AEquana
By Linda Mooney
Fantasy Romance
Publish America
ISBN: 1-4241-4006-4
241 pages
Ex-operative John "Talon" Eagleton owed the government fourteen more months of service. A medical discharge, after taking a bullet in his back and losing a kidney, put him on the reserve list. He is summoned back for a special assignment involving Maja, the daughter of a scientist who recently died. Code name "AEquana" is a 23-year-old, special ops agent, in need of a partner. A birth defect sets her apart from other humans and the government believes it owns her. After a few words exchanged, the two quickly realize they're attracted and later just possibly in love with one another.
Their first assignment allows Talon to witness her aquatic abilities strengthened by a skin tight tail and her own gills. It also nearly costs them their lives when she decides to move a bomb instead of just tag it. Further assignments spell out extreme danger for these two and one starts to wonder if someone wants to kill one of them.
AEquana demands your attention on several levels. For one, Maja is a human being, despite her unique abilities, who is trapped in a system so deep no one knows about her. They basically enslaved her for their own gain. There is another aspect of her entrapment that is extremely horrible. While reading the book, all I could think of was that in this day and age why doesn’t she have any rights? In terms of John's involvement in her life as a lover and partner, I see him as the only thing strong enough to pull her out of her captors' grasp. John's grandfather and friends add devotion, friendship, love…life itself to a very good book with a real message written on every single page. Mooney's research gives her novel the rough edge needed to make it work. Take note because this fantasy may very well be happening today.
5 mermaid tales out of 5
©Denise Fleischer, gottawritenetwork.com
November 3, 2007
Sex and the Psychic Witch
By Annette Blair
Penguin
$6.99
286 pages
A gown at a costume yard sale attracts the attention of Harmony, one of three psychic sisters. The sisters own the Immortal Classic Vintage Clothing & Curio store. Harmony believes the dress belonged to a woman from the past named Lisette. She sensed this while gazing through antique mirrors. In a vision, she sees frantic hands undoing the gown's hem. Harmony lifts the hem and a gold ring falls into her hand. Love Eternal is engraved on it. Her vision continues when she sees a naked male. When Harmony slips the Celtic puzzle ring on her finger she senses Lisette's fear and that she’s trapped in a sphere of dark discord. A castle painting is somehow linked to Lisette.
The sisters believe that Harmony has a mission to liberate the distressed spirit. That it's part of a "psychic mandate" the universe has presented. They sense that a dominant male may have somehow entrapped Lisette and that Harmony has to investigate and put an end to the situation.
King Paxton is living a nightmare trying to renovate his castle. He's had to deal with endless construction, a haunting wailing wind and now a real life Barbie in his Great Hall distracting his crew. Unknown to him, Harmony can read his thoughts and for some reason they have a psychic connection.
Paxton family history states that the castle was built by a sea captain and there continues to be unrest within the old dwelling. Harmony informs King that she's in search of vintage clothing, but she's really there to find Lisette or whatever is causing havoc. What she does find is a black and red chamber with 12 empty picture frames, a dangerous toy room and the owner with an impossible attitude protecting him from falling in love.
There's plenty of haunting havoc to keep you entertained in Blaine's SEX AND THE PSYCHIC WITCH. Harmony and her sisters are determined to make things right no matter who gets howling mad. Both primary and secondary characters are dimensional and gifted with their own special attitudes and gifts. You'll laugh with all their antics and wish for a happy ending.
Five spells out of five!
©Denise Fleischer, gottawritenetwork.com
February 3, 2008
Fitness Kills
By Helen Barer
A Nora Franke Mystery
Fiction/Cozy Mystery
July 2007
$25.95
207 pages
Thomson-Gale
Nora Franke desperately needed the two-month assignment as a menu consultant at Rancho de Flores in Baja, California. She had to get away from New York in November and her ex-lover, Max. She would work on the 1960's vegetarian menu and her waist at the same time. Sounded like a plan.
Shortly after her arrival, she meets Allison Foster Evans after an aerobics exercise class. Nora learns that Allison's friends routinely show up at the ranch a week before Thanksgiving. When a friend didn't make an appearance, Allison became worried. While Allison's concern focused on the late arrival of her friend, Allan, Nora couldn't help but feel a sincere respect and appreciation for the mountains beyond the elite ranch.
Allan's late arrival has nothing to do with transportation delays. More like someone may have pushed him off the mountain and left him to die. Soon after another regular guest, Cecilia Clayton, better known as CeCe, is poisoned right in front of Nora's eyes. Both Inspector Enrique Nunez and Nora, a magazine reporter, are on the job. Now everyone's scared they're going to be poisoned, the police are everywhere and a spirit-lifting, body-slimming vacation turns into chaos. No one trusts anyone, especially the food.
FITNESS KILLS has fully developed characters. Only a few that you really care about, which is intentional. The usual suspects are either rich or have control over the lives of a whole town, many are snobs, not to be trusted, and scheming. Nora is none of the above. She's just a woman devoted to her job and trying to do the best she can no matter what the odds of her survival are.
I liked the tight-knit plot, the element of a mystery and murderer, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the ending. I like a "slam the bad guy" ending and I didn't get that here. Still, I give Fitness Kills, 3 ½ out of 5 dinner specials.
Denise Fleischer, gottawritenetwork.com
March 2, 2008
