A 3.5 rating, really - think Warehouse 13 or The Librarians series where the good guys go after a relic that contains magic or powers. Romance definitely there, but didn't take over the book.

I've put the next one in the series in my "want to read' list. ( )

In New Orleans Danni Cafferty inherits an antiques shop from her father. Before he died he was very adamant that she not sell the store. She thinks he was selling antiques, but he was doing much more. One day a woman comes into the shop, desperately wanting Danni to take a marble statue/bust that she's convinced killed her husband. Danni thinks she's crazy. But later the woman is found dead. Danni meets Michael Quinn, a former cop and now a private investigator. He believes the bust is evil. Everyone who gets it dies. Eventually Michael and Danni try to track the bust down and they meet an odd assortment of characters along the way...

Heather Graham really does a spectacular job describing New Orleans. I really felt like I was there. I enjoyed the paranormal elements in the story. Danni and Michael were attracted to each other, but this was more a suspense/mystery story than a romantic one. I thought they made a good team. I also liked Michael's dog Wolf, who was very large and protective, but sweet.

An entertaining mystery with an exciting conclusion set in lively New Orleans. This is the first book in Heather Graham's "Cafferty and Quinn" series. I look forward to reading more in this series. ( )

This was a frustrating book. It was only just good enough to keep me going and I'm not sure finishing it was much of a pay-off.

On the audio side of things, the actress/reader, Natalie Ross, did a very good job. The last audio book I listened to, Disturb by JA Konrath, was annoying due to the poor actor/reader. ( )

I really enjoyed this story. If you like mystery-suspense with hints of romance and loads of the paranormal, then you'll definitely want to add "Let the Dead Sleep" to your reading list. ( )

From Fantastic Fiction:
It was stolen from a New Orleans grave - the centuries-old bust of an evil man, a demonic man. It's an object desired by collectors - and by those with wickedness in their hearts. One day, its current owner shows up at Danni Cafferty's antiques shop on Royal Street, the shop she inherited from her father. But before Danni can buy the statue, it disappears, the owner is found dead...and Danni discovers that she's inherited much more than she realized. In the store is a book filled with secret writing: instructions for defeating evil entities. She'd dismissed it as a curiosity...until the arrival of this statue, with its long history of evil and even longer trail of death. Michael Quinn, former cop and now private investigator, is a man with an unusual past. He believes that doing the right thing isn't a job - it's a way of life. And the right thing to do is find and destroy this object weighted with malevolent powers. He and Danni are drawn together in their search for the missing statue, following it through sultry New Orleans nights to hidden places in the French Quarter and secret ceremonies on abandoned plantations. Cafferty and Quinn already know that trust in others can be misplaced, that love can be temporary. And yet their connection is primal. Mesmerizing. They also know that their story won't end when this case is closed and the dead rest in peace once again.

My Thoughts:
I read this almost a year ago and thought I had done a review at that time...but can't find it anywhere. It was a well-written, captivating story with some likable and not so likable characters. The suspense and plot was well crafted. The duo of Danni and Quinn, (maybe it should be a trio since Wolf, the retired police dog is a big part of their team),complement themselves and their interactions are fun even if the romantic part is not the strong point of this thriller. A great first novel in a new series.. ( )