Where to Start Your Paranormal Journey
If you are new to the eerie, romance-infused worlds of Heather Graham, the best place to begin is at the very beginning with Haunted (2003). This book introduces you to Matt Stone, a skeptical Virginia sheriff, and Darcy Tremayne, a gifted psychic investigator. Together, they establish the essential dynamic of the series: a clash between hard-nosed skepticism and the undeniable reality of the supernatural.
Starting here also introduces you to Adam Harrison, the enigmatic founder of the Harrison Investigation agency. While each book features a self-contained mystery and a new romantic pairing, Adam Harrison serves as the recurring anchor for the entire series. Reading the books in order allows you to watch the agency grow from a tentative experimental group into a highly cohesive team of paranormal experts.
Harrison Investigation Books in Publication Order
The series consists of ten full-length novels published between 2003 and 2010. There are no short stories or novellas to track down, making this a straightforward series to collect and read. Here is the recommended reading path in order of release:
- Haunted (2003): Set in historic Virginia at the Melody House estate. Psychic Darcy Tremayne and skeptical sheriff Matt Stone team up to solve a modern murder tied to a ghostly Revolutionary War mystery.
- The Presence (2004): Toni Fraser buys a historic Scottish-style castle imported to the Florida Everglades, only to find herself targeted by a ancient, sinister entity. She must rely on local investigator Bruce Dunlop to survive.
- Ghost Walk (2005): Located in the haunted streets of New Orleans. Nikki DuMonde, a historic tour manager, begins seeing the ghost of a recently murdered employee. She partners with paranormal investigator Brent Blackhawk to solve the crime.
- The Vision (2006): Deep-sea diver Genevieve Spenser finds a shipwreck off the Florida keys and witnesses a ghostly warning. She must work with behaviorist and investigator Thor Thompson to stop a killer.
- The Séance (2007): Set in a historic Orlando estate. Former cop Christina Hardy participates in a séance that goes horribly wrong, leading her to team up with Jed Braden to track down a serial killer targeting psychics.
- The Dead Room (2007): Anthropologist Leslie MacIntyre, who has been able to communicate with ghosts since surviving a tragic explosion, goes to New York's Hastings House to solve a mystery alongside agent Joe Kelly.
- The Death Dealer (2008): Genevieve O'Brien and private investigator Thor Thompson return to deal with a bizarre killer obsessed with a historic, cursed Egyptian artifact.
- Nightwalker (2009): Jessy DuMonde is targeted by a sinister force in New Orleans and seeks the help of paranormal expert and former cop Mark Stirling.
- Unhallowed Ground (2009): Artist Sarah Crane buys a historic, reputedly haunted house in Virginia, triggering terrifying visions of past atrocities. She teams up with investigator Tyler Moore to uncover the truth.
- The Killing Edge (2010): Chloe Marin survives a terrifying abduction and becomes a paranormal investigator in Florida. She must partner with private investigator Luke Jordan when a new string of disappearances mimics her past trauma.
Chronological vs. Publication Order
Fortunately, Heather Graham wrote the Harrison Investigation series in chronological order. The events of each novel take place roughly in the year they were published, and the recurring characters age and progress in real time. Because the timeline does not jump backward or loop around, you do not need to worry about complex timeline variations. Just stick to the publication order listed above to enjoy the optimal narrative flow.
The Transition to the "Krewe of Hunters" Universe
For readers who fall in love with the Harrison Investigation team, the adventure does not end with The Killing Edge. This series serves as the direct precursor to Graham's massive, long-running Krewe of Hunters series, which began in 2011 with the novel Phantom Evil.
Within the lore, Adam Harrison leverages the success of his private agency to help the FBI establish a specialized, government-sanctioned unit of psychic agents known as the Krewe of Hunters. While the Krewe features a new cast of characters, the spiritual DNA, the rules of the supernatural world, and the influence of Adam Harrison carry over directly. Starting with Harrison Investigation gives you the complete backstory of how this supernatural universe was built.
What to Know Before You Start
To get the most out of your reading experience, keep these helpful tips in mind:
- Stand-alone Mysteries: Every book has a complete resolution. If you cannot find a copy of a specific book, you can skip it and move to the next without losing track of the main plots.
- Historical Roots: Heather Graham meticulously researches the history of her settings. Whether it is colonial Virginia, post-Katrina New Orleans, or New York's historic architecture, the settings play an active role in the ghost stories.
- Vibrant Romance: In addition to the mystery, each book is a romance novel featuring a new couple. Expect a high degree of romantic tension alongside the paranormal action.