The Hot Zone

July 28, 2014
Castle, aka Jayne Ann Krentz, returns to the world of Harmony for the sprightly third tale of spooky Rainshadow Island (after Deception Cove). Spunky “gatekeeper” Sedona Snow has always been able to manipulate the psi forces swirling through the island’s ancient alien-made catacombs, and the malevolent Dr. Blankenship’s unpleasant experiments also give her control of fire. Finally she escapes Blankenship’s subterranean prison, along with her nearly too-cutesy dust bunny companion, Lyle. While making a new life for herself as a Rainshadow innkeeper and overcoming the trauma of imprisonment and heartache from her earlier marriage, Sedona is drawn to newly arrived ghost-hunter Cyrus Jones, a charismatic “cooler” who can damp out other people’s psi forces. Their physiques and talents mesh, and erotic thrills ensue. The breathless narrow escapes and familial conflicts will be familiar to genre fans, but they’re made intriguing by the otherworldly and esoteric setting and some complicated generational backstories.