#NetGalley Book Review: Uninvited by Heather Graham

I enjoyed the ghostly elements in this romantic suspense.

The Uninvited: Book 8 in Krewe of Hunters series
by Heather Graham

Publication date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Mira
Genre: Ghosts, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

1777: In the throes of the Revolutionary War, Landon Mansion is commandeered by British Lord "Butcher" Bedford. He stabs Lucy Tarleton—who spurned his king and his love—leaving her to die in her father's arms.
NOW: After the day's final tour, docent Allison Leigh makes her rounds while locking up…and finds a colleague slumped over Bedford's desk, impaled on his own replica bayonet.
Resident ghosts may be the stock-in-trade of stately Philadelphia homes, but Allison—a noted historian—is indignant at the prospect of "ghost hunters" investigating this apparent murder.
Agent Tyler Montague knows his hauntings and his history. But while Allison is skeptical of the newcomer, a second mysterious murder occurs. Has "Butcher" Bedford resurfaced? Or is there another malevolent force at work in Landon Mansion? Wary, yet deeply attracted, Allison has to trust in Tyler and work with him to discover just what uninvited guest—dead or alive—has taken over the house.
Or their lives could become history!

Review:
Allison is a local history professor and a docent at an historic mansion, the Tarleton-Dandridge House in Philadelphia. The house served as a British base in 1777 when British Lord “Butcher” Bedford married, and reportedly murdered, Lucy Tarleton. The Tarleton family were supposedly supportive of the British, but Lucy secretly worked to take information to Washington’s troops. The house has had a history of strange deaths over many years.

At the end of a tour, Allison discovers one of her young colleague’s dead in the study. It appears to be a bizarre suicide but at least one member of the board doesn’t believe this. He calls in a very special FBI “Krewe”, a team that studies paranormal events.

Agent Tyler doesn’t make a good first impression on Allison. That could be because she has been grilled for hours by the police, but more importantly she isn’t thrilled to have ‘ghost hunters’ traipsing through the carefully preserved house. Allison reluctantly works to guide Tyler in investigating the house where they find a ransacked attic. Allison continues to resist the paranormal elements until events force her to see otherwise. Tyler tries to explain to Allison that there may be paranormal forces involved but it is likely that the rummaging and murder were done by living humans.

A second person associated with the house dies in another bizarre ‘accident’. When it looks like Allison may be the next target, she finds herself sticking more closely with Tyler and their closeness turns to personal interest. Can Tyler and his team keep Allison safe while racing to find the true killer?

I liked Allison’s strong character and really enjoyed the quiet, determined personality of Tyler. His teammates are interesting and apparently the subject of other books in this series, which I would be interested in reading. The mystery is full of twists and a handful of suspects with red herring clues that kept me wondering until near the villain reveal.

I haven’t read Heather Graham for a number of years and I was pleased to enjoy this romantic suspense/paranormal romance where the mystery was primary and the romance a secondary element that added to the overall story. I recommend this to fans of paranormal mystery with romance.

Source: 2012 Netgalley. This qualifies for 2020TBR and 2020NetGalley goals.