Kay Hooper's Special Unit series is one of my favorites. My reading circle has read many of Hooper's books and found each one a universal 5 star read. The characters are well defined, we can almost feel their thoughts as they brief the team and see the pictures they paint of the crimes and the killers. Hooper's books are a genre to themselves, mixing in mystery/ thriller/ paranormal and a few more.

Curse of Salem by Kay Hooper
A special thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group & NetGalley for the arc of this book. I voluntarily read and reviewed this title all thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Curse of Salem is book twenty in the Bishop Special Crimes Unit series.
Noah Bishop and his agents are back in Salem to stop a killer who is going after the towns Elders. Hollis and Diana have had powerful visions and in the grey time ahead of the first person going missing. They thought they were ahead of the serial killer this time. Only to arrive in Salem and the first person to be missing already.
These books are filled with the paranormal world where anything is possible. It kept me guessing as the team worked out who the killer was.
Fans of Bishop won’t want to miss out on this one.

Kay Hooper has done it again! "Curse of Salem" was the next addition to the Bishop-verse and so worth it!

When two members of the of Special Crimes Unit led by FBI Special Agent Bishop have the same outer body experience in the realm between life and death. It’ll take the team back to a familiar town in the mountains of North Carolina. Members of the team were just in Salem a few months ago on a case. It’ll be a first for the Special Crimes Unit that they’ll return to a town a second time to hopefully save the founding families of Salem known as The Five who are again targets. Six members of the unit will come back to town to look for a killer and hopefully solve the Curse of Salem.

Curse of Salem is Kay Hooper’s recent story in the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series. She takes six members of the team back to a familiar town in North Carolina to fight a second round of unique evil. The agents have special talents of their own to counter act any psychic criminal they encounter. They along with several members of the founding families known as The Five with face danger and what looks like a serial killer whose goal just maybe getting rid of The Five. Curse of Salem shows the unique talents of the six agents sent to figure out what is going on. Danger, suspense and the supernatural lend a hand in keeping these agents are the local sheriff and the new to town banker who we met in the last book. Lives are put on the line as well as feat throughout. When two members of the of Special Crimes Unit led by FBI Special Agent Bishop have the same outer body experience in the realm between life and death. It’ll take the team back to a familiar town in the mountains of North Carolina. Members of the team were just in Salem a few months ago on a case. It’ll be a first for the Special Crimes Unit that they’ll return to a town a second time to hopefully save the founding families of Salem known as The Five who are again targets. Six members of the unit will come back to town to look for a killer and hopefully solve the Curse of Salem.

Curse of Salem is Kay Hooper’s recent story in the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series. She takes six members of the team back to a familiar town in North Carolina to fight a second round of unique evil. The agents have special talents of their own to counter act any psychic criminal they encounter. They along with several members of the founding families known as The Five with face danger and what looks like a serial killer whose goal just maybe getting rid of The Five. Curse of Salem shows the unique talents of the six agents sent to figure out what is going on. Danger, suspense and the supernatural lend a hand in keeping these agents are the local sheriff and the new to town banker who we met in the last book. Lives are put on the line as well as feat throughout the town because a killer is on the loose. A killer who seems to be just a step ahead of these agents. These agent’s special talents and investigative skills will be put to the test trying to figure out who’s behind these horrific brutal murders. Kay Hooper’s twentieth book in the Special Crimes Unit aka Bishop Series Curse of Salem has the reader trying to figure out who dun it along with the agents. You’ll be kept guessing until the end when it all comes together in a nice ending. A great spooky psychic suspenseful read that will make you a Kay Hooper fan.

The Special Crimes Unit is pulled back to Salem thanks to a ghostly calling card via dream to Hollis and Templeton.  Clearly evil still lingers in the town as manifested by the gathering of crows and the psychic dreams of the town's pre-eminent foreseer.  Excitingly this time Bishop and Miranda are themselves going to be a part of the FBI team dispatched to Salem. 
It's soon clear that members of the five magical families in the town are being targeted by a killer who is determined to torture and kill.  A killer who has the power to raise a fog that hides his actions even from the talents of Bishop and his team. Nellie had used her power to communicate with the crows to foil her evil uncle and is reluctant to use them this time around but as it turns out the crows are already on the job sensing the gathering evil in their town. 
As the team starts to put together the clues and mobilize to save the latest kidnap victim, readers start to gather insights into the twisted mind of a serial killer. He had gotten away with murder once a long time ago and now he's on a spree because he believes his time has come to flex his power which has been set free after the defeat of the evil that was smothering the town before. 
This story doesn't carry the same intensity and punch as this series once did in its heyday.    I was disappointed that Bishop and particularly Miranda played such a small role. All in all, I'm glad I read the story but missed the bone chilling, adrenaline filled ride that I expect from a book by the author.

Kay Hooper has written a great suspense book. Benson's exceptional psychic group unites to solve another mystery.

Kay Hooper continues her psychic Special Crimes unit series in Curse of Salem. Bishop and his psychic specialists are called back to Salem. a small mountain village with a centuries old group of psychic families. Members of the 5 psychic families of Salem are starting to die in terrible ways and the Special Crimes Unit works with the local police to locate the serial killer. Great read.

These books are great, I love the characters. Hollis is my favorite.
You definitely have to read them in order or at least each trilogy together. If you are into paranormal books these are for you!

I had only read one Kay Hooper book previously (Haven) and enjoyed it. This was a different genre for me (paranormal) but I really enjoyed the writing, the plot and the characters.

With all of Ms. Hooper's Bishop Special Crimes Unit books, there is never a lack of mystery, psychic phenomenons, danger, and intrigue, and CURSE OF SALEM is no exception. The mystery unweaves itself neatly while the psychics try to protect themselves and those around them before it is too late. As always be prepared for an amazing ride.

Reviewed for Fresh Fiction by Annetta Sweetko

Complete review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=76247

This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2022/01/04/curse-of-salem-by-kay-hooper/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
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<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>

3.5 hearts

<blockquote>I have enjoyed this <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/52529-bishop-special-crimes-unit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><em><strong>Bishop Special Crime Unit series</strong></em></a> for a long time.  Sometimes the stories feature long known members of the team and some are completely new characters.  With well known characters, there is the advantage of already knowing them and having better developed characters who then further progress.  With new ones, it makes it easier for new readers to jump into the story. I would read some of the earlier books to have some of the background and inside jokes, plus they are great books.</blockquote>

<strong>Curse of  Salem</strong> follows <strong>Hidden Salem</strong> in the series. So the setting is the same as the previous book and there are some of the same characters.  This time we get Bishop and Miranda, as well as Hollis who were not present in the previous book.    The earlier books were romantic suspense but I would call these later books paranormal mystery.

The team is brought back to Salem as the mediums, Hollis and Diana, get messages that things are wrong.  As with many books, Hollis is a key figure.  She does seem to adapt and develop in every book as needed to solve the case.  Unfortunately, this feels a little bit special snowflake, and doesn't add as much to the story or world.  I'd rather see more different people utilize their talents or develop them.

<strong>Curse of Salem</strong> was very suspenseful because their is a killer and his work is horrific. The pace has picked up with people being kidnapped frequently for brutal torture.  The telepathic and empathic talented, even the clairvoyant who see future visions are not enjoying what they feel and see.  There seems to be some sort of jamming of their talents but eventually they can use some of them to help with the case.

Bishop and Miranda were here, on-site, but not heavily involved.  The locals, Finn and Nellie, who we met in the previous book, were involved but also possibly targets of the killer. The team did add to help train Finn's team which is more newly developed and also helped with searching for the missing and dumped.

I love this series which has my favorite kind of paranormal, a specific kind of magic, which involves the mind.  There is a suspenseful mystery . Sometimes we get new characters or further development of old favorites.  The series is uneven with some books more romance, others more mystery. <strong>Curse of Salem</strong> is an interesting addition.

Curse Of Salem – Kay Hooper

It’s been a minute since I’ve read a book by Kay Hooper – I first discovered her in 2000 or so - but she never disappoints! If you love a good mystery with a bit of paranormal tossed in, this is the series for you!

Noah Bishop is the leader of an elite group of FBI investigators that call themselves the Special Crimes Unit, or SCU for short – but what makes these investigators special?? Each possesses some form of paranormal talent, and each agent is showcased as the novels progress, with new faces joining the team regularly. This is the 20th book in the series – and if you lover a new series, this is as good a place to start as any! Curse of Salem is the second of what appears to be a trilogy within the Bishop series (there are several) – I have not read the first, but I will be soon!

Special Agent Hollis Templeton awakens abruptly to find herself in the gray time – a one dimensional place where spirits reportedly roam. As Hollis is a medium – able to communicate with spirits – she can be drawn into the gray space, but usually only at the bidding of another agent, Diana, who has had similar abilities for most of her life. She soon finds Diana in the space, and they both learn that they’ve been drawn to the space by Daniel – a young child who warns them that a new menace has taken up residence in Salem and shows them images of the carnage to come if they don’t stop a very real killer.

A meeting with Bishop at Quantico the next day, followed by a phone call from the sheriff of Salem ensures the team’s timely return to the area, as certain Salem residents are also sensing the unrest to come. Salem is a small town that was founded by several families all with psychic talent who accept Bishop’s agents for their abilities. It is also home to a unique murder of crows. Soon after the arrival of Hollis and her team, the first person goes missing… Soon, Hollis receives a visit from the spirit of a young woman, who explains that she was actually the killer’s first victim from last summer– and now he’s taken another…she also tells Hollis that the crows can help… As the team throws themselves into the investigation, they quickly learn that their nemesis has his own psychic abilities…can Bishop’s unit prevail?

I had forgotten how good these books are! This is yet another novel that will grab you from the very first page and keep you turning pages well into the night. Far-fetched, perhaps but awesome nonetheless!! For sheer reading pleasure, with great plots, intrigue & memorable characters, you just can’t beat this series – 20 books strong with no end in sight!

Curse of Salem is a terrific addition to Kay Hooper’s continuing series of Noah Bishop and his Special Crimes Unit. Bishop along with his agents are back in Salem to stop a killer intent on killing the Elders of Salem .

A big fan of this paranormal series ,I thoroughly enjoyed this good suspenseful read

I would like to thank Berkley Publishing Group & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

3.5 Stars

Several members of the FBI’s Special Crimes Unit arrive in the town of Salem to investigate a case involving a possible serial killer. They are called to the town in two different ways. One is the typical way in which Finn Deverell, the Chief Deputy of Salem contacts the leader of the team for help. The second is more unconventional – two team members receive a psychic summons from a spirit guide that they are needed in Salem as soon as possible. They learn the killer could be targeting members of the town’s five founding families and their contact, Finn, could be one of the citizens who is in danger.

It has been a while since I’ve read a book by this author. Hooper does a good job of sharing the important background information about the characters and the main premise of the series. My favorite characters are Bishop and his wife Miranda. Bishop is a great leader and both he and Miranda wisely use their special skills as well as their intelligence to investigate the case. The rest of the team works well together, using their unique psychic talents to solve an unusual series of crimes. Even though I was able to quickly get to know the main characters, getting a feel for the whole world of the Special Crimes Unit was somewhat overwhelming. All of the references to shields and energy are one thing, but when several crows started helping with the investigation, that was a little too much for me.

Some of the descriptions of the murderer’s actions were gory, so this is not a cozy read by any means. However, the core of the investigation interested me. I like how the FBI worked with local law enforcement and others, who also had psychic abilities, to identify the killer and the motive. The book gets better as the story progresses. The last several chapters are tense and suspenseful as additional Salem residents find themselves in danger from a dangerous and truly evil killer. I was eager to keep reading and find out what would happen next. The ending is exciting and satisfying. Overall, I like the book, but think readers who have been following the series more closely will enjoy it even more. I also think fans of Andrea Kane’s Forensic Instincts series would enjoy the book.

~ Christine

I loved it! I've been following this series since the start and I don't waste any time digging in when a new one is released. The team assigned to this case was top notch. Bishop got his hands dirty with his involvement and Hollis was insightful and amusing when she was pondering ideas. It was extremely interesting following along when they all partnered up out on sites and were talking out theories. And their camaraderie is tight like a family. Excellent series!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is the 20th in a series. It does read well as a stand alone, although there are alot of characters, which could be overwhelming. I actually thought there were to many characters, any everyone has unique paranormal capabilities. This is not a romance, but really a mystery, thriller. I guess there is a hint of romance with Nellie and Finn. While I enjoyed it, I would have liked to learn more about Nellie and Finn and less on the FBI agents. Just a thought. I know that this is a super popular series and that many will love this book. 3.5 stars

I have been a fan of this author for many, many years, and I realized it had been a couple of years since I read a book by her. This one broke that streak. It was so great to be back in Bishop’s world with his group of operatives around him. I remembered most of them from previous books, and it was so much fun getting to remember and get to know them again. This was exactly the kind of book I remember this author writes: well-written, fast-paced, excellent characters, and a great way to spend a few hours of time. You don’t need to have read the others in the series to enjoy this one, but reading the others is really worth it to understand some of the undertones. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This book didn't work for me. I think my expectations going in where more towards Graham's series which is more of a paranormal add on to the real world. This book is a bit deeper in the paranormal with people with all kinds of different powers and a different set of orders and rules.

I'm not sure I gave it a fully fair chance as this is the 20th book in the series and this is the one I'm starting with. However, while I'm sure I would have understood a bit more about the world and how the characters are connected to each other I don't think this book would have worked for me regardless. Neither the pacing nor the writing style worked for me. There are a lot of characters and it felt like the plot jumped around quite a bit. Suddenly, we would be introduced to a new character who hadn't been mentioned before who had a different set of skills and their own motivations. With all the head jumping I never felt particularly invested in any of the characters or super interested in what they were doing. As well, the characters all felt a bit flat and other then name and talent didn't particularly stand out from the others. I also felt like the story leaned way more towards over explanation without much showing. Even when the characters were in the middle of a hunt for a killer there was never realy a sense of urgency.

Overall, this book just didn't click for me. If you are interested I do recommend starting from the beginning as there are a lot of characters and world building in this book.

I so enjoy Kay Hooper's writing. I loved being back with Hollis and Diana and this was a very engaging story. Set in Salem, I love the familiarity of this book with a new plot. I think the best part of this book is that she seems to have narrowed her focus and instead of introducing a new main character as she usually does, she focuses on the powerful couples we already now. My biggest concern with this series is that there are so many characters in this world and you need the usually provided character map to figure out who is who. If Kay can stick to the characters she does really well, keep the tight editing and pacing and come up with new, intriguing plots, I'll continue to happily read.

Curse of Salem is the 20th installment in author Kay Hooper's Bishop/Special Crimes Unit. The thing about this long series is that there are several interconnected trilogies all connected to the FBI's Special Crimes Unit. For the sake of this story, the first part of this trilogy was Hidden Salem where readers were introduced to Nellie Cavendish and the Five, also know as the Five families who founded Salem. This also includes Finn Deverell who created Salem's first police force after the events of the previous installment.

Salem was founded by Five families; Cavendish, Deverell, Blackwood, Ainsworth, and Hales. A few months ago, Nellie's uncle was the villain who tried to control everyone and suppress their Talents they were born with. Thanks to him, Finn created a local militia to handle all the issues or problems that may pop up. But it's not enough. Noah Bishop and his FBI Special Crimes Unit, including Hollis Templeton, Diana Hayes, Reese DeMarco, Quentin Hayes, and Miranda Bishop, find themselves back in Salem after Hollis and Diana receive a warning in Diana’s eerie “gray time”—a space between the world of the living and the realm of the dead—that a twisted killer is stalking Salem, bent on destroying in the most bloody and horrifying way possible the five families that founded the town.

Then Hollis has another vision and a young woman named Megan Hales comes to her and tells her she was the first. This comes as a surprise because everyone thought that she had left Salem to make a new life for herself after being jilted by her fiancé shortly before their planned wedding day. Being led to her buried body by the crows turns their investigation onto a new path. When another man goes missing, the questions multiply. Why these two men? Is there a reason that ties the victims together with Megan?

Meanwhile, Nellie is still hesitant about asking the crows for help. She knows that her uncle abused them for his own wicked machinations, and has no plan to become the next villain. The other rule about these stories is that there's usually only one monster per town. The rules have changed as have the abilities of the SCU team. My struggle with this story was too much chatting, and not that much action. In fact, the only action that does take place is when the team traps the villain who has just taken another of the Five families.

It was interesting trying to figure out who the villain was since this person is always off stage until the end. The interesting part is that once Nellie gets an understanding that there's nothing wrong with asking for help from the crows, things become easier to put the piece together and find the missing lost family members and bring justice to the lost like Megan.