The Last Grave, Book #2 of the WITCH HUNT Series
Author: Debbie Viguie
Synopsis:Samantha Ryan—homicide detective by choice, witch hunter by necessity—has left Salem for San Francisco, hoping a move will help her forget the horrors of her past. But she’s about to discover that witches tempted by the dark side are everywhere....
Samantha is doing whatever she can to forget her terrible childhood in a coven destroyed by its members’ greed and lust for power. Now she’s a San Francisco detective struggling to fight her own desire to turn to magic. But as she discovers, escaping who you are isn’t easy.
Her latest case seems straightforward enough—the murder of a local historian named Winona Lightfoot. But strange clues take Samantha to the Santa Cruz Mountains, a place teeming with witches and black magic. As she works to uncover the connection between Winona and this coven, an earthquake rocks the Bay Area. That’s when Samantha has a premonition: Something is coming. Something evil.
To survive—and save everyone around her—she will have to tackle her greatest fear, and hope she isn’t the next one put into a deep, dark grave....
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:
*ARC received from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
I unexpectedly received the first book of this series (The Thirteenth Sacrifice) from the Publisher back before it was released in 2012. After reading (and loving!) it, I immediately reached out to Penguin to see if I could possibly do a promotional Event for book 2 as soon as the release date was announced. In true 'happy dance' fashion, I was told that a copy was already on its way...
As soon as the book arrived in the mail I settled in. Later that night, I wrote this on GoodReads: "O.M.G! 5 Skulls is not enough for this intensely insane thrill ride! Book #1 was amazing, but this installment was so gripping I couldn't put it down & stayed up most of the night reading. I cannot wait for Circle of Blood!"
The Last Grave starts a short time in the future following the Events of The Thirteenth Sacrifice, wherein Samantha has moved to California to start fresh following the catastrophic battle between herself and her old coven back in her old hometown that basically left her the last witch standing. She's once again attempting to leave her old life behind and live the life she has earned as a homicide detective, instead of the life she was born into as a dark witch. Unfortunately, the new murder that she and her partner are investigating has an undeniable magickal signature, and Samantha quickly learns that her attempt at a 'normal' life just isn't going to happen. At least not yet.
There is just SO much that happens in this book, and so many twists and turns that this review is incredibly difficult to write; especially given that I don't write spoilery reviews...
I can tell you this much: I lost count at how many times I changed my mind regarding what I thought was going on, & every time I had another "huh?" moment, Debbie would introduce one more action-packed sequence and have me shaking my head with wonder. There were twists, turns and surprises around every corner, & it was jam packed with action. Book #1 was quite dark, but The Last Grave was even darker (something I THOROUGHLY enjoy in my books), and the storyline was incredibly unique and undoubtedly mysterious & intriguing.
I personally loved the book and would recommend it to anyone!! If you've read some of the other pre-release reviews out there are are confused at the discrepancy in ratings, here are my 2 cents - While I'm sure Debbie intended The Last Grave to be a stand-alone novel, it would be much better enjoyed and understood by readers who have read Book #1. In addition, this isn't a quick and lighthearted read. It's dark, it's deep, and I would highly suggest that if you'd like to take the plunge (and I would recommend that you do), that you do it when you have time to utterly devote to a book without outside distractions or too much on your mind. The storyline weaved throughout The Last Grave requires a decent amount of thought to follow along with and navigate all of the twists, and in my opinion, would be much better received as an uninterrupted read.
With all of that said, LITERAL ADDICTION gives The Last Grave 5 Skulls and is incredibly excited for book #3.
The Last Grave
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