The Witching Hours is the newest release from Heather Graham and launches The Crows, a spin-off series from her long-running and popular Krewe of Hunters books. The story begins with a chilling crime, the murder of a grandfather and the kidnapping of his grandson and the boy’s nanny, which quickly draws the attention of Jackson Crowe and the Krewe. He assigns two newly hired investigators, Skye McMahon and Zachary Erickson, to unravel the mystery using their unique paranormal abilities.

Skye can see flashes of the past, both joyful and horrifying, while Zach possesses psychometry with an added empathic connection to the people behind the objects he touches. As they dig deeper into the case, clues point to a bizarre suspect: someone dressed as a classic witch, complete with a pointy hat. What initially feels like an eerie twist soon spirals into something far more complicated, forcing Skye and Zach to work closely together as the case develops.

As a longtime fan of the Krewe of Hunters series, I came into this book expecting a familiar formula, with the paired investigators learning to trust each other, falling into each other’s arms, and then one of them inevitably needing to be rescued by the other as part of the finale. The Witching Hours follows that pattern closely, but here the plot itself felt strained, as though the story was pushing the characters along rather than the other way around. While the concept was intriguing, the characters lacked depth, making it harder to fully invest in their journey.

The initial use of a witch-like figure as the kidnapper was compelling, but that intrigue faded when the story shifted into a convoluted conspiracy. By the end, I was left questioning the villain’s motivations and how events escalated to such an extreme point, which weakened the overall impact of the mystery.

The Witching Hours will likely appeal most to dedicated Krewe of Hunters fans who enjoy Graham’s familiar blend of paranormal investigation and romance. While it has an interesting premise and moments of intrigue, the forced plot and lack of character depth may leave some readers unsatisfied. As the first entry in a new spin-off series, it shows potential, but future installments will need stronger character development and tighter storytelling to truly stand out.

Thank you to NetGalley, Heather Graham, and Kensington Books, for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.