Curse of Salem - a Bishop / Special Crimes Unit Novel

Kay Hooper is definitely back in true form with the second book in the Salem trilogy (at least, I'm assuming this is a trilogy - I haven't seen any solicit or information about a third book in this series yet, but since all previous books in the Bishop / Special Crimes Unit series were trilogies, I have to believe this one will be as well!).  While that final book in the Bishop Files trilogy had left me wondering, with this book, I wonder no more.  Noah Bishop and his group of psychic federal agents in the Special Crimes Unit are back in action and most definitely back in their element as they return to Salem, North Carolina to face another deadly threat - this one even more evil and more vicious than the last.

Curse of Salem takes place just a couple of months after the events of Hidden Salem.  After the defeat of Duncan Cavendish, the townsfolk of Salem thought the nightmare was over.  But for a town filled with psychics, can the nightmare ever truly be over?  When Hollis and Diana have a shared vision in the grey world with a warning of something to come in Salem, Bishop can't ignore it.  And when Sheriff Finn Deverell calls Bishop to tell him that a head of one of the Five in Salem has come to him with a warning, it pretty much clenches the SCU's involvement.  Something bad - VERY bad - is coming to Salem, and for the first time, Bishop's team might actually have a chance to stop it before it begins.

If only it were that easy...

Hooper continues her return to the roots of her psychic crime unit series with a violent tale of a psychic killer that has a personal agenda.  And staying under the radar in Salem, a town made up of five psychic families, where most of the population have psychic abilities on some level, is no mean feat.  But Hooper introduces a new element into the mix - because there is a static that seems to have washed over the town, something that is preventing Bishop's team - as well as the families already in Salem - from utilizing their abilities to warn them of danger.  And when a vision reveals that the killer has not only killed one victim, but has another one that is being tortured, the SCU realizes they did not arrive as early as they had hoped.  But how did the killer take people without anyone noticing?  And how did a small town such as Salem not realize that one ... now TWO ... of their own were missing?

The suspense builds pretty quickly in this book, as the urgency to find the kidnapped victims grows with each turn of the page.  And the gruesome manner in which the killer tortures and kills one of his victims - and what the SCU team finds! - is so horrific, I think this is likely one of the absolute worst murders in the entire series.  And Hooper's ability to make that death have such a huge impact on the reader, not just in terms of its gruesome nature, but in the fact that the victim was innocent - was someone people in the town cared about - and was someone that did not want to die, but still had to suffer what this killer did - well, it goes to Hooper's talented writing skills.  To make the reader care about a character that we barely even know, and to feel the punch to the gut when Hollis, Diana, Reese, Quentin, Bishop, and Miranda, along with Finn and Nelle, find the body (or rather, what's left of it), it speaks volumes of Hooper's ability as a writer.

As with prior books in this series, some of the SCU members find they are developing (or coming into) new abilities. In this one, Hollis discovers she can do more than she ever thought, and the final showdown with the killer utilizes these new talents to lead to a very satisfying conclusion.  Of course, we know this is not the end, as there should be one more book in this trilogy (anxiously waiting on word about when the next book will be coming out!), and it makes me wonder just how much more violence and terror the poor town of Salem can suffer before it is completely destroyed?

 

And I will concede that I thought I had Diana's spirit guide all figured out - I thought for sure I knew who it was; but Hooper put in a final twist that was not what I was expecting.  Which is a good thing, as it keeps on my toes and keeps me from getting too comfortable in thinking I can figure these things out.

There is one scene in this book that truly made me smile, as it has such truth to it!  As Hollis is discussing the crows that are a mainstay of Salem, she wonders about their connection to the people and how they interact. "I wonder if they make exceptions for friends," she speculates (p. 123.)  "Cats don't.  Then again, I've never been entirely sure cats would be bothered enough to make that sort of distinction.  Dogs have master, cats have staff." (p. 124)  Have grown up with both cats and dogs, and having been a cat-lover all of my life, there is no truer statement than what Hollis says here - dogs serve people, but people serve cats!

RATING:  10 half-eaten jelly donuts out of 10 for keeping this series alive with a darker villain and some surprising twists in the world of psychic feds!

Hidden Salem - a Bishop / Special Crimes Unit Novel

Kay Hooper is back on track!  I was a bit disappointed with the way the Bishop Files trilogy ended, and the recent "Dark" trilogy had a rather abrupt ending that left me feeling deflated.  But the first book in Hooper's latest trilogy proves that Hooper is back in the game with a fantastic new story, new psychics, and some new powers as well!  Hard to believe I've been following this series since it first came out back in 2000, and over the course of the past 21 years, I have come to know and love these characters and stories and feel like they are family, of sorts.  So, it's a true joy to read a book that keeps me on the edge, waiting to turn each page to see what is going to happen next like I did when I first picked up Stealing Shadows over 20 years ago!

Hidden Salem opens with a very dark segue way into this latest assignment for Bishop's Special Crimes Unit, as a man find himself being mentally forced to do something he doesn't even know what to do - and the last thing his senses pick up on before he falls into blackness is the smell of brimstone... jump ahead to the small town of Salem (not THAT Salem, mind you, but one located in Virginia or North Carolina - honestly, I could never exactly figure out which, although the fact that it is along the Appalachian trial leads me to believe it is the Virginia one), where SCU veteran Geneva Raynor has been scouting the town at the request of the unit's leader, Bishop, due to a number of alleged hikers that have gone missing.  Geneva is frustrated by the level of static she seems to be picking up on, which hinders her natural psychic abilities, but in her cover as a photographer, she has uncovered a few unsettling truths about this town.

 

One, the sheriff for the county seems content to allow a home-grown militia safeguard the town and basically pleads ignorance of the missing hikers.

 

Two, there are certain individuals within the town who Geneva is unable to read, meaning they have a level of psychic abilities themselves, enough to build some pretty strong walls in their minds.l

 

Three, the idyllic town seems way too peaceful, considering that three people have been found dead in the woods just outside the town.

 

Four, Geneva discovers a fourth body, which she manages to get pictures of before the militia wipes the scene completely clean, as if nothing ever happened.

 

Five, the amount of crows within the town is disturbing, particularly since they seem to be watching her every move.

 

And six, possibly most frightening of all - a little girl goes missing, and instead of there being any panic or search parties, the family just up and leaves on vacation without their daughter, and the town acts like nothing ever happened!

 

Geneva knows there is something wrong with this town.  Evil lurks in Salem, hidden just beneath the surface of its townspeople.  And when Geneva goes to investigate, she suddenly finds that she could be the next victim!  Enter Grayson Sheridan, Geneva's back-up, who arrives in Salem under the guise of just another hiker on the trail.  The only problem is, Geneva is not there.  And Grayson has no clue where to start looking for her!  He has shared a connection with Geneva in the past, but with all the static in this town, he can't seem to make contact.  A cryptic clue, however, ultimately leads him to an abandoned cabin in the woods - where Geneva has freed herself and impresses upon her partner the urgency in finding that little girl before it's too late!  Add in Nellie Cavendish, who has returned to Salem after receiving a letter from her deceased father that was held in trust until her 29th birthday - a letter with an urgent mission that she return to Salem before her 30th birthday and stop a great evil from being unleashed!

Anyone who has read Hooper's books knows that ultimately the paths of these psychics will cross, and they will eventually help one another in a final, climactic battle to defeat the evil of a dark psychic who, in this instance, is hellbent on gaining more power and completely taking over Salem and the lives of everyone there.  There are plenty of secrets to be revealed, and several revelations regarding the citizens of that small community, and Hooper keeps the tension running high from beginning to end, making this book a true page-turner.  I absolutely love the fact that Hooper has introduced some new abilities in this book, with a couple of the psychics being able to communicate, on a small level, with the animals around them.  And Nellie's full acceptance of her own abilities provides for quite the explosive finale!

One difference with this book, as compared with previous stories, is that Hooper does not hide the villain.  This story is not so much about trying to figure out who the villain is, but more along the lines of burning your way through the story to see how Geneva, Grayson, Nellie, and their surprise comrade will stop the power-hungry psychic in Salem and whether they will be in time to save the young girl taken captive.  It makes for an interesting change of pace, and takes the pressure off of the reader in looking for clues to the identity of the killer and focusing more on getting to know the characters.

As this is the first book in the trilogy, I know this is merely a set up, with more evil and dastardly deeds to come.  The next book, Curse of Salem, comes out in December (in hardcover, unfortunately - I will be waiting for the paperback), and I'm guessing the third book will be out next year some time.

One final thing I want to mention - I absolutely LOVE the stylized lettering for the title and author on the front cover.  The font is that fun "optical illusion" type font, where if you try and follow the letters or off-set shading, they don't quite match and seem to loop into each other in impossible ways.  It's a subtle (or maybe not so subtle!) way of letting the reader know right off the bat that finding your way through Salem is not going to be as easy as it may appear at first!  Gotta love it!

RATING:  10 cheerful Disney name plaques out of 10 for bringing the spooky tension back to the Bishop novels and getting me excited to see what's going to happen next!

Hold Back the Dark - a Bishop / Special Crimes Unit Novel

With this book, author Kay Hooper brings her characters back to their roots - tracking down and fighting the darkness that is pure, unrelenting evil! For twenty years now, Hooper has provided readers with quite a few intriguing, page-turning murder mysteries that involve power psychics and dark, almost supernatural evil that Noah Bishop and his ever-growing team of psychic government agents must stop. The books have pretty nearly all been exceptional (we won't mention that whole alien story in the third Bishop Files novel....), and it seems that they were all leading to this...

Hold Back the Dark sets up the ultimate battle between Bishop and his team and an all-powerful, rage-filled energy that is about to be let loose on the world. A select number of psychics across the globe get a "call." Go to Prosperity. These psychics - some we know, some are new to us - each receive the message in their own unique way. Some don't hesitate to answer the call. Some are reluctant, but still know they need to go. And one, in particular, has absolutely no desire to go; he would rather forget he has any psychic abilities and just have a normal life. But normal for a psychic in the world of Noah Bishop is non-existent!

A darkness is growing in Prosperity, North Carolina. It is affecting the people that live there. A family man goes down in his basement and blows his brains out with a shotgun. A loving mother brutally kills her mother and children and then sits down and goes to sleep. A real estate salesman shoots and kills two prospective buyers, then calmly sits on the front porch, oblivious to what he just did. A police officer puts his hands around his wife's through, ready to kill her at the very thought that she cheated on him. The sheriff is at a loss as to how to explain what is going on in his tiny little town - but one of his officers knows something is wrong. Something is coming, and it will take more than either of them have to offer to stop this unseen force.

Enter the Special Crimes Unit.

As usual, Hooper brings together a unique group of psychics, and not even they know why each of them is there. With individual powers, unique to each of them, they must learn to trust each other, to depend on one another, in order to survive the coming battle. Even Dalton Davenport, who is bitter and has absolutely no desire to be there, must not only come to terms with the power he possesses, but he must face the fact that he is there for a purpose. This is what I really love about Hooper's books - they are all about the characters. Yes, there are horrific crimes that happen. Yes, there is always a big battle at the end, where the good guys face down the bad guys. And, yes, sometimes an innocent life is lost before all is said and done. But when it all comes down to it, these stories are about the people, about their lifes, their loves, and their learning how to cope with the unexplainable.

I enjoyed meeting Olivia, Logan, Reno, Dalton, Victoria, and Sully - I do hope that we see more of them in coming books. It was also cool to see Dr. Jill Eason, who appeared in Wait for Dark, as the medical examiner. Having some of the "non-essential" characters pop up now and again keep the continuity flowing and keep the world of the SCU grounded in some level of reality (even though we all know it's fiction).  How Hooper is able to keep all of these ever-growing number of psychics straight is a testament to her writing ability - plus, the sheer magnitude of the stories themselves!

Now, I won't spoil it by revealing the identity of the culprit, but I will admit I was kind of disappointed by the final confrontation. After all of the build up and the suspense leading up to it, plus the coming storm that was developing just over the town - I was really expecting a huge, all-out war. Instead, the final battle pretty much completes itself in just a couple of pages, with a not-so-spectacular climax that felt - well, very anti-climactic.  From everything that was building up within the story, I really was expecting this to be a culmination of ALL of the dark battles the teams have been fighting over the past 20 years - and maybe I just let me imagination run away with me.  It's my hope that Hooper is just laying the groundwork for something even bigger - and based upon her writing up until now, I will keep my trust in her to continue building the teams and building the suspense.

Overall, this was another fantastic read.  I see that another book, Hidden Salem, is set to come out later this year, so I know the SCU is not over yet, thank God!  Can't wait to see what Hooper has in store next!

RATING:  8 squeaky clean whiteboards out of 10 for holding back the dark in yet another tale of psychic suspense that keeps the fans' appetite whetted for more!

Final Shadows - a Bishop Files Novel

I have been reading Kay Hooper's Bishop novels since 2000, when the first novels appeared in the bookstores (the "Shadow" trilogy). From the first book, I was hooked. I mean, seriously, what is there not to love about this series? A group of federal agents who happen to have psychic powers traveling the country to fight psychic killers and helping and recruiting other psychics, whether born that way or who develop powers after a traumatic incident. Most of the trilogies have been the Bishop Special Crime Unit series, but recently she has written and published a three-book series under the "Bishop Files" umbrella - basically, a series about some psychics who are not a part of Bishop's SCU team, nor are they a part of the Haven initiative; rather, they are their own group fighting a shadowy team of psychics with an unknown objective. Until now...

Final Shadows is the final book in this first Bishop Files trilogy. The main characters from the two previous books in this series (Sarah Gallagher and Tucker Mackenzie from The First Prophet, and John Brodie and Tasha Solomon from A Deadly Web) are brought together, along with Bishop and Miranda, as well as Murphy and the very interesting and very unique Pendragon (not going to spoil that one - you'll have to read it for yourself to believe it!). The time has come to bring the war to the shadow organization that has been manipulating things for years - an organization that has been kidnapping and experimenting on psychics. Men and woman around the country have been planning, and the time has finally arrived to take the fight to them.  To these - - dare I say it?

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILER ALERT!

Aliens!?!?!

Yes, you read that right.  And yes, that's a huge spoiler if you haven't read the book, but quite frankly, I was thrown for a loop when the beings behind the shadow organization were revealed. For years, I've been enjoying these psychic mysteries, and while this Bishop Files trilogy is set apart from the regular SCU books, it is still in the same world and still has the connection to Bishop and his group. Thus, their entire world is now opened to the prospect that there are aliens living among them - aliens who look like people, act like people, talk like people, and who have been hard at work for decades, trying to figure out how psychic powers work so that they can create their own psychics to go back home and fight against an enemy that is destroying their home planet.

No, I am not making this up.  I wish I were.  This did not in any way feel like a logical conclusion for this trilogy, and the whole alien aspect came totally out of left field.  While I do enjoy some sci-fi series (the old Star Wars, pre-Disney; comic books; an occasional Star Trek), I much prefer more grounded reality mysteries, even those with a psychic twist. But throwing aliens into the mix for this concluding chapter just took me out of the story and kept me wondering what Hooper was thinking when she wrote this.  Heck, I can accept Pendragon much sooner than I can the whole alien abduction story.

I hope that this is the last time that any reference will be made to these aliens, and that Hooper will not be carrying over any elements from this trilogy into any of her future books.  I still have her third book in the "Dark" trilogy to read, so my fingers are crossed that maintains the regular psychic villains that have made her books work so well and be such enjoyable reads to date.

I guess after nearly 20 years, with just as many books in the series, I can't complain too much if one book out of the bunch isn't exactly up to part with the rest. And, ignoring the whole alien element, I did enjoy the interaction of the psychics, and I loved seeing Tasha and Brodie grow closer (and Brodie coming into his powers was a moment to cheer!).  The characterization in the book was definitely standard Hooper fare, so that was one saving grace for the book.

The book and the trilogy are now behind me, so time to move on to bigger and better things!

RATING:  5 screaming babies crying out in terror out of 10 for throwing a huge twist in the works, not just with the alien element, but with Pendragon as well!

Wait for Dark - a Bishop / Special Crimes Unit Novel

I have truly enjoyed seeing the characters in Kay Hooper's Special Crimes Unit world grow and change over the years.  When I picked up her first three books (Stealing Shadows, Hiding in the Shadows, and Out of the Shadows) back in 2000, I never imagined that nearly twenty years later, these characters and this world would still be going, and that I would love them as much as I do.  Each set of stories is a trilogy, with the titles connecting by a word or a letter, and while some the characters appear in only one or two stories, others come and go throughout all of the books (particularly Noah Bishop, who created the SCU and is, along with his wife, Miranda, head of this federal group of psychic investigators).

Wait for Dark, the second book in the "Dark" trilogy, brings back Hollis Templeton and her partner, Reese DeMarco, and introduces readers to two new psychics - Kirby Bell and Cullen Sheridan.  The four are sent on a mission of uncertainty - is there a psychic involved in these murders in small-town America, or isn't there?  In Clarity, North Carolina, the sheriff is unsure exactly what is going on.  There have been four accidents, all seemingly random, but all extremely gruesome - a woman swerves to avoid hitting a boy in the street and dies when her car crashes into a light pole; a man grilling for his family dies when the grill explodes; a bride-to-be dies when an elevator on which she is riding crashes violently to the ground; and a farmer dies brutally when he falls into the turning thrashers of his own harvester.  No one in the small town thinks anything unusual, except how odd it is that four people have died recently, so tragically, when there have been no accidents such as this in Clarity for decades.  But Sheriff Malachi Gordon senses something is wrong.  Particularly when he makes one connection between the four individuals that no one else knows.  Just before their deaths, each of the four victims received a text message on their cell phone that said three simple words.

Wait for dark.

Hooper gives readers another suspenseful tale, particularly since the time-table for this story moves at a very fast past (pretty much just two or three days after the SCU arrives in Clarity, they have caught the culprit).  Hollis is still dealing with a lot of uncertainty about herself and her past, particularly after events from prior books have revealed that her powers are in a constant state of flux as she grows and evolves.  While Reese tries to reach out and help her, Hollis pulls away due to an uncertainty she has - something is off, and she can't quite figure out what it is.  While Kirby and Cullen are involved in the story and do assist in their own ways, this tale definitely belongs to Hollis and Reese.

And Hooper surprised me with the villain in this story. In past books, the SCU members have always faced down psychic villains in some form or fashion; but in this story, there is an ambivalence as to whether the killer is psychic or not.  Even though, as in prior books, the reader does get inside the head of the killer from time to time as he/she prepares for her next victim, there is no clear-cut answer as to whether the killer has psychic abilities, or whether the psychosis is something else entirely.  It isn't until the big reveal in the end (an it was not who I thought it would be!) that the reader gets an idea of the true motives behind the killer's actions.

I am amazed that the author has been able, for 18 years now, to not only continue to provide fresh, unique stories in each and every book without repeating any plots, but also to keep straight all the various characters, their various psychic abilities, and their histories that are continually built-upon in each story within which they appear.  And while I hate the length of time between books these days, I'd much prefer to wait and have well-written, original stories than to have rushed books with less than suspenseful tales.

RATING:  10 red high-heeled shoes out of 10 for keeping the SCU moving forward and always providing fresh takes on the psychic mystery genre.

Fear the Dark - a Bishop / Special Crimes Unit Novel

I can always tell when I'm really, truly, utterly enjoying a book, and that's when I start reading it and literally cannot put it down.  No matter how late I have to stay up, now matter how many times I have horns honked at me because I am reading at a red light and don't notice it turn green, no matter how many times I go over my hour for lunch at work - I just cannot put it down!  And that has been the case with pretty much all of author Kay Hooper's books, and her latest paperback, Fear the Dark, is certainly no exception.

Hooper, in her Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series, has created such an engaging group of characters, who come to life and jump off each and every page as if they were actually here in front of me.  And while Noah Bishop and his wife, Miranda, who head up the organization, certainly have my attention, it is all of the agents who work under them and the various people they meet in the small communities throughout the southeast on their adventures who really bring the stories to life.  And while, yes, the series does deal with an organization of government sanctions psychics who hunt down and capture and/or kill psychic villains of pure evil, Hooper manages to keep the tales grounded in reality and does not allow the psychic powers go beyond what what might deem the "realm of reality."

In Fear the Dark, two new agents (Dante and Robbie) tag along with two seasoned agents (husband and wife team, Lucas and Samantha, who first appeared in Hunting Fear) to investigate the mysterious disappearance of six  apparently unrelated persons in the small Tennessee town of Serenity.  And no, there is no Serenity, Tennessee that I'm aware of (although there are apparently a string of Serenity rehab/treatment centers throughout the state).  In each case, the victims appear to have literally just disappeared - footprints just stop suddenly; video footage show the person, then they don't; and one is seen leaving a crowded theater, but he never appears in the lobby on the other side of the door!  It seems the circumstances are completely without explanation - until the SCU shows up on the scene.

Hooper takes an interesting twist in this story, as the psychic who has kidnapped these individuals has the unique ability to warp memories and convince people they have seen - or have not seen, as the case may be - things that may or may not be real.  At one point, he nearly convinces Robbie that she has killed her new partner, Dante.  Is he mind controlling or is he simply adjusting memories?  This is something the SCU has to determine.  When a cop who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time turns up dead, they realize the kidnapper has upped the game and their time is running out to find the victims.

Only ... one victim isn't quite the victim that the kidnapper supposed.  Despite the utter and complete darkness in which the victims are being held, one victim is just a bit stronger than the rest, and when she escapes his clutches, she could very well provide the key to the puzzle that will help the SCU and local sheriff's office rescue the others.  Or, is that all simply a part of the twisted plan of the kidnapper to extract the ultimate revenge?  With this story, the reader is never quite sure!

The only problem I ever have with the Kay Hooper books is that I love them so much, I can't help but tear through them and read them in just a matter of days - - yet, once I finish them, I'm a bit saddened, as I know it's going to be a another year before I can get the next book to read!

RATING:  10 not-so-safe security systems out of 10 for building suspense, maintaining the mystery, and shocking the daylights out of me with that explosive ending!

Haunted - a Bishop / Special Crimes Unit Novel

Tech week and opening weekend for the play I am in ("As Is," by William Hoffman) put me a bit behind in my reading - but my love of Kay Hooper books kept me opening her latest paperback every free chance I had until I finished it!

Kay Hooper is one of those authors whose books I fell in love with from the very first one I read (along with Jim Butcher and Sue Ann Jaffarian).  Her stories center around a very elite group of FBI specialists, all of whom have psychic powers of some sort and are led by the very enigmatic Noah Bishop.  They are usually told in trilogies (this book being the third of the most recent trilogy that began with Haven and Hostage), and each book introduces new psychics into the group.  (Of course, stopping to think about it, at the rater they are going, they will eventually discovery that every person in the United States is psychic!)

The books deal with very dark evil, and this one is no different.  Haunted not only takes readers to

the small Georgia town of Sociable, but it brings back Hollis Templeton and Reese DeMarco, two of my favorite agents.  This book also introduces a unique dog by the name of Braden, who Ms. Hooper took from a real-life dog that was given a second chance when rescued from a shelter.  

As always, Hooper weaves a very intricate tale, giving us a glimpse of things through the killer's eyes and mind without ever truly revealing the identity until the end.  There are also some grizzly murders, sometimes killing characters I really don't want to see get killed (such as Toby Gilmore, who I thought would have made a very cool ongoing character for this series!).  There is plenty of suspense and build up, and Hooper knows how to keep her tales engaging.  Every book is fresh, no repeated plots or weak stories, and it's always hard to put down one of her books.  At 311 pages, it was a breeze to get through this (when I had the chance here and there to actually sit down and read!), not because the story was simple or the writing was childish, but because the characters come alive and the tale grips you so much you want to know what's going to happen, how are they going to catch the killer, and who is it!?!

At the end of this tale, it seems there won't be any new additions to the Special Crimes Unit, even though a couple of new psychics are introduced (including one with telekinesis - which definitely would give the team an edge in their cases).

Now, to sit back and wait another year until the first book in the next trilogy comes out, Fear the Dark.

RATING:  10 bleeding houses out of 10 for maintaining the suspense and mystery that I love about these books!