Running Hot

From Publishers Weekly A heroine who can see dark energy flashes in a villain's aura and a hero who can squelch villainous thoughts before they're put into action go to paradise to find a murderer, but find love, sex and a nest of drug-enhanced evildoers instead in Krentz's latest Arcane Society novel. Librarian Grace Renquist and ex-cop-turned-bartender Luther Malone, both members of the centuries-old Arcane Society, join forces when the psychic investigative agency Jones & Jones hires Grace, with Luther as her bodyguard, to find a killer in Hawaii. Luther quickly realizes Grace is not your normal paranormal, but their hot romance is put (briefly) on hold as they learn that Nightshade, drug-fueled supernatural baddies, are after the same murderer—as is the lethal psychic hunter La Sirène, an opera diva with a killer voice. The plot is fast, steamy and wildly entertaining even if it defies credulity. Krentzs fans will enjoy this outing and appreciate the teaser that readers have not seen the last of this power couple. (Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Luther Malone should have known that even an “easy” assignment from Fallon Jones would have a few unexpected twists. Not only did Jones expect him to work with a complete novice with no field experience, but also Malone’s new “partner,” Grace Renquist, is a librarian! It’s true, she works in the Bureau of Genealogy at the Arcane Society, but Grace knows her talents at aura-reading are every bit as good as Malone’s paranormal gift, and she is determined to prove her professional worth while on assignment with this ex-cop with a limp, a fear of guns, and attitude. Of course, the one thing Jones fails to tell either Malone or Grace is that while they conduct a secret investigation in Maui to search for a possible murderer, they are going to have to pretend to be married. Combining a superbly matched pair of protagonists, wonderfully original secondary characters (including a deliciously self-absorbed diva villainess with a “killer” voice), and a cleverly constructed plot, best-selling Krentz works her usual literary alchemy and creates another irresistible, paranormal-flavored novel of sexy romantic suspense to add to her much-loved Arcane Society series (Sizzle and Burn, 2008). --John Charles