The Dead Play On by Heather Graham

March 27th, 2015 Kimberly Review 51 Comments

27th Mar
The Dead Play On by Heather Graham
The Dead Play On
by Heather Graham
Series: Cafferty and Quinn #3
Genres: Mystery, Paranormal
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star

Play a song for me… Musicians are being murdered in New Orleans. But Arnie Watson apparently died by his own hand. When Tyler Anderson plays the saxophone he inherited from Arnie, a soldier and musician who died soon after his return, he believes he sees visions of his friend's life—and death. He becomes convinced Arnie was murdered and that the instrument had something to do with whatever happened, and with whatever's happening all over the city… Tyler knows his theory sounds crazy to the police, so he approaches Danni Cafferty, hoping she and Michael Quinn will find out what the cops couldn't. Or wouldn't. After all, Cafferty and Quinn have become famous for solving unusual crimes.  They're partners in their personal lives, too. Quinn's a private investigator and Danni works with him. When they look into the case, they discover a secret lover of Arnie's and a history of jealousies and old hatreds that leads them back to the band Arnie once played with—and Tyler plays with now. They discover that sometimes, for some people, the line between passion and obsession is hard to draw. Only in uncovering the truth can they hope to save others—and themselves—from the deadly hands of a killer

The Dead Play On by Heather Graham is the third book in her Cafferty and Quinn paranormal series set in New Orleans. Paranormal woo-woo, musicians and murder have Quinn and Cafferty searching for a missing saxophone and a killer.

Five reasons to curl up with The Dead Play On

  • The characters Graham has created in this series draw me back repeatedly. What a motley cast of characters. The main characters are Danni, an artist who now owns her father’s antique shop on Royal Street, and her boyfriend, live-in-lover Michael Quinn, an ex-police officer turned private investigator. Together they tackle cases involving unusual items from haunted paintings to gifted objects. Toss in a Scott with a wicked sense of humor, a Voodoo priestess, a young man trying to stay clean, and a man of the cloth. Then there is Wolf, a massive dog who senses evil intent.
  • The setting is New Orleans and Graham takes us to Royal Street and into the strange little boutiques,  and night clubs. She really saturates her tales with accurate details about the city itself. Graham balance sight, the characters and the case making me want to travel to the Big Easy. (Which I am doing tomorrow. Squee!)
  • Each book involves a new case, and The Dead Play On, tells the tale of a saxophone reported to gift the player as they play. A young solider owned it and was one of the best sax players in the city until he wound up dead. His best friend Tyler and fellow musician believes foul play was involved and asks Quinn and Cafferty to investigate. The case has bodies piling up and a local band in danger.
  • The paranormal elements in each case are intriguing and the villain in this tale was chilling. Graham does a great job of keeping things realistic, laying out red herrings and introducing characters related to the case. Danni in addition to collecting and removing “possessed or cursed” artifacts also has a gift of site. These usually come to her at night and her method for releasing them is unique. It does not necessarily give them answers but steers them in the right direction.
  • Quinn and Cafferty make a great couple and with each book, we see them grow, stretch and strengthen their relationship. These two place themselves in danger but use common sense and keep the law in the loop. The police and coroner actually call Quinn in on cases. The romance while present is kept nicely in the background giving the books a more murder mystery feel without falling into the cozy genre.

While each of the books in the Cafferty and Quinn series can be read as a standalone I recommend reading them in order to fully appreciate the characters. The Dead Play On was a fun read and I look forward to the next installment.

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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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51 Responses to “The Dead Play On by Heather Graham”

  2. Lark

    Ooh, sounds good! I like paranormal especially when it’s more the psychic stuff, and the music aspect is really intriguing to me as a musician! I think I have one of the books in this series (maybe) – I’ll have to go check. If not, I’ll be borrowing them from the library eventually!

  3. kimbacaffeinate

    I am not a fan of her standalone work, but love her trilogies/series with mystery and murder.

  4. Berls

    Heather Grahm sounds so familiar, but I just checked and I haven’t read her. She must just be really popular. And I can see why she would be – this sounds great! You know I love my paranormal woo-woo and NOLA! Thanks for sharing!

  5. Sarah

    I’m not really a big Heather Graham fan anymore, but I like the mix of paranormal and mystery. Makes for an intriguing plot!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I do not like her standalone novels but love these series and trilogies

  6. Livia

    Ooooh, sounds so good! I thought about giving it a read already, the blurb is totally hooking, but I wasn’t sure about it. Now I am, the New Orleans setting sounds awesome all on its own, plus the characters sound great. Would it work as a stand alone read, or do you think I should totally go through the first 2?

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Yes it will work as a standalone she gives enough deets to allow you to figure out the players.

  7. Christy

    One day I’ll get to this series. And gotta love a NO setting. Hope you’re having a good time.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Yeah I was excited that all the books are based in NOLA, but we do travel abroad in book two

  8. Cyn

    Sounds like a good read! I like that the romance is there, but is appropriately in the background to the mystery solving. And I love series that actually allow the characters to grow and I can appreciate them over the series. Great review, Kim!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I love that too Cyn, and yes the romance is just another element in their daily lives and the case is center stage

    • kimbacaffeinate

      So do I ..no cliffies just enjoyable, yet familiar read

  10. Braine Talk Supe

    I’m stubborn and with my hulking TBR, I will most likely skip the previous books and just grab what’s out. But seriously, pressure-less book series is a win for me. Just thinking of catching up is already exhausting me.

    Happy weekend, Kimberly!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I hear you, I have been diving in mid-stream more and more

  11. Sophia Rose

    I’ve been sampling romantic suspense authors to establish some go to favorites. I love the idea of blending paranormal with it. The way you describe the world, the partners and the case makes me eager to try these. I’ll definitely get them in order to fully appreciate the story arc for the partners.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Her books are cool and I love the added element..plus her settings are always so cool

  14. kindlemom1

    I meant to read one of her books last year when you were reading them like crazy and then completely forgot! I so need to add her to my TBR pile.
    Happy Friday Kim! I hope you are having a fabulous week!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      :snort: book addict dilemma for sure..I usually end up buying them and forgetting to read them 🙂

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Love the setting Grace and the way the characters form this team

  16. Ramona

    Squee! So excited for ya!!! 🙂 As for the book, though I’d never heard of the series, I can see the allure already. The characters seem like the kind you won’t forget easily, and the plot has that just-right sort of quality that is the mark of experience in good writing. I think I’ll give this one a try, thanks. Have an amazing weekend 🙂

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I love how diverse the characters are, each has a unique personality and individually you wouldn’t image them as such a close knit group of friends but they truly work

  17. Lauren

    I’m glad you can read these as standalones, thought I will try to read them in order. I can’t resist a New Orleans setting! 🙂

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Me too Lauren, we are about 3 hours from NOLA and I cannot wait to begin exploring..I will be visiting Royal Street for sure 🙂

  18. Lupdilup

    Oh! I can totally see me listening to this one now. A year ago I wouldn’t even think about it, but now I’m starting to really enjoy suspense.
    Thank you Kimba 🙂 I hope you have a great trip!

    • Lupdilup

      I just wanted to say, great job girl!!! That’s quite a few with all the reading you do besides!! I on the other hand have read 1 book this year, but everything I found here and I’ve liked is on audio now 😉
      Keep it up Kimba! Happy listening!

      • kimbacaffeinate

        Awe, thanks Loupe..I am glad you turned me into an audio addict, and that I have helped you find new reads:)

  19. Laurel-Rain Snow

    I have been itching to try this author…and a series set in New Orleans sounds awesome! I love almost anything set in the South, even though I have never been there in real life. Want to go, though.

    Thanks for sharing…

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I am in Louisiana now Laurel…and yes NOLA appeals to me.

  20. MIchelle

    This one looks great, but I am a little bummed its the 3rd book in a series because I know I don’t have time for that right now.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I know exactly what you mean Michelle and I keep adding new series to my every growing lists!

  21. Red Iza

    I’ll be reading her soon ! Not that series but the Krewe of hunters – gotta start somewhere 😉

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Oh nice, and really all of the Krewe books work as standalone..I like how every 3 or 4 books she changes up and introduces a new special brand.

  22. Ro

    Like Benish and Lorna, I used to read her work years ago, and can’t remember why I stopped. (lol) This book sounds fantastic and makes me want to go back to read the others so I can stay in order. Very unique story line that sounds really interesting. Enjoyed your review.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I enjoy them Ro, and always now I am getting a good read 🙂

  24. Melliane

    I have only tried one r 2 books by this author but I wasn’t that conviced so I’ve never tried more but maybe I should because I see great reviews about the books.

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I am not a fan of her standalone books, but love her series/trilogies involving mysteries and murder 🙂

  26. Lorna

    I used to read her romances years and years ago. I did buy one of her books fairly recently, but I am not sure if it is part of this series or not. It’s just sitting in my tbr pile. This series does sound really good, so maybe I should check which one I bought! Great review 🙂

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I am not a fan of her standalone books at all, but love the series/trilogies with mysteries to solve 🙂

  27. benish

    I used to read Heather Graham’s books when I was younger, I like the sound of a different case in each book – thank you for sharing x

    • kimbacaffeinate

      I love her paranormal investigative series/trilogies