These Ancient Bones by Heather Graham

These Ancient Bones (The Crows)These Ancient Bones by Heather Graham

Tracy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Crows #2

Release Date: August 24, 2026

After completing an assignment in Rome, Special Agent Grant Markham returns to his hometown of St. Augustine, FL only to find a similar crime has occurred there and has captured the attention Special Agent Jackson Crow, head of a special unit known as the Krewe of Hunters. Jackson’s people are all gifted with special supernatural abilities, and Grant has worked him before. But this time, Jackson has found a partner for Grant, another “Krewe” agent, Special Agent Shelly Mahoney from the west coast. They meet at the crime scene, the home of George Maynard, a well-known and well-liked investigative journalist, who has recently uncovered a huge scam involving a major security company. The burned remains of their victim are found outside his home and presumed to be George. Unfortunately, due to the state of the body, they can’t make a positive ID and Grant is not able to use his own power to confirm the victim’s identity. The only clue they have to go on is a stone tablet found near the front door with what appears to be a curse directed at George in it.

With the body count rising and each one with a new curse tablet, Grant and Shelly will follow the clues, which lead them not only through the St. Augustine area, but back to Rome. They will be joined by Special Agents and fellow Krewe members, Zach Erickson & Skye McMahon, and together they will try to untangle the mystery of the tablets before they end up on the killer’s hit list.

I am enjoying this spin off series, Grant and Shelly have an instant connection and work well together. I was also delighted to catch up with Zach and Skye who were the leads in the previous book. The mystery was chaotic at times, but everything comes together at the end and what an end it is! This book has an intriguing mystery, lots of secondary characters and even more suspects, a bit of paranormal activity, curses, a bit of spice, a brewing romance, action, twists and turns and finally a satisfying ending, complete with an epilogue. My only qualm with this book was there were a couple of dropped storylines that I would have liked to have seen tied up, but as they didn’t impact the final outcome, I was able overlook it and still thought it was a very good read. This is the second book in the series, but they are loosely connected so each book can be read as a standalone title. If you enjoy a good mystery with a bit of romance and a dash of paranormal, you need to read this book!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

The Apothecary’s Poison by Lana Williams

The Apothecary’s Poison (Field & Greystone, #7)The Apothecary’s Poison by Lana Williams

Tracy’s Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Field & Greystone Mysteries, #7

Release Date: August 18, 2026

Scotland Yard Inspector Henry Fielding has returned to work after the bombing that nearly took his life in the previous book. He is called to the scene of a suspicious death, it quickly becomes clear that once again the victim has ties to his ladylove, widow Amelia Greystone. The victim, Theodore Crumpe died after taking a dose of “Mr. Tooley’s Special Tonic for Nervous Exhaustion”, his wife administered the dose, but swears she just bought the bottle that morning and claims the apothecary must have done something to the tonic. Henry will have to tread lightly, as the apothecary, Mr. Tooley, is a family friend to Amelia and had just helped her with an article she was writing about the effectiveness of so-called cures that are being sold. Things only get more complicated when Amelia’s own father gets pulled into the investigation.

Amelia Greystone wants nothing more than to aid Henry but knows that her connection to Mr. Tooley would make it hard for Henry to investigate the crime without anyone questioning his findings. Things only get worse when her parents show up unexpectedly, making it impossible for Henry to share too much with her. She understands that he can include her in the investigation, but that doesn’t mean she can’t glean some information on her own.

This was yet another great installment of the Field and Greystone Mysteries! The mystery was so complicated and well done, that I found myself questioning my own thoughts of “whodunit”, and I was impressed with the ending and annoyed with myself for not figuring it out sooner! I also enjoyed the gentle progression of Henry and Amelia’s relationship and fell a little in love with Henry myself. Overall, I just loved this book and think it might actually be my favorite in the series (so far) and I am looking forward to the next installment. This is the seventh book in the series, and it could easily be read as a standalone title, but I would recommend reading the series in order for the best reader experience.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *