A Hymn in the Silence

This was a decent sequel but didn't grip me quite as much as the first book.

This plot sounded really similar, no doubt the authors took inspiration from The 1922 Gruber Family Murders, but seemed to get a bit grandiose especially when the next book in the series is from the POV of yet another different character in an entirely different country. I think the authors could have pared it down a bit or closed it out a little cleaner, unless we do see The Order again in a sequel.
As some other reviewers said, this book also feels a little flat being from the POV of William who is not as strong a character as James. It didn't feel like we learned much more about him or that he grew as a character, and the relationship between him and James felt a bit stagnant which is not what you want from your main pair in a romance novel. I actually wanted to see more from Victor and his budding relationship with Adelia, they seemed much more interesting if I'm honest.

The thing the authors do really well is create a really creepy atmosphere and write scenes that almost feel like a good paranormal horror movie. There were a few bits where I didn't want to read anymore in the dark before bed in case of nightmares. Really great descriptions of both the scene and the ghost... zombies? just like the first book made this a great read for the spooky season.

I'm hoping we get a bit more character development in the subsequent novellas but I am actually excited to read the third book, about Preston and Benjamin, James' school mates from the first book.

I liked this more than its predecessor, [b:A Light Amongst Shadows 38884377 A Light Amongst Shadows (Dark is the Night, #1) Kelley York https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1525146796s/38884377.jpg 60426140]. James and William never convincingly sounded like schoolboys to me, and as full fledged ghost hunters now, they no longer have to. Special props for managing a difficult narration by William, whose laudanum addiction is described in a thought-provoking way; after all, what limited choices did sensitive people like William have before Xanax and other anti-anxiety meds were so commonly available and accepted? The two men are very sweet together, the challenges to their relationship are generally addressed without Big Misunderstandings, and a secondary character from [b:A Light Amongst Shadows 38884377 A Light Amongst Shadows (Dark is the Night, #1) Kelley York https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1525146796s/38884377.jpg 60426140] makes a welcome appearance. I have to admit that the paranormal part is my least favorite part of the series; I'm not sure the logic always holds together, and after the experiences in the first book I have a hard time believing that holy water and Bible scripture are enough ammunition against dangerous spirits. But I'm on board for future books (looks like the next one might focus on two other Whisperwood friends) and hope James finally comes up with the right name for their business.