	Book Reviews, Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers
Home / MBR Bookwatch

MBR Bookwatch

Volume 3, Number 5 May 2004 Home | MBW Index

Table of Contents

Cynthia Penn's Bookshelf Donovan's Bookshelf Klausner's Bookshelf

Laurel's Bookshelf Shelley's Bookshelf Shirley's Bookshelf

Vicki's Bookshelf

Cynthia Penn's Bookshelf
A Family Of Her Own: Superromance No 1195
Brenda Novak
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN: 0373711956 $5.25 304 pages

Winner of the WordWeaving Award for Excellence

Two years ago Katie Rogers turned down Booker Robinson's marriage proposal to follow another man to San Francisco. Now she returns to her hometown pregnant and unmarried. When her ancient Cadillac breaks down just inside the city limits, Booker happens by and lends his assistance. Katie would have preferred to avoid the humiliation of being turned away by her parents with him as a witness. But at his insistence, she does agree to stay with Booker until she can get on her feet.

Booker mostly keeps to himself, but he does have a thing for lending aid to strays. Moreover, Booker is fiercely loyal and does not hesitate to wade into the fray when bullies pick on others. So he does not mind taking in a mentally challenged man and giving him or job, or providing support to Katie. But Katie wants to be independent, and she certainly does not want to yield to an old attraction.

Once again author Brenda Novak delivers a stunningly magical performance in A FAMILY OF HER OWN. In this return to Dundee, Idaho, Novak deftly captures the intensity and challenges of family dynamics in a read impossible to put down. Both Booker and Katie are the kind of people who have made mistakes that inescapably determine the course of their lives. Booker's prison record and Katie's ex-fianc‚ threatens their hopes for the future. But more than the past, their own insecurities threaten any chance of a future unless someone learns to bend. Secondary characters are equally memorable from unbending parents to a rebellious teen. Such depth of characterization results in people who profoundly touch reader's hearts. Indeed, Novak's fans will easily recognize Novak's unforgettable style and characterizations from the first chapter. A FAMILY OF HER OWN earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

The Sex Solution: Blaze No 127
Kimberly Raye
Harlequin Retail Inc
PO Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269
ISBN: 0373791313 $4.50 256 pages

Highly recommended

Bad boy Austin Jericho created a wild reputation that he no longer upholds. Once he would never have turned down a kiss from a woman, now he walks away from desire in favor of a hope of permanence. After all, he has promised Miss Marshalyn Simmons that he will meet her terms so she will give him much coveted land that she refuses to sell at any other price. And she aims to see Austin married. So Austin seeks a conservative, tame woman with whom he can settle down. He had vowed there will be no more fast times with fast women. Then Madeline Hale returns to town.

Gone are the surplus pounds of her father's donut shop. A diet regime and hard work have replaced the dowdy habits of Madeline's youth. Madeline left town twelve years ago and never looked back. Now after a fabulous kiss, Austin has the nerve to turn around and walk away, inspiring Madeline to seduction. Unfortunately, on the fast tract up the corporate ladder, Madeline has big city ways now, with one-night stand written all over. Nevertheless, she does not give up easily. And Madeline wants Austin, and will be as bodacious as necessary to get him.

Author Kimberly Raye's love of bad boys sparkles in THE SEX SOLUTION. Sultry heat and tantalizing romance explode off the pages as Madeline and Austin find their way to love. Madeline has replaced her good girl image with a sex siren, having become exactly the kind of woman Austin vows to avoid. Austin comes from a troubled family and doggedly determines to make a future for himself with a good girl who will stick around. Their mutual chemistry dictates exhilarating conflict and mutual satisfaction that the reader will delight in. THE SEX SOLUTION comes highly recommended.

Return To Me
Shannon McKenna
Zebra Books
Kensington Publishing Corp.
850 Third Avenue, New York NY 10022
ISBN: 0758205600 $14.00 352 pages

Very highly recommended

Five months after his Uncle Gus' death, Simon Riley returns to his hometown. He heard of Uncle Gus' suicide while he was on a photo shoot in Afghanistan. The news had brought a resurgence of his old nightmare of a ravenous fire that closed in on him. His uncle's suicide did not square with Simon's memories, or the email Gus sent the day before his death. The email might have been not of a paranoid madman, but not of man about to commit suicide. His first sight of Ellen Kent also does not square with his memories.

When Simon left, Ellen had been a skinny teen with big startled eyes and heavy bands. Now she is a knockout. She is also the proprietor of the nearby bed and breakfast. As always, Simon brings a path of chaos and destruction in his wake. He had left town after standing unjustly accused of burning a stable. He returns to unsettle Ellen's plans. Engaged to the former mayor's son, Ellen has plans for a quiet life that does not include the likes of the boy she never got over. But falling into Simon's wake brings the attention of a dangerous psychopath with his own agenda.

Author Shannon McKenna has long pleased fans with heart pounding romantic suspense. RETURN TO ME is a strongly character driven novel, allowing the reader to grow close to both the hero and heroine while also glimpsing the mindset of a psychopath. While the plot might seem somewhat predictable, it becomes riveting reading as both Ellen and Simon struggle to reconcile their powerful chemistry with seemingly insurmountable differences. Ellen's mother shines through a surprisingly strong and entrancing secondary character that readers will find delightful. RETURN TO ME comes very highly recommended.

Hadrian's Wall
William Dietrich
HarperCollins
10 East 53rd Street New York, NY USA 10022
ISBN: 0060563710 $24.95 352 pages

Highly recommended

During the second century A.D. the Romans build Hadrian's Wall to separate the Roman Empire from the surrounding Celts and Picts. By 368, the Roman Empire weakens, and the Celtic chieftain Arden Caratacus wants the invaders gone. His nemesis, Senior Tribune Galba Brassidias, resents surrounding command of the wall to aristocratic scholar Marcus Flavius, a soldier with political connects.

Lady Valeria, a senator's daughter, travels to Hadrian's Wall to marry Marcus. Their alliance gives Marcus the command of the Petriana cavalry in return for providing much-needed funds for her family. The angry Galba pretends loyalty to Marcus while surreptitiously encouraging Arden to attack. Arden kidnaps Vaeria who falls in love with him while living with the Celts. Soon it is up to her to stop a bloody war.

William Dietrich's HADRIAN'S WALL is a powerfully rendered historical novel. The narrative shifts from the third-person account of Valeria and the people she encounters and the first-person account of Draco who investigates her disappearance. As Draco unwinds a treacherous tale of murder and intrigue, the reader is swept away to another time and place. The clash of cultures, the powerful subplots and skillful story telling result in a richly told historical novel. The glimpse of both cultures from each side of the wall will capture the reader's imagination with the contrast between the sophistication of the Romans and the conquered yet spirited Celts. Valeria will especially find favor with readers with her bravery and loyalty. A remarkable read, HADRIAN'S WALL comes highly recommended.

Cynthia Penn
Senior Reviewer

Donovan's Bookshelf
Animation: The Whole Story
Howard Beckerman
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd St, Suite 210, NY, NY 10010
1581153015 $24.95 www.allworth.com

Animation professor Beckerman shares his insights and legacy in ANIMATION: THE WHOLE STORY a discussion of what makes good and bad animation. Beckerman worked as a classic animator for over forty years, hand-drawing thousands of characters: chapters discuss everything from story lines and action scenes to directing tips.

The Real Business Of Web Design
John Waters
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St., #510, NY, NY 10010
1581153163 $19.95 1-800-491-2808

In The Real Business Of Web Design, veteran design consultant John Waters offers a resource of developing web strategy, clarifying relationships between design, technology and business and showing how to make Web sites work more effectively by making them more user-friendly to their visitors. Use The Real Business Of Web Design to simplify and clarify Web site development, and learn how to identify both casual visitor and business objectives.

The Perfect Stage Crew
John Kaluta
Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St., #510, NY, NY 10010
1581153155 $19.95 1-800-491-2808

John Kaluta's The Perfect Stage Crew: The Compleat Technical Guide for High School, College, and Community Theater considers budgets and the means for creating professional-quality stage productions on a limited set of resources. Kaluta shows how to pull off a fine production in less than forty days on almost any budget, and covers everything from organizing and storing backstaeg supplies, to building sets, to testing lighting, to operating sound equipment. This technical guide is confidently recommended for any involved in theatre at the high school, college or community levels.

Allworth Press
10 E. 23rd St., #510, NY, NY 10010
1-800-491-2808 www.allworth.com

Three new titles address the basics of design and marketing in modern times. Brigitte Borja De Mozota's DESIGN MANAGEMENT (1-58115-283-3, $24.95) tells how design can be linked to brand value to create memorable corporate identities and marketing skills. Branding is a dynamic way of achieving management goals and helping businesses formulate strategy and image: this provides a college-level discourse on the topic. David Cole's COMPLETE GUIDE TO BOOK MARKETING (322-8, $19.95) covers market changes, evolving and current trends in technology, and how to reach the education market as it tells how to sell books most effectively. Whether it's selling direct or through book clubs to setting goals and marketing within the publishing and book trade, COMPLETE GUIDE TO BOOK MARKETING points publishers in the right directions. Completely revised and appearing in an updated 3rd edition is Jan V. White's EDITING BY DESIGN (302-3, $29.95), a foundation of tips for designers, art directors and editors on how to blend words with design for winning results. Editors traditionally are pitted against designers to their detriment: EDITING BY DSIGN offers fresh solutions to show how editing and design groups may join forces for maximum results.

Cartooning, Caricature And Animation Made Easy
Chuck Thorndike
Dover Publications
31 E. 2nd St., Mineola, NY 11501
0486431525 $6.95 www.doverpublications.com

Artists of all skills levels will find CARTOONING, CARICATURE AND ANIMATION MADE EASY a simple presentation of step-by-step cartooning instructions presented by professional Thorndike: the result of a republication of two classics SECRETS OF CARTOONING and ART OF CARTOONING, which appeared in 1936 and 1937, respectively.

Dover Publications
31 E. 2nd St., Mineola, NY 11501
www.doverpublications.com

This publisher's ongoing history and fashion titles make it one of the leading contributors to reprint classics in these fields, offering affordable paperwork versions to new audiences. C. Willett Cunnington's FASHION AND WOMEN'S ATTITUDES IN THE 19TH CENTURY (0486431908, $14.95) provides extracts from novels, correspondence from the columns of ladies' magazines, and plenty of source material on fashion of the times. Dorothy Hartley's MEDIEVAL COSTUME AND HOW TO RECREATE IT (0486429857, $11.95) reprints a 1931 original history classifying the clothes and accessories of the 12th through 15th centuries along social lines. Mary Houston's ANCIENT GREEK ROMAN & BYZANTINE COSTUME (0486426106, $12.95) republishes the second edition of a 1947 classic, packing in research with over 300 drawings based upon period artists' renderings. Iris Brooke's COSTUME IN GREEK CLASSIC DRAMA (0486429830, $9.95) returns a 1962 classic to print and will reach both students of Greek classic fashion and drama students alike. Students of Egyptian history from the high school level on up will find the revised edition of Margaret Murray's SPLENDOR THAT WAS EGYPT (0486431002, $16.95) provides a fine republication of the revised 1963 classic recreating early Egyptian life, while E.A. Wallis Budge's FIRST STEPS IN EGYPTIAN HIEROGLYPHICS (0486430995, $12.95) provides beginners with a fine 1895 introductory text. Dover's AMERICAN SWORD (0486428024, $24.95) by Harold Peterson provides the republication of the first book devoted exclusively to American swords and their history, Romola and R.C. Anderson's SHORT HISTORY OF THE SAILING SHIP (0486429881, $11.95) blends over 150 illustrations with a survey of the evolution of the sailing ship over 6,000 years of history, and Henry C. King's HISTORY OF THE TELESCOPE (0486432653, $24.95) surveys early inventors, astronomers, and the instrument which changed their lives. All are highly recommended standards.

Trafalgar Square
PO Box 257, N. Pomfret, VT 05053
www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

These two new additions to the 'Vintage Living Texts' series by Margaret Reynolsd and Jonathan Noakes provide important keys to understanding contemporary author texts. SUSAN HILL (0099452189 , $12.00) covers the major works of literature produced by Hill, analyzes her themes and narrative technique, and asks questions probing her major texts, from MIST IN THE MIRROR to STRANGE MEETING. JOHN FOWLES (0099460882 , $12.00) achieves the same for modern writer Fowles's works which include MAGUS, COLLECTOR and FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN. Each contains an in-depth interview with the author, tailored for this series, and provides students with a strong blend of biographical and literary introductions.

Hesperus/Trafalgar Square, dist.
PO Box 257, N. Pomfret, VT 05053
www.trafalgarsquarebooks.com

This publisher's excellent series takes famous authors and reprints less-famous works which succeed in rounding out the better known pieces, providing literary achievements and insights which would otherwise be well hidden. Jonathan Swift's DIRECTIONS TO SERVANTS (1843910624 , $12.00) thus provides the Gulliver's Travel's author's insights into social change and master/servant conflicts, William Congreve's INCOGNITA (1843910691) provides the 1600s dramatist's comedy of disguises, Edith Wharton's TOUCHSTONE (1843910667, $12.00) tells of an improvised lawyer in glamorous New York who hoards the letters of a famous author; Niccoli Machiavelli's LIFE OF CASTRUCCIO CASTRACANI (1843910640, $12.00) tells of a charismatic 14th century warlord; Nicolai Leskov's LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK (1843910683, $12.00) reveals a young bride married to a man twice her age who lacks romance and excitement until she meets a seducer; Francois Rabelais' GARGANTUA (1843910578) provides a parody of medieval times and education, Jane Austen's LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP (1843910608, $12.00) takes the form of a series of letters to a friend's daughter on marriage; and Jules Verne's FANTASY OF DR. OX (1843910675, $12.00) tells of a mad scientist who makes a living town his experimental laboratory. Robert Louis Stevenson's DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1843910705, $12.00) has been reprinted numerous times but deserves ongoing mention for its story of a doctor obsessed by the duality of good and evil. All are recommended top picks.

Guide to Gems
Cally Oldershaw
Firefly Publishers
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
1552978141 $14.95 1-800-387-5085 www.fireflybooks.com

Cally Oldershaw's Guide To Gems is provides a rich and thoroughly "user friendly" field guide to the identification and use of gemstones provides even the most novice beginner with a fine introduction to not only identification, but the chemistry and geological properties of gems. Over a hundred varieties of gemstones accompany over 850 photos and 50 drawings, making for a colorful treasure trove in and of itself.

Firefly Publishers
4 Daybreak Lane, Westport, CT 06880
1-800-387-5085 www.fireflybooks.com

Peter Grego's MOON OBSERVER'S GUIDE (1552978885, $14.95) follows the moon and offers detailed maps and photographic images of lunar features. From the basics of selecting equipment most appropriate for moon gazing to recording observations and observing a lunar eclipse, this packs in practical insights. Storm Dunlop's wider-ranging PRACTICAL ASTRONOMY (1552978257, $14.95) tells beginners how to find their way around the constellations, how to use telescopes, and how to observe the Moon and planets. From star maps and chart reading to colorful photos, this comes filled with practical applications for beginning astronomers. Gerald Conaty and Lloyd Binder's REINDEER HERDERS OF THE MACKENZIE DELTA (1552978710, $16.95) provides a history of the marriage of two families and cultures: the Mackenzie Delta peoples, who in the early 1900s were forced to convert to reindeer after caribou herds were diminished by climate changes. Their encounter with the Sami herders and imported reindeer herds from Scandinavia makes for a fascinating story.

Diane C. Donovan
West Coast Editor

Klausner's Bookshelf
Premonition
J.A. Terry
Aventine
ISBN: 1593301103 $13.95, 234 pp.

Dr. Jeremy and Hannah Larson have been married for one year and act like newlyweds especially with insane killer Tom Madison locked up in a sanitarium. However, their idyll life together abruptly ends when Aden Wellington enters their lives. Hannah fears Aden like he is the Anti-Christ, but she cannot explain why she feels so strongly negative towards him. Their mutual friend, Miranda shares that same fear and premonition that frightens Hannah. Though Miranda would prefer to avoid Aden, she has changed since she fled from Tom's "control" and fell in love and married her Joseph. The new caring Miranda believes she must come to the aid of her two friends if they are to survive an evil from one thought as dead. Her worst premonition is that there is nothing she can do for her friend as her pal's DESTINATION seems that of a victim assaulted by malevolence who wants everyone associated with Hannah dead. PREMONITION is a terrific sequel that keeps the foreboding of a pending tragedy at extremely high levels of suspense. The story line never slows down for a moment as the key "good guys" struggle with a wickedness that will chill readers to the bone. Fans of paranormal suspense horror thrillers will want to read this book; this reviewer has a premonition that once you do, DESTINATION will follow.

Our Lady Of Darkness
Peter Tremayne
Signet
ISBN: 0451212215 $6.50, 336 pp.

Ireland in the middle of the seventh century is a beacon of light in a world of darkness. Scholars from all over the world go there to study and women are considered the equals of men. Sister Fidelma of Cashel, the sister to the king of Muman, a religiouse and a dalaigh wields considerable power, which she doesn't hesitate to use when her friends are in trouble. When she learns that her friend Brother Eadulf, is going to be hung for the rape and murder of a twelve year old girl, she cuts short her pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James in Iberia and rushes to defend him. It will be one of the most difficult jobs Fidelma has ever undertaken because there is an eyewitness account and plenty of circumstantial evidence. The Sister Fidelma mysteries are always a treat to read and OUR LADY OF DARKNESS is no exception. Readers really empathize with the strong-willed heroine who fears for her very dear friend. The who-done it is very complex and enthralling with a cast of believable suspects that are all guilty of something. The audience will get a good feel for the culture of Ireland in the seventh century and feel as if they are in twenty-first century America.

When Will the Dead Lady Sing?
Patricia Sprinkle
Signet
ISBN: 0451212223 $5.99, 272 pp.

In the town of Hopemore, Georgia, MacLaren's day gets off to an unusual start when she sees a buffalo munching on the grass in the yard of her new house. By the time she finds the courage to go outside and get the animal away from her rose bushes, she has the second shock of the morning. Her college boyfriend Burlin Bullock, the one her husband Joe Ridley doesn't know about, is explaining to her that the buffalo is a symbol of his son's run for governor. MacLaren would like to leave Hopemore for the week that the Bullocks are in town but business prevents her from doing so. She gets to see Burlin more than she would like. A homeless person who is following the Bullocks on the campaign trail is found murdered and circumstantial evidence points to a person that MacLaren knows is innocent and plans to prove it. The real killer, whom fears that MacLaren will figure out the truth, decides to kill her. This down home regional mystery gives readers a sprinkle of small town deep south living, customs and mannerisms. The protagonist is a judge who does more to solve crimes than to render judgments on them. Patricia Sprinkle knows how to write a charming and quaint mystery without resorting to blood, gore or on stage violence of any kind. WHEN WILL THE DEAD LADY SING? is a great installment in a winning series.

Pick Your Poison
Leann Sweeney
Signet
ISBN: 045121031X $5.99, 272 pp.

After their adoptive father died, Abby and Kate became heiresses, inheriting the mansion, the business and the art. Abby spends her days by the pool and avoiding the advances of her ex-husband. One day the yardman Ben tells Abby that he needs to speak to her and Kate later that evening. She agrees and falls asleep by the pool only to be awakened by the dog barking. She finds Ben dead in the garage and later learns that he was the victim of cyanide poisoning. She also finds out that he was a suspect in the killing of his first wife, also by cyanide poisoning. Ben's second wife convinces Abby that her husband was innocent and asks her to find his killers. A determined Abby does just that and her investigation leads to revelations that put her at the mercy of a ruthless killer who know secrets that were kept from her. This is Leann Sweeney's debut novel and it is a dandy amateur sleuth novel once you accept Abby investigating a crime. What helps is that the protagonist is stubborn and determined, a woman intending to keep an impulsive promise though secrets that are decades old come to light and hurt the living. PICK YOUR POISON is fast-paced and contain many action scenes but it is the characters that make this who done it a cut above the average. This author has talent with a capital T.

Missing Monday
Matthew Costello
Berkley
ISBN: 0425194558 $6.99, 352 pp.

When she went to sleep it was Sunday night and when she woke up it was Tuesday morning. Janna is scared that she is going crazy especially when she discovers that she did her usual work yesterday at the office. Her friend Kathy and her boyfriend David tell her she was her usual self once she confides in them. David and Kathy suggest she sees a psychiatrist to help her get past the trauma. She believes the psychiatrist is helping her until she overhears him and David talking about her, and the possibility of doing away with her. Alex Stern is a brilliant psychiatrist who was tortured for information that he has that his killers want. He commits suicide rather than letting them know the secrets of his group and he is able to send a message to his wife Caryn who luckily is listening on her cell phone. Caryn is part of a cell that is charged with a mission that neither the authorities nor the police can perform. When her path crosses with that of Janna, their cell has more information to carry out their mission. Readers who enjoy a dark gothic speculative fiction story will love MISSING MONDAY, a novel that deals with the future of Earth. From the very beginning of this novel, there is a feeling of foreboding that increases with each ensuing chapter. The audience will want to read Matthew Costello's latest work to find out who the true enemy is and hopefully there will be a sequel to this exciting tale.

Charming the Shrew
Laurin Wittig
Berkley
ISBN: 0425195279 $5.99

In 1307 Scotland, the Munroe brothers fight on the side of King Robert the Bruce. However, a year later, the clan heir Robbie is dead and the next sibling in line Toyg knows he must marry, but prefers not to at this time. He detests even more the ballads about his bravery especially since he feels some guilt that he survived while his beloved sibling died. His father sends Toyg on a mission to deliver a message from their nearby neighbor the Ross clan to the MacDonells announcing his son's upcoming marriage to the king's sister. Meanwhile the shrew Catriona MacLeod learns that her dad arranged for her to marry the abusive Duff MacDonal. Catriona refuses so she runs away where she meets Toyg who is delivering a message from Duff to her odious older brother. Toyg soon realizes that there is a conspiracy against the king and he is the one delivering the information. While traveling together so he can warn the monarch and she can ask for a different spouse, the war hero and the shrew fall in love, but she is a pawn in the plot against the king so is unavailable for anyone but Duff. CHARMING THE SHREW is an enjoyable medieval Scottish romance that fans will appreciate due to the constant battle between the lead couple. The conspiracy against the king pales next to the war of words that Toyg and Catriona exchange as each one tries to trump the other. Though the suspense is secondary, historical romance readers will take pleasure following the tirades of the twosome as they trek towards their monarch with several conspirators in pursuit.

Love is Murder
Linda Palmer
Berkley
ISBN: 0425196879 $5.99, 277 pp.

She married her photojournalist husband when she was nineteen and spent most of the years they had together taking incredible pictures in the wilds of Africa. When he dies in an automobile accident, Morgan Tyler returns to the United States and moves in with her best friend until she can decide what she wants to do with her life. The head writer of the soap opera Love of My Life takes her under his wing and teaches her the ropes. When he is paralyzed due to a heart attack, she becomes the show's news head writer. Damon Radord, Vice President of Daytime Programming, thinks every woman in the world loves him. Morgan constantly ducks his passes but when he is murdered she feels no joy. The two homicide detectives assigned to the case think she is a viable suspect because of all the alterations they had in front of witnesses. When a second person connected to the show is killed, Morgan decides that the only way to clear her name and stop living in fear is to find the perpetrator, only this time she comes closer to dying than she ever did before. This debut chick-lit mystery is an amusing amateur sleuth tale that gives readers an insider's look at what goes on behind the scenes of a soap opera. The protagonist is a vulnerable person who attracts the attention of two sexy men and doesn't know how to deal with it since she never dated a lot before she married her husband. LOVE IS MURDER is a great puzzler with so many suspects who had a motive to see the victim dead that readers won't be able to guess who the killer is until the author chooses to reveal the perpetrator. Linda Palmer's first novel is a definite winner.

Fade to Red
Linda Castillo
Berkley
ISBN: 0425196577 $6.99, 384 pp.

The voice message from her sister Traci sounded like she was frightened, something her younger sibling never is. Return calls only get Traci's answering machine. Desperate to learn what happened to Traci, Lindsey Metcalf flies from Columbus to Seattle, but Traci has vanished. The cops feel that Traci skipped town to avoid jail time on a drug charge. Since there is evidence that Traci was seeing former cop Michael Striker, Lindsey visits him. However, he blows her away telling her to go home. Michael has his own problems as he faces ten years in prison for assaulting the suspect who murdered his partner. A friend on the force informs Michael that someone broke into Traci's home and attacked Lindsey. Unable to stay on the sidelines, he comes over to see if the Midwesterner is okay and offers to search for Traci though he believes the latter is dead. Lindsey soon learns the truth about her sister's dangerous life in the sexual underground while falling in love with her champion who reciprocates, but knows his prison time insures nothing can happen between them. This is an exciting private investigative romance with a major touch of amateur sleuth to get the tale off the ground. The story line is action packed and never lets up from the moment Lindsey arrives in Seattle. Though the epilogue following the climax is too simplistic, readers will take immense delight with the lead couple as they tour the shadiest part of the city. Fans will demand a Buckeye romance starring Lindsey's bossy spicy business partner Carissa soonest.

The Marriage Test
Betina Krahn
Berkley
ISBN: 0425196453 $6.99, 352 pp.

After dining at a feast that could only have been made in heaven, Sirs Greeve and Axel return home informing their liege Count Griffin de Grandaise of the delicious palate. Griffin, who cannot abide the slop that is served and with a "nasal" condition, sneaks into the Convent of the Brides of Virtue and tastes the best food he ever ate. He offers the Abbess gold to purchase her cook from her, but is rejected until the Bishop and Duke intercede and force a transaction. The cook, Julia of Childress, will spend one year teaching Griffin's staff to cook in exchange for gold. She is to be returned with her virtual intact so she can take her vows. Unhappy as a pawn and the presumption of the Abbess that she wants to take vows, Julia accompanies Griffin back to his estate, but not before she spends his fortune on spices and sundry. Griffin is attracted to his new employee but avoids her except for meals because he does not want to cause an incident with the Duke and besides he is engaged to the daughter of his neighbor. As a third player manipulates the hostility between Griffin and his future in-laws, Julia choose to stay as his countess because she loves him. THE MARRIAGE TEST is an amusing medieval romance that moves the senses especially taste and olfactory. The humorous storyline grips the audience from the moment Griffin sneaks into the convent's kitchens. The tale never slows down until a final confrontation though the tie up in terms of relationships is too tidy. Fans will enjoy Julia's skills to make Griffin salivate for her food and for her.

Betrayal
Clare Francis
Berkley
ISBN: 0425194256 $14.00, 326 pp.

Hugh Wellesley struggles with business decisions that could put a lot people out of work as a major corporation wants to buy the family glass company and shut it down by breaking it into pieces. However, Hugh's concentration on doing the right thing is deflected when he learns that the murdered corpse of his lover Sylvie was found ashore by the Dart. Fearing how his ailing devoted spouse Ginny will react to his cheating on her, Hugh hides his sexual involvement with Sylvie from the police. His lies fail to keep the police from charging him with murder. Ginny provides a shaky alibi for her beloved, which make the police turn their attention to her as the prime suspect and soon arrest her for the killing. Feeling guilt and affection for his wife, Hugh knows the only way to prove Ginny's innocence is to uncover the identity of the real culprit. This psychological suspense is built on the premise that everyone lies to cover betrayals that seem a way of life in the relationships that abound throughout this terse thriller. The story line hooks the audience as transgressions pile on transgressions whether it is legal, criminal, business or family. Clare Francis paints a cynical world of deceivers in which the audience will seek the real motive behind innocent actions as much as behind the lies. It is this realm of mendacity (not Washington this time) so deftly made real by a solid glib cast that makes the ending a so mockingly sugary final deception.

Heart Duel
Robin D. Owens
Berkley
ISBN: 0425196585 $6.50

After three failed passages to find his HEARTMATE, warrior Holm Holly, heir to the House of Holly, believes he has none. Likewise healer Lark Collinson of the Houses of Hawthorne feels the same way as she never met her HEARTMATE during her three passages. Lark heals the haughty Holm Holly, but while she works on his wound, he shockingly realizes she is his HEARTMATE. However, winning her over and forging the bond with her will be very difficult as Holm also knows that their respective families hate one another. As he works to win Lark's love and ultimate bond with her, her kin stabs his mother using a poisoned blade. The family feud explodes even while Holm continues his quest to gain the love of his HEARTMATE, who shares his feelings but feels their love is meant to fail. The third Celta tale (see HEARTMATE and HEART THIEF) is an exhilarating love story with psychic powers to add to the feuds that threaten to keep the lead duo apart. The delightful story line is cleverly executed so that he audience can understand the planet's society and customs especially the bonding ritual and how deep a cut bad blood flows. Robin D. Owen proves once again that she is among the top rung of fantasy romance authors with this fantastic tale that will have the audience wondering if perhaps the Celta version of Taming of the Shrew will follow.

One Dark Night
Jaid Black
Berkley
ISBN: 0425195260 $5.99

Fifteen years a cop and a decade at homicide, Detective Thomas Cavanah still flinches when he smells murder. Perhaps his stomach churning may be linked to the death of his daughter Amy probably at the hands of serial killer Lucifer. Thomas is obsessed with bringing this devil to justice. Highly regarded surgeon Nikki Adenike is lonely as no man has ever fulfilled her deepest fantasy of submitting herself in sexual servitude to a dominant male. She surfs the net researching what many would proclaim as porn hoping to find someone and actually does. However, instead of meeting her Richard, Nikki encounters Lucifer. She fortunately escapes from the killer. Thomas realizes that Nikki is the bait to catch Lucifer who never lets a fish escape. However, Thomas also finds vengeance has quite an ironic cost as he begins to fall in love with the doctor who is the bait to hook Lucifer. This heated erotic romantic police procedural is a powerful tale that showcases the talent of author Jaid Black to combine a dark suspense plot with an exhilarating sexual romance. The story line is action packed whether the plot is in the boudoir or involves some perilous encounter with Lucifer. Still the key to what makes this tale above the typical erotica and serial killer themed novels is the growth of the lead couple who like the killer were ruled by obsession, but unlike Lucifer moved on with love.

A Regimental Murder
Ashley Gardner
Berkley
ISBN: 0425196127 $5.99, 250 pp.

In 1816 Regency England, Captain Gabriel Lacey is just starting to recover from the depression he suffered after seeing atrocities committed during the Iberian Peninsula campaign. One night while strolling in London he sees a woman on a bridge seemingly poised to leap to avoid a man with a knife. Gabriel chases the mugger away and brings Lydia Westin to the safety of his home. Lydia is a widow who asks her host to help her prove that her deceased husband never killed Captain Algernon Spencer following the Battle of Bedejaz in Spain in 1812. She believes that Lord Richard Eggleston, Viscount Breckenridge and Sir Major Edward Conraught managed to find a means to get her spouse to confess to a homicide that she insists he did not commit. Though reluctant to turn back the hands of time to Iberia, Gabriel agrees to help, not realizing the outcome of his acquiescing to investigate will be many deaths and attempted murders of him and his guest. Ashley Gardner is a name worth following as this author shows deep talent for vividly recreating the era and people of the Regency period inside a powerful mystery. The complex protagonist suffers from post battle fatigue caused by what he witnessed during the war. His slow recovery (see THE HANOVER SQUARE AFFAIR) seems real, but his willingness to jump back in the fray to ensure justice is served demonstrates the inner strength of a man with both morals and ethics that should make him a fan favorite.

Merely the Groom
Rebecca Hagan Lee
Berkley
ISBN: 0425195252 $6.99

In 1793 the three preadolescent aristocratic heirs sign in blood the charter of the Free Fellow League, which includes amongst its rules not to marry unless there is no choice until they reach thirty. Instead Griffin Abernathy, Colin McElreath, and Jarrod Sheperdston plan to become England's greatest heroes. In 1812 London Baron Carter Davies, a merchant just recently raised to peerage, is angry and upset because his daughter Gillian vanished without a trace one week ago while attending a musicale chaperoned by her mother. Bow St informs him that Gillian apparently eloped with a Mr. Colin Fox. Eloping with a mister is worse than kidnapping to Gillian's father, who expected his daughter to wed an aristocrat. At the Blue Bottle Inn by the Edinburgh docks, Gillian waits for her Colin who seemingly deserted her. Instead her father accuses Colin McElreath of compromising Gillian. To avoid a scandal Colin marries Gillian, but also hopes she can be the bait to capture the rogue impersonating him. Neither of the newlyweds expected love to freely flow between them as it has, but Colin has a mission that is pulling his heart apart as he must place his beloved in jeopardy to succeed. The second Free Fellow League book, MERELY THE GROOM, is an exciting Regency romantic suspense that contains a wonderful love subplot inside a powerful tale of intrigue. The fine story line contains characters from the first tale (see BARELY THE BRIDE) playing significant parts in this novel, but that also tends to take away from the romantic interludes of the lead couple. Still Rebecca Hagan Lee furbishes a delightful charmer that will have readers awaiting Jarrod's avoidance of marriage story.

Hancock Park
Katherine V. Forrest
Berkley
ISBN: 0425195988 $22.95, 256 pp.

One year ago LAPD homicide Kate Delafield was sent to the affluent neighborhood of Hancock Park to investigate the death of Victoria Talbot who was shot in the head at close range. The victim was also shot in the back. Victoria's son Allan who found the body is shook and wary as he must inform his two fragile sisters that their mom is dead. Kate learns that Allan has no intention of informing his father that his former spouse was murdered. A neighbor informs Kate that she heard the shots, but is also careful to avoid mentioning Douglass Talbot though she implies that he is an abusive person who made his family's lives hell. Kate next learns that Douglass had an incestuous relationship with his youngest daughter and was stalking Victoria. Finally a Mercedes that matches the vehicle Douglass owns was seen in the vicinity around the time of the murder. Douglass is arrested, but at the trial Kate begins to believe that the defense has a ploy that will free a murderer if she does not find additional proof that he killed his ex. The long wait for the return of Kate is worth it as readers receive a fabulous police procedural. Kate is a dedicated tough cop, but is also very vulnerable especially when her lover of thirteen years leaves her forcing her to look at what she has become. As the audience hopes Aimee returns to Kate, the murder mystery is cleverly executed so that the evidence is laid out one step at a time enabling the reader to form an opinion, but keep in mind Katherine V. Forrest is brilliant at the sleight of the hand or two.

Legend of the Jade Dragon
Yasmine Galenorn
Berkley
ISBN: 0425196216 $5.99, 273 pp.

The owner of the Chintz 'n' China shop, Emerald O'Brien, is also a psychic who had her fifteen minutes of fame when she solved a double homicide thanks to the ghost of one of the victims. Business is booming as a result of that incident and people come from all over to have her do a Tarot reading. Daniel Barrington arrives at her shop for a reading, but Emerald fears telling him how negative his future looks. When he leaves, Daniel forgets to take his expensive dragon statue with him so Emerald runs after him to give it to him. However, she sees a hit and run driver kill Daniel. From that moment on, Emerald's life spins out of control. Her store is broken into with valuables stolen or broken. Next her home is invaded. Meanwhile that dragon statue is moving about with no help and its eyes are periodically glowing. Can things get crazier and worse? Absolutely as the perpetrator abducts her son. Yasmine Galenorn provides an offbeat, quirky and delightful amateur sleuth tale that includes interwoven paranormal elements that enhance not overwhelm the plot. The heroine is a charmer as she cheerfully copes with her two brilliant children and manages her business that she built from scratch. LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON is a paranormal mystery that enchants the audience with its engaging lead character starring in an exhilarating action-packed story line.

Broken Dishes
Earlene Fowler
Berkley
ISBN: 042519597X $24.95, 271 pp.

In San Celina, California, Shawna Darnell Abbott and her husband Johnny turn the Broken Dis Ranch into a guest ranch in the hope that they can make enough profit to avoid bankruptcy and consequently lose the family spread. Benni Harper and her grandmother help the young couple during the first few weeks of the new operation. A dog finds a bone on a trail that a guest identifies as human remains. Benni investigates and soon discovers a grave that appears to have been recently dug up. Benni's nemesis Police detective Hudson arrives and learns that the buried individual was a murder victim. Someone releases a prize bull that is about to be sold and arson burns down a barn. Benni tries to uncover the identity of the culprit, but the motive is decades old. BROKEN DISHES is an exciting combination of a police procedural and an amateur sleuth tale that make for a delightful combination that works and works well. The mystery is cleverly interwoven into a story line that focuses on two individuals trying to save their ranch. Fans will hope the Abbots succeed in this difficult venture that has been made more complicated by the homicides. Earlene Fowler is a grandmaster of characterization starting with Benni and continuing with a strong secondary cast who bring some comic relief to the terse tale.

The Sunken Sailor
Elizabeth Foxwell, editor
Berkley
ISBN: 0425194280 $22.95, 288 pp.

Between the world wars, the aristocracy tries to return to what they once had. In Rutfordshire, Daisy the Dowager Duchess of Faughstrayne hosts a weekend party with an eclectic assortment of guests. Among the attendees are wealthy American Admiral Cornelius Brandon and his son Whitchell, and the Duchess' neighbor Sir Gerry. The latter finds the murdered corpse of the Admiral. Sir Gerry considers himself an amateur sleuth so he decides to investigate the situation after notifying Chief Inspector Reggie Arbuthnot of the homicide. Reggie wants Sir Gerry to stay out of the case except as a witness because he is jealous that the amateur always solves cases before he can. Sir Gerry finds the body of the next victim Consuella, the new Duchess of Faughstrayne. More deaths follow and soon Reggie realizes that several of the guests are not what they seem and also have motives, but which one would kill still remains unsolved. THE SUNKEN SAILOR is a round robin work in which fourteen authors provide a chapter that leads to the next writer's segment. This results in many unexpected twists and turns in a plot that showcases several different writing styles that somehow blends together into a fine cohesive storey line that is a treat for readers.

The Last Rogue
Connie Mason
Leisure
ISBN: 0843952334 $6.99, 371 pp.

In 1820 Viscount Lucas Westmore is about to pull out of Lady Sybil Roxbury, but she tightens and holds him in place. He is unable to remove himself and releases his seed inside her. Afterward Luke realizes that Sybil is already pregnant and trying to pass the unborn off as his. He tells her he will not marry her, but promises to find her a spouse. Two days later, the London Times announces that Sybil is dead an apparent suicide. Filled with remorse, the rake vows to give up sex. He leaves London for exile in St. Ives on the Cornish coast. During his nocturnal wanderings to escape from the guilt that erodes his soul, he observes a smuggling operation headed by the Shadow. Finding a reason to live, he makes inquiries, but the villagers say nothing. Still he concludes that the squire's daughter Bliss Hartley is the Shadow. He saves her life by informing the excise men that she is his fiancee. They marry mostly out of his failure to help Sybil, but love begins to blossom until an unknown person tries to kill Luc and someone else has taken on her former identity of the Shadow. The latest Rogue regency romance is a delightful charmer starring two fabulous protagonists. Luc is an honorable person trying to do the right thing though his lament over failing Sybil seems an unfair self condemnation. Bliss is typical of many of the sub-genre heroines as she is courageous, independent, and performs an occupation that most men would fear to try. Together they make a fierce team for their enemies to cope with but a fabulous read for fans of Connie Mason.

Mr. Complete
Sheridon Smythe
Love Spell
ISBN: 0505525569 $6.99, 341 pp.

Lydia Carmichael is irate because she believes her beloved Aunt Tempera was wronged by L.J. Reynolds's Mr. Complete Escort Service. Her aunt's escort took advantage of a lonely female who fell in love with the gigolo. Lydia filed a complaint with the police and decides she must personally take action by going undercover as a client to expose this firm as a "sex for hire" male prostitution company. NYPD Detective Parker informs Mr. Complete Escort Service owner Luke Reynolds that another complaint was filed against his company involving a charge of illicit sex. Luke tells the cop that he fired the escort for that reason as he runs a clean operation. Luke knows his foster brother and business rival Rhew Burgess, owner of At Your Service, has caused his recent woes. However, he overhears Lydia's tirade and plan when she speaks in a public place to a friend. He decides to go along with her ploy as her escort, but finds himself incredibly attracted to Lydia, but if she fails to reciprocate any move he makes it will affirm her belief that he is running a criminal operation. Though the use of coincidence in which the two protagonists have meetings at the same time in Danny's Bar and Grill, fans will enjoy this gender battle between two wonderful lead characters. The story line is at its best when Luke is not sure whether to trust Lydia with his feelings for her because she proclaimed to her friend she planned to shut down his business and put him behind bars. Yet he cannot walk away as he finds his attraction for her overwhelming. Humorous and hunk heaven, Sheridon Smythe spins a delightful tale.

Day of Fire
Kathleen Nance
Love Spell
ISBN: 0505525917 $6.99, 384 pp.

For the Post Epidemic Year 106 (2176 for those of you from Bonzai's time), Fortress Canada has thrived by isolating itself from the troubles that have wracked the globe especially that nation to the south. So when the USA placed a plasma border between the two countries, no one in the north blinked. Canadian Royal Mountie Police Day Daniel has no time to mourn the death of her partner as she is on the trail of the terrorists who killed him. However, her superiors assign Day with a new partner, civilian plague hunter Dr. Liam Firebird. His quest is to stop a militant group from releasing a deadly virus on the Canadian people. Though Day finds her new associate handsome, she cannot stand how he blithely ignores all the rules as they trek towards the Citadel and a confrontation with the Shadow Voice whose broadcast of treason is dangerous for one and all. This fabulous science fiction romance is a terrific follow up to the excellence standard set by Susan Grant (see THE LEGEND OF BONZAI MAGUIRE) in the first "Five Women, One Goal: Freedom" tale. The story line is action-packed as the audience observes a nation that is not in the midst of the battling alliances. Still with this insight, the key to the novel rests with the lead couple, as opposite of a pair as one will find except for two common traits: they love deeply and forever and obsess over what they cherish. The second of five authors with one goal: entertainment, the Immortal Kathleen Nance provides a triumphant story that readers who appreciate a futuristic world setting starring strong protagonists will cherish.

Unleashed
C.J. Barry
Love Spell
ISBN: 0505525739 $6.99, 368 pp.

In Virginia, a distraught Lacey Garrett knows she must start over since her former fiance stole her business and her savings, and left behind a cat Oliver and nothing else. She vows on New Year's Eve to never allow anyone especially a male to interfere with her life. However, five minutes after her resolutions to play it safe and ignore men, Lacey and Oliver find themselves on board a spaceship because she as Cyber Queen responded to an email from someone named Zainman asking for help. Captain Zain Masters demands Lacey and Oliver provide him with answers to how he was shot down by laser cannons on an allegedly uninhabited planet. Now they have five days to resolve what is going on or else while creatures out of a 1950s B movie harass them on some strange planet in which Oliver adapts faster than Lacey perhaps because of the Zain distraction factor. Still she begins offering real solutions in between Zain's delightful kisses. In her latest "Un ed" tale (see UNEARTHED and UNRAVELED), C.J. Barry provides readers with a wild fun science fiction romance that will make true believers out of those who nay say ET. The exhilarating story line moves forward faster than the speed of light as the action never slows down from the moment that Zain's equipment malfunctions until the final climax. The star-crossed in love lead pair is a wonderful coupling while the support crew from Oliver to the enemy make this a fabulous journey into space as only C.J. (cerebrally jocular) Barry can escort readers.

The Face of the Assassin
David Lindsey
Warner
ISBN: 044652929X $25.95

Adopted as an infant, Austin, Texas widower Paul Bern lives a contented quiet life earning a living as a highly regarded forensic resurrection expert, who recreates visages of severely damaged accident or criminal victims. Client 'Becca Haber arrives at his home bringing with her a skull she purchased from a street kid in Mexico City. She wants him to recreate the face. Paul is hardly into his effort when he already recognizes the countenance staring back at him as one he sees whenever he looks into a mirror. Not long afterward, the call comes confirming what an unsettled Paul theorized: that the skull he holds is his twin. The caller Vincente Mondragon informs him that the sibling he never knew existed was recently murdered CIA field agent Jude Lerner. Vincente insists that Jude's operation affects national security so without the superstar the country is in trouble. The civilian Paul is expected to perform as Jude so that the scenario is completed in a favorable manner. Though the twins never met theme feels ancient, David Lindsey keeps his thriller fresh due to a wonderful out of place hero who belongs more in an academic background than in the midst of a deadly operation. The action-packed story line is filled with plenty of twists that will keep the audience guessing as to what happens next to Paul and by whom. His teen neighbor is an interesting support character suffering from a cognitive-disconnect disorder caused by an accident, but she enables the reader to see deep into what kind of person Paul is. Twins aside, readers will enjoy this fine civilian in the cold thriller.

Meant To Be
Edie Claire
Warner
ISBN: 0446612782 $5.99, 384 pp.

Just north of Pittsburgh, thirty year old schoolteacher Meara O'Rourke receives a phone call from a Laurel Mountain hospital stating that her mom was near death from a car accident. Meara informs the caller that her mom died a month ago after suffering from a long term illness. When the hospital administrator mentions Sheila Black, Meara realizes that the woman in the trauma center is her biological mother, whom she met once. She arrives at the hospital where her mother warns her that Rosemary died before Sheila also passes away. Attorney David Falcon informs Meara that Sheila was married to Mitchell Black who died in the crash and that Rosemary was Mitchell's deceased first wife. She also learns that she inherited part ownership of an estate including the nineteenth century Sheepsworth Inn. Mitchell's angry son Fletcher displays hostility towards Meara. He wants her to leave and will buy her out. Instead a stubborn Meara who does not want any part of the estate refuses to sell because she believes he plans to destroy this pristine land. Meara learns more about her biological mother and Mitchell to the point that she loves him, but he remains nasty towards her, making her wonder if its time to leave while her heart still beats. This is an engaging romantic with some suspensethat occurs late in the novel. For the most part, the tale is more of a character study as Meara tries to understand her mother and Fletcher, which in turn enables the audience to better understand the lead female protagonist. Fans will appreciate this insightful tale though the intrigue comes towards the second half.

Man Trouble
Melanie Craft
Warner
ISBN: 0446612847 $5.99, 32 pp.

Miami Herald reporter Carter McKee comes to Belden, Wisconsin to ask his pal college history professor Molly Shaw to help him gain an interview of billionaire hotel mogul Jake Berenger. Carter plans to write a bio on Jake, but needs an interview something the wealthy hotelier never gives. He wants Molly to pose as her alter ego romance writer Sandra St. Claire in order to seduce the reclusive Jake at his Gold Bay Resort. Though insisting it is a mission impossible, Molly agrees to help Carter. At the resort, a transformed Molly does her best, but Jake cannot see her as a femme fatale though he finds her very pretty and intelligent. He also realizes he needs damage control following an affair with actress Skye Elliot, who insists her lover is a druggie incapable of being a CEO. However, as Jake and Molly work their own agenda they fall in love, but what will happen when the truth surfaces. This entertaining contemporary romance stars two individuals who normally would never meet as they walk dramatically different spheres. The story line is fun to see the odd couple start off wary of one another, turn become attacted to each other, and finally realize they are in love. Though Carter's selfishness is so obviously over the top and readers will wonder how the intelligent romance writing professor fails to see it, fans will enjoy this fine tale of love between two apparent opposites.

The Cajun Cowboy
Sandra Hill
Warner
ISBN: 0446612952 $5.99, 384 pp.

In Southern Louisiana Charmaine LeDeux, former state beauty queen winner and owner of two beauty parlors, knows borrowing from Bucks R Us was a mistake as the Mafia owned corporation charges usury rates. When an investment tanked she could not ask for help because she detest being labeled a bimbo, but that is how she behaved. Her first husband former convict Raoul Lanier informs Charmaine that they are still married because of something his father did so she has not had four divorces. He also tells her that she inherited half of his family's Triple L Ranch from the death of his father. She sees the spread as a place to hide from the mob while she waits for investments to make the cash to pay off the shark. At the ranch, Charmaine and Raoul emit sparks that would light up New Orleans during Mardi Gras. However, he hurt her when they were married and he believes she conned his dad into bequeathing half the ranch to her. Though they still love one another, a second chance at marriage seems undesirable for both of them besides which he has a quest to prove his innocence, regain his vet license, and learn more about his dad's demise. Though the gimmick has been used before, fans will enjoy Sandra Hill's latest Bayou cowboy romance because the principal couple love one another, but cannot live together without fighting. The mafia connection forces Charmaine to hide and thus relocate on Raoul's ranch, but takes away from the tale when stings occur. Still this is an amusing contemporary tale starring two fine protagonists and a horde of secondary players mostly smirking at the dynamic lead duet.

Rules of Engagement
Kathryn Caskie
Warner
ISBN: 0446614238 $5.99, 352 pp.

In 1814 England, twin spinster Aunts Viola and Letitia worry that their beloved niece artist Eliza Merriweather refuses to marry. Eliza does not want her talent going to waste like her mom's did when she gave it up to marry. The sisters decide it is time to establish the rules of engagement based on the book War Strategies. The aunts begin matchmaking a stubborn Eliza who acknowledges her mother has been happily married, but questions frittering away her skills over a man, even if that male was her loving dad. The aunts select Magnus Mackinnon as the perfect person for their cherished but obstinate Eliza. One rule at a time they begin assaulting her fortressed heart, but will they and their chosen soldier prove strong enough to win over the stubborn Eliza? This is an enjoyable Regency romance that engages the reader with a solid cast that makes for a fine read. The lead couple is a charming duet, but the story line belongs to elderly sisters as they deploy the rules of engagement to insure their great-niece finds a happy match whether Eliza wants to or not. Readers will appreciate this delightful matchmaking story and hope these two female general officers take another recruit through basic training.

Till Death Do Us Part
Kate White
Warner
ISBN: 0446531758 $24.00, 320 pp.

One year ago, free lance reporter Bailey Weggins was the bridesmaid at her college roommate's wedding to wealthy businessman David Slain. Since them Bailey has not spoken to the new bride because Paige is trying build up her business as the next Martha Stewart with her television show, her catering and lecturing business. Out of the clear blue sky, one of the other bridesmaids calls Bailey and asks her to meet her that night. When Ashley and Bailey meet, she tells the reporter that two of the bridesmaids have since died and she thinks that they were murdered even though the police believe they were the victims of freak accidents. One of the bridesmaids was Ashley's roommate and believes that something strange happened at the welding. Bailey looks into the matter but before she gets far Ashleye is killed while redecorating the silo on Paige's estate. Now Bailey is really worried and believes her life is in danger because someone is trying to get her off the case using any means available including murder. 'TIL DEATH DO US PART is an exciting crime thriller because the reader does not truly know whether there is a killer until mid-way through the book and that is only when someone rams the protagonist's car, leaves frightening notes and makes threatening calls. There is an unexpected twist in the storyline that keeps the audience from guessing the identity of the culprit, which makes the who-done-it even more complex. Kate White has written another great crime thriller.

Beyond Infinity
Gregory Benford
Warner
ISBN: 044653059X $23.95, 335 pp.

After eons of being trapped by the gravity of a black hole, the interrelated magnetic fields called the Malign escapes its prison. The essence detests organic matter and blames humans for the incarceration. Vengeance sends the Malign towards earth. Humanity has evolved over the billions of years since mankind first ventured to the moon. Cley is an Original, a genetic remake of the oldest known human species and the last of the "Mohegans" due to an attack by the Malign, at least that is what the genetically reengineered Supras insist happened. The Supras consider Cley as an inferior pet, but she knows that her wardens are hiding part of the truth from her. She plans to learn what really happened to her race, but first must escape from her zookeepers. Abetted by an ET, Cley begins her journey to learn to learn what the Malign is and why did this creature commit genocide? BEYOND INFINITY is a terrific futuristic science fiction tale that predicts the path of physics in a realistic extension of what is known or theorized today, but within a terse thriller that hooks the reader from the start. The physics aspects are deftly interwoven as underpins to the exhilarating plot. The marvelous tale combines a coming of age subplot along the lines of Luke in Star Wars with that of a Galactus-like being threatening much of the galaxy. Gregory Benford provides a tremendous novel that will send new fans seeking his works (some of the best are out there) and old readers just shaking their heads that the guru has done it again.

Christmas Magic
Marianne LaCroix
Amber Quill Press
ISBN: 1592792111 $TBA

Four years ago, David Bradley sublimated everything in order to make his Internet business a success. He achieved what he thought he wanted as the business is booming, but his seven year relationship with his wife Mary is nonexistent because of him. He believes Mary would be better off without him though the thought of another man with his beloved sends David into a melancholy jealousy. Still his Christmas gift to Mary is a divorce so she can find a man who will cherish her as she deserves. Mary loves David, but wants back the man she married who shared her passion for life. She feels useless and unwanted as David even takes care of his needs by working out or showering. As usual David works late even though this is Christmas Eve. Mr. Claus drops by and provides David a picture of how unbearably miserable his life would be without Mary. While he ponders his fate, Desiree Claus prepares Mary to regain her lost husband. Marianne LaCroix modifies It's A Wonderful Life by having the lead character see what his life without Mary would have been as opposed to what her life and others would have been without him. The fresh insightful romantic fantasy story line hooks the audience with its moods that reflect the lead couple as it starts very sad, turns even more morose before beginning to see a distant glimmer of hope. The Claus couple is a delightful duo that yes reader there is a Mr. and Mrs. Santa that brings adults hope through love. Ms. LaCroix has furbished a charming uplifting tale.

Descendents of Darkness: Lucius
Marianne LaCroix
Amber Quill
ISBN: 1592791808 $TBA

In New Orleans, Lucius the Demoni thought he found his soulmate that he has been seeking for centuries when he met Jolie, but alas his "offspring" Alonso claimed her as his (see the first book, DESCENDENTS OF DARKNESS: ALONSO). Still he knows deep in his heart that she is out there, but he must not lose hope and continues to search for his beloved one though the doubts grow daily. Tala loves being a werewolf, but is uncomfortable running with the pack. Instead, she would rather read a romance novel starring shapeshifters. She hopes that her own loneliness will have the same happy ending. Lucius sees a female wolf and is stunned that she is the one. He comes to Tala and she feels the same attraction as he does, but hesitates for her sibling exchanged blood with a vampire only to lose her mind before dying. Tala wants Lucius and he needs her for eternity, but she knows the outcome of their pairing is not eternal. Lucius vows to find a way or die because his soul cannot live without Tala. The second Descendents of Darkness tale is an excellent erotic vampire romance starring two delicious star-crossed protagonists. The story line is character driven as terrific Tala and luscious Lucius start so despondently alone that the audience can picture them, especially the vampire, as Mr. and Ms. Dyingly Sad. When they find each other, diabolically clever Marianne tosses a curve ball at these two critters by insuring a taboo love. This is a great supernatural romance that is worth reading (as is the previous tale).

The Piaculum
Richard Gray
iUniverse
ISBN: 0595303013 $14.95, 207 pp.

In a cave, two men find the remnants of a long dead civilization that left behind three "holy" books. One of them interpreted the message as God sent his son to save the human race. The other person insisted that the Words meant that the second coming of the Son needed saviors to sacrifice to atone for sins. Several millenniums after their hallowed excavation, mankind has evolved into two predominant cultures, of which both share in common beliefs in the Words of God stated in The Book of testaments. While the Mone share the sacred words amongst all members of their society, the Kathe insist only priests are capable of understanding the Words. The Kathe seek those born with the white-mark so that the males can be converted into Piaculums and the females sacrificed during "The Week of Blood" as a means to ascend to heaven. The Kathe abduct Mone farmer Cearl because he has the white-mark. He offers little resistance hoping to keep his son protected from the grotesque alteration. Though he prays to the same God as his captors, Cearl has little faith that he will survive. THE PIACULUM is an incredible futuristic tale that extrapolates interpretations of the lost Book of Testaments into cornerstones of two societies by concentrating on one member from each. The evolution is mindful of the clever archeological spin of the 1970s cult movie Fillard Millmore and Wells' Time Machine. Richard Gray sounds a warning that strict biblical interpretation is self centered to insure the priests are not Left Behind rather than sharing the Word so all can be saved.

Glorious Appearing
Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins
Tyndale
ISBN: 0842332359 $24.99, 399 pp.

Earth has been torn apart as the Anti-Christ has taken control of the world politically, economically and religiously. The believers who have not taken the Mark of the Beast have been deprived of their freedom, gone into hiding or fought against Nicolas Carpathia's preaching and the powers he possesses from Satan. Jews have been the victim's of the Anti-Christ's hatred and many have been martyred for their beliefs. God's chosen people are supernaturally protected in Petra while the remaining Jews in Jerusalem try and hold the city against Carpathia's forces. Fed up with opposition to his regime, Carpathia amasses the biggest army the world has ever seen to kill the remnant in Petra and take control of Jerusalem. The ultimate battle between good and evil is about to take place and though foretold in Revelations how it will end and who receives just awards, remember that the victors write the history books. This is the twelfth and last book in the Tribulation series and it is the most rewarding tale of all to read because the theme is explicitly and unusually explored. No matter how powerful are the forces of darkness, one knows that the power of goodness will always defeat them. Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have created a once in a lifetime storytelling extravaganza, one that will be a classic in the years to come.

Second Touch
Bodie and Brock Thoene
Tyndale
ISBN: 0842375090 $22.99, 357 pp.

Mama suspected and when Lily turned twelve knew that her little darling suffered from tsara'at though papa remained in denial. Lily like all lepers is pronounced dead by her family and her villagers. She is forced to leave to live in exile in the Valley of Sorrows where all the lepers reside until they die. Six years has passed since Lily stumbled into the Valley scared and alone. Now rumors abound that a great healer has been performing miracles. . Cynics are beginning to come around in support of and belief in Jesus, but some of the most powerful question this newcomer who is shaking the establishment. Peniel saw his FIRST LIGHT due to Jesus and vows to lead the oppressed ill to the astonishing teacher. However, Lily is caring for a newborn and refuses to depart until the infant is properly placed even if it means saving her life and returning to her family or worse costing her the love of fellow outcast Cantor. The second AD Chronicles novel is a terrific biblical historical tale that like its predecessor FIRST LIGHT shines a deep look at the period in which Jesus is just starting to teach and perform miracles. Besides the insight to the era, the story line is exciting because the cast seems so very real though they vary in personality as some are heroic, some are cowardly and at least one is Machiavellian (over fifteen hundred years before). Characters like Lily make the tale so that the audience receives a fabulous tale of Jesus, but from the perspective of those whom he touched.

The Weeping Chamber
Sigmund Brouwer
Tyndale
ISBN: 0842387153 $12.99

Though a wealthy merchant, Simeon of Cyrene feels his life is not worth living. His wife wants nothing to do with him while his son is dead from a warehouse inferno that crippled his daughter. He considers suicide as an escape from the torture that eats at his soul as his work no longer comforts him. Simeon begs his wife to forgive him and take him back, but has no hope as he knows she blames him for the tragedies. Simeon travels to Jerusalem on business with an old friend. This enables him to observe the controversy over the teacher Jesus. He finds comfort and even hope in the words and teachings by example of Jesus, but also fears for the life of the kind hearted soul as the Roman and Jewish religious and secular leaders press the masses to support the death of Jesus. When he learns of the resurrection, Simeon has to see for himself for if Jesus can rise from the dead and forgive those who killed him surely he can continue to seek forgiveness and a second chance from his wife and daughter. This is a deep look at Jesus' last days from the perspective of Simeon, an individual who believes that he deserves to die for what he did to his family. The age comes to life mostly through Simeon's depressed eyes though readers will wonder how Jesus feels especially since the release of the Gibson film. Sigmund Brouwer stays with his main theme of one lonely depressed soul's efforts for redemption from his family may come because of the light Jesus shines on him and others in first century Jerusalem.

Wild Heather
Catherine Palmer
Tyndale
ISBN: 084231928X $10.99, 357 pp.

The Hewes and the Sherbournes started out as best friends when the monarch rewarded their loyalties with adjacent estates near Otley, England. However, a land dispute broke out many generations after the founding and for the next century plus the two families remain feuding. In 1813 Olivia Hewes worries that her family may be in financial trouble. Her choices are to find a profit making venture or a loveless marriage to a wealthy person. She chooses the business venture feeling she can make money selling wool. With the sudden death of his father, Lord Randolph Sherbourne is now in charge of the family fortunes. He has two immediate goals. He wants to learn what really happened to his father and to settle the dispute with the Hewes. His attraction to Olivia is a good reason for the latter. She feels the same way about ending the feud and is already half in love with Randolph. However, their relationship and the tenuous peace seem impossible as facts about his sire's death implicate the Hewes. WILD HEATHER is a delightful historical romance that uses the often applied Romeo and Juliet family feud theme to cause a schism between the lead couple, but Catherine Palmer keeps it fresh with other subplots that tie back to the prime story line. The tale is filled with surprising twists that keep the reader hopping as to what will happen next. The lead couple is a fine star-crossed pair falling in love and desiring peace between their families, but the mystery of his father adds suspense and a new impetus to the quarrel. Catherine Palmer furbishes a strong historical romance that sub-genre fans will fully appreciate.

Patience
Lori Copeland
Tyndale
ISBN: 0842319387 $9.99, 318 pp.

In 1873 Denver City, Colorado, a kidnapper abducts Patience Smith mistaking her for bride to be Lenore Hawthorn when the good natured lass agreed to don the wedding dress for its final fitting. Sheriff Jay Longer follows knowing the icy wintry mountains makes for a freezing dangerous trek. Perhaps it is the hand of God, but the horse carrying the thug and Patience missteps throwing both humans to the ground. Patience gets up in an instant and flees into the frozen wasteland. Could God be guiding her for soon she finds shelter in the Mule Head gold mine. Inside she finds eight year old orphan Wilson as cold and scared as she except that Patience believes God is with both of them. They walk the forty-five minute trek to Fiddle Creek. In the town she tries to obtain help with excavating the gold from the mine she just left, but no one will dig in what has been cursed and haunted. When Jay arrives, Patience tries to persuade him to help her and Wilson with the mine. As the believer and the doubter fall in love, Jay wonders how someone so devout and optimistic could care for an acrimonious loner like him. Perhaps that is God's miracle. Though the pious Pollyanna seems overdone if pure faith can ever be overdone, fans with patience will enjoy this delightful "Brides of the West" novel. The sixth book in the series stars an intriguing lead couple whose belief in God is so opposite that the audience knows that only divine intervention could bring them together in spite of their love for one another. Fans of inspirational western romances will enjoy Lori Copeland's uplifting tale.

Heaven
Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen
Aspect
ISBN: 0446529834 $24.95, 343 pp.

On the planet of No-Moon, the dominant sentient life form is an aquatic squid known as a polypoid and they are all males. The females that they mate with are coral known as reefwives. The reef is a collective conscious being, aware that coming soon is a space armada belonging to the Cosmic Unity, a religion that preaches kindness, benevolence, and love. The reef is aware of the true purpose of Cosmic Unity and makes arrangements to get their husbands off planet with the help of the Neanderthals. They land on Aquifer and the males are put in a special salt water environment but unknown to them or the Neanderthals, Cosmic Unity has a topic secret base on the planet. Servant of Unity XIV Samuel is a devoted member of Cosmic Unity who obeys his superiors as he rises in the hierarchy. However, Sam sees that the church does not practice what it preaches and begins to doubt that the religion is any thing but evil. Sam and polypoid Second Best Sailor conclude they must stop the invasion of No-Moons. HEAVEN is a philosophical compilation woven into a cerebral speculative fiction that compels reader to ponder concepts and ideas put forth by the authors. The alien species are very unique and readers will find their belief systems fascinating. COSMIC UNITY is a religion that is determined to spread its beliefs to all sentient life forms using whatever means necessary to attain its goals. The two protagonists of HEAVEN, especially Sam, are willing to risk their lives to stop the invasion of No-Moon, making them true heroes.

Double Play
Robert B. Parker
Putnam
ISBN: 0399151885 $24.95, 288 pp.

In 1947, Branch Rickey, owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, shocks America when he announces that he is breaking the color barrier by bringing up Jackie Robinson from the Montreal farm team. However, Mr. Rickey knows that many people do not want to see the line broken so to keep Jackie safe, he hires former World War II marine Joseph Burke to act as a bodyguard. Robinson and Burke quickly develop mutual respect though they are as different a duo as any pairing on the planet could be. Perhaps more important they learn to trust one another because the stands are filled with many folks who believe no man of color belongs in major league baseball and are willing to do something to cleanse the game including killing Jackie. This is no DOUBLE PLAY as Robert b. parker instead hits a grand slam home run with this tremendous look back to an era that seems like ancient history with all the accomplishment minorities have made in professional sports though under six decades ago. Jackie is portrayed as a proud individual who lets his on field performance speak for itself (think of the pressure on him) while holding within any acrimony towards those who label him with profanities. Burke is a wonderful counterpoint who sees how delightful a person Jackie truly is and willingly would die to keep his new friend safe. Mr. Parker hits all the bases with this game winner.

Cold Blood
Theresa Monsour
Putnam
ISBN: 0399151567 $24.95, 326 pp.

He was the one everyone picked on in school. He had no friends everyone in school picked on him. He had the nerve to ask one of the popular girls to a school dance. Her boyfriend and three of his jock pals beat him to a bloody pulp. He swore he would get even one day. Paris Murphy, the girl he asked out, is now a St. Paul Homicide detective. She sees Justice Trip on television searching for a woman who has gone missing after walking out of a wedding reception. Justice is the one who found the missing woman's pinkie as he joins in the search party but something about his demeanor doesn't set right with Paris. He plays the hero giving out false information to a reporter making her wonder if he had anything to do with the killing. When the body is found in a park, Justice is also there. As Paris researches the crime, she comes upon some interesting facts that make her think that Justice is a serial killer. Now all she has to do is find some evidence to back up her supposition. Told from the point of view of the heroine and the antagonist reader knows at all times what is going on in their heads and can predict what their next move will be. This is only Theresa Monsour's second book but with her complex characterizations and tight and complex storylines, it is easy to see that she is going to be one of the new stars in the crime thriller galaxy. COLD BLOOD is a powerful tour-de force, a police procedural that takes the reader into the investigation from start to finish.

Live Bait
P.J. Tracy
Putnam
ISBN: 0399151478 $23.95, 336 pp.

As improbable as it sounds, there have been no homicides in Minneapolis for months and the detectives that work on homicides are reduced to working on cold cases. The terrific dry spell breaks in a horrific way when eighty five year old Morey Gilbert, a victim of the concentration camp, is killed outside his home. Homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth (of MONKEEWRENCH fame) are assigned the case but they have little to go on because the victim's wife messed up the crime scene. In the same neighborhood Mr. Fischer's living room is a sea of blood but there is no body. It is later discovered that the corpse is tied up at the railroad trucks but Fischer has a heart attack before the train could hit him. At first the two homicide detectives believe there is no link between the two killings but learns much later that there is. In the meantime, two more eighty-something victims, a man and a woman both living in Morey's neighborhood, are murdered and the only thing they have in common is that they are survivors of the camps. P.J. Tracy is an expect at writings crime thrillers with so many unexpected twists and turns in the storyline that readers find themselves totally absorbed in the book and will want to read it one sitting. The works of this mother-daughter writing team will be enjoyed by readers who like Patricia Cornwell, Christine McGuire, and Nancy Taylor Rosenberg. The action scenes are very realistic as is the plot but the characters take LIVE BAIT out of the ordinary into the sublime.

Hidden Prey
John Sandford
Putnam
ISBN: 039915180X $26.95, 400 pp.

In Duluth, Trey witnesses Carl Walther kill a Russian sailor Rodion Oleshev. Carl notices the street person who observed his committing homicide, but she escapes. Later he sees her wearing that same telltale Czechoslovakian Army coat and kills her with a garrote. The dead sailor's father, a business mogul who controls oil machinery, insists justice occurs and uses his influence with various Russian power factions to ensure that the killer receives his just award. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Chief Lucas Davenport deals with difficult cases and the understanding that his boss the Governor must not look bad. He is assigned to work the Duluth homicide that has brought in the FBI "helping" the locals. Russian police officer Nadia Kalin is assigned as an observer. The group investigates the crime that takes them to an inactive communist cell that at one time assisted getting Russians in and out of the country back in the 1960s and 1970s. Someone in that cell will kill to keep secrets buried as more murders follow to insure that the group's identities remain protected. John Sandford's latest police procedural connects homicides with a spy ring through a killer who is a victim too. The fast paced action enthralls the audience as the characters seem real especially when the audience catches glimpses into Lucas' personal life that includes keeping his cherished wife informed. He is a hero who loves his wife and infant son and has earned more than enough money to retire, but feels he owes society for his opportunities and remits his debts with his dedicated police work.

The Floodmakers
Mylene Dressler
Putnam
ISBN: 039915163X $23.95, 176 pp.

Octogenarian wealthy playwright Dee Buelle intimately has known death for seemingly ever. His parents died when he was a young boy and as if fate needed to punish him more his first wife passed away just after giving birth to their second child back in 1966. He met his second wife golf professional Jean who played with the real Babe (Zaharis) at an event. She helped raise his two children Harry and Sarah who call her mama. Harry lives in New York trying to be a chip off the old block while Sarah with the help of her filmmaking husband wants to produce a documentary movie about her father. When Dee stops taking his heart medicine, Jean worries that he wants to die. Jean asks his two adult children to come to Texas for a family reunion, hoping that the two kids can motivate their dad into going back on his medicine. However, the children have agendas of their own leaving Jean to play unsuccessful peacemaker that is until a new revelation surfaces that leaves her jumping into the fracas with fists flying. Although over the top with too many surprise shocking disclosures making it difficult for the reader to contend with, THE FLOODMAKERS remains an insightful family soap opera. Readers will appreciate the relational dynamics that dissolve into dysfunctional disarray as melodramatic moments continually surface. Fans of family crisis dramas will enjoy this saga of a unit seemingly one iota from disintegration.

The Paid Companion
Amanda Quick
Putnam
ISBN: 0399151745 $24.95, 432 pp.

In Regency England, Miss Elenora Lodge had a beautiful estate, a wealthy inheritance, and a fiancee that she loved until her stepfather used her money to invest and lost it all. The new estate owner tosses her off the property and her fiancee dumps her. Elenora travels to London seeking employment as a companion. Earl Arthur Lancaster seeks a companion to pose as his fiancee so he can go about his business without the shackles of matchmaking matriarchs. He offers Elenora an exorbitant fee, which she greatfully accepts. In his St. Merryn home, Elenora learns that the murder of his cherished great-uncle brought him to town seeking justice. She needs to help him and while facing danger they fall in love with one another, but both fear rejection so they hide their feelings from one another. Amanda Quick has written an exhilarating historical romantic suspense tale that will keep reader attention from first page to last. Though the intrigue grips the audience, there is almost as much emphasis on the romance through the two wonderful protagonists. THE PAID COMPANION is an action-packed tale with terrific well developed lead characters and an interesting quirky support cast and the combination will send this author quickly to the New York Times best seller list.

The Summer I Dared
Barbara Delinsky
Scribner
ISBN: 0743246438 $24.95, 368 pp.

For years her identity was defined as Janet's daughter, Molly's mother, or Monte's wife. She accommodated the needs of everyone else at the cost of her own. With her daughter out of the house, Julia Bechtel decides to escape from her spouse so she can ponder what she wants to do with her unfulfilling marriage. Julia takes the ferry to visit her Aunt Zoe on Big Sawyer Island off the Maine coast. However, another vessel runs into the ferry causing both boats to explode. Julia, lobsterman Noah Prince, and islander Kim Colette are the only survivors. Julia realizes that for some unknown heavenly reason she has been provided with a chance to live life on her terms. Every day is a miraculous gift as she now knows she can never return to her unsatisfying life in New York unless substantial changes occur. Comfort comes in Noah's arms, but Julia wonders if she has the courage to seek love with him because that would disappoint her daughter and her parents whose opinions she values. Every venture that Barbara Delinsky takes her fans on is unique as the author never writes the same book twice. THE SUMMER I DARED is a beautiful love story as much as a character study of an individual finding courage with her second chance at life. The eccentric secondary cast, especially the barrier island crowd, keeps the tale from turning too inwardly maudlin while also enabling the audience to see the inner struggles of the heroine. Noah has his own demons in a neglected teenage son. All this adds up to a wonderful in depth relationship drama that focuses on the turmoil of good caring people.

Unwilling Accomplice
Barbara Seranella
Scribner
ISBN: 074324558X $24.00, 304 pp.

Though family means nothing but heartache, betrayal and trouble to Munch Mancini, she tries to help her adopted daughter Asia come together with her cousins. Still the mechanic and former druggie prostitute wants her child to have everything she did not including a warm caring extended family. Munch even considers a mate so that Asia has the male influence of a father. When the daddy brigade turns up empty, Munch does what she felt was a better choice anyway which is buying Asia a cocker spaniel. Meanwhile Asia's Aunt Lisa Slokum sends her usual friendly message filled with endearing profanities and orders to call. Lisa's preadolescent daughter Jill is Pollyanna while in contrast the older child Charlotte who is teen Goth. That is until she vanishes after a classmate is murdered and may have some stolen goods with her. Munch's former lover police officer Rico Chacon arrests Lisa leaving it up to Munch to mother Jill as well as Asia and to try to keep the still missing Charlotte safe from nasty killing thugs; not an easy task when you have no idea where she is. This is as much a character study as a mystery as readers obtain a deep look at Munch, Asia and the latter's extended family. The suspense is more towards whether Rico is the one than the missing child investigation. Still fans of the series will enjoy the insight into Munch and her widening circle, but also feel a bit disappointed in the lightness of the intrigue.

Crossing the One
Clinton McKinzie
Delacorte
ISBN: 0385336373 $23.00

Two FBI agents, Mary Chang and Tom Cochran, work a deal with drug addict Roberto Burns. In exchange for clemency of his felony charges, they will use him as a pawn to gain criminal information on former Mexicali drug lord Jesus Hidalgo, who relocated to Wyoming after being on the losing end of a vicious gang war in Mexico. Hidalgo plans to establish an illegal drug producing lab in an abandoned mine. Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Antonio "Ant" Burns has problems with the scenario, but is happy to see his brother go straight being a by the law type. He goes along with the agreement until he realizes that his sibling is in danger. He decides to be the cavalry in order to rescue his brother regardless of what it does to the Feds' case. Though he hopes that climbing the side of a mountain will surprise Hidalgo and his gang of hoods, Ant is soon in the middle of danger too. The fourth Ant tale (see THE EDGE OF JUSTICE and TRIAL BY ICE AND FIRE) is at its best when the hero and Roberto are mountain climbing. The tale remains strong when the lead character performs soliloquies on why he became a cop and how much he cares for his pregnant girlfriend, Mungo the wolf, the Iron Pig Land Cruiser, and his lunatic brother, the tale hums as readers see inside Ant. When Ant provides discourses on a non-cooperating judge, the FBI and his boss, the tale slows down. Still the side of a cliff is what makes this an exhilarating thriller as the audience will feel they are hanging alongside Ant.

The Enemy
Lee Child
Delacorte
ISBN: 0385336675 $25.00, 394 pp.

In 1989, twenty-nine years old military police officer Major Jack Reacher is reassigned from Panama to Fort Bird, North Carolina. When he arrives at his new duty station, he finds many other MPs transferred there, but thinks little of it. On January 1, 1990 just past midnight, Reacher, as the MP duty officer doing graveyard receives a call that a two-star General Officer on his way to a conference was found murdered in a run down motel while apparently having sex with someone other than his spouse. Not long afterward, the general's wife is killed. Two more people also die. Reacher investigates the homicides ignoring the brass that tries to persuade him to stop. He believes the link is the conference if he can only find a copy of the agenda before his superiors charge him with insubordination or the killer targets him next. The backdrop of the fall of the Berlin Wall and expected force reduction of military personal with the end of the Reagan era contrast with the news that the hero's mother is dying from cancer in Paris; together they provide a deep backdrop to the tale. Though still a loner, Reacher willingly takes on the service to uncover the identity of the killer. That personality trait is superb when he is an independent operator, but seems more like misconduct and insubordination within the Army chain of command, which does not allow for independent aces seeking justice outside the military. Yet his lone ranger investigation also meets the values expected of a soldier. Reacher is a five star general.

Late Bloomer
Melissa Pritchard
Doubleday
ISBN: 0385503040 $23.95, 365 pp.

In Tempe the single mother of a teenage daughter, Prudence True Parker visits the public library seeking books that will help her draft the syllabus of the fifteen week course, Advanced Personal Journey that she will teach at the local community college. While in the women's room of the library, she meets cross-dresser Mildred Crawley nee Digby Deeds. As Mildred, he/she write highly successful romance novels, but now he is dying. He believes that their meeting over the toilet bowls is fate dubbing her his heir while she figures he is mad. Digby gives her the rights to complete his Savage Passion series. At a Native American fund raiser in Oklahoma, Prudence meets and shares a night of love making with Comanche Ray Chasing Hawk. Prudence returns home followed by Ray who moves in with her and her seventeen year old. Living research with Ray, Prudence tries to replace Mildred whose next book centers on a white woman/Indian chief romance. LATE BLOOMERS is an engaging romantic satire that contrasts "real life" with fiction. The troubled relationship between Ray and Prudence compares unfavorably with that in the novel that she is authoring. This book within a book gifts the audience with a biting edge to an eccentric tale that ironically is softened with a romance novel's simple climatic solutions that seem more apropos for the Savage Passion novel. Still Melissa Pritchard furbishes a witty spoof that mocks all that is sacred in the wonderful wacky world of the romance relationship.

Silver's Edge
Anne Kelleher
Luna
ISBN: 0373802072 $13.95, 400 pp.

The goblins ate human and Sidhe flesh before banishment to the Wastelands and are prevented from leaving by the Silver Caul made by a mortal silversmith with fairy magic. Goblins were not seen in the realm of man or Fairy for centuries until one washed ashore on the land of man on the same day that Neesa's father, the town's silversmith, disappeared. Determined to find him, Neesa takes off her silver amulet that wards off goblins and crosses to the OtherWorld where she meets a handsome Sidhe who promises to help her if she waits for him in her own realm. Trouble is brewing in the Shadow Land (the world of man) because a mad king sits on the throne and his wife's relatives are willing to go to war to annex the realm.. A noble is willing to plunge the country into civil war to prevent that from happening since he should be the king's heir. Both Sidhe and princess ally themselves to one another to achieve their goals, which is not beneficial for Shadow Land or Otherworld. While man and fairy work together both for good and evil purposes; the evil goblins prepare to overrun the world of man and have a feast they have been denied for centuries. Anne Kelleher has written a fantastic epic fantasy that grabs the attention of the reader who is unable to put the book down until the last page is turned. This is only the first book in a series because many questions remain unanswered and several characters still have roles to play in the saga. Although there is only a slight amount of romance in SILVER'S EDGE, the path is paved for certain liaisons to come to fruition in future installments.

Seraphim
Michelle Hauf
Luna
ISBN: 0373802064 $13.95 416 pp.

The French soil runs blood red from the battles between monarchs Henry VI and Louis VIII. The English king holds Paris thanks to the power of Lucifer de Morte and his brothers who take what they want including using innocents for bloody entertainment. On the eve of Seraphim d'Ange's wedding, Lucifer and his minions attack the castle killing everyone but the bride and her servant Baldwin. She resolves to kill de Morte and his relatives, which would free France from the evil hold he has on the nation. Seraphim dons black battle gear of a knight and kills two of the de More kin. She also meets the mysterious Dominique St. Juste who informs her that he is her protector when she goes off to kill the rest of her enemies. Two more de Mortes taste death, but Seraphim knows her biggest challenge waits her with Lucifer in the wings. Seraphim are one of the Powers that reside in heaven, but can be reborn on earth to battle the minion of the Fallen. Whether the heroine is one of these angelic souls is up to the reader, but clearly she has been reborn after the massacre to avenge her family. She falls in love with Dominique, a fairy sent to protect his beloved. History, fantasy, and romance are cleverly blended into a creative beautiful adult fairy tale that will charm an enthralled audience.

Where Heaven Begins
Rosanne Bittner
Steeple Hill
ISBN: 0373785135 $12.95, 336 pp.

In 1898 San Francisco, Elizabeth Breckenridge is irate with the pious judges of her congregation that condemn her based on the word of the two faced Reverend Selby. The self-righteous men believe she is just a weak female while Selby is a man of God, who took her in as a daughter when her mother followed her father to heaven. Liz, Selby, and God know the truth, but since she is condemned by the leaders, she informs them that she will join her brother Peter in Dawson, Yukon Territory and pray that God forgives them. Almost immediately, Liz finds out how dangerous the trek is as thugs try to steal her purse. Bounty hunter Clint Brady rescues her. To her shock, she finds the caustic cynic appealing even though he scoffs at her when she says God will protect her. As the trek north continues, Liz wonders if in some mysterious way God has sent her Clint as her beloved "guardian" angel. The doubting Clint falls in love with Liz, but believes he is not good enough for such a pious believer while vengeance holds his heart in chains. The perils of Pauline add excitement to a vivid late nineteenth century romance that fans will comprehend who is rescuing who in this warm inspirational tale. Liz is a terrific protagonist struggling with the betrayal of weak minded men only to find a courageous angry with God male owns her heart. Clint is a lot more complex than the caring Liz as he has four years of disbelief suddenly thrown at him when he falls in love with a Godly woman. Fans will appreciate this inspirational North to Alaska romance.

Hadassah: One Night with the King
Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen
Bethany House
ISBN: 0764227378 $19.99

Hadassah fails to grasp the ritual that her father puts her through until he provides her a letter handed down by generations of her ancestors and written by the biblical legend Esther. In ancient times, Esther's family is slaughtered because of their religious beliefs. Her cousin Mordecai adopts the young and they flee to Persia. Mordecai teaches his ward about being a Jew, but also warns her to hide her religion from others if she wants to live. The King of Persia orders all virgins to come to the palace so he can choose a new queen. Esther using the name Hadassah is among the participants. She vows to G-D (written in reverence this way) to risk her life to free her people if she is the chosen one. Though selected as the next queen, Hadassah realizes how foolishly dangerous it would be to reveal her Jewishness. Still, her people including her beloved Mordecai are in trouble so Esther no longer can remain silent in the lap of luxury much longer even if speaking out means "If I perish, I perish". Once the changing between eras stop (until one final turn) with biblical Esther taking center stage, readers obtain a fantastic retelling of the story of Jewish holiday Purim (just past) that provides deep insight into the heroine. The key that takes the tale beyond the strong retelling of Esther the queen (often told) is filling in the blanks of her childhood and her learning to become the monarch's wife. Aimed at a religious audience, anyone who appreciate a powerful rendition of a classic bible tale will enjoy eating Hamentaschen while spending one night with Tommy Tenney and Mark Andrew Olsen.

Deep Black Biowar
Stephen Coonts & Jim DeFelice
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312985215 $7.99, 416 pp.

Charles Dean pays a surprise visit to his friend Dr. James Kegan only to find the body of a young Asiatic male lying dead in his home and his buddy nowhere to be found. Dr. Kegan has worked with viruses and bacteria that could be made into weapons so a concerned Charles calls Desk Three, the super high tech covert force. The director is sufficiently worried so he sends Charlie to a scientific conference that Dr. Keegan was supposed to attend. Once there he is kidnapped and sent to Austria where some terrorists demand that he hand over the antidote. It seems Charlie's friend developed a disease that resembles rat-bite fever that is resistant to penicillin. A second team is sent to Thailand where Dr. Kegan was studying plants indigenous to the area. The weapon has been sold to two countries that could use it as a weapon against the U.S. They must destroy the weapons that are in the hands of the terrorists and find an antidote before the disease gets loose in the general population. Stephen Coonts and Jim De Felice have created a techno thriller that starts off fast and by the end of the book is moving at the speed of light. Although there is plenty of action with agents using high-tech gadgets, the major question that permeates the whole book is why did Dr. Kegan, a good man by all accords, create this weapon and where is he holed up. This mystery within a thriller is a prime reason that Stephen Coonts always has his reader's coming back for the next book he writes.

Tempting the Heiress
Barbara Pierce
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312986211 $6.99, 352 pp.

In 1810 Vauxhall Gardens, Conte Prola passionately kisses Amara Claeg. Her parents will force Amara to marry her to the Italian count though she hates his kiss. She flees only to run into the devil, Brock Bedegrayne, who has come home after two years overseas. Though Amara's mother detests the Bedegraynes blaming them for the death of her son, Brock makes it clear to Amara that he desires her and is courting her. Brock asks her to forgive him for his part in the incident two years ago in which her brother died and informs her he is no longer running away so she will have to deal with him. Amara dreams of her previous suitor Lord Cornley who died in a fire six years ago. Her father selected him though her preference would have been Brock. As far as her dad was concerned Cornley could do anything he wanted and he sexually assaulted her until Brock yanked the SOB off of Amara. A fire killed the man. This is an engaging Regency romance due to the strong attraction between the two lead protagonists and the fun interactions between his family members. The heroine's reactions to her almost betrothed vs. her belief that she must marry as her father insists turns tedious and a subplot involving her cousin as an odious rival never comes to fruition. Still fans will appreciate this suspenseful second chance tale especially a final fiery twist as Brock struggles to overcome the odds knowing her family rejects him and she has reasons too.

Judas Island
Kathryn R. Wall
St. Martin's
ISBN: 031231387X $23.95, 304 pp.

Bay Tanner enjoys being with her lover in France as he recuperates from an injury he got while helping her on a case. Their idyllic time together ends when Interpol recruits him for another assignment so Bay returns home to South Carolina, unwilling to put up with the fact that he might die on the job like her husband did. At home, Eric informs her that his friend, archeologist Gray Palmer, is working on uninhabited islands off the southeast coast and has found the remains of a dead body. He wants them to discover who the deceased is. Before they get deep into their investigation, Gray dies, supposedly in a boating accident. His girlfriend insists that Gray was murdered and the same people who killed him are after her. When a bone is Fed-Exed to Eric, they take it to an archeologist who tells them that it belonged to a black man buried for five decades. Gray's father hires them to find out if his son was murdered and then fires them in the same week. Bay and Erik refuse to stop as they are determined to find the island where the bones are burned, risking their life in the process. A Bay Tanner mystery is always fun to read because it is an exciting action thriller as well as a cerebral mystery. Readers will understand why Bay hides her heartache so no one can pity her. The plot is basically straight line but that doesn't mean the answers to the mystery are easy to solve because there are quite a few people who seek to stop Bay and Erik any way they can in Kathryn R. Wall's exciting amateur sleuth tale.

A Hard Ticket Home
David Housewright
St. Martin's
ISBN: 031232149X $23.95, 288 pp.

After almost a dozen years on the St. Paul Police force, Rushmore McKenzie knows he has no chance of promotion ever since he made a righteous killing using a gun that was not standard police issue. When he finds an embezzler and the money he stole, he quits the force. This makes him eligible to take the insurance company reward for the return of the money. He is now a wealthy unlicensed private eye taking cases that interest him. Richard and Molly Carlson ask him to find their daughter Jamie who left years ago and never returned. Their younger daughter Stacy is dying of leukemia and her only hope is a bone marrow transplant. After a thorough search he locates Jamie who tells him she will get in touch with him after she tells her husband about the family he never knew she had. When he doesn't hear from her, he goes to her home only to find her murdered. Her husband and son are missing, but Jamie's parents want him to locate their grandson who might be a match for Stacy. The investigation turns deadlier when eight men connected to the case are murdered, some by McKenzie's hand. The case off as a missing person's case but turns into a conspiracy linking a business group with a low profile gang armed with East European weapons. David Housewright has written an exciting, action packed crime thriller in which it is difficult to tell the good people from the bad. A HOT TICKET HOME is a dark urban thriller that will have readers wondering what lurks behind the masks certain people wear to cover the evil that resides within.

Perfumed Sleeve
Laura Joh Rowland
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312318898 $24.95

In 1694 Edo, violence explodes between supporters of the shogun's cousin Lord Matsudaira and followers of the shogun's second-in-command Chamberlain Yanagisawa as both side lay claim as the successor. This leads to the death of elderly councilman Makino Narisada though his demise seems of natural causes. The deceased's valet asks the shogun's investigator Sano Ichiro, to look into his death. Sano quickly finds clues that make him reconsider his initial thought of old age as the cause. When the political rivals realize that Sano aided by his capable wife investigates, they quickly blame their opponent of committing murder. Sano still has some lingering doubts that a homicide occurred, but finds that he is caught in the midst of deadly secret alliances as other die too. Though the murder investigation sometimes takes a back seat to the incredible look at late seventeenth century Japan, historical mystery readers will find Laura Joh Rowland's latest tale fresh and fascinating. Sano remains one of the great protagonists of the last few years as he tries to walk a path in which two super heavyweights try to pull him into their respective side of the power struggle. The support cast enhances insight into the era and the hero more so than the inquiries. Readers who enjoy a deep insightful examination of a bygone period will want to read PERFUMED SLEEVE and the previous novels of this solid series (see The Dragon King's Palace)

The Haunted Abbot
Peter Tremayne
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312287690 $24.95, 320 pp.

In 666 AD, Sister Fidelma of Cashel, daughter and sister to kings, is in what will become Great Britain with her Saxon husband Brother Eudolf, the emissary to Theodore, the Arch-bishop of Canterbury. After they are through with their business they travel to Aldred's Abbey to meet Brother Botulf who begged for a midnight meeting. Before they reach the abbey, they are caught in a storm and find shelter with "Mad" Mull who warns them that the place they seek is evil. By the time they reach Aldred's Abbey, Fidelma is sick and Abbot Cild doesn't want a female in residence. He doesn't follow the Celtic Church but is a fanatic about obeying the rules coming out of Rome. Brother Botulf was murdered that morning and when Cild sees the ghost of his dead wife, he locks up Fidelma because he thinks she's a witch. When she is better, Fidelma and Eudolf escape but she must still solve the mystery of the death of Cild's wife and Brother Botulf if she wants to avert a war between two kingdoms. The two protagonists are married under Irish law for a year and a day, but Fidelma realizes she can never be happy in Eudolf's homeland where women are treated as chattel. She does not have the power to question witnesses or give testimony and must tiptoe around the beliefs of the South Folk if she wants to bring the guilty to justice. THE HAUNTED ABBEY is an exciting multi-layered mystery and Peter Tremayne sets up the next book on the series with the last sentence of the novel so that a stunned, excited, and impatient audience will clamor for an early release of that novel.

Blood on the Wood
Gillian Linscott
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312331487 $24.95, 320 pp.

Suffragette Philomena Venn donates to the Women's Social and Political Union a valuable painting by renowned French artist Boucher in her will. Member Nell Bray goes to collect the painting so that the group can sell it for a needed influx of cash. When she receives a forgery from the deceased's family and the widower refuses to do the right thing by his wife, Nell takes it upon herself to steal the real one and replace it with the fake. Breaking and entering Mr. Venn's house in the middle of the night proves rather easy. However, the switch is deferred when Nell finds a corpse. Someone murdered the victim and as Nell explains to the constable why she was in the house, she vows to herself to uncover the identity of the culprit so can clear her name. BLOOD ON THE WOOD is an engaging historical mystery that brings to life the early struggles of the suffragette movement in England. The fine amateur sleuth theme is cleverly enhanced by unpretentious looks at early twentieth century society mostly by the extended Venn family, suffragette sisters, or the heroine. Nell as the center of the tale is the real deal so that the audience obtains a wonderful novel that showcases a bygone period in a delightful way as does the previous Bray books do (see DEAD MAN RIDING and PERFECT DAUGHTER).

I'd Kill for That
Marcia Talley, editor
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312290578 $23.95, 272 pp.

Gryphon Gate is an affluent gated community in the rich part of Maryland. This waterfront property of mini-mansions is home to senators, industrialists and pop icons and all of them have secrets they would kill to keep. One night at least four of the residents receive a fax telling them to be on the sixth tee of the golf course. Embedded in the messages is the name of a person that frightens each recipient so they are forced to comply. When one of the ladies arrives she finds the body of one of the residents, a harmless nerdy sociology professor who was the confidant of many of the residents but also wrote down whenever he was told or observed. Three other murders quickly follow and the police don't have a clue as to who did it because almost every resident had a motive and the opportunity to do the deed. The only fact that the police are sure of is one person did the killings. I'D KILL FOR THAT is a collaborative serial novel in which one writer pens a chapter and another author crafts the next chapter. This police procedural is written by twelve female mystery and suspense notables that include Rita Mae Brown, Kathy Reichs, Anne Perry and Kay Hooper. The community of Gryphon Gate is a miniature Peyton Place complete with bed-hopping, criminal activity and a man who thinks and behaves like a werewolf at the time of the full moon. Each chapter flows smoothly into the next so that it feels like one author wrote this tale. Marcia Talley and her dozen cohorts deserve kudos for this successful project.

Killer Heels
Sheryl Anderson
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312319460 $24.95, 320 pp.

After having dinner with one of her best friends, Molly Forrester agrees to go to her workplace, Zeitgeist magazine to show Cassady the ugliest piece of art in existence, one that The Publisher (that is always how he is referred to) has left in a prominent place. When they arrive at the office Molly steps in something wet and when Cassady turns on the lights, they find the murdered body of the advertising director Teddy Reynolds, a knife in his throat. Molly's first instinct is to call their best friend Tricia but Cassidy the lawyer calls 911. Molly a columnist in the tradition of Dear Abby and Ann Landers sees this murder as a story that will get her a job as a serious news reporter if she investigates the case and finds the killer. Teddy had as many friends as he did enemies including a wife he cheated on and a mistress he also cheated on who happens to be Molly's boss. By the time she and her two friends finish their investigation; Molly is shot at and has become romantically involved with the lead detective on the case. The first installment in what looks to be a winning series is up beat, funny and totally, refreshingly original. The investigation is fascinating as Molly first follows the romance trail and in mid-stream shifts to the money motive because she comes upon a clue that the victim was doing something illegal with one of the accounts. The heroine is an original and her deep solid friendships with Cassady and Trisha ring true and feel real. Sheryl Anderson provides a fabulous opening act.

The Delta Sisters
Kayla Perrin
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312300883 $24,95, 368 pp.

In 1953 Lafayette, Louisiana, Sylvia tries to flee from what she did. The incident haunts her for the rest of her life as she suffers nightmares vividly displaying this calamity. Still life goes on. Over the next two decades Sylvia insures her own daughter follows a path to success by keeping a rein on Olivia. However, in 1975 New Orleans someone killed Liza "bad girl" Monroe, which shook up Sylvia more than it should have. She reacts by tightening her control of her daughter until Olivia has had enough and revolts. Two decades later, Olivia's daughter Rachelle attends college. However, unbeknownst to the coed, her mother, or her grandmother someone waits. That individual has killed before and will murder anyone who might reveal secrets. Age is no factor to this predator willing to send Sylvia, Olivia, but especially Rachelle to the morgue. This exciting story line freshens up what could have been the trite watcher-killer theme by furbishing characters that seem so genuine so that when something happens, fans empathize with the women as the episode feels real too. The three females make the tale as the audience compares each with one another while also what lurks in the shadows. Kayla Perrin paints a terse psychological suspense thriller that hooks the audience from the moment Sylvia tries to run away from herself until the final confrontation.

Liars and Thieves
Stephen Coonts
St. Martin's
ISBN: 0312283628 $25.95, 400 pp.

Former burglar Tommy Carmellini now works for the CIA. His current assignment is to inspect security at the Greenbriar River Facility, a CIA safe house in the Alleghany Mountains in Virginia. When he reaches his destination, Tommy finds the complex under attack. He manages to kill a goon, rescuing translator Kelly Erlanger and a suitcase of KGB files. Kelly informs Tommy that the resident of the safe house, former KGB archivist Mikhail Goncharov obviously had information that someone wants kept buried. Now someone wants Tommy and Kelly dead and willing to murder anyone associated with the operative including his partner Willie the Wire and his former lover Dorsey O'Shea, who just asked him to steal some porno tapes starring her. With the assailants in pursuit, Tommy, Kelly, and now Dorsey flee to Rehoboth Beach where retired Rear Admiral Jake Grafton offers temporary sanctuary while the team tries to sort out why someone wants them dead. Carmellini in his first major appearance (bit player in CUBA) is an intriguing protagonist who provides an intriguing counterpoint to Stephen Coonts' prime superstar, Grafton. The story line is action-packed, but the conspiracy has been often told so it somewhat lacks freshness even with several interesting twists and a fine cast. LIARS AND THIEVES will entertain newcomers which the author's fan base will enjoy, but not at the quality of a Grafton led thriller.

The Obsidian Quest
Laraine Anne Barker
Hard Shell Word Factory
ISBN: 0759904987 $TBA 163 pp.

While his stepfather is away on business in Australia, twelve years old Peter FitzArthur visits his Uncle Paul and Aunt Angela Merrilyn in New Zealand. Angela's twin sister Marian was Peter's deceased mother so they share their grief though several years have passed since the car accident took her life. Peter and Paul's dog Dreyfus wander around the land exploring as lads often do. However, someone abducts Peter, trying to determine if the youngster is the one. Peter manages to escape, going back to Paul's home, but says nothing about his ordeal to his relative. When Dreyfus is injured while fighting the three headed Cerberus, Peter is forced to reveal his secret to Paul so that he can help the canine. On the trek to the spot where the canines battled, Peter and Paul find a stone wall blocking their passage. Informing his nephew that he is Merlin the Magician and persuading the lad that they have a world to save, Paul and Peter risk their lives seeking the Chosen and to reconstruct the Obsidian Orb to accomplish their quest. Though obviously aimed at the Potter crowd, this exciting Merlin tale is a solid fantasy that does Camelot proud so that adults will want to join the intrepid twosome on their adventure. The story line is non stop action from the moment Peter is abducted to the final confrontation with stops in between on the globe and in time. Readers of the Arthurian sagas will welcome this fabulous entry and look forward to the remaining two novels in what looks like a triumphant return of Merlin.

Nightwind
Charlotte Boyett Compo
Hard Shell Word Factory
ISBN: 0759936269 $TBA 274 pp.

Forty-four years old loner Lauren Fowler is such a scared cat, even normally kind people pick on her. Her recent birthday was ignored by everyone and at the bookstore where she works she is treated with disdain. Everything changes when Synthian Cree arrives at the store where Lauren works. He is not only nice to her, a revelation to the normally abused female, but he seems to court her as if he loves her. Even more surprising is the increase in nastiness towards Lauren followed by terrible incidents haunting those who hurt her. As much as he blew into her life, Synthian just simply vanishes without a warning or a trace. Though out of character for how she has lived for four plus decades Lauren begins investigating who Synthian is, why he sought her out, and what happened to him? Lauren is unaware that the shocking answers could cost her more than just her heart and her life as her very soul could be on the line since he is spellbound to be loyal and obey her nasty cousin though he loves Lauren. This is an exciting paranormal romance starring two delightful star-crossed lovers and a selfish villainous soul using their love against them. The support cast has a mob mentality when it comes to Lauren so when Synthian retaliates, he surprisingly will receive accolades from the audience for protecting his woman. Readers will enjoy this stupendous smooth synthesizing of The Ugly Duckling with My Demon Lover that displays the skill of Charlotte Boyett Compo as a top rate author.

Cast in Steel, Carved in Stone
Christine W. Murphy
Hard Shell Word Factory
ISBN: 0759937249 $TBA

Mikkel as the head of Yula has traveled to Lexina to claim his bride Sofia as defined by a contract signed between his father and his fiancee's dad twenty years ago. Apparently to the outrageous Mikkel, the fact that the two parties to that deal are either dead or crazy means nothing. Even less important is that his slave sent ahead of him impregnates Sofia. Mikkel insists that the older sister Kat, the CEO of Lex Central, marries him and beget the heir. Kat has no choice, as her corporation needs the influx of capital that Yula can provide, but she has no plans to have a child with this pompous fop. As they travel to his planet, she begins to see a dichotomy in Mikkel. On the one hand he seems so strong and confident while on the other he bows to the Triden Empire. Still Kat begins to fall in love with Mikkel not realizing he has an agenda that if discovered could lead to his death. CAST IN STEEL, CARVED IN STONE is an enjoyable science fiction romance that brings two worlds to life so that the audience believes in Lexina and Yula. The cast is powerful, especially Mikkel, a Scarlet Pimpernel in space, and Kat, a woman who knows what she wants, and goes out to achieve her desires. Though alliances are not clearly defined for these two planets in the galaxy war between superheavyweights, fans will want to soar with this exhilarating journey in worlds far from this one, Odin aside.

If the Buddha Came to Dinner: How to Nourish Your Body to Awaken Your Spirit
Hale Sofia Schatz and Shira Shaiman
Hyperion
ISBN: 078686883X $14.95, 302 pp.

This is an interesting self help book that encourages, perhaps even lectures, readers to change their eating habits as if Buddha came to share a meal with us. The underlying theme of the book is to ponder whether the reader would provide Buddha with processed foods or organic fruits and vegetables? If not why not treat oneself in the same manner? There are four Parts. "Who Are You Feeding" promotes the audience to feed your spirit. This section is difficult to attain though anecdotes provide some uplift and many boomers will think of White Rabbit ("Feed Your Head"). The book really takes off with Part two, "Nourishment as Daily Practice" and Part three, "Awakening Your Spirit". These two sections provide specific steps on how to make eating an enjoyable harmonious rite as a major part of discovering one's inner spirit. The final segment contains suggested recipes. Though this book is well done with a powerful message on health and eating right, IF THE BUDDHA CAME TO DINNER: HOW TO NOURISH YOUR BODY TO AWAKEN YOUR SPIRIT contains too much fat hiding the meat of the guidebook. When the message is front and center readers receive a terrific tome, but will need patience to cut through the extra calories. It is still worth peeling to get to the heart and spirit of this intriguing look at what you eat impacts your health.

Memorial Day
Harry Shannon
Five Star
ISBN: 1594141991 $25.95, 266 pp.

In Beverly Hills, Psychologist Mick Callahan was a media superstar, but let fame get to head as women and booze began to destroy him. He finally reached bottom when he cut off an abused battered woman because he was too busy and as a result of his neglect she died. Taking his guilt with him and trying to start over, Mick returned home to Dry Wells, Nevada where he has a radio talk show in which no one calls until a woman, who refuses to provide her name so he dubs her "Ophelia", breaks the silence. She insists she loves an abusive con man and fears for her life. Not long afterward the caller is dead. Though he knows he should mind his business after being warned off by Sheriff Bass over a corpse he found, he obsesses over finding out the truth even if it means his return to Los Angeles is delayed. Though the truth is out there if Mick comes to close to it he will be dead too. This is an exciting amateur sleuth tale starring a former hedonist who learned first hand the down side of fame. The story line is crisp once Mick begins his inquiries as Harry Shannon insures the audience comprehends how difficult life is for the hero now that he is no longer on top, but instead scratching just to attain the lowest rung of the food chain. Though his own childhood memories seem out of place (even if he is home) within the investigative tale, fans will appreciate Mick's memorable MEMORIAL DAY.

The Wild Orchid Society
Laurie Moore
Five Star
ISBN: 1410401898 $25.95

Having solved the LADY GODIVA MURDER does not liberate Cezanne Martin from being an anathema because of her affair with a married peer. Instead Cezanne is further punished by her relative Deputy Chief Daniel Rosen who announces at a press conference that she is the temporary head of homicide. Rosen informs the media that Cezanne will head up the newly formed Cold Case Squad and promises to solve the eight year old Great Dane Murder in two weeks. Rosen will keep the pressure on Cezanne because he expects her to resign after making the Fort Worth police a laughing stock. Cezanne refuses to quit though she has just obtained her law degree. Instead she transfers in ostracized cop Klevenhagen because his personnel file is bigger than hers. As she watches a teen with the gift of sight, Cezanne obtains help from the FBI that leads her to digging undercover the Dungeons of Decadence, but soon learns that the Executioner stalks D&D participants seeking sacrifices of the top secret WILD ORCHID SOCIETY. If she is to solve her cold case, Cezanne will need to infiltrate this deadly group and unmask the Executioner. Besides her career in jeopardy, her life could be forfeit too. The late St. Martin police procedural is a fantastic tale that hooks the audience the moment that the reader realizes along with the heroine that she is being set up to fail. The story line moves forward on several fronts that not only never slows down the pace, but also cleverly merges together into a terrific investigative tale. Sub-genre fans will want Moore detective tales from a Five Star author.

Deep Blue
David Niall Wilson

Cynthia Penn's Bookshelf	Donovan's Bookshelf	Klausner's Bookshelf
Laurel's Bookshelf	Shelley's Bookshelf	Shirley's Bookshelf
Vicki's Bookshelf