the past and present combine. This book is about a cult and has some trigger so beware. I enjoyed the entire storyline and trying to figure out who’s in on it and who’s not. I will definitely be looking into more by this author!
This book has it all—seriously. Action, mystery, relationships, and reflective of today’s world. The characters are strong and relatable. Ms. Graham covers almost the entire length of Florida, from the Everglades to horse country in the north. Quite a ride and truly enjoyable.
I loved the main characters coming together to work and solve the crimes and the romance between them was just so darned sweet!
It’s a book by Heather Graham. She always brings the madness so of course I’m a big fan and love it.
This book is about cult with brainwashing and ritualistic murders that sooooo brutal, the gory details just heighten up everything, it’s so creepy and not for a faint heart but still a page-turner read, the journey to find the leader of the cult is full suspense and mystery, so many suspects, it’s just make me can’t stop reading it.
It has wonderful main characters. Love Amy and Hunter. They’re so perfect together. They’re both a great agents and a perfect team. Love the sparks between them.
Great story and characters with perfect amount of suspense and romance, although kinda predictable for me but I still loveeeee it. Totally recommended to suspense thrillers readers.
Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham
Heather Graham has been a go-to author for me for some time and this book, dealing with cults and a horrific ritualistic killing sounded like a good read…and it was. This is a great introduction to what will be a four-book series starring Amy and Hunter and I am eager to read them all.
What I liked:
* Amy Larson: Special Agent for Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), newer at the job than some but not a novice, bright, dedicated, an artist that makes drawings at the scene of crimes, capable, thinks on her feet, from a family in law enforcement, likable.
* Hunter Forrest: FBI Special agent, ex-military, knowledgeable about cult and ritualistic murders, mid-thirties, well known on the job, intelligent, interesting backstory, likable.
* The slow development of the relationship between Amy & Hunter – can see them together on the job and off and am looking forward to seeing them together as the series unfolds.
* The side/back story and how it played into the overall larger story.
* The supporting characters: CSI, ME, her FDLE partner-John, FBI agent assigned to assist, others
* The dark, gritty aspects even though the crimes and cult and all the rest were as horrific as expected…and perhaps a bit more.
* Not knowing for sure which characters were good/bad
* It was believable
* That both main characters came from loving families
* That Amy and Hunter seemed balanced people and that they didn’t come into the story with a lot of baggage that drew away from the plot.
* Looking forward to what will happen next
What I didn’t like:
* Knowing that cults exist and are as bad as or worse than the one in this book
* The baddies I was meant to dislike
* Having to wait till book two is published to find out what will happen next.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Mira for the ARC – this is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
(Read in print) A stand alone, but with elements of the series we love. Also hints of a follow-up.
There has been a brutal murder on the edge of the Everglades. Special Agent Amy Larson has a bad feeling about this one. She teams up with FBI Special Agent Hunter Forrest to find the killer and the cult.
Hunter has a special interest in this case. He is an expert in the occult. He has a past dealing with them. And you will have to read this to find out.
This story is fascinating. With the cult undertones and the weird murders, I was completely engaged from start to finish. You just didn’t know who to trust.
This author and I go waaaay back. I remember reading her very first book in the 80s. I loved her then and I love her now. I don’t think I have read one bad book. Now, I have not read them all, but I have read the majority. She just keeps putting out good reads!
Grab your copy today…you will not be sorry!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham is an exciting, tense standalone murder mystery. We meet our heroine, FDLA Special Agent Amy Larson, who is on the scene of a gruesome ritualistic murder of a female in the Florida Everglades. The woman was on a pole, with violent slashes across her face and stabbed through her heart. Amy and her partner John, both from the Florida State Police, were disturbed, as well as worried if this was the start of more to come. The murder draws the attention of the FBI, and Special Agent Hunter Forrest, who has knowledge of how cults operate.
In a short time, Hunter will join the investigation with Amy as his partner, since her partner suffered a heart attack. Together Hunter and Amy made a sensational team, as they are both good at what they do. Early on there is another POV from many years ago, showing a family on the run from a cult and hoping for help from the FBI, leaving us unsure of how this effected the current case; halfway into the story, we do learn what and who was in that POV.
After another female is murdered, Hunter begins to see some similarities of previous ritualistic crimes. Amy and Hunter know that someone powerful runs a dangerous cult, and think nothing about putting women through horrific rituals. After meeting all the local churches and temples, they do further investigations on all of them to find clues as to who is the leader; and to find another missing woman before she is killed. But there were so many secrets that hindered their investigation, and because Amy is a woman, Hunter and another detective worry that she is in danger, too.
What follows is a tense thriller that will bring them into a commune of dangerous people who are blinded by a leader who will kill at whim. To say too much more would be spoilers, and I would ruin it for you. Danger in Numbers is an exciting, intense, dark story of murder and the cults that brainwash people. Amy and Hunter find themselves in dangerous situations that had us holding our breath if they would survive.
Once again, Heather Graham gives us a wild, mindboggling thriller, that kept our attention from start to finish. I did like that both Amy and Hunter started a slow build romance, that hopefully will give us more stories to come. They made a great team and couple. If you like intense thrillers, which is written so very well by Graham, then I suggest you read Danger in Numbers.
This book was gripping. As someone who loves a good thriller or even a good crime drama now and again this book was hitting many laters with me.
We have the physiological layer of what people can do to a person’s mind when in a cult. We had gritty gruesome murders and we even had a small bit of romance.
Mix with that a dark and seedy atmosphere and it was the perfect setting for this book.
Once I started reading it I could not put it down. It held me captivated and I was willing to stay a captive. With each page I turned I felt myself being pulled in deeper into the dark and eerie place.
It was truly a bone-chilling book to read.
I have not read any books by this author for a while and I am sorry for that. I really loved the twists and turns and the great suspense. I also enjoyed the slight bit of romance. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I really like all the characters. I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Danger in Numbers by Heather Graham is a highly recommended thriller/procedural.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Amy Larson and her experienced partner of two years, John Schultz, are sent to investigate a horrendous ritualistic murder on the edge of the Everglades. The FBI quickly joins the investigation because of a similar ritualistic murder that occurred. FBI special agent Hunter Forrest join the two. Hunter has information and knowledge that will focus the investigation as he specializes in ritualistic killings, extremists, and the occult. When John has a heart attack, Amy joins Hunter in investigating the murder. Amy sketches every crime scene and her sketches helped focus the investigation as she often captures subtle nuances that can be overlooked when viewing crime scene photos. Hunter and Amy work together and quickly determine the direction their investigation will take.
Hunter is a better developed main character, however Amy is not given the same character development. She is known for her proclivity to draw crime scenes, but her artistic ability seems to be a bit over-stated as a sketch wouldn’t necessarily capture everything it is purposed to be able to do in the plot. Ask anyone who actually is talented at drawing. Hunter has a whole backstory to shore up his character and give it some depth. Both characters are portrayed as intelligent and insightful, as well as attractive.
While the investigation will hold your attention, there were not the twists or surprises that one expects in a procedural thriller. It is a very familiar plot with no real surprises. The key to enjoyment is simply to read, follow the clues, and reach the conclusion. The fact that a cult is involved does make it more interesting and frightening. The side story set set in 1993 actually raised the rating of the novel for me and added at least something beyond the unremarkable, familiar plot. Honestly, I could do without the partners attraction to each other as I would prefer the investigators to concentrate on the actual investigation. 3.5 rounded up
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/02/danger-in-numbers.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3864802861