The Lost Night

August 1, 2012

Realizing she fits into neither the Harmonic Enlightenment community in which she was raised nor Harmony's mainstream parapsychology world, aura healer Rachel Blake heads for sanctuary on Rainshadow Island to reopen her bookstore and cafe and regain her balance. Then shadow-aura Harry Sebastian barges into her life. Namesake of his legendary pirate great-grandfather and scion of the family who owns most of the island, Harry is on a mission to see what's wrong in the island's mysterious, dangerous Preserve. Rachel's senses go on high alert, and she knows without a doubt that her life is about to change. Harry knows it, too, because Rachel holds the key to the mystery. Unfortunately, he's not the only one who knows. VERDICT Overflowing with sassy dialog, psychically charged sex, and unexpected plot twists, this story of missing memories, hidden identities, shadowy monsters, and psychic vampires takes fans on a spirited, surreal journey, skillfully wrapping up one story while setting the stage for future adventures. Another irresistible futuristic sparkler. Castle (Canyons of Night) lives in the Seattle area.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2012
Aura healer and martial-arts-expert Rachel Blake knows monsters exist. In fact, she encounters one, Marcus Lancaster, on a daily basis at the Chapman Clinic. Rachel knows she can't successfully treat Marcus using her healer's talents because he isn't sick; he's a psychopath. Unfortunately, the clinic's owner disagrees with Rachel's diagnosis, which leaves Rachel out of a job and back on Rainshadow Island running the bookstore-cafe left to her by her great-aunts. However, Marcus isn't the only monster in Rachel's life. Memories of the bizarre creatures Rachel encountered the night she became trapped in the mysterious preserve on Rainshadow Island continue to haunt her dreams. Although Rachel might not remember exactly how she got into the preserve or even how she got back out, she does know that Harry Sebastian, a self-proclaimed monster hunter, may be the one man who can provide her with the answers she needs to vanquish the monsters once and for all. Castle's deliciously dry sense of wit, delightfully amusing characters, and devilishly imaginative plot, spiked with plenty of thrilling twists and turns, all add up to another stellar romance from one of the genre's most consistently entertaining writers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)