The Harbinger Collection: Hard-Boiled Mysteries Not for the Faint of Heart by Carolyn McCray

The Harbinger Collection: Hard-Boiled Mysteries Not for the Faint of Heart Reviews

• 
  Linda Farmer at LinkWithLinda

  A few pages into the third book, Buzz Kill, McCray writes,
  

  Shouts in Mexican, mostly cursing filled the high ceilinged warehouse.

  
  REALLY? Up to this point (two books and four shorts in), your misspellings are laughable, your strange syntax makes my skin crawl, your overly-cliched, gender-normative stereotyping goes down like a jagged pill, and your lack of background research requires the reader to suspend an inordinate amount reality for a non-fantasy story, but "shouts in Mexican"? That's just offensive.
• 
  Aimee

  I AM HOOKED ON HARBINGER!
  
  I gave the Harbinger Collection 5 stars because I thoroughly enjoyed every book and fell in love with Harbinger!
  Originally I stumbled on Plain Jain. I had just finished a book and Plain Jain was a suggested read. I started the book and right away I was hooked! As soon as I was finished I already missed the book. Thankfully the Collection was a suggested read as well.
  I looked up the author, Carolyn McCray, and saw Harbinger did a cross over Collection. I started this Harbinger Collection and could not put it down.
  I really like how one book just rolls in to the next. New case, same characters, and of course, Kent Harbinger! I just LOVE him! Have I mentioned that yet?
  I wish the Collection never ended. I am going to start the Collection where Harbinger goes across the pond. I have always been interested in Jack the Ripper and can not wait to see Kent Harbinger's take on it!
  I need to go through and look through all of McCray's work and start adding her to my library so I have something waiting.
  I do hope to see more books with Harbinger, Nicole, the Harbinger-Usher Baby, the 2 J's, and the rest of the cast. Since I just found this author and Harbinger I might be surprised that there are more books I don't know about.
  
• 
  Elisabeth Mcclellan

  Creative but rushed
  
  There were many thing I enjoyed in this series: the writing style, interesting characters, creative plotlines. The lack of editing was at times annoying, but not so much as to keep me from finishing the collection. The plot holes were a bigger concern, as well as a lack of research in some areas, and, as others mentioned, characters were mixed up in some scenes in Buzzkill. The author has quite a bit of talent, but I felt as if she has so many ideas, that she is trying to get them all down on paper, and thus rushing through some necessary steps to create a polished and professional product.
  I will check a few of her newer novels before deciding I can't read any more. Hopefully, with time and experience, she will work through these issues and her novels will be more enjoyable on all levels.
• 
  Fred

  Like HOUSE MD, only not.
  
  The main character, Spent Headbanger (Spent being an acronym for SPecial agENT) is pretty much a parody of the main character on the television series, House. Somehow, though, House was a little more believable/relatable. Is relatable a word? You can get away with a lot of plot craziness or setting extravagance as long as the majority of characters behave like regular humans and the consequences of actions have logical effect. In this case, the behavior doesn't ring true and Spent Headbanger gets away with stuff that, without repercussions, make the story seem kind of goofy. The TV writers let House get away with being obnoxious and pushy but they kind of drew the line on blatant felony, if memory serves.
  
  
  
• 
  carrie martin

  Thrilling
  
  Was a shocker from beginning to end.. Love the interaction of the characters as if they were real. Like you can actually picture them as real detectives..
• 
  Char Inman

  Very different and bloody.
• 
  Kathy Floyd

  Excellent collection
  
  I've never read a collection of books at one time before and I was thoroughly impressed! The characters were well developed and the story lines were smooth, building up with suspense and/or thrills to satisfying, if not, sometimes, terrifying conclusions. I have read other books by Ms McCray, and now, I'm planning on reading more collections.
• 
  Valerie

  Okay so overall this series was great!! I know that there is one final book coming out this Fall and I can't wait to see what Kent and Nicole have going on. I think it will be dealing with Lucky37 and I have a feeling that is going to be a great story.
  
  What I thought about the series. I loved the suspense, the thrilling pieces of each crime, the characters in their own unique ways and the connection between each one. When I started off reading I had kind took a liking towards Kent Harbinger, but after reading the 1st full novel in the series I was not liking him at all. His arrogance and ass hole moods were making me want to come through the Kindle and smack him around.
  
  I wished there was a little detail in what really all went down more b/w the Prequel and the 1st Novel with regards to Kent and Nicole's relationship. It was kind of hard to understand the time apart and then jump straight into him showing back up b/c she needed help on another serial killer case. Towards the end of the 1st book though it kind of got a little more descriptive of what happened but would have been nice to have read a little more into the split.
  
  Each book had a different serial killer and different ways they picked their victims. I will say I made the mistake of reading most of the books late into the evening and found it a little hard to sleep. It was just to creepy. I have really gotten into the whole psychological thriller genre b/c it keeps me on my toes and I have to say a little freaked out. I used to not like anything creepy but now I have to say it is becoming one of my favorite genres.
  
  The author will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat with her books. They are detailed and follow nicely. You keep thinking you have the right person and then she hits you with another angle which throws you off the trail. I hope that she continues to produce awesome books b/c I am going to be sad when I finally finish all the ones she has written. I looking forward to jumping onto the next series!!
  
  I definitely recommend the series and really feel you won't be disappointed in the creepy sense. I also do not advise you to read these at night, lol.
• 
  Melissa

  I am a huge fan of Carolyn McCray. Every time I read a new story I'm left with and OMG on my face and I'm ready to read the next book of hers. However I know I have to pace myself or I won't have anything of hers left to read.
  
  Some people compare McCray's style of writing to James Patterson. I completely disagree. Yes I am a fan of Patterson as well, but McCray does a much better job with research, descriptions, and not half ass job when in comes to the correct terms and usage of law enforcement and military procedures. Sure the Alex Cross series has held me prisoner for years and the new Michael Bennett series completely overruns A.C. but, McCray is the new girl in town! She really knows how to put together a story. She does horror, thriller, suspense, historical with a mix of romance. That's a wide varity more than most authors most days.
  
  The Harbringer collection is a mix of horror, suspense, and thriller all rolled into one. It gave me chills at times. Harbringer is one unique but creepy and twisted character. Dysfunctional also comes to mind. Val, well Val when describing her the first thing that comes to mind is that she is what we call "A Hot Mess". One minute she has her life together with a great guy and the next it gets turns upside down and blown out of control due to another man. She's hurt and wants answers not another roller coaster ride with Harbringer. But she is a bit of a push over when it comes to him. She always gets drawn back into his games when she knows she doesn't want to and even says no to him. Well what can you say love is a strange cycle that sucks you in and sometimes you just can't get out.
  
  McCray's story itself was creepy, gruesome, exciting, and mind boggling just the way I like it! I can't wait to read Wallflower next to see where Harbringer and Val end up next.
• 
  John Podlaski

  I found the stories within the Harbinger Collection to be an education in how to catch serial killers. Famed FBI Profiler, Kent Harbinger, joins forces with the local police force to help catch serial killers in each of these stories. Nicole Usher is the lead detective on these cases, infatuated by the Profiler's credentials and abilities, she teams up with Kent and becomes his understudy. His theory is that in order to catch a killer, one must put himself into the killer's head to understand the motivations and reasons for their killing spree. Kent begins teaching Nicole those techniques. There are portions of the stories that are gross and disturbing, leaving images in your mind long after you've read the words, i.e. eating human brains. Not for the faint of heart! However, it's all part of the gruesome world these killers live in, and no two killers are alike.
  
  As some of the other reviewers have mentioned, these stories do mimic James Patterson's style, leaving readers guessing until the very end. Intrigued by the book description and reviews, I downloaded it onto my Kindle for free and felt compelled to give it a try. Now I'm hooked and looking forward to Ms. McCray's next book in the series. Great job - thanks for the experience!
  
  John Podlaski, author
  Cherries: A Vietnam War Novel
  
• 
  M

  I'm giving 3-3.5 stars to the collection of short stories/novellas in The Harbinger Collection:
  
  1. Anatomy
  2. Dark Lullaby
  3. My Soul to Keep
  4. Shallow Grave
  5. Pallor
  6. Epilogue
  
  I rated the full length novels (Plain Jane, Wallflower, & Buzz Kill individually).
  
  I don't really care for the collection style with all of the in-between novellas that could have just been part of the full length novels. I think it would have been better as a regular trilogy.
  
  Overall, it's a good crime solving series with many plot twists; possibly too many at times which make them seem gratuitous and forced.
  
  There are numerous typos and other mistakes, particularly in Buzz Kill, to the point where it becomes distracting. The spelling of a character's name sometimes changes from one page to the next.
  
  All complaints aside, I'll definitely read more by Carolyn McCray.
• 
  Tere Fredericks

  Hard boiled & Graphic?
  
  Don't say you weren't warned. Pretty graphic murder scenes. But not gratuitous. They need to be for the fearsome five to get the killer. Makes the ending so much sweeter. However, I am not surprised the author days these kept her awake at night. Not really what you'd expect from Ms McCray, until you read a while, then you KNOW it is her. Cannot wait to read the second cycle. I do not believe in discussing plot at all - a potential reader can get that from the back of the book. Highly recommended if you like (or as I do, love) the genre. I just have to say, however, there's just something OFF about Reuben's girlfriend.
• 
  Shannon

  Great addicting storyline. I was very happy it delivered on all its gory promises. I thought Kent was a jerk at the beginning but loved him by the end. Nicole was a strong female lead as well and the profiling was pretty accurate.
  
  I can only give this four stars due to grammatical errors and poor spelling throughout the series. Sometimes it interfered with the story line and made certain things hard to understand. It made parts of the book feel rushed, especially near the end.
  
  This was my first series by this author, and I plan on coming back for more in the future.
• 
  Laronza Wiley-moore

  OMG you HAVE to read this collection of books. It's a fast ride from the opening pages. From Kent with his uncanny ability to get into the head of psychos to jealous Ruben to the serial killers that you never expect. I LOVED every story and could not stop reading. I kept hoping for a happy ending for Kent and the leading lady but GOD was he arrogant I waned to punch him at times. This collection never fails.
• 
  Christie

  I don't know why murder mystery books weren't on my reading lists before. I don't have a weak stomach, but if you do, this is not what you want to read. There is some pretty gruesome stuff going on in Caroyln McCray's mind for her to put pen to paper. But I love it!
  
  I was completely taken by how this series was well written. I couldn't get enough of the books. I only hope that this isn't the last of this series. She has to let me know more about what is going on with these folks!
• 
  Deborah

  I admit it, I am a Carolyn McCray fan. I can't seem to get enough of her books. I have met some very interesting characters good and bad. Come meet Kent Harbinger. You may not like him at first but he will grow on you. Looking for a great thriller? you can't go wrong reading this great collection.Don't stop there please continue to read her other books. I promise you will be thrilled.I received this collection in exchange for my honest opinion ad review.
• 
  Sheryl Messinger

  Characters grow on you
  
  When I purchased this series I assumed that it was going to be similar to the stories of Rebecca and Brandt, but the characters in this series were very different. The first short story was a little dark and I didn't think I was going to like the story line. However by book three I was hooked and by the end, rooting for Kent and Nicole, great character development. I am looking forward to the next series. Thanks again for the great read!
• 
  Jack

  Shorty to close the collection
  
  A final story to wrap up Lucky 37. Nice ending and the Good Guys win. But despite everything, Harbinger is still an arrogant prick. But he wouldn't care what I thought. I must say he's the best.
  
  Still wish Ruben would have gotten one over on him.
  
  Pretty good story!
• 
  Stephanie

  I love this series. Although a little unrealistic at times, it always packs a punch and leaves you salivating for the next. The characters are well written & I love how it jumps from all the characters giving the reader a glimpse of everyone's mind and life. The author has great potential if she just cleans up a few grammatical errors and such...
• 
  Donald R Coscia

  Serial killers beware
  
  The author really knows how to spin a tale. How she gets into the mind of Harbinger is scary. The characters of Nicole and her profiler Harbinger are interesting and exciting. Personally I would recommend reading this in inrtervals. I think the stories will grab you and some of t h e plots might not seem redundant.