Truth or dare: a Whispering Springs novel

In her latest paranormal tale, Krentz takes up the story of psychic interior designer Zoe and private investigator Ethan, who met and fell in love in Light in Shadow BKL N 1 02. They are now working to create a successful marriage, but different events in their pasts keep interfering with their hopes for wedded bliss. Still haunted by his brother's murder and his own pursuit of justice in that case, Ethan expects Zoe to dump him, just as his previous three wives did. Zoe is plagued by memories of her imprisonment in a private psychiatric sanatorium, as she unexpectedly encounters psychic "spider webs" clinging to several places she has recently visited. As Ethan and Zoe struggle with their pasts, both become caught up in the dilemma of Zoe's friend, Arcadia, who fears that her ex-husband has returned from the dead to settle an old score. With its potent combination of danger and thrills, sexy romance, and polished writing suffused with a deliciously tart sense of humor, the best-selling Krentz's sophisticated brand of romantic suspense will never go out of style with readers. --John Charles Copyright 2003 Booklist

Zoe Luce, psychic interior decorator, has finally settled down to domestic life in Whispering Springs, Ariz., with private investigator Ethan Truax after their tempestuous courtship in Krentz's previous romantic thriller, Light in Shadow. However, sinister cobwebs of energy confront her when she enters certain rooms, threatening to make her lose her tenuous grip on sanity. Meanwhile, Arcadia Ames, Zoe's old friend from Candle Lake Manor Psychiatric Hospital, fears the husband she sacrificed her identity to escape has finally tracked her down. Krentz never fully explains exactly why Grant, Arcadia's husband, wants her dead, relying instead on facts revealed in Light in Shadow. Indeed, from beginning to end, this sequel feels more like an appendix to the last book than a novel in its own right, as Krentz forgoes a strong central plot to focus on the kind of warm and fuzzy details about Zoe and her Whispering Springs friends that most novels relegate to the epilogue. She fattens the story with pizza dinners, heartfelt talks and proffered slices of lemon meringue pie, but scrimps when the action picks up and offers limp, far-fetched conclusions to the book's various subplots. Though no one will begrudge the goodhearted characters from Whispering Springs their tasty tidbits, in her rush to get to the happy endings, Krentz leaves readers hungry for a more substantial story. Author tour. (Jan. 5) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

In this romantic suspense novel, a sequel to Light in Shadow, newlyweds Zoe Luce and Ethan Truax, who were brought together when he found the murderer of her first husband, are settled in Whispering Springs, AZ, trying to make their marriage work. Zoe is threatened by a stalker who knows all about her, and her best friend, Arcadia, is also in danger. With the help of Ethan, a private detective, they find the truth about their situations and tie up some loose ends from the earlier book. Reader Joyce Bean is a competent and smooth narrator. With a fast-paced plot and many story lines, this work is recommended for popular fiction collections.-Mary Knapp, Madison P.L., WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

What is it about November? And about sequels? There are sunny skies over Whispering Springs, Arizona, yet everyone's unhappy. Even though Zoe Truax is psychic, she can't figure out why her handsome new hubby, p.i. Ethan Truax, has the blues. Oh--his brother was murdered in November. Right. Just when Zoe was thinking that she, an escapee from a sinister loony bin, and he, a three-time loser at wedded bliss, might make a go of their hasty marriage, everything is going haywire. They're remodeling Nightwinds, his desert house, and roughing it in a nearby cheesebox apartment complex run by insanely perky manager Robyn, who's a stickler for the rules--and really getting on Zoe's nerves. Ethan, meantime, can't shake his bleak, edgy mood. Lots of edgy sex does seem to help, thank you, but daily vitamins, organic muesli, and intimate chats don't seem to help. Zoe's psychic abilities, however, still work when it comes to interior decorating. She just might land a lucrative contract to decorate the house of wealthy meditation guru Tabitha Pine, but there's competition: glamorous, bitchy Lindsey Voyle. On with the plot! Ethan broods, Zoe frets, and someone from the past shows up: Arcadia Ames, Zoe's fellow patient at Candle Lake Manor. Arcadia had had herself committed to fool her murderous husband Grant, who is still on her trail. But who's stalking Zoe? Perky manager Robyn, driven batty by a brain tumor? Maybe. What else is going on in Whispering Springs? Well, Mayor Paloma Santana hopes to clear the name of her dead grandmother, who, a humble housekeeper, was accused decades ago of murdering her employer, famous author Walter Kirwan, to inherit his house, though some said his agent did him in. Could valuable unpublished manuscripts lie hidden in that very house? A lackluster showdown between an academic expert on Kirwan and a rare-book dealer awaits. Ethan, playing Nancy Drew in male drag, finds conclusive evidence by using nothing more than a common screwdriver. Four trite plots for the price of one, from the ever-popular author of Light In Shadows (2002, etc.). Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.