Out of the Darkness

The Finnegan Connection #3

by Heather Graham

“Graham is the queen of romantic suspense.” — RT Book Reviews

A love rekindled…or a deadly reunion?

Even after a decade, Sarah Hampton is haunted by the night that nearly ended in a bloody massacre and destroyed her high school romance with handsome Tyler Grant. Now the horror has returned. It’s a reckoning from the events of that terrifying night—and a love they never let go. Only this time Tyler must protect Sarah from the killer hiding in the darkness…or lose her forever.

Don’t miss other heart-racing stories from The Finnegan Connection mini-series!
Law and Disorder
Shadows in the Night

Genres: Romance, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Suspense, Audiobook, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 16, 2018

About the author

Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books.

Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity.

She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight.

Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the beginning of the book when a bunch of friends were going to Haunted Houses. But when they got to the Cemetery Mansion, Sarah's little brother Davey wouldn't go inside. He kept saying the house was evil. And in fact, it was, or rather the person inside the house. Davey ran in with Sarah and saved the day by killed a serial killer per say. There were mutilated bodies everywhere. Davey ended up saving all of Sarah's friends, including her boyfriend, Tyler.

But things were not the same for everyone after this ordeal and they stopped talking to each other and some even moved away, including Tyler.

It's been a decade and someone is killing the victims that survived. Sarah contacts Tyler who is a PI and he comes back to help with the case. Then another person is found dead and mutilated but it isn't the right friend. Who could this person be if Davey killed the real killer years ago?

They all band together with the police and help track down the killer. Another nutcase in wonderful world of psycho's.

*Thank you to BookishFirst for a print copy of this book.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten years ago Sarah, her cousin Davey, her boyfriend Tyler and 2 other friends almost lost their lives the night they were visiting haunted houses. Davey was adamant that there was something evil in that house and no one should go in. Being teenagers, all but Sarah and Davey entered anyway.

They were spooked by the costumes, the realistic mutilated victims, the bodies at the table with their heads 'on' the table. By the time they realized this was real, Sarah and Davey had entered and got everybody out. The escaped convict who was really good with a knife lay dead and his partner in crime was assumed dead.

All the friends suffering from one form or another of PSTD all went their own separate ways and rarely spoke to each other again.

Today one of Sarah's friends who shared the haunted house experience was found murdered..her body in several pieces. A reunion of the remaining friends who shared a horrific night are afraid that they are all being targeted.

A copycat? The partner has come back to exact revenge?

It's a sorry reunion for Sarah and Tyler. Neither of them stopped loving the other. Tyler must do whatever he can to protect Sarah from the evil that is stalking them all.

Heather Graham does a bang up job with her Romantic Suspense books. I have never been disappointed in the blend of suspense and romance.

The characters lend an air of credibility and I enjoy how they all relate to each other, especially after a very long estrangement. There are twists and turns and a few surprises before getting to the exciting ending.

Many thanks to the author / HarperCollins for the ARC of Out Of The Darkness. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[Monnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book - which I thoroughly enjoyed, BTW - marks a couple of firsts for me. It's the first time I've "won" the right to read and review a book, accomplished at Bookish First after writing an initial impressions paragraph by reading just one chapter. It's also the first time in probably 10 years that I've read a real book; that's how long I've been a confirmed ebook reader. As for the latter, it's likely to be the last for another decade; the paperback had such tiny print that it was tough for my aging eyes to read even with relatively powerful bifocals.

That said, my annoyance with the fine print had no bearing on content; in fact, I've read at least one other book by this author and, because it was good, I expected this one to be the same. And quite honestly, it is.

I've read elsewhere that this is the third in the author's Finnegan Connection series; if that's true, I didn't notice any glitches that kept it from being a standalone. It's also billed as "romantic suspense" - and I'm happy to say that the romance part really didn't take center stage (I'm so not into romance novels). What's there is a bit on the sappy side, to be sure, but for the most part it didn't get in the way of the good parts. As for the suspense, there's plenty to go around, especially as the end nears.

A decade ago, a group of high school friends had a pre-Halloween adventure that would forever change their lives. When they visited one of the New York haunted houses to which they'd scored free tickets, they were greeted with horror. One of the "actors" hired to scare the wits out of guests isn't an actor at all; but for the grace of God (and one heavy duty fake sword), the teens narrowly escaped being massacred by him on the spot (others weren't so lucky). The killer, who turned out to be an escaped convict, was killed - but even though they weren't physically harmed, all the teens were left with enough mental scars to trigger a lifetime of nightmares.

Since then, the friends have scattered a bit. Most notably, Sarah Hampton and the love of her life, Tyler Grant, went their separate ways. She's back in New York now, writing science fiction novels. He's in Boston, working as a private investigator after stints in the military and the FBI. Also hanging around is Sarah's nephew Davey Cray, who has Down Syndrome and was the sword-wielding hero of that awful night 10 years earlier.

Suddenly, the past comes roaring back: One of their friends back then, Hannah Levine, is found murdered. Actually, she wasn't just murdered; rather, she was decapitated, thoroughly chopped up into parts and strewn thither and yon. Scared out of her wits because the murder style mimics those at the haunted house, Sarah contacts Tyler for the first time in 10 years, begging him to come back home and help with the investigation. He does, of course - and also, of course, they quickly realize they're still madly in love with each other.

But alas, they and their other old friends once again have targets on their backs. For sure, the haunted house killer is dead; so who is responsible now? When he escaped prison, the killer had an equally evil partner, who supposedly is long dead as well. Or is he? Has someone else - a copycat, perhaps - taken over where those two left off? More to the point, can the culprit be captured before he (or she) wipes out all the haunted house friends, thus preventing Sarah and Tyler from living happily ever after?

The action is fast-paced and picks up speed (with a few sharp turns, only one of which I correctly guessed) all the way to the end. All in all, a solid effort and a fun read.

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the exerpt only ........... Courtesy of BookishFirst

Years ago, Sara, her boyfriend Tyler, and several of theit friends were visiting haunted houses. When Davy, a young man with Downs, goes along until the very last house, He is adamant that there is evil in the house and warns the others not to go in. He says his daddy told him to stay out ...only his daddy has been dead for over a year. Sarah stays outside with Davy, the others enter the house.

To this day, Sara is still haunted by that night .. the night that ended in bloodshed. The horror has returned.

Just in time for Halloween, this looks like another winner for author Heather Graham. Haunted houses and things that go bump in the night ... can't beat it! This is just a short taste .. but enough to whet my appetite for more.

[Paula Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

What an odd duck. The writing is almost juvenile, with an overabundance of exclamation marks. Facts are repeated to us over and over again. Dialogue is stilted and doesn't feel natural. There are about three sex scenes to pad out the thin plot. However, it moved reasonably quickly and was a bit different from the Intrigue norm.

The opening alone almost gets this its 3 stars: six teenagers visit a haunted house at a carnival and are almost butchered by a maniac who has escaped prison. It's suspenseful and gory and frightening all at once. If only the rest of the book could have lived up to it!

They all survive the massacre, but the horror of it and the trauma sees them all go their separate ways. In particular Sarah Hampton and her boyfriend Tyler Grant. Ten years they are reunited when one of the original survivors is brutally murdered. Tyler has never stopped loving Sarah, and works on a second chance with her should they survive whoever is now stalking the remaining survivors.

The execution of this, as stated, was very choppy! There are also too many characters popping up with no real point in being there (the Finnegan brothers in particular). This definitely lacks the natural-sounding dialogue that Intrigue authors generally nail, even the bad ones. However, Graham makes up for that with a non-standard Intrigue plot, as well as her usual deft ability to evoke a spooky setting without excess description. But what's happened to her ability to write believable dialogue and why is she abusing that exclamation mark?

There's a couple of decent moments towards the end, along with a (predictable) twist. I won't go into the romance; it's nothing to write home about. It's a quick read, and that opening chapter is almost worth it alone.

[i fall in love book blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the Darkness was my first Finnegan Connection book AND my first Heather Graham. As far as it being the first book I've read in the series, I didn't feel like I missed anything, which is always a great feeling. I also liked Heather Graham's writing, so that was a definite plus.

The basis of this story is creepy, so when I started reading it that first night I immediately put it back down and picked up something fluffier. Once I got into the story though, I was much more comfortable with it and enjoyed the plot quite a bit. My only complaint would be that the last plot twist felt too forced and ended up annoying me more that enhancing the story. Other than that minor hiccup, I read this pretty quickly. I liked the main characters and wished that we could have seen more of Davey. I was impressed by my first reading of Heather Graham and if I see another book by her I won't hesitate to pick it up.

I received an advance reader copy of this book that I have chosen to review.

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 2 out of 5]

I skimmed read starting at about 50% just to get through the book without DNFing. So many elements didn't work. I think I need a plot with stronger police procedures.

[Tracy Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This murder mystery starts out by bringing out a very traumatic tragedy that several teens somehow survived and were able to move forward from. Each of them forced themselves to continue forward with their lives without looking back until they could no longer continue to ignore the past that continued to haunt them. As tragic strikes again, they were forced together again, each a decade older and living completely different than the plans from that time long ago.

Throughout the clever and unexpected twists, it was very easy to love the characters who displayed courage, faith, respect, and bravery. This book will keep you hooked until the end, and even when you think you've got it figured out, think again!

[The Romance Book Disciple (Samantha) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Out of the Darkness starts off with a truly horrifying experience. Sarah and her friends are visiting haunted houses on Halloween-such a typical teenage event. But what happens at the haunted house changes all their lives. As teenagers, they did not know how to handle the trauma. They pulled away from each other, became closed off, made poor life choices, etc. This leads to Tyler and Sarah breaking up and going in different directions. 10 years later they are reunited by another tragedy. Both are still upset that the other never reached out to them. They feel like the feelings must be gone because neither ever called. I understood their reactions as teenagers, but after 10 years they should have been more mature.

The murder mystery was interesting (even though its pretty obvious who the killer is) and overall, its a well woven plot line. I found the dialogue to be really cheesy though and it was distracting from the story. Honestly, the dialogue made me not really care about any of the characters. If the killer had managed to kill them all, I would have been like "Meh. Whatever" and that is NOT how you want to feel about the main characters in a story!

If you like mysteries, suspense stories, and Law and Order type reads, I think you would find Out of the Darkness a fine read. It was a good story, but I didn't care for the character development (or lack there of).

 

POV: 3rd
Tears: no
Trope: serial killer, second chance romance
Triggers: none
Series/Standalone: stand alone
Cliffhanger: no
HEA: yes

books by Christina Dodd, Nora Roberts, Janie Crouch...then you will probably like Out of the Darkness!

 

Out of the Darkness

 See full review on The Book Disciple

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halloween night turns into a night of terror for a group
visiting haunted houses. All was fun until Cemetery
Mansion were the killings turned real thanks to escaped
prisoners.
Ten years later, the group stills is haunted by that night,
so much so they have never stayed in touch. The story
tells how that night changed each character.
Now one of that group is murder in the same fashion
that happened that night ten years later.
How is this possible after the prisoners were dead??
Sarah Hampton and Tyler Grant, once the love of each
other’s lives were broken up that bloody, horrific night
and haven’t seen each other in ten years. Neither one
has ever stopped loving the other but that night divided
them. Now they must work together with the authorities
to solve the brutal death of this member of the group
that night and to keep the remaining members of the
group alive.
The story takes off quickly and keeps an invigorating
pace right up to its dramatic conclusion. There was
suspense, intrigue, mystery, vivid characters, murder,
combined with a flawlessly plot. There were sub
plots within the main plot and lots of twists and turns.
This is book # 3 in The Finnegan Connection. It can be read
as a stand alone which I did.
A good romantic suspense book!!!
I volunteered to read Out of Darkness. Thanks to
Bookish First for the opportunity. My opinion is my own.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a night at a haunted house ends in brutal murder, Sarah Hampton has not been able to let go of the terror she felt. Years later, when one of her friends from that night is murdered, Sarah returns to her hometown. Seeing her ex-boyfriend, Tyler Grant, has Sarah reminded of all that she lost because of the cold blooded killer. When it becomes all too clear that the group of friends are targets, will Sarah and Tyler be able to help the authorities put together the pieces? Will their tangled past directly affect their future?

The beginning of Out of the Darkness promises an otherworldly twist to this novel, but the rest of the book does not deliver. Sarah's cousin Davey has a prominent role at the outset, but really just fades away as the book progresses. The dialogue does not flow easily, as it seems forced in places. Great suspense novels provide readers with a roller coaster ride, as the book hits peaks and valleys to amp up the thrilling moments. Out of the Darkness is a little too flat, resulting in a novel that does not shock or dismay. Overall, the book had good characterization, resulting in a group of people that readers can cheer for. Readers who like suspense, especially with romantic aspects, may enjoy Out of the Darkness.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woot woot! Love a good book that starts with Halloween and haunted houses. The gruesome details are on par with excellent storytelling. Sarah Hampton and Tyler Grant are at the start of it all. Now, ten years later, they still have feelings for each other. A killer has struck close to home. Did the killer come back from the grave? Are all the friends who entered the haunted house years ago in danger?

This is gripping right from the prologue. Ms. Graham does one heck of a job with this page-turner. I've been a long time reader of her work. The spooky, chilling ones are my favorite. You'll never figure this one out, but you'll love trying.

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the opening of the book , 6 teens ate going to the different haunted houses in their town.. But at the last house, some of the teens go in it, but Davy refuses to go in. He seems scared and warns the others not to go in it for he says something really bad is in that house. But they go in anyway. Something horrible happened in there and a killer chops off the head of one of the girls! The police find him, and take him in. Years later, one of the girls that survived is brutally killed in the same way that the other girl was killed. But who killed her? This is an intense and spooky thriller. I loved it! Check it out for a great read!

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A frightening romantic thriller. Scary and terrifying until the very end.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. I listened to the audio version. 3.5

[Harlequin Books]

Categories
Suspense, Mystery & Detective, Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense
Miniseries
The Finnegan Connection (Book #3)

[Audrey Stars in Her Eye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Chilling premise but the book just makes up whatever it wants to without any rhyme or reason.
As a teen, Sarah and her friends are caught in the middle of a massacre at a local haunted hose. They escape with their lives but not with out permeant damage. But years later, when one of the group of friends is murdered, they must deal once again with the events of their past.
I didn't realize this was a romantic intrigue novel when I received a free copy. I had read the first chapter and really enjoyed it. But I never like how these books end up: rekindled romance, no deep emotions around the crime at hand and very little research into crimes. The book throws out words like psychopath with out truly understanding what these people at like and what kind of people commit these crimes.
This was a short read, but it took me forever to read. I wasn't invested in any of the characters but Davey and I could petty much tell what would happen next because the book goes for what would be a shock but when you have read many books, these chocks are not shocks any more.
This book wasn't for me.

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t say that this book did much for me. I don’t read romance anything but was hoping that my first impression would be wrong. It didn’t live up to my first impression. The characters were flat. Everyone is good looking, kind, generous, loving. Except of course the killer(s)? The horrific halloween night that the 6 friends survived has resurfaced. Small problem, more than 6 people lived through that night. That doesn’t seem to matter. And no matter how stressed people are, there is always time for sex.

When I read I don’t focus on the plot if the characters are written well. Great characters can sell a bad plot. Even a great plot is ruined by bad character development. This had characters with no flesh and a plot that seems terribly flawed.

I can chalk up my review to not liking romance novels. I can also say that I did a poor job of editing my selection. Heather Graham has written more than a few novels. It means she has a loyal following. So I truly hope this meets their expectations.

I wish to thank the publisher, Heather Graham, and Bookishfirst for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Meiwilli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointingly repetitive and lacks suspense.

Sarah Hampton and Tyler Grant are the proverbial perfect and stereotypical high school couple: cheerleader and football star. And of course, they have near perfect and beautiful friends in Hannah Levine, Suzie Cornwall, and Sean Avery. On Halloween night, Sarah brings her cousin Davey along for a night of fun when the group decides to visit one last haunted house, Cemetary Mansion, and get the scare of their lives.

Their night of fake spooks and scares turns into a real terror when a killer decides to make the macabre scene a real bloodbath and the teens find themselves fleeing for real. Davey has reservations about Cemetary Mansion and refuses to go in causing Sarah to stay behind with him. Even after Davey's cryptic message to not go into the house, the others continue on. Once in Cemetary Mansion, it appears to be just like the previous one but with a little more detail. The more detail turns out to be a mass killer on the loose in the house and the dead bodies are real. The friends are able to escape the carnage of Cemetary Mansion but nothing will ever be the same between them.

A decade later after Sarah and the group have all went their separate ways with little or no contact with one another, they are abruptly reunited after the brutal and grizzly death of their friend Hannah Levine. Tyler, a P.I. living in Boston returns to help out the NYPD who apparently can't solve this case without him...Tyler and Sarah still have a spark for each other and eventually wind up back together again. At first, it appears Hannah's death is a random murder until another woman is killed who is not only killed similarly as Hannah but is named Suzie Cornwall.

The majority of the story centers around memories of the night at Cemetary Mansion and the mass murderer, Archiball Leming. It seems Leming has a copycat/accomplice who wants to finish the job Leming started by killing off Sarah and her friends. Things are pretty predictable from this point on with no real suspense or romantic tension. The motive behind the recent killings is so “high school” it’s simply and unbelievably irritating but nonetheless a motive.

Not one I recommend, but if you must, proceed with caution.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first part of the Prologue of this book on www.bookishfirst.com and was hooked. Many years ago, I read the author's Florida historical romance novel series. Years later, I found that she was writing paranormal romances. This book is totally different, a thriller romance. The Prologue introduces the main characters, 6 high school students. Davey has Down's Syndrome and his cousin Sarah is overly protective of him. The rest of the group, are her boyfriend, football player Tyler and their 3 friends, Hannah, Sean and Suzie. They talk Davey into dialing in to a radio station to win VIP tickets to a Halloween fun park, and he did. They were all having fun until Davey refused to enter one of the haunted houses, Cemetery Mansion, because his deceased marine father had taught him to recognize bad people and he saw something evil there. Sarah stayed behind with him, while the others went in. But he was right about the Mansion and at the last minute he found a toy weapon in one of the sales booths, went inside with Sarah and managed to save their friends- but a number of other teens were massacred. After this trauma, the teens all went their separate ways and except for Davey and Sarah, lost touch with each other, until the murder of one of them, brings it all back and they must reunite to keep alive. I'm not going to give anything away, but the story did not go where I though it would. The characters are well developed and the plot has lots of twists. I didn't read the previous book, but this worked for me as a stand alone, though I now plan to read A Dangerous Game, which came before.

[Books and Spoons · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read for me since pretty much inhaled it and I couldn't put it down until the end. It was intense, it was scarier than the most, in a creepy and eerie kind of a way the most serial-killer stories are, and it had such an adorable, sweet yet ardent, rekindled romance, that took my breath away with the sizzling passion between them.
The prologue sets the background to the story well and gives the insight to the characters and their relationships with each other. It actually takes the first fifth of the book, but it is well-used space, as all the information is needed to understand the nuances of the present situation, see the layers in the relationships.
The crimes committed are some of the most bloody, cruel, and crimson kind. The case is twisted and the clues are barely there. I loved the fast pace that moved the tale along, the law enforcement's teamwork, and everyone's willingness to co-operate.
Sarah Hampton and Tyler Grant once believed they would always be together. Now a decade later, it seems like not a day has gone by that they have not loved and cared for each other even being apart. The new connection is tight and fast, it is natural and believable, it is real and true, filled with passion and adoration, need to protect, and take care of each other.
I have read about twenty books by the author and enjoyed most of them immensely, yet I think this is my favorite book by her - so many deep emotions, so intense, the cruel and gritty crimes, with the most sensual and expressive romance balancing the horrors of the evil minds.
A must read, indeed, for all romantic suspense fans!
~ Five Spoons

[SL Reads and Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m of two minds on this one. On one hand, I found the writing clunky. The whodunnit was no surprise - I knew immediately who did it (before we had the character’s full name or saw him on the page) because of the emphasis with which he was introduced. Throughout, I felt like I could see the author’s hand heavily at work. The characters seemed older than their ages (people in their mid-20s worried about slipping and breaking a bone on the shower?) and the romance was way undersold. The main characters never talked or saw each other but we knew it’s true love bc the author told us so. And the characters were non-immigrant white New Yorkers born and bred but their speech patterns (lots of “yes” at the ends of sentences) made it sound slightly as though English might not be their first languages. Finally, their professions were so far removed from the way these things work IRL that I couldn’t suspend disbelief far enough.

On the other hand, there was one character in the ensemble cast who had Down syndrome and I’ve never seen that done so well. Graham nailed it. The library (or Goodreads?) suggested this book to me when I requested something else and offered the first chapter as enticement. I noticed on the first page that this character (Davey) had Trisomy 21 and that’s why I borrowed the book. Davey wasn’t mystical. He wasn’t an angel. He was believably clever and appropriately manipulative (for good, not ill). And he wasn’t a token - he was an integral part of the cast and the plot. ❤️

[Jo-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updated Review:

Many thanks to Heather Graham and HarperCollins for the ARC of Out Of The Darkness. This is one of my first Harlequin Books in a very long time and after reading an excerpt from BookishFirst I was interested in completing it. This romance/suspense book is about Sarah Hampton and her love for Tyler Grant, and it is easy to follow. Sarah's cousin Davey won tickets to a Halloween Fright Fest and the 3 of them along with a few other friends go. Davey has Down’s Syndrome and Sarah is very protective of him and when he tells them it isn't safe to go into the Haunted House, she stays out with him. After Davey gets his toy sword he is ready to go and save the day so he and Sarah enter the Haunted House only to see what look like real blood and people screaming. Her friends are in danger, there are beheaded victims on the dining room table and they are next. Davey does save them and they all go their separate ways including Sarah and Tyler until 10 years later when one of the girls in the group is found beheaded. Is the past coming back to take them all? Sarah and Tyler are forced together once again and find out their love is still there and he must keep her safe as well as the remaining friends at all costs. The book has a very interesting ending, while you think you have it all figured out, there is a twist.

* * *

This is a preliminary review after reading an excerpt given to me on BookishFirst. I will write a better review once I finish the book.

I want to be immersed in this book after reading the first few chapters. I have to know what happened in that haunted house the day Sarah's cousin Davey tells her it is "evil" and begs her and their friends not to go in.

The cover doesn't make me want to read the book.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Hampton is very protective of her cousin Davey who has Down’s Syndrome, but when Davey wins tickets to the haunted mansion, Sarah and all of her friends accompany him to a night that they will never forget. One of the exhibits turns out to be all too real, with real victims that have been beheaded. And the animatronic figure in the room isn’t an automaton at all, but an escaped killer. Somehow, Davey saves the day and Sarah and all of her friends escape. Years later, they are reunited when one of their group, Hannah, has been found beheaded. Sarah had loved Tyler before the mayhem on Halloween, so she is grateful that he returns to NYC from Boston to assist in the investigation of Hannah’s murder. The friends know that Archibald Lemming is dead, so who is trying to kill them all now? The book was an entertaining read, easy to figure out what was going to happen in some cases, but with a real plot twist at the end.

Disclaimer

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

[Rebecca Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over 10 years ago Sarah Hampton's life was changed when along with her friends, boyfriend Tyler Grant, and cousin Davey they entered a Haunted House that served as the killing ground for a seriel killer.

Now 10 years later, one of Sarah's friends from that night is found brutally murdered and everyone is brought back together. Sarah is now an author and Tyler has become a Private Investigator. Can Tyler and Craig Finnegan get to the bottom of who is committing these murders before anyone else is killed?

This was a great book with lots of twists and turns that had me wondering who the killer was.

I loved Davey and how he knew that something was going on from what he learned from his dad. I can't imagine the horror of what they went through that night and then to learn that Hannah was brutally killed. Davey was definitely one of my favorite characters in the book!

I liked both Sarah and Tyler and was happy that they had a chance to figure out their pasts and decide on their future together, as long as they could stay away from the killer. I loved how everyone worked together to figure out the clues and where to look!

I loved all of the twists and turns at the end that had me hanging on!

Such a great book and I look forward to more in this series!

[Karel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Halloween Horror!

Sarah Hampton and Tyler Grant have been in love since they were very young and now they are facing graduation. They are going with their long time friends and Sarah's cousin, Davey who has Down Syndrome! They've been through one haunted house and now are headed to Cemetery Mansion purportedly the scariest haunted house in town!! However, Davey refuses to go because he says there are evil men in there and they are all in danger. Sarah and Davey stay back while the others go through. All of a sudden people are running screaming from the house. Sarah and Davey run in to the house to check on their friends only to find them being attacked by a madman with a knife. They realize that the people around the dinning table have all been decapitated. Sarah, Davey, Tyler and all their friends escape unscathed. However, their friendships change and they all go in different directions. It is ten years later and one of their group has been murder in the same manner as at the haunted house. How could this be when the murderer was killed ten years ago? Now Sarah and Tyler with the FBI try to solve this murder but will they be able to before anyone else dies?!

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

After surviving a horrific mass murder at a haunted house as teens the group of friends grew apart. Now it's ten years later. One of the friends, Hannah, has been murdered and everyone returns for an impromptu terrified reunion. While Hannah had been living a risky life, no one deserves to be murdered and especially not so gruesomely. When Sarah Hampton hears the news she is haunted by all she wished she had done. When Tyler Grant hears the news he wants in on solving the murder. Tyler has always loved Sarah and vice versa but the aftermath of tragedy drove them apart. Reconnecting to solve Hannah's murder, they realize they still have that spark. It has made them determined that nothing will separate them again. They both set out to retrace Hannah's last day, uncovering clues to help the police. Then another woman is murdered, one sharing the same name as one of the friends, but the wrong woman. Now everyone's on their toes, in protective custody, and furiously trying to knit all the pieces together. It'll take reliving the old horror to solve the new deaths. Each person will contribute a vital piece to the puzzle.
A nailbiter. It will keep you in its' grip from the first page to its' captivating final twist and curve.

[Kira · Rating 2 out of 5]

A free physical copy from Bookish First in exchange for an honest review.
Out of the Darkness was my second Heather Graham book, and it might just be my last. Though it was the third book in The Finnegan Connection series I do not feel like I missed out on anything, it can be read as a standalone.
Out of the Darkness is about a group of kids that are faced with the most horrifying Halloween house in history. A serial killer has his fun but they manage to escape. Then a decade later (why is it always a decade later…) one of them is brutally murdered and the terrifying Halloween night is becoming their daily nightmare again.
I really enjoyed the overall murder/mystery/serial killer plot of this story. The twists were great. It is Heather Graham’s writing style that just killed this book for me. I felt like she couldn’t trust me as a reader to remember anything that happened, even if it was only a couple paragraphs ago. It is hard to explain… almost like she was summarizing and paraphrasing the plot as she went to fill space before she could get back to the action again.
Overall the book was entertaining, it was an easy and super quick read. For romance fans its pretty dark and gruesome but there are “romantic†scenes peppered throughout.

[Connie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Because of the way the book is written, you wouldn’t know that this is the third one in the series. The story begins with events that happened when this group of friends were in their late teens—seniors in high school. It then takes a huge jump to ten years later. I definitely wouldn’t feel as if I missed anything by starting with this one because I can’t imagine what I would have been left out from previous books.

However, the story lacked the excitement that I usually find in books like this. It didn’t grab me from the first page, and at times, I felt the conversations between the characters were, I don’t know, just a bit stilted and there is too much narration. I almost feel as if the narrator is the most important character! It would have been better if more of this background information came up in the conversations or there was more action involved with some of it.

Overall, I think the plot was a good one. If you enjoy reading a quick book with a mystery and some romance thrown in, and don't mind having all those comments from the narrator you might like this.

This book also contains sexual content that does not add anything to the plot.