Ghost Walk (Harrison Investigation Book 3)

A paranormal investigator comes to the aid of a frightened New Orleans businesswoman in this “unrelentingly suspenseful” romantic thriller (Booklist).Nikki DuMonde’s newest employee is standing at the end of her bed at four o’clock in the morning begging for help. It’s a joke, right? Besides, as manager of a successful New Orleans haunted-tour company, Nikki doesn’t scare easily. But in the light of day, harsh reality sets in as a police officer informs her that Andy was brutally murdered—at the exact time Nikki swears the distraught woman was in her room.No one believes her except for Brent Blackhawk, a paranormal investigator desperately trying to forget his tragic past. Half Irish, half Lakota—and able to communicate with the dead—Brent is used to living in two worlds. But when he realizes the ghost of a slain government agent is also trying to reach out to Nikki, he knows that she, too, must listen to the dead . . . if she wants to keep living.“There are good reasons for Graham’s steady standing as a bestselling author. Here her perfect pacing keeps readers riveted as they learn fascinating tidbits of New Orleans history. The paranormal elements are integral to the unrelentingly suspenseful plot, the characters are likable, the romance convincing, and, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Graham’s atmospheric depiction of a lost city is especially poignant.” —Booklist

From Booklist

Kindhearted Andy, the newest employee of a haunted New Orleans walking tour, gives a homeless man $20. Later, her boss and best friend, Nikki, wakes up at 4 a.m and sees Andy standing at the foot of her bed begging for help; she then discovers that a heroin overdose killed Andy at that same moment. Brent, a consultant on things ghostly, is brought in to investigate the murder by heroin of an undercover FBI agent. Believing that there is a link between the two deaths, he joins the tour company, quickly becoming Nikki's protector once she is threatened. There are good reasons for Graham's steady standing as a best-selling author. Here her perfect pacing keeps readers riveted as they learn fascinating tidbits of New Orleans history. The paranormal elements are integral to the unrelentingly suspenseful plot, the characters are likable, the romance convincing, and, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Graham's atmospheric depiction of a lost city is especially poignant. Diana Tixier HeraldCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"Six, please," Nikki DuMonde said. "Six." She was smiling, but firm as she emphasized the number, indicating the tray where there were only five cups of café au lait. She and Andrea Ciello were in line at Madame D'Orso's, as they so often were. Madame herself was wonderful, but apparently she was busy, and the young woman behind the counter seemed overwhelmed. It seemed quiet enough right now. Though many of the little terrace tables were taken, there was only one other person inside the café at the moment, and he was slumped against the far wall. She glanced toward him. He had looked up once and had an attractive face, eyes that were intelligent, cheekbones hard and sculpted. But his clothes were ragged, with a slept-in look; he was unshaven, and his hair was shaggy and unkempt."Six coffees, six orders of beignets," Andy added, flashing a smile as the girl added a cup to the tray along with plates filled with the delicious pastries so famous in New Orleans—and better, in the minds of the locals at Madame's than any other place in the world. "S'il vous plaît," she added.As the girl turned to ring up their order, Andy assessed Nikki with her exotic dark eyes. "My treat today," she said."Don't be silly.""No, ever since I came aboard, you've been wonderful." She had only been a tour guide for Myths and Legends of New Orleans for about four weeks. For Nikki, it was old hat."Hey, we all rely on each other, since we always work in pairs. And you're doing just fine.""Oh, I don't know," Andy said, tossing a length of her sleek dark hair over one shoulder. "I know all the stories, and sometimes I get chills, like there's someone looking over my shoulder. But you… Nikki, it's like you see ghosts."Nikki shrugged, glancing around the café. "Maybe it's just ingrained," she said. "I went to school with half the palm readers and voodoo queens working the Quarter these days. I guess it's like…well, walking into any place that's really historical…and…"Nikki frowned and floundered, looking for the right word."Creepy?" Andy suggested.Nikki shook her head. "Where deep feelings existed, where trauma occurred—like Westminster Abbey in London. When you walk in there —""The place is like one giant cemetery," Andy said dryly.Nikki laughed. "Yeah, it is. But you can get the same feeling at a Civil War battle site—even with all the bodies removed. I guess it's a way of feeling the past, of history, people, the emotions. Remnants of the lives that were lived there, lost there.""You see ghosts," Andy said, nodding sagely."I do not see ghosts.""You have an affinity for them."Nikki was growing uncomfortable. "No. I told you. It's just a feeling of…history and the human condition, that's all," she said firmly. "Everyone gets it at some point, at some place."Andy reflected a moment. "Well, I do feel something in several of the cemeteries. And now and then in the cathedral, there's a kind of…vibe.""Exactly," Nikki agreed. She reached for the tray, but Andy was getting it, so she turned to head back to their table and nearly screamed.The derelict had risen. He was in front of her, his mouth working, as he reached for her.She couldn't help but recoil, but even so his hands touched her shoulders. She thought he was going to collapse against her, but he straightened, his mouth still working as if he was trying to say something.He needed money, she thought. "Here," she said quickly, reaching into her purse. She pulled out a bill and, pity replacing her feelings of revulsion, said, "Get yourself a real meal, please. No alcohol or drugs, please. Get food."She felt his touch again as she went quickly past him, Andy in her wake, hurrying with the tray.The others were outside, but before they could reach the table, Andy said softly, "Nikki, that was really kind of you.""He'll probably just drink it or shoot it up his arm," Nikki said."No, maybe not.Actually, he didn't look like a junkie.""Just a bum.""There but for the grace of God go I," Andy murmured beneath her breath. Nikki turned to look at her, but Andy shook her head. She had been in trouble with drugs; she'd been dead honest with Nikki when the two had first met. She'd been clean for years, however. She seldom even drank now, unless it was a special night out, a celebration.At the moment, however, she clearly didn't want to say any more, not in front of the friends waiting for them: Nathan, Julian, Mitch and Patricia.They all worked for the same tour company, and they were making a success of it, despite the competition in New Orleans. Maximilian Dupuis, the founder of the business, had taken Nikki on board first. Max had found her through the articles she'd been writing for one of the local tourist papers.Max himself was really something. Tall, dark and bony, he resembled a vampire and could have haunted New Orleans just fine himself, though the cigars he loved to chomp on kind of ruined the impression. Nor was he really interested in ghostly occurrences himself.Max was out to make a buck.His brilliance was in putting together what the public wanted and in the art of delegating, he had told Nikki. He'd had the cash to start up the business, she'd had the ability and the knowledge. When he'd hired her, she'd suggested bringing in Julian, who'd been her best friend forever. As they'd prospered, they'd added the rest.Nikki was Max's number two. She was responsible for hiring new guides, then for training them. It worked out well, since Max didn't particularly like to stick around and run the business. Max liked his money and having other people work for him, so he could travel the globe. At the moment he was hiking in Colorado.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels. She's a winner of the RWA's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers' Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. For more information, check out her websites: TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com, eHeatherGraham.com, and HeatherGraham.tv. You can also find Heather on Facebook.

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