After Glow

February 23, 2004
This imaginative follow-up to Castle's sci-fi novel After Dark
(2000) revisits the futuristic world of Harmony, a planet discovered when an energy field in space opened, providing a gate between Earth and several other inhabitable worlds. The novel picks up where the last book left off, with gifted detangler Lydia Smith dealing with amnesia and recovering from her Lost Weekend in the catacombs beneath the Dead City. Desperate to reconstruct the lost days, Lydia responds to an urgent call from her old college professor, who claims to have news regarding those days. She arrives to find him murdered, and the only clue to the killer's identity is a vague message hidden inside a milk carton. On the brighter side, Lydia's romance with ghost-hunter Emmett London has progressed, and she still has Fuzz, a four-eyed, six-legged dust-bunny who remains her devoted protector. Those unfamiliar with this world will struggle to understand Lydia's predicament and decipher the book's jargon ("she could not summon ghost light, but she could de-rez the danger snares of illusion shadow that the long-vanished aliens had left behind"). In a letter to readers, Castle recommends this book to those who "relish romantic suspense with a paranormal twist," but paranormal romance readers and even fans of far-future romances will likely find this terrain too tough to navigate unless they've read Castle's previous book. (Mar.)

Forecasts:
With its electric-green cover image, this book will stand out like a beacon on the shelves, but it isn't likely to approach the success of Nora Roberts's futuristic In Death series.

February 15, 2004
Returning to the world of Harmony (After Dark), where psychic powers are commonplace and danger comes in both human and alien forms, Castle (a.k.a. Jayne Ann Krentz) picks up the lives of para-archaeologist Lydia Smith and "ghost-hunter" Emmett London, a powerful psychic who can neutralize the deadly balls of random energy, or "ghosts," often found at excavation sites. Here she provides them with a set of old and new challenges (including a marriage of convenience that eventually evolves into something else!) and lets the fun begin. Lively humor, a wonderfully imaginative setting, a dash of danger, and Castle's classic sensuality are here in full measure and should appeal to readers who enjoy fast-paced futuristic romances with a paranormal touch. Series fans (and animal lovers) will be pleased to note that Fuzz, Lydia's pet dust-bunny and a most intriguing creature, makes a return appearance. Castle, or Krentz, also writes as Amanda Quick and lives in the Seattle area.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2004
It's the second time in a month that Lydia Smith has found a dead body. The first time pararchaelogist and museum curator Lydia became tangled up in a murder investigation it brought her together with her current paramour, ghost hunter Emmett London. So naturally Lydia thinks of Emmett when she stumbles across the body of her former professor, Lawrence Maltby. While the police believe Maltby's death was caused by his drug addiction, Lydia doesn't buy it. So with Emmett's help, she pursues her own investigation even as she tries to figure out exactly what kind of a relationship she and Emmett have. Castle (a pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz) continues Lydia's and Emmett's adventures together, which began in " After Dark" (2000), as she returns to the fascinating world of Harmony, where the relics of an ancient civilization linger and where dangerous things like energy ghosts lurk. Castle neatly combines her sharp wit, polished plotting, and gift for subtle characterization in a superbly sensual and captivating action- and adventure-filled romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)