Mesmerized

September 1, 2003
Readers looking for a good 19th-century ghost story need look no further than this latest charmer from prolific Camp (The Hidden Heart, etc.). Lord Stephen St. Leger is at his wit's end over his mother's obsession with Madame Valenskaya, a medium with more tricks up her sleeve than the Artful Dodger. In an attempt to expose the medium as the fraud he knows she is, he employs the services of Miss Olivia Q. Moreland, Investigator of Psychic Phenomena. Olivia joins Stephen and his family at Blackhope, Stephen's medieval country estate outside London, where Madame Valenskaya is setting up séances to supposedly communicate with Stephen's deceased brother. Upon her arrival, Olivia senses she's been to Blackhope before. Through a series of dreams, she and Stephen discover that they share a psychic connection with 12th-century lovers Lady Alys and Sir John, who may have died a horrific death at the hands of Lady Alys's evil husband. To put the 700-year-old spirits to rest, they must learn the truth about the couple's fate. Hidden rooms, a secret treasure, murder, demonic possession and treachery are just a few of the ingredients that make up this lively tale. Add a fine romance with likeable characters, and you have a truly enjoyable read. (Oct.)Forecast:Unlike many romance authors who have latched onto the coattails of the fast-growing paranormal romance niche, Camp has the wit and skill to make a name for herself in the field. This offering should increase her visibility, as will ads in Romantic Times.