The Hexed

Written by Heather Graham

A place of history, secrets…and witchcraft.

Devin Lyle has recently returned to the Salem area, but her timing couldn't be worse. Soon after she moved into the eighteenth-century cabin she inherited from her great-aunt Mina—her "crazy" great-aunt, who spoke to the dead—a woman was murdered nearby.

Craig Rockwell—known as Rocky—is a new member of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI's team of paranormal investigators. He never got over finding a friend dead in the woods. Now another body's been found in those same woods, not far from the home of a woman named Devin Lyle. And Devin's been led to a third body—by…a ghost?

Her discovery draws them both deeper into the case and Salem's rich and disturbing history. Even as the danger mounts, Devin and Rocky begin to fall for each other, something the ghosts of Mina and past witches seem to approve of. But the two of them need every skill they possess to learn the truth—or Devin's might be the next body in the woods….

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jul 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781469221847

Heather Graham

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.

Reviews for The Hexed

[maybedog · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun light read. Very funny in parts and I was very sad in another. Lots of action although not any real mortal danger. Lots of sex and sexual innuendos and the protagonist is turned on by all remotely attractive women but then he is a druid and likes to run around naked. He's a bit self-congratulatory but in a very real and reasonable way: he's been around for 2100 years and has killed a god. In this book we find that he respects and is respected by the Christian pantheon and he shows grief in regards to a human which is new. A good successor to book one.

[jthorburn_4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Before I start talking about Hexed, I'd like to take a moment to say how thrilled I am to be contributing to Tynga's fantastic blog. I've been reading Tynga's Reviews for a while and I'm very excited to be able to share my thoughts with all of you. Thanks, Tynga! :)Kevin Hearne is out to be one of the few authors who can make me laugh out loud. I picked up his first book, Hounded, on a whim a little while ago and loved it so much I rushed out to get Hexed just as soon as I finished it. It's hard to talk about Hexed without mentioning some of the plot points from Hounded, but I'll try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible.Hexed picks up shortly after the end of Hounded, which Tynga reviewed in March. (I completely agree with her thoughts on Hounded -- guess we'll have to see if she agrees with me about Hexed!) Having defeated Aenghus Óg, Atticus finds himself on uncertain ground: After hiding for most of his 2,000+ years, he finally made a stand and now folks are realizing that he just might be a threat, and now all sorts of people want Atticus' help vanquishing their foes. Atticus is able to refuse most of these requests, until Malina, the leader of the local coven, asks him to help defeat a group of Bacchants from Las Vegas, and an evil coven of witches who like to throw around death curses, plus he has to deal with a fallen angel. This all culminates in a lot of action, which is quite satisfying because Kevin Hearne writes action sequences so well. Fights in his books are so clearly described and fast-paced that I feel immersed in the action -- a real treat since combat in other books can be frenetic but unclear.My favourite part of the Iron Druid Chronicles is Atticus himself, particularly his sense of self and his humour. When I first started reading the series, I was worried the books would remind me too much of Mark Del Franco's Connor Grey books since they both focus on druid lore but I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly Kevin Hearne distinguished his series from others with quippy male protagonists, like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files or the Connor Grey series, not only with characterization but also with direction and tone. In fact, Atticus has become one of my favourite urban fantasy protagonists. He's so charming and irreverent and loyal to his convictions. Even when things are in the soup, Atticus has these great lines, both in the dialogue and also in the narration.A couple of my favourite spoiler-free lines: "Pop culture is mutating at a much faster rate these days. It's not like the Middle Ages, when you had the Church and the aristocracy keeping everything nice and stagnant." " 'Shield your eyes, then," I said, stepping out of the car and dropping the towel. "Naked Irish Guy." "Aggh! I'm snow-blind!" Hal said.Other things that were great: getting more time with Leif (a 1,000-year-old vampire) and his anachronistic speech patterns; the developing dynamics between Atticus and his apprentice, Granuaile; and, of course, Oberon, Atticus' Irish wolfhound, who continues to provide endearing comic relief. His love of sausages and French poodles is as strong as it was in Hounded, and it's really great to see an animal character with such a happy and smart personality. I also loved the way Atticus interacts with the Morrigan in this novel, and the other bigwigs who show up in his life, trying to get what they want from him. He's got this amazing blend of deference and strength in his dealings with his gods.Finally, I'd like to point out how awesome the cover of Hexed is. I'm a sucker for a fantastic cover and I love how Atticus looks on this one. Atticus looks fierce and he's wielding his trusty sword Fragarach, with his druidic tattoos on full display. I can't wait to see what happens in Hammered.

[Amy Wofford · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Heather Graham is a legend story teller. This is just another witchy story that has you on the edge of you seat, and thinking you know who did it until the END!

[eowyna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once again The last Druid, Atticus O'Sullivan, is out and about Tempe, Arizona, protecting it from magical opponents. I enjoyed this one more than the first book in what appears to be a promising new series. This time there is a coven of witches involved, some on his side, some on the side of the demons. Oberon, his trusty Irish Wolfhound sidekick, and Granuoile, his apprentice, have their parts to play, as well.Enjoyable romp.

[hoosgracie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this continuation of the series, Atticus is about to enter into a truce with a coven a witches, but has to face off against some Bacchans and another coven in the midst of things. He has also taken on an apprentice. This continues to be a very enjoyable series.

[stefferoo · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Atticus O’Sullivan lives an interesting life. On the surface, he's an ordinary young man, making his living as a New Age book store/tea shop owner in Tempe, Arizona. In actuality, Atticus is a 2100-year-old druid, the last of his kind.Just weeks after his harrowing run-in with an ancient Celtic god who was trying to kill him, Atticus's life is threatened again -- only this time, the bad guys are a coven of dangerous witches with a dark past, and they're going after his friends too. And as if that wasn't enough, a fallen angel is eating students at a local high school, Bacchants have come to town to wreak havoc and debauchery, and an angry albeit sexy Celtic goddess is setting fire to his kitchen. What is a druid to do?Hexed is a fun, charming and worthy follow-up to the first book. All the action and humor that made Hounded such a great read is back for this second installment.That said, so are the things I wasn't so keen on. First let me just say that I like the fact that Atticus is different, and that he doesn't act the way you'd think a 2100-year-old protagonist should. Still, for someone so ancient, he remains disappointingly shallow. For the most part, I enjoy his frat boy humor and his attmempts to make light of a situation with references to pop culture, but the old adage "too much of a good thing" comes to mind. The ironic thing is, it starts making Atticus feel less realistic to me and more fabricated. Perhaps when you start acting more modern and cracking more geek jokes than any other contemporary urban fantasy protagonist out there, it might do to dial things down a bit. I for one would love to see more of his millennia old wisdom come through just a little more.The story, while enjoyable, also felt less coherent than the last one. Just like Hounded, Hexed was great in that its plot was made up of multiple threads, each action-packed and interesting in their own way, but it didn't come together as well as I'd hoped. Reading it almost felt like reading three separate short stories that were related, but didn't tie together very smoothly.One thing I did like was seeing more of Atticus's problem solving process. A criticism I had about the last book was how he seemed too powerful to ever be in any real danger, thus removing some of the element of suspense. In Hexed, however, some of his weaknesses came to light. He is still very powerful, but there were more situations in which he found himself with his back against the wall in very real trouble, or needed some help or rescuing from a friend. It shows some of his resourcefulness, and you start to gain an understanding of how he was able to survive and adapt for so long.All in all, a good book and a decent sequel, and I'm looking forward to picking up the third installment. Recommended for fans of urban fantasy who are looking for some fun, light reading.

[raboyer · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Doughty DruidThis book gets a steely 5 gnomes out of 5 gnomes for being a superb sequel, having laugh out loud writing, and characters that the reader can truly care about.This series has become one of my top 5 series, I just love so much about it. The characters and story are refreshing because it has characters and themes that are common yet used in unexpected ways. Take religion, if you read this series you will see and hear about a plethora of gods and goddesses from across many cultures. I like that there are all these religious figures still out there in the world but some just appear more often than others.The setting is the same as the previous book and you get to find out even more about the large cast of characters. I liked seeing more of Atticus’s nighttime lawyer, Leif the vampire and Granuile his new apprentice. The side characters in this book are fleshed out really well. The interactions between Leif and Atticus are great especially when he tries to help him with his word phrasing so he doesn’t sound as old as he actually is. Granuile (who’s name I can’t for the life of me pronounce) is seen more in this book and shown to be quite savvy to all the weirdness of witches, police problems, and learning all manner of information on what druids can do. It would be interesting if Atticus and Granuile had a relationship because you can tell he’s interested, on the other hand though Atticus has a well known weakness for pretty women and she is technically his student.Many of the best lines in the book are said by Oberon, the Irish wolfhound. Seeing how he and Atticus interact is a lot of fun and also makes me hope that Kevin Hearne never has any plans to kill him off like so many other authors, movies, and TV shows do with beloved pets. I actually found myself tearing up a bit at the point in the book when you find out how old Oberon is and how much Atticus looks out for him.If you thought Atticus had problems in in Hounded then you are in for even more carnage when you read Hexed. There’s gods, goddesses, good witches, bad witches, a tall priest, a short rabbi, and even more magic and fighting. The book is also chock-full of humor, I actually had to stop reading the book at work because I didn't want people to think I was a weirdo laughing to myself all alone in the library.The endings of this book and the one before it are great because they both end on a funny note. Ending at a funny line or situation is to me much more preferable and unexpected then having a cliffhanger that makes you want to throw the book out the window. Overall I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes fantasy, magic, or really stupendous male main characters. I for one am very happy that the third book has been released and plan to read it as soon as possible. I look forward to reading more about Atticus’s world and whatever else Kevin Hearne writes in the future.

[krau0098 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the second book in The Iron Druid Chronicles by Hearne. The third book Hammered released earlier this week. I listened to this on audio book and the audio book was extremely well done. I really enjoyed this story and am so excited that this book was just as good as (if not better) than the first book.Atticus would just like to get back to healing the land that was damaged in the first book, Hounded, but it is not to be. He is attacked by witches but it is not the coven he is used too; some evil witches have comes to town and they want Atticus dead. Before hunting witches though Atticus has to sign a treaty with the local coven, then hunt random demons attacking the populace. Of course a druid's work is never done and now he has some crazy Maenads to take care of too.This book was awesome! It is hilarious, very well written, has a great plot that weaves together a lot of different story elements, and was very hard to put down. This is one of those rare urban fantasies that balances character development, action, plot, and world-building just perfectly. Oberon, as Atticus's hound, continues to be an excellent character. It was great to meet the good witches in more detail and to spend more time with Atticus's apprentice. I really enjoy how many mythologies and religions are woven into this story. The repercussions of the last book aren't the main focus of this story but they continue to be a part of the story and some of the things that result are interesting to say the least.Things are wrapped up nicely in this book but you can tell that all of this is building to a confrontation between Atticus and Thor which makes me really really want to read the next book Hammered ASAP. I already downloaded the audio book, so now I just need time to start reading it!Overall just a wonderful addition to what is shaping up to be a spectacular series. If you are a fan of The Dresden Files, Kate Daniels, or any other urban fantasy laced with humor you have got to check this series out! I can't wait to read future books in this series :-)

[michaeldreed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Perhaps not as good as his first book in the series (Hounded), Hexed follows the Iron Druid against a new supernatural threat in a coven of witches from Europe. The book is very well-written, full of humor, action, and intrigue, but many of the characters rang shallow. The author mentions that this tome was written in 5 months, and perhaps another run through the polishing cycle would have improved it to flesh out the story and characters, adding color that wasn't a happy accident of geography.

[coachsully_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This 2nd book of the Druid Chronicles entertained me more than the first. The humor is much more subtle than the first book and O'Sullivan is a bit more likable. The only thing that stunts my enjoyment a bit is his never ending skills and friends that he uses when he battles his enemies. I don't foresee any future fight that he can possibly lose. In this case, his antagonists are a bunch of Nazi witches and he handles them with relative ease.

[beserene · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Perhaps it's because they were published in quick succession, but this -- the second novel in the Iron Druid Chronicles -- struck me as almost identical to its predecessor, warts and all. There are a few changes here: for example, Hearne has eased off on weaponry descriptions and picked up a habit of describing every item of clothing in a person's outfit instead. It's a strange alteration -- and a strange choice for extended description in this genre -- but at least now I know that our main character, a disguised Druid multiple millenia old, has an appreciation for fashion. Forgive the tone -- I should say that I am enjoying this series, in between flashes of irritation. There are clever lines and saucy hounds and some very powerful female characters, which I appreciate. At the same time, however, there is just so much that could easily be better here, which I think is why I harp on the details so much. The potential of Hearne's storytelling is very good -- he has a smart sense of interaction, pinpointing the ways that a multi-pantheon world might work and the relationship quirks that might develop between deities and other beings of different myths and faiths. I like the sass and irreverence at work most of the time. Unfortunately, all this potential is still mired in some bad habits and -- something that I noticed this time in particular -- a main character who is both limited (emotionally stunted might be a better phrase) and entirely too powerful. Atticus acts and speaks like an Irish frat boy much of the time, even when it isn't necessary for his modern-day "camouflage", which can get wearing after a while. I like the character's basic idea, but the references to female body parts and beer seem a little thick. On the other hand, I am not male, so it's possible that these cultural details appeal to a specific demographic of Hearne's audience. The fact that Atticus is -- by this second book -- equipped with not one but two badass magic swords, protected by an awesome Druid amulet that no one else gets, has healing powers and is unkillable anyway, however, just seems like laziness. It's hard to get engaged about the peril your character is in when said peril is clearly not mortal. After all this, you might think I had set the series aside, but the interesting thing is, I've already started the third book. Clearly, there is enough there to keep me reading, if only to see if Atticus every really gets his butt kicked. I get the sense that this book and its brother volumes are best suited for a certain group of teenage males, but I think it works too for fantasy fans who really want to just turn off their brain for a few hours -- sort of like going to see the newest comic book movie. As fluff goes, Hearne's novel has some things going for it. I'll see if it manages to get anything else going in the next book.

[katekf_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Iron Druid books are romps through varieties of magic set in Tempe, Arizona and featuring Atticus, a centuries old Irish Druid who lives with his dog Oberon and would simply like to have a nice life. In the second book of the series, Atticus must work with a local coven of witches to take on another coven and prevent them from summoning demons to earth. The plot is fast moving and the writing is smart and witty. If you enjoy the October Daye, Kitty Vaughn or Dresden Files' books then I recommend adding this series to your list of to reads.

[dunnfunkat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This story takes place in Salem with witches, ghost tours, dead people talking & showing up to help solve several murders. Craig Rockwell is an FBI agent that found a girl murdered years ago and has been haunted by that event all these years. When another woman is murdered in a similar way he steps in to help solve this murder reuniting with his two best childhood friends Vince & Jack. Devin Lyle lives in Salem and writes children's books about a witch, based on Devin's deceased aunt. Devin's Aunt Mina is a hoot and I really enjoyed her.The story was interesting because Heather Graham gives a lot of details about the surrounding areas in her books and I like that history. There is danger, a love story, numerous victims, Krewe of Hunters investigators that were in the earlier books and a host of her characters that we learn about. I had figured out who the killer was before the end but not so far ahead that it ruined the suspense for me. You can read this book as a stand alone but I have enjoyed the entire series so I have read the books in order. I would recommend this series.

[thehistorychic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bought for myselfOverall Rating 4.25Audio Rating 4.50Story Rating 4.00Humor Rating 4.25NOTE: Hexed is the 2nd book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. I am going out on a limb to say this is probably one of the funniest series I have ever read. I highly recommend the audio version as Luke Daniels does a great job with the narration.What I Loved: Lief---seriously the last few chapters when the vampire tried to become hip had me in stitches. Oberon is still the world's greatest dog and his moments were just as fun. Atticus had his hands full with witches in this installment and that added an interesting array of characters. There were a few very emotional moments which balanced out the lighter moments in a way I did not expect.What I Liked: Many of the side characters that were in the first book, Hounded, reappeared in this book. They really added a wide array of personalities and made the story "pop" with layers that I did not expect. I liked that Atticus is extremely loyal to those that he counts among his friends. There were many moments that I was cheering for the bad guys to go down (channeling a little Oberon there--or at least how I think he would say it)!Complaints: noneWhy I gave it a 4.25: This was a fun addition to an already fun series. I would recommend Hexed to anyone who reads Fantasy books and even those that don't. Please, if you can, get it on audio--YOU WON'T REGRET IT!

[elizabethanns_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The originality of the first didn't quite carry over. Will give the next in the series a try.

[pennsylady · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Krewe of Hunters: Book 148 audio discsok but wouldn't be a favorite of mine

[dearheart_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The second book in the Iron Druid Chronicles begins three weeks after Hounded ends. Demons released by the bad witches in the last book need to be dealt with, a group of Bacchants come to town wanting to take over the territory, as do a group of demon-casting German witches who announce their presence by trying to kill Atticus using a spell from afar. The police have become suspicious of Atticus as he matches the description of a guy with a sword at different scenes, and a priest and rabbi are getting way too noisy. If that weren’t enough, two goddesses want to claim Atticus as their own personal weapon.The only Druid left in the world, all he wants to do is live a quiet life under the radar, grow the herbs he sells in his store, train his new apprentice and heal the large area of earth that was destroyed in the fighting from the last book. But demands from the coven of local Polish witches as well as Coyote, have him fighting to take out the escaped demons and destroy the others that have come to town to cause harm. And he’s being bombarded with requests to take out Thor.There’s plenty of action, humor, negotiations, myth, history and even his hospitality is loaded with political fencing. I’ve got a better appreciation for his new apprentice, Granuaile as she proves to be quick thinking. And of course Oberon, Atticus’ telepathic dog, gives us more comic relief as well as show us how much respect Atticus has for his dog’s feelings and happiness.What I like most about Atticus is that he’s so earth based. His relationship and responsibility to nature make Atticus a large part of who he is. Having 2100 years of experience, I find his reasoning, manners and maneuvering when dealing with others in positions of power to be both clever and savvy while remaining respectful. His philosophy speaks to me. The mythology covers a number of different pantheons and the history in this book deals with WWII.The only thing that could have made this a better book for me is if there had been a little more down time. Most of that involves being connected to the earth to heal. He is trying to teach his vampire lawyer, Leif, to change his old-world formal speech pattern to blend in better and does get in a small visit with Mrs MacDonagh, the only non-magical person who knows what he is. But other than that if he isn’t ramping up energy and protection spells, negotiating, playing politics while being a host, being hounded by the police or the clergy, for the most part he’s fighting. It can be a little exhausting, although the humor helps a great deal.On the other hand the story wouldn’t be as exciting if there was more down time.The third book, Hammered, will be released in July.

[soireb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The series keeps getting better and better. I struggled a bit at times because Atticus knows how to be a jerk, but for the most parts it's an awesome story. Definitively worth the time.

[reginar_447079 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I listened to the narration of this book and did not finish the book. I stopped around chapter 13 or so. Positives: The narration is decent. I liked the inclusion of Coyote. I think he is a great character. I enjoy his presence in other books by other authors, this one was not an exception. Atticus and Oberon are mildly entertaining. The scene where Oberon talks to Atticus about life and death and Atticus tells the readers that he has been artificially prolonging Oberon’s life was very moving. This was the best scene in the two books I read in this series. Ultimately, this series is just not for me. I love urban fantasy and fantasy books. I enjoy male authored and male point of view books, but for me this book missed the mark. I am clearly in the minority. Okay, on to the rest of my review: I thought this book suffered from the same issues I had with book #1: no emotional connection with Atticus, low cost to using his magic, everything comes easy for him. here is my review for #1. I am not going to go into a lot of detail about this book, but here are some scenes that irritated me: The scene in the beginning where his assistant answers the door scantily clad is just beyond silly. First, no woman who was not purposely trying to entice would answer the door dressed like that. Let me make it clear -- I have no problems with purposely trying to entice, titillating scenes or scantily clad women. It was the delivery of this scene I thought was off. Once Atticus is conversing with her, his apprentice is apparantly clueless as to the affect of her near nakedness and continues to wonder out loud why Atticus is uncomfortable and looking up in the air? Umm, any woman knows immediately when a man is reacting to her appearance in such an obvious way! Sorry Kevin Hearne, women don’t answer the door dressed like that generally and usually don’t go to bed wearing such an outfit unless there is a specific man present they want to please. I hope this doesn’t disappoint you too much. I know the general style of humor he was attempting here -- oblivious sexy woman doesn't understand her effect on man, walks around in sexy nighties just waiting to answer the door for men who ring it. I just thought it was not very believable. And because of that I couldn't enjoy it. Atticus verbally attacks a teacher who calls out and wonders what is going on, no animosity in her voice – he is fighting a demon near the school. Atticus then proceeds -- out of nowhere and completely disconnected with the scene – to attack the teacher for not teaching the children English well enough. So here we have someone he apparently does not know, we have had no information or discussion of poorly prepared students in the subject of English presented in this book thus far. Then Atticus says to himself, “I need to shut up and stop taking my frustrations out on this poor frumpy lady who probably never gets laid.” Huh? Just random attacking of teachers based on assumptions, criticizing their appearance and then making assumptions that they don’t have sex because her appearance is not pleasing to him? I really don’t have a problem with “frumpy” as a description, but when it is contrasted with how he describes almost every other woman in the story and we don’t get to know anything else about her appearance (mousy limp hair maybe? Don’t know, not in the description. Slack ill fitting clothes? Don’t know, not in the description. All he says is “frumpy” which I guess means he doesn’t want to have sex with her and thus he assumes she is not getting laid very often, because you know if Atticus doesn’t want her she isn’t getting any. What if she has a husband or wife somewhere she has spent her life with? I know I am getting deep here and humor was intended. I just don’t think it is funny to make jokes about innocent bystander's appearance. It really rubs me the wrong way.) I know the humor he was going for, but it just came off the wrong way. I think that if he also described men as frumpy or had provided more of a decription of this woman beyond "frumpy" and had not equated her being frumpy with not having sex, I likely would not have had an issue. For me it was the delivery e.g. -- I find her unattractive, I will dismiss her completely and assume that no other man wants her. I honestly don't think this is the way most men think. I won’t be reading or listening to Hammered, #3 in this series.

[leannesf_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great sequel to the first book, Hounded, in the Iron Druid series. Atticus must deal with the aftermath of killing a god, as well as the advent of a malicious witch coven. Hearne continues with the witty dialogue and non-stop action. Fans of the first book will not be disappointed.

[Nneamaka M. Payne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is enjoyable and very interesting book as usual Heather Graham never case to amaze me each book has it own unique rationale and sets of issues that is embedded with the past and historical fiction. In most of the book she take us on a journey back in time. Also the characters forgetting history also has some of the reason for the killers actions. This is unbelievable two women one none was looking at. Great ? read I will like to read this again because it is that good.

[mbg0312 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

mediocre urban fantasy, action genre. Think Jim Butcher, but not quite as good. The first one was much more interesting for me. This one came off as much more quickly tossed off and less thought through on pacing, character and scene levels.

[NNEAMAKA PAYNE · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Woo! This is set in my state, Massachusetts! Boo! Graham got some facts and dialogue wrong. There was more use of the word 'wicked; in this one story than I've heard in the past five years. I guess the errors could be chalked up to artistic license, but disappointing nonetheless.

I knew the basics of the Salem witch trials before reading this book but I learned a lot. I have no idea at all how accurate it is but the story is richly detailed and some of course will have been adapted or created for the story, but it seems as if Graham did extensive research. Although there was a lot of detail, it didn't bog down the story but gave it depth. Rocky believes the current murders are connected to the Salem witch trials and Devin is convinced that at least one of the accused witches back then was murdered by her family.

At times, the connection between the past and the present was tenuous and I had trouble understanding and believing Rocky's determined belief that there was a connection. Much more believable was Rocky and Devin's ability to see and talk to ghosts. This is the thirteenth in the series with characters who can see and talk to ghosts and Graham has got it down pat.

Devin sees the ghost of her Aunt Mina and she's fully developed, despite being dead. She was a hoot and made me laugh out loud several times. She assists with the investigations and also pushes Rocky and Devin together while yet interrupting them at the most inopportune moments. In spite of her assistance, Rocky and Devin do get together and their first time was sweet. After she's threatened at her home, Rocky gets her a room at the hotel. Later in the night, she knocks on the door, hoping to seduce him but he's so focused on the case, he misses her cues completely until she spells it out for him. It was awkward, sweet, and tender. They're good together though I was completely on his side when he'd yell at her for being stupid. And she several times acted quite stupidly but at least she had the good sense to realize she'd been stupid.

The mystery was overly complicated at times and the connections between the past mystery and the current one were strained at times. There were many plausible suspects though several were too obvious and easily dismissed. I was surprised at the final reveal; I had considered that person but dismissed them. I'm still not convinced that it made sense but it holds together reasonably well.

"The Hexed" has an atmosphere, a smooth flow, and enjoyable characters, and was engrossing despite its flaws. This series keeps getting better and better

[sable677 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Hexed is an action packed sequel to Hounded. Hearne does an amazing job at combining action/adventure with humor, mythology, and fantasy. Atticus is a great hero who tries to stay out of trouble but usually ends up smack dab in the middle of it. Atticus is joined by a great group of secondary characters: Oberon, Granuaile, Hal, Lief, and Hal that each add to the overall story in their own unique way. Hearne does a great job at developing each of these characters and each of them help to develop the Atticus character because each brings out a different side of Atticus. Hearne does a good job with his world building and fitting mythological characters into our modern world even though they don't quite fit in exactly. I really enjoyed Atticus trying to help Lief, Hal, and Malina with the modern language, slang, and innuendos. Hexed's overall story was interesting because it made Atticus make an alliance with those left of the witches from book one as well as make promises to Lief and Laksha which will lead to future story. Hexed is a great read that I would definitely recommend if you enjoy action, adventure, humor, and fun mixed in with your fantasy.

[jdonnelly14_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

***NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS***It isn't often that I find a book that I truly believe deserves a five star rating, a book with well-rounded and intriguing characters, a page-turning plot and no obvious little quirks to irritate me as I read. Hexed is one such book. While I recommend reading Hounded before reading Hexed, it's not completely necessary and the second book in the Iron Druid series blows the first one away.In this story Atticus, the 2100 year old druid in a 21 year old's body is facing a whole new future after having killed his long time rival Aenghus Og in the previous novel. He doesn't have to fear the Celtic pantheon chasing him down anymore and thinks he can finally really plant roots and find peace. Unfortunately for him, but fortunate for readers of this series, he's wrong. Pantheons from all over the world are approaching him to warm him not to mess with them while trying to sick him other pantheons, there are still demons on earth contracted to kill him and since he weakened the coven of The Sisters of the Three Auroras by taking half the coven out in Hounded, other dangerous magical groups are crossing into his little territory in Arizona and gunning to take him out of it. He faces not only a fallen angel from hell, but a group of super-strong Bacchants, a coven of German witches called the Daughters of the Third House, and some Kabbalistic priest from a group called the Hammers of God. To make matters worse, when one of his battles becomes a little too public the police are on his tail and he's got to find a way to shake them while still taking out all the bad guys they can't even begin to comprehend, let alone handle. Even without a Celtic god out to kill him in this book, the stakes are higher and the dangers more intense. Except for the already almost perfect character of Oberon, the mind-talking dog, this book shows a lot of character growth in almost every character. Granuaile, the somewhat naive apprentice he agreed to take on in the first book begins to show signs of higher intelligence and strength. She stands up to Atticus when she thinks he might be wrong and does her best to support him in whatever ways she can if he needs her. If she continues to grow with each book in the series I look forward to seeing what she becomes by the time the series has reached its conclusion.Atticus begins to show a little bit more grudging respect toward the Coven of The Sisters of the Three Auroras when he enlists their help to taken on the other coven of witches invading their territory after those witches attack him in the widows home. While he does reveal a lot more about his past to begin to make you understand why he hates witches so much it's nice to see him starting to view the witches as individuals rather than showing prejudice against the group as a whole. The Morrigan actually start to show some signs of emotion when she helps him to regrow his ear and then makes an actual effort towards becoming his friend. Before this they shared a shaky truce, and you wondered throughout Hounded if she was really on his side or not. In Hexed it becomes clear despite her manipulating ways she kind of actually cares about what happens to Atticus. While I never expect the death goddess to become warm and fuzzy, it's nice to see that she does have a somewhat softer side.My absolute favorite character changes though were in that of the Sisters of the Three Auroras when they came to Atticus's side to help fight the evil German coven. Malina and her sisters showed some real a##kicking power in that battle and I hope to see more of that in future novels. Atticus may not completely trust the coven yet, but they proved themselves to be valuable allies in that battles and I think Hearne has actually created some female characters equal to Atticus in power and honor. As you read through this second book in this series, you see that the difference between the female characters in this book and the previous ones was tremendous and as a female reader you can't help but cheer on the new powerful, honorable female characters he's brought to the table in Hexed. While my review can't even begin to show you how much of wonderful read this book is any reader, of Urban fantasy would definitely be missing something if they passed over this page turner in a book store. What's really wonderful about Hearne's books is that while there is a greater story arc and a larger danger that plagues Atticus throughout the book, within that story there are smaller dangers leading to almost constant action on every page. It's like reading multiple stories packed into an exciting larger story. I for one am greatly looking forward to Hammered when it comes out in July. My only complaint, and it isn't a very important one, is when writing a review I have to constantly look up how the names of characters are spelled in these novels because Hearne doesn't employ characters named Joe and Bob that everyone remembers how to spell. lol. But then again that's just me and it's not really a complaint. I'm very grateful to the writer for offering this book in a Goodreads giveaway that I was fortunate enough to win. If I hadn't I might have missed the excellent characters and plots of the Iron Druid series since he wasn't a writer I was previously familiar with. Now I can guarantee I won't miss any of his other works.

[BrendaThrockmorton · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This episode of the series was a little slow but still a good mystery

[iftyzaidi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Second book in the Iron Druid Chronicles picks up right where [Hounded] left off, at the same break-neck pace. Keeps up the standards of the first book (though I'm still hoping for greater depth in the books to come!)

[jaguar897 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This second installment is much of the same as the first one except with more witches. I highly enjoyed it though. Atticus is one cool character who is still keeping it real. I love his interactions with his dog Oberon, the widow, his nosy neighbor and his lawyers Lief and Hal. The dialogue and Atticus' observations are pretty hilarious. I wished that there were more interactions of this kind. Much like the first one it seems like everyone in their mother is after Atticus...either to kill him or to use him, so these interactions bought much needed levity into the book.

This one also introduced some new characters and religions. This time we have a new organization to look out for, some demon worshiping and Kabbalists. I really enjoy how Hearne weaves it all in and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.

[jamespurcell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting characters doing outrageous things, such as killing gods, make these fun books to read.

[ladycato · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Atticus O'Sullivan, a 2,100-year-old Druid, is masquerading as a 21-year-old bookshop owner in Tempe, Arizona. He can't catch a break. First, he had to deal with a few angry gods from his own pantheon. Now, as he's finally reached an uneasy alliance with a local group of Polish witches, something of a witch epidemic hits Phoenix. These newcomers want to rule the turf, and they are an especially nasty sort who happen to be bearing demonic babies. Oh, and they tried to kill Atticus back in World War II. It's time for the Druid to clean up the neighborhood-again.This second book is just as fun as the first one. The pace is rapid with near-constant action and wit; some might argue it's too much wit, but I loved it. It reminds me of Firefly but with a Druid and deities/creatures of all pantheons clamoring for attention. And hey, I love a book that speaks to me at my level, dropping mentions of Star Wars, Shakespeare, and Chun-Li of Street Fighter. Atticus's dog Oberon is still a joy, though doesn't steal the show quite so much... which isn't a bad thing, as the supporting characters sparkle with life and deserve more attention. It's just plain a fun read.