I’m a big fan of Heather Graham’s long-running Krewe of Hunters series. Now, she’s doing a slight spinoff with the first in a new series, The Witching Hours. Because Jackson Crow, head of the FBI’s Krewe is establishing a new unit, the new book is part of The Crows series.

Jackson Crow and his wife, Angela, meet up with their new recruits in Salem, Massachusetts, because people are disappearing. Skye McMahon has a “special talent”, not the usual one for Crow’s special agents. They can communicate with the dead. Skye can see and hear past events. The Crows think she might work well with Zachary Erickson from the Boston office. He has a psychic ability that allows him to see things through someone’s eyes when he holds an object. It takes time for both Special Agents to trust each other. They’re both used to hiding their talents from the world so they’re not labeled as crazy. But, all of Crow’s agents have one talent or another.

The first scene that brings them together is the historic Bolton House. Mike Bolton had turned his house over to his grandson and his family, and took over a small house on the property. He was killed, and his five-year-old great-grandson and the nanny disappeared. The baby was left behind. Although the first thought was the nanny was involved, Skye “saw” the disappearance, and said she wasn’t. Then, a woman and her daughter disappeared in the same way. And, Skye’s vision shows both pairs of victims taken by a person dressed in the black garb of a witch and covered in green body paint. The FBI is looking for a witch in Salem, Massachusetts.

The story escalates quickly as other people disappear and Skye and Zach head into the forest around Salem, seeing that over and over, as Zach’s gift allows them to see the victims surrounded by darkness. The discussions between the two agents lead them to the conclusion that something big is about to happen, and the witch may be planning to use the women and children as shields.

Graham follows her usual pattern of building the tension, bringing the two agents together when they fall for each other, and then leading them to a dramatic conclusion. The abilities of the two agents are a little different, so this spinoff is an enjoyable change.

Without being overtly political, The Witching Hours also manages to have a message. Skye and Zach, along with the police lieutenant who initially asked Jackson Crow for help, discuss the law with quotes. “Wherever law ends, tyranny begins” precedes the quote “When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty.” It was an interesting conversation.

Graham’s latest book is another fast-paced, entertaining book. Occasionally, there are some odd phrases, such as when they had arrested a suspect and, have “a man in captivity”. It was unusual enough to draw my attention from the story. Even so, I enjoyed the story. And, I love the cover. The Witching Hours adds a little variety to the Krewe of Hunters books.

Heather Graham’s website is https://www.theoriginalheathergraham.com/

The Witching Hours by Heather Graham. Kensington, 2026. 288p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I read a galley supplied by the publisher through NetGalley, with no promise of a positive review.