REVIEWS BY SANDY HUSEBY
No sugarplum dreams dance in this riveting nightmare tale! As dreamscapes and reality entwine, Jayne Ann Krentz takes the concept of lucid dreaming, which traces its roots back to Aristotle, into the realm of contemporary suspense in
Falling Awake. Isabel Wright analyzes dreams for very special clients of the Belvedere sleep clinic. One client fascinates her, and she dubs him Dream Man. When that Dream Man, Ellis Colter, shows up and solicits her help in tracking down a serial killer, Isabel joins the hunt. She is unaware that Ellis has known her identity all along, even dubbing her his Tango Dancer. The pair weave their distinctive investigative talents through lucid dreams and all-too-real dangers and passions. Isabel and Ellis risk their own lives in the hunt for Vincent Scargill, who was Ellis' former colleague. They discover that Scargill carries more secrets than they initially believe, leading Isabel to an enemy with the power to destroy them all. Whether in the ethereal realm of dreams or the cutting-edge reality of GPS devices, Krentz creates a seamless suspense of uncommon fascination.
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That's what friends are for
These women are friends for life, and they have the pact to prove it. But one of the friends, Rachel Benjamin, is now wondering if the pact they made may have triggered a death in Jennifer Sturman's droll feast of wittiness and wedding-interruptus,
The Pact. Investment banker Rachel is hot on the trail of whoever did in Emma's disgustingly obnoxious, why-did-she-pick-him groom-to-be. Suspecting Peter Forrest, the unfortunate's best man, would be a whole lot easier if Rachel didn't find him so deliciously dishy, but the only other suspect would have to be one of her girlfriends, and that just won't do. First-time novelist Sturman gives readers a delightful update on the cozy, mannered realm of Agatha Christie in this tale set at an isolated (of course!) retreat in the Adirondacks, with just the right added fillip of spice and saucy banter.
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Princess power
Being a ballerina leaves a lot to be desired in post-World War I Paris, so Vera decides to help herself to a fortune in Russian jewels . . . and a new royal identity as Zhenia Dashkova in
The Distaff Side by Elizabeth Palmer. The mysterious now-princess moves swiftly to a new life amid British society, where she catches the eye of domineering Augusta Langham. The matriarch disapproves of her put-upon son Bertie's choice for a wife. Certainly a Russian princess will make a better daughter-in-law than Mai, a mere Suffragette. As Zhenia and Mai each marry, the story and their lives are shaped by the duplicity of Zhenia and the valiant courage of Mai. Palmer tweaks the traditional family saga with wry social commentary and tinges of malevolence as brooding as an English winter rain.
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Second chance at a first love
Sparks are rekindled when Beth Simon comes home and Sam Mendenhall, small-town constable, has to face the love of his young life after a 16-year absence in Mary McBride's quippy take on reunion and second chances,
Say It Again, Sam. All of Shelbyville's atwitter at Beth's return, but Sam's determined to use his Green Beret training to resist the temptation she could all too easily be: temptation that's a distraction from discovering the identity of Shelbyville's mysterious sneak thief, and from the fresh opportunities Sam has to leave the small town behind. Once Sam asked Beth to elope before he went away; this time he's asking her along for the ride—just when she's getting settled again. McBride has created an indulgence in warm-hearted joy.
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Sandy Huseby writes from her homes in Fargo, North Dakota, and lakeside in northern Minnesota.
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