DARK LIGHT

Author: Jayne Castle ISBN: 9780515145199 9/2008 PARANORMAL/SUSPENSE Publisher: JOVE

Everything is different underground. Just ask the residents of Harmony, a futuristic world where alien catacombs can lead you astray—and where psychic senses spark out-of-this-world passion... Reporter Sierra McIntyre's stories on Crystal City's ghost hunters—and their mysterious guild—have earned her tabloid a bit of respect. And they've allowed her to clothe her dust bunny companion Elvis in rock-and-roll style. It helps that she has mega-rez intuition to fall back on... Especially when she interviews Ghost Hunter Guild Boss John Fontana about the disappearances of retired, homeless hunters. She doesn't want to trust the physically and psychically powerful man, but her senses—and Elvis—give her the green light. To uncover the conspiracy within his own organization, Fontana proposes...marriage. And though it's purely a business arrangement, there is nothing pure about the attraction that sizzles between them...

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I'm not usually a big fan of futuristic, other-worldly stories. But I am a big fan of flawless writing and skilled storytelling. I found both in Jayne Castle's DARK LIGHT. Set on Harmony, a futuristic planet where some things are similar to the kind of life on Earth we know and love but other things are very, very different, this story is, at heart, a romance. A paranormal suspense romance, to be more exact.

From the first page I was swept up into life on Harmony. Sierra McIntyre, a tabloid journalist, and John Fontana, the Chief of Crystal City's Ghost Hunter's Guild, are introduced during an interview. Their chemistry is electric, right from the opening lines. There is no way to doubt this couple is playing for keeps, and playing well. When Sierra practically calls the Guild a home for thugs, Fontana rises to her challenge and issues one of his own. If she really wants the story, the inside scoop, she should marry him. She takes him up on it—to a point. On Harmony there is more than one type of marriage, and Sierra has a secret that she knows will keep her from making a wrong turn in this unusual life or death game she and Fontana are playing.

The plot moves at a rapid pace, and I was completely engaged at every step. There is an intrigue to this, but honestly, I plowed through it so quickly I didn't feel like I was left hanging at any point. This isn't any reflection on the author's ability to create a cliffhanger; I wasn't wondering because I couldn't keep myself from reading. So, my own unbridled interest made this a fast read, but had I read it more slowly, I definitely would have been surprised at the ending.

DARK LIGHT is a whirlwind romantic suspense. Absolutely enchanting!

Kay James