From author Rayvn Salvador comes an all new paranormal romance set in the mystical city of New Orleans.
Remember, you must die.
Spurred on by her mother’s need for the family’s fifteen minutes of fame, jaded skeptic Hanlen Arbor returns to her hometown, the root of her past terror, only to be thrust into a new nightmare. Someone is murdering the good people of the city in a macabre scene of blood and ritual.
When Hanlen gets pulled into the mystery, she’s not prepared for what she finds or the dangers that await her in the bayou. And she’s certainly not ready for the handsome-as-sin man whom she’s forced to put her faith in.
Ghost hunter and Vodou Houngan Deveraux Glapion has seen a lot and dealt with more as the descendant of one of the most well-known people of New Orleans. When the intriguing and somewhat-broken caretaker of his TV show’s latest location comes to town, he’s thrown for a loop, the likes of which he’s never experienced before.
And that’s just the beginning. Because evil is afoot in New Orleans, and he may be the only one who can stop it—but only if he can get Hanlen to trust him and believe in things that most people think are merely ghost stories.
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rayvn Salvador is a lifelong bibliophile who left her eighteen-year IT career over a decade ago to read and make stuff up for a living. She lives in Florida with her feline familiars and incredibly supportive beau—who hopes nobody ever needs to check her search history. They love to attend sporting events and concerts, but if she’s not doing that and isn’t on deadline, you’ll likely find her taking long walks through the woods, sweating while working out in virtual reality, investigating haunted locales, or contemplating the recesses of people's minds in documentaries. She pens the Haunted New Orleans (paranormal romantic thriller), Willow Falls (small-town romantic suspense) and Fourth and Goal (football romance) series, and is hard at work on the next book to make your pulse race.
Reread before jumping into book 2 as I never got round to it during the summer and in our house we're getting into full prep mode for Halloween - so spooky reads only from now till then! I enjoyed it just as much the second time round!
You know how sometimes you are drawn to things and you don't know why - well New Orleans is one of those things for me!! This was really good, quite a sweet romance with a bit of spookiness thrown in to keep it interesting but what really won me over was the whole idea of a haunted style tv show based in New Orleans. Have already bought the second book!
This was the first book I read from this author and I really enjoyed everything about it. The whole magical New Orleans vibe had me hooked. Dev is the host of a paranormal investigation show and his next episode deals with the mysterious Arborwood property. Hanlen left New Orleans behind after a tragedy and never looked back. As the owner of Arborwood, she must go back and talk with the crew of the show. She did not expect to be instantly attracted to the shows host. While trying to prepare for the show, a murderer is on the loose. This madman has ties to both Dev and Hanlen. The murders are hitting close to home and they all try to figure out who is behind these gruesome attacks. This brings Them closer together, and they can no longer deny their attraction. I loved how the past and present weaved together to tell a fantastic story. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
[I received a digital arc for an honest review] Memento Mori is a paranormal suspense romance by author Rayvn Salvador. I am new to the author's writing, but I'd be willing to read more of her books in the future, especially if they involved this cast of characters.
Hanlen left New Orleans after the death of her best friend / other half. She returns now to assist a paranormal TV show as they investigate her family home. She is very much a skeptic when it comes to the paranormal, but she can't deny her strong connection to the host of the show Deveraux Glapion. Dev is a ghost hunter and Vodou Houngan who helps ghosts find peace and show the world respectfully of their existence on his television show. His soul instantly recognizes Hanlen as his other half and as they get to know each other they discover they have more in common. Outside of their growing relationship, people are being murdered and Hanlen seems to find herself in the middle of it. She is the killer's end goal, and it might take more than Dev alone to save her.
Where to start with this one, there was a lot going on, and I don't want to give spoilers. Firstly, I loved the setting, I can't get enough of New Orleans! I liked that we are given both main characters point of views with the added bonus of the killers' point of review. There were so many great characters, but I feel like Dev stole the show with his abilities to see and speak with the afterlife and his respect for the craft. Hanlen was his opposite being a skeptic, but I appreciate that she also respected his beliefs without believing herself. They two of them have a very insta love situation which was cheesy at times and I could have done without, but it is what it is. The intimate scenes between them were open door but not very descriptive, more vaguely described. There's a bunch of other members of the crew that were great additions to the story and I would love to read more about.
This was an enjoyable read, especially for the month of October. A romance that's rich in history, ghosts, and mystery.
Ghosts Everywhere!! From the very first page this book had me hook, line and sinker. I’m a sucker for a good ghost story and this one was spectacular.
Deveraux Glapion
First impressions were interesting for someone like me, a Houngan—a Vodou priest of reasonable power—a descendant of a line of incredibly powerful practitioners of both Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo.
Hanlen Arbor
Scared by past circumstances she left New Orleans to get away from the pain.
As she accepted the device and tapped the red circle to end the call, she shook her head in an only-me fashion and grinned, an expression that felt as if the sun had finally come out on a particularly stormy day—in part because I knew she didn’t smile all that often.
A crazy whacked out serial killer and a perfect love story with sparks flying all wrapped up in one.
“Goodnight, Hanlen. May your dreams guide you to the answers you seek.”
If your a fan of reality ghost shows your gonna love this. I know I’ve found a new series for my auto buy list.
Ghosts, mysteries, romance, New Orleans, and a serial killer--this book is a perfect Halloween read!
Rayvn Salvador's Haunted New Orleans series is off to an amazing start! I can't wait to spend more time with these characters. Hanlen and Dev are a unique pairing, she a skeptical private investigator and he a Vodou priest slash paranormal reality show host. Watching them come together and fall in love amidst grisly murderers and ghostly encounters, with a haunted New Orleans mansion for the backdrop, is a spooky treat!
Spooky. I enjoyed this story about the scary side of New Orleans. When someone is murdering people in New Orleans, Hanlan gets pulled into the mystery. Deveraux is a Vodou priest and Ghost Hunter. He and his team are filming the next episode of their TV show at a property owned by Hanlan and her mother. Together they get caught up in the mystery while developing romantic feelings for each other.
This book shook me!! I was not prepared for the feelings, not just from the MCs, but the storyline! This book isn’t high on spice, and does deal with some dark subject matter. This was a brilliant read for spooky season!!
Paranormal romance isn’t usually my favorite so I was expecting a good story but nothing to rave about, until I started reading. Now I stand corrected. This story is riveting. Hanlon doesn’t believe in the supernatural and she has a very specific, intensely personal reason for that position. But when she meets Dev, she can’t deny the unexplainable things that start happening around her. There’s definitely more to the world than just the physical that we can explain, but is she open to it?
The chemistry between Dev and Hanlon is hot and they have an obvious connection that transcends the physical, even if they can’t explain it. Between the tension, romance and paranormal, there’s the suspense of hunting a killer and I hung on every word. This is a great read and an excellent start to a new series. I love this story and can’t wait for more. I received an ARC from Grey’s Promotions in exchange for an honest review.
Oh boy what a book. This is my first time reading Rayvn Salvador but it definitely won’t be the last. Hanlen is a true skeptic when it comes to anything paranormal. Dev’s life and his work is everything paranormal. They come together in New Orleans as Dev is to film his show in Hanlen’s family mansion as it’s reputed to be haunted. This book drew me in instantly and held me gripped until the very end. When I had to put the book down ( family insisted on being fed) I was still thinking about the book. I never worked out who was the serial killer, I can normally work it out so for me it was even more enjoyable. This book felt like being on a rollercoaster, absolutely thrilling and I hung up for dear life until the very end. Absolutely loved it. I received this book from the Author. I’m voluntarily leaving my honest review.
WOW! Definitely not my last book from Rayvn Salvador! I LOVED this book!! Couldn't read it fast enough! Hanlen and Dev make a GREAT pair! She's a skeptic and he's had a lifetime dealing with what he does. I loved the spooky New Orleans setting, the hint of magic in the air and the way this story jumped off the pages and came to life in front of me. I felt their emotions and the creepiness! I was completely lost in this story. It weaved in between those living and dead and dying. Shew! I loved the twists and the journey Hanlen had to take. I wasn't sure what was going to happen and it kept me turning page after page. If you like a good, spooky book then this one is for you! I CANNOT wait to read Malum Discordiae.
4.5 stars. What a perfect read for spooky season! Loved the deep dive into the supernatural side of New Orleans. I was so intrigued by Dev and his profession, as well as his background. While I loved having Wren and Findley back since I was so drawn to them in Eternal Spark, it was also bittersweet when finding out their connection to Dev. I found this book so interesting and really enjoyed finding out more about Haunted New Orleans and all they did. I loved the secondary characters and how much they contributed to the story. The chemistry between Dev and Hanlen really brought everything together, especially after finding out the connection they share due to people they’ve lost. With a beautiful focus on friendships and family ties, this book was a wild ride that kept me on my toes from beginning to jaw dropping end. The parts of the book narrated by the killer were truly chilling and so well done. *I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I took a chance on this book and was thrilled that I loved it. Hanlan and Dev are great characters. I love the way they played off each other and the tension between them was hot. I actually guessed the murderer correctly but the clues are so subtle they could be easily missed. I was excited I was right! I'm looking forward to the upcoming books in the series. I think the characters and the premise combined are setting up for some fantastic reads.
Hanlen and Dev meet because her Mom agreed to let Dev and his paranormal investigative show come to their family home in New Orleans. Hanlen left New Orleans when he best friend was brutally murdered and no one was ever convicted. Dev thinks he can convince her to open herself to the "other side".
This was a great read. I enjoyed my trip into the paranormal side of New Orleans. Loved the ghosts who are in the story. This is sweet and so very sad at times read. Memento Mori is a super easy read that sucks you into the story from the beginning. Can't wait for the next book.
Hanlen is a PI who still searches for the murderer of her best friend ten years ago. A tv show wants to film at the family plantation that some say is haunted. Dev is the star of the show and a voodoo priest. Even though Hanlen is a total nonbeliever, she’s will to help with the show. When a serial killer kills two people Hanlen knows, it brings the two of them closer together. Can she figure out who the killer is and stay safe?
*I received this book for free for my unbiased review.
Very different to the other Rayvn Salvador books I've read. This book is darker, is set in the paranormal world with a serial killer on the loose. I was totally hooked from the start and can't wait to read the rest of this series.
Overall, this is a great PNR, based on the backdrop of behind the scenes of a New Orleans ghost hunting reality show, with the additional driver of a serial killer plotline. For someone like me, whose guilty pleasure is ghost hunter shows, having that as a premise for a PNR is a ton of fun, and I absolutely loved it!
Hanlen is back in New Orleans after ten years away (after the murder of her best friend) to open up her family’s plantation estate to a reality television ghost hunting team, lead up by Dev. Hanlen, however, is a skeptic, and really has no interest in any of it, and just wants to get it over with. That is, until she meets the enigmatic Dev. Dev is not rattled at all by Hanlen’s skepticism, actually, he even welcomes it, but that’s really because he knows the truth of the world because he actually sees, speaks with, and interacts with actual ghosts on a daily basis. And that’s literal. There are characters in this book that are ghosts, and while they’re not primary, they are definitely integral to driving the story. And Dev and Hanlen’s chemistry is pretty instant on both sides, yet it feels natural and right. There’s not a lot of pretense between them, the core conflicts really don’t surround their relationship - they’re attracted to each other, and they definitely don’t waste a lot of time making that clear.
As Dev’s team prepares for their shoot at Hanlen’s estate, we get the behind the scenes of this reality show. The team of the show, an eclectic group of believers, practitioners, technicians, and skeptics, work to pull everything together, do research, be ready for filming. It’s actually a fascinating conglomerate of people - Dev is a Vodou Houdon, with his own magic and spirit connections that drive the show, a witch, an excommunicated priest, technical experts, and a psychologist skeptic. They are an interesting group as well, and the characters definitely add to the overall feel of making this more realistic. But while all this is happening, a serial killer lurks in the wings. The even more fascinating part, is that we actually get peeks into this person’s mind - each time there is a murder, we get a chapter from their POV, and it totally adds to the creepy and ominous feel of the book.
Avoiding any spoilers, I really loved the way all the different aspects of the story melded together so well. The personal side - the backstories for Dev and Hanlen and their personal connections to the supernatural world (even when unaware), the machinations of the ghost hunting show behind the scenes, and how the serial killer activity ties into all of it, it really worked. Overall, everything comes together in a way that just made this an absolutely enjoyable book in every way.
☆☆☆☆ Memento Mori was a really unique paranormal romance. This is part of Lady Boss Press in a world created by Kristen Proby. This was my first read by Rayvn Salvador and I love her imagination. This paranormal romance focuses on Hanlen Arbor and Deveraux Glapton. Ten years ago, Hanlen's best friend was murdered, traumatizing her. She leaves her home in Arborwood and moves to Texas, where she enrolls in the police academy. Unfortunately, the events that took place around Reagan's death keep getting in her way. Due to this, she drops out of the police academy and becomes a private investigator. Dev is a ghost hunter and practices magic as a Voodoo Houngan. He uses his abilities to help ghosts cross over. He is the host of a ghost hunting TV show. He and the shows producers want to investigate Hanlen's home, Arborwood. When Dev and Hanlen meet to discuss using her property, sparks are immediate. Their chemistry is easy and palpable. There is also a serial killer loose in New Orleans called the “Redrum Killer" with ties to both Dev and Hanlen. This was a quick read with an intriguing plot and a mystery to unravel. I loved the two main characters as a couple and the side characters, especially the ghosts. I listened to this audiobook narrated by Skye Alley. She did an OK job but I had a lot of trouble understanding who’s POV she was reading from because she never changed her voice to match different characters. Otherwise, this was a really enjoyable read that I recommend to anyone in the mood for something spooky. This is my honest opinion, freely given.
Ever have one of those books where you haven't read the author before, you know nothing about them, and you're really unsure of the book? And then you start reading and WHOA 🤯 MIND BLOWN! These characters were complex and not stereotypical. It was mysterious and suspenseful and cloaked in Spanish moss and the fog etherealness of New Orleans.
Hanlen's best friend was murdered many years ago, and the pain of that loss has driven her from New Orleans, but now she must rein in her skepticism and return. She literally runs into Dev Glapion on the street. While Hanlen is a tough, wary, private investigator Dev Glapion is smooth, gentle, and a Voodoo priest descended from a long line of Voodoo priests. It's fantastic! Ghosts, romance, and fascinating New Orleans voodoo history fill the story (I spent a lot of time Googling people and terms). Yes, I even Googled pictures of albino pythons. You will understand when you read the book.
There were so many reasons why this book is not only great suspense, great romance, very nice steam ♨️♨️♨️♨️, and great main characters--the side characters are fantastic! I hate spoilers, so I don't want to give away any of the delightfulness of discovery for the reader. Trust me; this is a beautiful gumbo of romance, mystery, magic, ghosts, voodoo, and love beyond the grave. Yay for PNR Suspense!!
While I'm not normally one for paranormal romance, I was recommended Memento Mori because I have loved another PNR series (by Kristen Proby), so I wanted to give this book a shot- and I'm glad I did! I really enjoyed this haunted series set in New Orleans (one of my favorite cities!)! I loved Hanlen and Dev! They were perfect together!
I will say that, because I don't read much in this genre, it took me a little longer to catch on to some of the verbage that goes with paranormal activity, but once I started to get the hang of it, I couldn't put this down! I'm looking forward to more!
Memento Mori is a haunting good time! Absolutely RIVETING! I was hooked on every single word. With off the charts suspense, I could not put this book down. I thoroughly enjoyed this book SO much.
Rayvn Salvador gives us a unique and thrilling story that you don’t want to end. This is my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last.
Ooh, this had mystery, magic, the paranormal, and some crazy chemistry. I wasn't sure what I was going to find when I started reading this but was pleasantly surprised. The setting is perfect for the story and I devoured this.
I really enjoyed this story. It’s a great cast of characters and they really added to the story, there’s a lot of everything in this book including romance with just right scenes. Loved NOLA and it felt like a character all to itself. I’m looking forward to more by this new to me author.
5 WOW STARS!! This one caught my attention....I loved it so much!!! Sometimes you need something different and this was that. This was a new author to me and I need more. Her writing was so addictive, it sucked me in.
I really enjoyed this book. It was dark and tense, but not horror. I was afraid it might be too dark for me, but it was just the perfect amount of tension. I can’t wait to get to know these characters better. I like the vehicle of the tv show to promote the action.
Memento Mori by Rayvn Salvador is a haunted, keeps you on the edge of your seat and thrilling read. If you want to read something different then one Click this book now. You are going to love it.
New to me author this book is amazing. Hanlan returns to New Orleans and the horrible memories from 10 years prior of her best friend murder. She is there to let a movie crew film ghosts at her plantation. Only the killer is still lose. Dev runs the production and Sparks fly and answers are found. This action packed book won't let you put it down until you have all the answers. I can't wait to read the rest of this series.
Hanlen's whole character is pretty cool, from her occupation all the way to her name! I liked the chemistry that she had with Dev. I've seen enough ghost hunting shows that it was easy to picture Dev and his team filming their show, but the bonus of having actual ghosts and paranormal activity taking place added a new layer to the experience. Throw in a freaky serial killer and you have one spooky book!
I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book because of the title and the author is new to me. I can say that author Rayvn Salvador hit it out of the park with this first book in the series. I loved every word that was written for this story. Hanlan Arbor has been away from New Orleans for 10 years because of the murder of her best friend Reagan. Because of Reagan's murder, Hanlan became a PI and is good at what she does. Hanlan is returning to New Orleans at her mom's request because host Deveraux Glapion the host of "Haunted New Orleans" would like to film a show on the family plantation. Hanlan thinks that the ghosting community is hog wash but goes along with the request. When murders start to happen again in New Orleans in the same way that Reagan died, Hanlan knows that she has to find who is doing this. Dev has a gift to see and speak ì0with the ghosts and knows that if Hanlan could open her mind then she would receive closure that she has been waiting 10 years to receive. This is one suspenseful who done it mystery read that will keep you on your toes to the last word of the book. This author's words flow right over the pages and ghee story line is easy to read and comprehend. But don't let your sense of figuring out the murderer because you will not see it coming. This is book #1 of the "A Haunted New Orleans" series. Enjoy!