Rating: 4.5🌈

Hunters Hollow, a sequel series to Arden Steele’s ongoing terrific Blackhaven Manor paranormal novels, is a successful crossover world.  I’m really enjoying this series. I love the way Steele created new engaging characters, while maintaining the many established characters/couples it’s brought over from its original series.  

These characters, all well defined in terms of personality and history, as well as the shared universe beings that have continued impactful roles to play , like Hades, in the storylines, keep the books intriguing and exciting.

Curses and Casualties, the third book in this series, demonstrates all the best qualities of the two worlds, with the established mythology and a great murder mystery to investigate. 

Necromancer Elliot Church has a secret parentage and a familiar, Dax. It’s his father whose request for an investigation brings him first to New Orleans, then to Hunters Hollow. 

It’s where he meets his fated mate, Tenn, an incubus and retired bounty hunter for the Ministry.  Tenn, now a tattoo artist in Hunters Hollow, and Elliott have a great fated mate moment and start to a developing relationship.  I enjoyed that Steele has layers to them. There’s issues that need to be addressed.  Dax’ bond and Dax’s feelings as part of the dynamic for one. That’s just the beginning.  

The mystery is good although the villain is easily guessed at. Why they are so bad is a better story. 

And there’s other scenes and aspects of Curses and Casualties that will just tug at your heart.  Especially the ending that added just more things to think about and explore in this expanding universe. 

I look forward to the next chapter in this series and couple to get their fated mate HEA. 

Highly recommended!

Hunters Hollow:

Angels and Anarchy #1

Beauty and Bad Blood #2

Curses and Casualties #3

Buy Link

        Curses and Casualties (Hunters Hollow Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Fame is a curse. 

At least, that’s the way Elliot Church feels. A powerful mage with a gift for necromancy, he’s made a name for himself as a successful private investigator. And he fails to see how smiling in front of a camera or answering the same banal questions has any bearing on his performance.

It’s nothing more than a distraction, and one he doesn’t need, especially when strange things start happening in New Orleans.

There are dead Otherlings in the Quarter, their bodies mummified and their souls fragmented. A Reaper stands on every corner, and more are pouring into the city daily, which can only mean one thing. Mass casualties.

When his search for answers leads him to Hunters Hollow, the last thing he expects to find in the backwater town is his mate. Incubus and retired bounty hunter for the Ministry, Lysander Tennison—Tenn to the locals—is everything he never knew he wanted, but the timing couldn’t be more wrong. Yet, he can no more turn his back on the demon than he can ignore what’s going on in the city. 

Even when every road in front of him leads straight to hell.

• Publisher: PECCAVI PRESS (January 26, 2025)
• Publication date: January 26, 2025
• Language: English
• Print length: 260 pages