One memorable night, enigmatic Slade Attridge saved teenage Charlotte Enright from a gang of bullies, treated her to a magical glimpse of Rainshadow Island's treacherous Preserve, and earned her undying admiration. Now, 15 years later, they have both returned to Rainshadow—Charlotte, a noted antiques expert, is to take over her late aunt's antiques shop, and Slade, a high-level hunter and federal agent, will step in as the community's temporary police chief while dealing with the potential loss of his psi-talents. Mystery is in the air, but neither is prepared for the jolt of sexual and emotional energy that ignites between them, or for the deadly machinations of the villain who is zeroing in on Charlotte. VERDICT Complex, bold, funny, and hot, this darkly tantalizing tale, uplifted by dust bunny antics and zingy dialog, masterfully concludes the captivating "Looking Glass Trilogy." It lays the groundwork for Castle's new Rainshadow series, which will explore the remote island's mysterious Preserve and promises to be one of her most intriguing projects to date. Castle (Midnight Crystal) lives in Seattle.

Though billed as SF, the flimsy conclusion of the Looking Glass trilogy (after April 2011's Quicksilver, bylined Amanda Quick) reads more like paranormal romantic suspense. Charlotte Knight's aura-reading psi talent is of such limited use that she runs an antiques shop on the island of Rainshadow, an ostensibly far future town on a distant planet that might as well be present-day Nantucket. When an aggressive ex-client winds up dead in Charlotte's shop, she and her longtime crush, Slade Attridge, whose own psychic powers have been crippled by trauma, are drawn into a murder investigation as well as an intense mutual attraction. Castle bewilderingly downplays the romance, her usual strength, to focus on the weak murder mystery and nonexistent world-building. The tale may appeal to dedicated Arcane Society series fans, but will disappoint those expecting even minimally competent science fiction. (Sept.)