Running Hot
Jayne Ann Krentz
Putnam, Jan 2009, $24.95
ISBN 9780399155215

The psychic investigative firm Jones & Jones sends Arcane Society member Grace Renquist, who can envision the evil in a person’s aura to Hawaii to uncover the identity of a serial killer. To protect the librarian who will be out in the cold for the first time, they hire former cop currently tending bar Luther Malone as her bodyguard, who can abort a person’s evil thoughts before they can perform an odious deed.

Luther and Grace are attracted to one another from their first meeting. However, in Hawaii they know to table their passion and focus on the killer. They quickly learn that others seek the psychopath too; from the drug stimulated malevolent Nightshades to psychic hunter opera diva La Sirene, whose voice kills.

Although obviously over the top of Mauna Kea, RUNNING HOT is a fast-paced exhilarating romantic suspense that grips the audience from the moment the lead couple meets and never takes a breather until the concluding implication that sequels will follow. Ms. Krentz’s fans will enjoy this serial murder mystery investigation that turns into much more dangerous and evil than a psychopath on the loose.

Harriet Klausner

Demon’s Hunger
Eve Silver
Forever, Dec 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 0446618934

In New Orleans Dain Hawkins and his Compact of Sorcerer cohorts seek Hybrid humans who allow Demons to take over their bodies. They are concerned that the Solitary special demon is making an effort to cross the line between his realm and the human world; and has the help of Asher the Ancient Sorcerer who betrayed his oath. Dain collects gris gris voodoo bags with bones inside and plans to visit University of Toronto at Mississippi assistant anthropology professor Dr, Vivian Cairn for her take on his collection. He and his peers also seek a serial sexual killer, who they believe is a rare succubus.

Vivian feels relief that her mom’s latest visit ended though she loves her single mom. Still she wonders why her dad left them when she was two years old leaving behind a velvet bag and a photo of him. Over the years she has found more gris gris bags. However, her big fear is once again twelve hours of her life vanished without her knowing what she did.

Dane and two other sorcerers arrive at Vivian’s home to consult with her. Dane and Vivian are instantly attracted to one another, but he refuses to act on these feelings fearing the same fate for her as his human wife and daughter who were murdered centuries ago. Vivian realizes he is her dream lover. A demon and hybrids attack them; Dane kills the demon and his friends the hybrids. She is not sure what is going on, but uses her skill to stay emotionally detached though she desperately wants Dane, who insists she stay at his home so he can protect her.

This excellent romantic fantasy works because of the relationship between the lead couple and the belief that demons, half-breeds, sorcerers and succubus are genuine. The lost time is a brilliant spin that will leave readers marveling and there are other terrific twists involving the heroine and her mom. Although a pet peeve that the villain Asher boasts to one of his former cohorts much of his plan instead of acting, the audience will enjoy this superb thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Wicked is the Night
Catherine Mulvaney
Pocket, Dec 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 1416525580

Racing car driver Patrick “Trick Granger is fortunate to be alive even though his career is over because he injured his knee. He and his assistant Marcello Bellini are driving from Tahoe to Placerville where he recently inherited a home that was once a brothel and is now haunted by nineteenth century hooker turned ghost Blanche.

Nevada White knows two men are after her since she escaped from the Appleton Institute. When a trucker tosses her from his van, Trick notices and gets Marcello to rescue her. She is upset as she lost a gold amulet; her only item from her mom, whoever she was. Nevada has some psychic skills, but they are not helping her remember.

They stop at a truck stop and she leaves them. When she sees the two thugs pursuing her at truck stop, she sneaks back into Trick’s car. Trick finds the man who deserted Nevada on the road dead with tons of blood everywhere. Trick and Marcello continue their drive, but are stopped by Detectives Branson and Collier who insist they are looking for an escaped killer who murdered her father. Trick sends them towards Sacramento as he refuses to believe Nevada is a killer. Over the next few days he tries to protect her, he knows someone wants her dead, but not whom; as they struggle to figure out just who is Nevada White.

The relationship between the lead couple is terrific as they are attracted to one another, but her lack of a past makes her hesitate to trust anyone. Ccritical to the strong paranormal romantic suspense plot are vampires seems real; especially how messy they can be when they dine on humans. Although not enough explanation on the Appleton Research Facility is provided and for someone with a bad knee, Trick gets around rather easily, sub-genre readers will relish this fine thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Night of the Loving Dead
Casey Daniels
Berkley, Jan 2009, $6.99
ISBN: 9780425225554

Cemetery tour guide Pepper Martin was in the Garden View Cemetery when she knocked her head accidentally on a tombstone. When she regained consciousnesses, she was able to see ghosts; spirits of those who were murdered and unable to move on. They demand Pepper find their killers and bring them to justice so they can pass peacefully to the next level. She reluctantly investigates the claims because when she refuses they haunt her every living moment.

When Pepper goes to Chicago on business, she stops at the Greenland Cemetery where she meets the spirit of lab coated Madeline Tremayne, who pleads with her that their mutual friend Dr. Dan Callahan is in danger from his boss Dr. Hilton Gerard who is using him as the fall guy for the Feds to devour for their inquiry into misappropriation of funds. Knowing Dan once saved her life and how painfully persistent ghosts are, Pepper investigates learning that Dr. Dan is working on a new program in which the disenfranchised enter but never leave. As she obtains proof of the goings-on, a malevolent spirit turns Pepper into one of the disenbidied unable to help anyone even herself.

Anyone who believes communicating with ghosts would be fun, need to ask the heroine whose experience with the “gift” leaves her traumatic and seemingly always in danger; this is not sharing tea or lattes. Still her courage and desire, albeit reluctant, to help others endears Pepper to the reader. Her latest investigation is fast-paced, dangerous and somewhat personal; as NIGHT OF THE LOVING DEAD is a charming amusing paranormal amateur sleuth.

Harriet Klausner

Tall, Dark, and Kilted
Allie Mackay
Signet, Nov 2008
ISBN: 978045122551

After her lover dumped her for an odious but wealthy replacement and her rival killed her jewelry business, Cilla Swanner left Yardley, Pennsylvania to spend the summer with her Uncle Mac and Aunt Birdie at their Scottish retirement home Dunroamin Castle. Cilla does not miss her ex even an iota and in fact feels relived, but she is worried that her family will lose the castle.

Hundreds of years ago, Scottish knight Sir Hardwin de Studely is hosting some important VIPs when a travel bard asked for hospitality. Fearing for the lives of his guests, he refused. The bard being a wizard cursed Hardwick as he is called by friends to suffer a different lover for eternity. Over the centuries, he has become disillusioned, but the Dark One gives him a chance for redemption if he avoids arousal for a year; if he fails he will please the darkest females. The problem for the now chaste Hardwick is his attraction to Cilla; who makes matters worse as she is falling in love with the ghost haunting her uncle’s castle.

TALL, DARK, AND KILTED is an engaging urban romantic fantasy with a touch of a mystery and a terific twist in which Hardwick fled to the remote retirement home to avoid young women only to fall in love with the Sword of Damocles hanging over both his heads. The story line is brisk and breezy from the moment the ghost and the American meet and never slows down. With a strong cast, paranormal and human, fans will enjoy Cilla’s Scottish adventure in love.

Harriet Klausner

Fractions
Ken MacLeod
Orb (Tor), Oct 28 2008, $19.95
ISBN: 0765320681

The Star Fraction. By 2040, the Kingdom of Great Britain lays in ruins divided into independent states due to the policies of the leftist Labour Party. Some of these new entities are no bigger than a few city streets and run by gang-lords while others like the Army of the New Republic control a vast area. Marxist gun for hire physical security expert Moh Kohn, computer scientist Janis Taine, terrorist Catherine Duvalier and teenage atheist Jordan Brown meet when Moh is assigned to protect Janis and her lab from the fundamentalist Stasis who control technology and have ruled that her work needs to be destroyed. After several Stasis assaults, the foursome decide they must take out an evil artificial intelligence if they are to survive.

The Stone Canal. Political rivals Jonathan Wilde and Dave Reid both love Annette, but the former marries her. Over time Jonathan drifts to the extreme left while Dave turns towards the anarchist’s credo. Their competition grows more heated with Annette still in play. Wilde wakes up near a canal where Jay-Dub the robot informs him he is a clone with the original Wilde’s memories downloaded into the replica. Reid runs the Martian colony, but the Wilde clone remembers his rival being there when he was assassinated. Worse Reid has a clone of Annette. Round two is commencing.

This is a reprint of the “The First Half of The Fall Revolution” with the second part to come soon. The tales retain their fresh creativity though both were published in the mid 1990s. Each is fast-paced with the worlds, a futuristic dismal earth and a Mars colony after a loss in WW III, seem genuine even with clones and AI machines. The additional fun for Ken Macleod fans is to see the leap in skill from his first to second novel as each is entertaining but THE STONE CANAL is much tighter despite containing two major subplots.

Harriet Klausner

Daemon
Daniel Suarez
Dutton, Jan 2009, $25.95
ISBN 9780525951117

At thirty four years of age, Matthew Sobol, the genius behind successful CyberStorm Entertainment dies from brain cancer. However, the brilliant game maestro would not allow something as petty as death preveng him from causing global havoc from the grave. He somehow kicked off a war from cyberpsace against mankind.

Concerned authorities enter Sobol’s mansion in Thousand Oaks, California only to find themselves under attack in spite of the fact that no human is inside or on the grounds; the police suffer several deaths as they retreat. Sobol has left behind the greatest weapon of mass destruction ever created; his daemon computer processor has taken control of most of the world’s major computer systems and has signed up brilliant quisling humans as foot soldiers to carry out the plan for world domination.

DAEMON is a fabulous futuristic AI technology thriller as the twisted but brilliant late computer game creator Sobol sets in motion a doomsday machine after he dies. The story line is fast-paced from the onset even with complex vernacular as Daniel Suarez assumes his audience can do more than breath and chew gum refusing to dumb down his tale. Readers will relish this superb science fiction book with a great finish that sets up AI part two.

Harriet Klausner

Midnight Sins
Cynthia Eden
Kensington Brava, Dec 2008, $14.00
ISBN: 0758226047

The homicides are horrifying because they look somewhat innocent as if a tryst of two consenting adults left one behind tied to a bed. However, the victims all men may have appeared ready for a wild night of tough love, but somehow their essence is sucked from them leaving them dead with not a scratch or any evidence of foul play except for the corpse.

Police Detective Todd Brooks leads the investigation into the serial sex murders but has no clues until amidst the clothing of a victim is found the ID of Cara Firon. Todd brings Cara to the station for questioning. To his shock the men trip over each other to accommodate her; more stunning is he is the worst of those ready to her bidding. Cara tries to control her succubus pheromones with little success as the humans covet her, but she finds it more difficult controlling her desire for the human cop suspecting her as a serial killer.

This fast-paced paranormal romantic police procedural works because the two key elements, the murder investigation and the existence of supernatural beings seem real as each side enhances the other leading to an entertaining whodunit. Todd is superb as he is no nonsense professional working a difficult case that bewilders him, but his biggest confusion is how the testosterone back in the station has overflowed once Cara enters; he kicks himself because he is no better than the others though he conceals his tent pole better. Cara is an excellent prime suspect who can’t help but bringing out the male in the men. Cynthia Eden provides a delightful urban romantic investigative fantasy that sub-genre fans will relish and want more in this milieu.

Harriet Klausner

The Scorpion
Warren Stockholm
Pop Pulp Books (KHP), Oct 2008, $9.99
ISBN: 9780979988158

In an alternate universe Nazi Germany defeated the Allies and occupied the losing nations including America for sixty years until the economy tanked causing a war in which America forced the oppressors to leave. Everything is being built up and growth is everywhere even in Steeltown. New rules allow crime to thrive with one dirty operation running a slave trade child porn ring. Women vanish with their abused bodies found in record numbers.

Watching over the city is The Scorpion who stalks and attacks evil men. He is a German super soldier created by the Third Reich but he escaped to the United States. He thinks of Steeltown as his town and plans to clean it up from criminals and predators. He uses his extraordinary skills to kill those malevolent humans harming others. Yet his past catches up to him when he realizes someone he once called brother is now a vile monster needing to be eradicated.

Readers who enjoy pulp fiction thrillers with an homage to Captain America will enjoy the entertaining THE SCORPION. The fast-paced story line vividly describes through a somewhat horrifying lens a small American town of the future five years after the Nazi occupiers have left. The hero is a tortured soul struggling to control his berserker tendency, a critical element of becoming a super soldier. No Bucky sidekick for him; he is alone even when surrounded by allies because he trusts no one, not even himself. Fans will appreciate the adventures of the Scorpion and look forward to more pulp escapades.

Harriet Klausner

One Silent Night
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin’s, Nov 2008, $6.99
ISBN: 0312947062

Daimon Stryker, leader of the vile army of demons and vampires, is obsessed with one thing; destroying Acheron and Nick Gautier and the Dark-Hunters for their killing his sister. He loathes his two enemies so much Stryker vows to do whatever it takes to kill them. However, even his supporters fear the deranged Stryker has gone too far when he makes a Faustian deal with the Titan god War. He will free the imprisoned War in exchange for the God killing Acheron and Nick.

Artemis, realizing the potential danger to Ash, “frees” Stryker’s supposedly dead ex-wife, Zephyra, who has an agenda of vengeance also against her former husband who deserted her and their daughter Medea. Stryker is stunned to learn he has a warrior daughter while War begins the assault on Ash and Nick. The stake is a world as strange bedfellows line up on both sides for what appears to be the final battle.

Throughout the Dark-Hunters saga, vile villain Stryker has been in some ways the most interesting character; sort of like a Darth Vader who mostly displays evil but once in a while shockingly seems to care. This is his tale, which means 98% fantasy thriller. Fans of the great mythos will not be disappointed as Stryker gets a taste of vengeance from the untamable shrew. He celebrated her death when he thought she was out of his life. This is a great entry in one of the best epic fantasies of the past decade.

Harriet Klausner