Sightlines

October 23, 2017
The Community is supposed to be a haven, a place where psychics can feel safe and live among like-minded people. Unfortunately, things that appear ideal never truly are. Hassell’s third and final Community romantic thriller (Oversight) finds Chase, the intensely powerful son of the Community’s founder, Richard Payne, back at the Farm—the headquarters he escaped after being brainwashed there as a child. He has come to realize that he was nothing more than a science experiment to his father. However, Chase has a weakness for Elijah, a young psy like himself, and it’s a weakness his father will gleefully exploit. In order to rescue Elijah, Chase has to marshal his uncontrolled powers and convince Richard to give him high-level access. In between “realignment” sessions, torture, and appointments with the Community’s resident mad scientist, Elijah and Chase fumble through a relationship fraught with danger and misunderstandings, attempting to find their way to each other—and to freedom. The powerful urban fantasy element and richly nuanced romance create a powerful story. Hassell introduces a few other plot threads but they’re mostly drowned out. Beautifully written characters evoke a range of emotions. Readers will root for Chase and Elijah’s love story and celebrate every one of their tiny successes. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary Agency.