These Ancient Bones is the second book in The Crows series by Heather Graham, a spin-off of her Krewe of Hunters books. Jackson Crow, head of the FBI’s Krewe, is establishing a “special circumstances” unit. He started it in Salem, Massachusetts with two recruits, Skye McMahon and Zach Erickson. They appear to support the active agents in this case, Shelly Mahoney and Grant Markham.
Grant’s from St. Augustine, Florida, but he’s returning from a case in Italy. So, Shelly is the first of the two on scene when an investigative journalist and whistle-blower,George Maynard, is missing, presumed dead when human remains are found as ashes outside Maynard’s home. Although Maynard was popular for his support of the common man, it’s obvious he wasn’t universally loved.
When Grant arrives, he, too goes to Markham’s home. It’s Shelly, though, who finds a stone outside in the bushes. The stone has a curse written on it. Grant is aware of curse tablets. They’ve been around since ancient times, found in Rome and Bath, England. And, now one has been found in St. Augustine.
Shelly and Grant will need to use their unusual abilities. When someone has just died, Grant can take their hand, hold it, and know what they knew in the last moments of their life. Shelly can summon the dead. She can mentally call to them, and, if the soul hasn’t yet moved on, and they choose to come, she can talk to them. They can use their abilities on the current case, but when they’re both sent back to Rome, it’s even more important. After the story of Maynard’s disappearance spreads worldwide, the Italians believe their murder investigation is connected to the new tragedy.
Graham’s latest book ends in a tense standoff. Her four new agents are joined by three brothers, the McFadden brothers, from a trilogy within the Krewe of Hunters series. It’s a dramatic climax, leading to downtime and romance for the characters before they’ll jet off to another case in France. It seems Jackson Crow will keep his new team working.
Drama, tension, romance, and surprise villains are all part of Heathr Graham’s These Ancient Bones. As a fan of the Krewe of Hunters, I’m here for it.
Heather Graham’s website is https://www.theoriginalheathergraham.com/
These Ancient Bones by Heather Graham. Kensington Books, 2026. 304p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley from the publisher, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
