Customer Reviews

After Dark (Ghost Hunters, Book 1)

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Months ago, Lydia Smith got lost in the catacombs due to an illusion trap. Forty-eight hours of her life were gone as a result and it was a miracle she managed to find her way out. Once she did, however, her career as a para-archaeologist working for the university was over due to the delicate state of her mind. But Lydia knows she's as capable as ever and though, she might be blackballed by the university, she attempts to strike out on her own as a consultant for the private sector. It doesn't seem to be going well when she and her first client stumble across a dead body in one of the sarcophagus in the museum where she works part-time. Emmett London traced his missing cabinet of curiosities to Chester Brady, an associate of Lydia's. When the two find Brady murdered, Lydia and Emmett find themselves racing against the clock in order to discover who, or what, perpetuated his death.

It is testament to Castle's talent as a writer that she managed to create a paranormal world complete with background and history as well as spin out a somewhat interesting plot. There is a great deal of historical richness and creativity to this book that can be gleaned through the details Castle provides. I enjoyed this part of the book immensely. In addition, Emmett London was a cool and controlled hero whom I enjoyed and would have liked to read more of in this book. But clearly, this is Lydia's story. A great deal of the story revolves around her and her history with the university, her history with Chester, and her bitter attitude towards ghost-hunters of which Emmett can include himself. It was hard to warm up to Lydia and even more difficult to buy the romance between the two. I felt that Lydia's petulance was a bit aggravating especially when she interacted with Emmett. Lydia is working for him and yet, she is angered by the fact that he keeps things from her, which, in truth have no bearing on her search for his cabinet. For instance, his being the former leader of the guild of ghost-hunters in his own city is a cause for anger with her when in fact his past has nothing to do with what she was hired to do for him. And though she works for him, she breaches the gap between employee and partner continuously. In addition, the ending of the story leaves the reader wondering whether this is, indeed, the start of a partnership. Lydia and Emmett's relationship is in no way cemented or resolved by the end of the story so it was difficult to think of it as a romance. It seemed more suspenseful. I enjoyed the narrative and I enjoyed the plot and the creativity Castle employed in order to develop it. As a whole my impression of this story was good and if this is a series in the making, I'm sure that it can only improve if these two characters have room to develop.

When the colonists realized that they could pass through space by passing through the curtain, they migrated to the planet Harmony in a far off galaxy. When that curtain closed, communications with earth ended, leaving the travelers on alone to tame a hostile world.

Two hundred years later, the descendants of the first visitors to Harmony begin to show strong psychic ability. Licensed para-archeologist Lydia Smith crashed and burned when she became lost in a dead city left behind by the planet's former main species. Lydia is forced to work in Shrimpton's House of Ancient Horrors until she can find a way out of her current predicament. Her first client Emmett London embroils her in a case that tests her abilities and her sanity even as she finds love among the ruins.

Jayne Castle, known for her works as Jayne Ann Krentz, has written a wonderful futuristic romance that will provide much pleasure to her innumerable fans. Harmony has been featured in previous novels so that the audience feels they are returning to an exotic locale previously visited. The lead couple is an exciting pair who helps bring sunshine to AFTER DARK.

Harriet Klausner

Unlike your standard romance which usually takes place in the past (usually England or Scotland) or out west where the cowboys still roam, this novel takes place on the distant world of Harmony. It is a slightly futuristic world where paranormal abilities are a plus and most of the world's power revolves around stones that hold incredible energy for those who can control it.

It is on this world that we meet Lydia Smith, a former paranormal archeologist whose past has left her "psychically crippled". Although she feels she is perfectly capable of carrying out her duties she has been blacklisted from her profession as unstable. Currently working at a bizarre museum reminiscent of Ripley's Believe It or Not; Lydia is hired by the very wealthy and powerful Emmett London to help him recover a stolen family artifact that was brought with his family from Earth centuries ago. It is during her investigation of the theft that Lydia comes under assault from unknown rogue psychics. Someone is trying to stop her from discovering the location of the antique at all costs.

The characters of AFTER DARK are interesting and entertaining and despite the sometimes awkward writing I found the book downright fun. I like more mystery than sex in my romance books and found just the right combination in this novel. Unfortunately in most romance novels, the relationship often overwhelms the storyline and throws all plot out the window. This plot did get a little complicated at times even for Ms. Castle to keep up with. The techno-speak created for the sci-fi scenario got a little heavy at times, but overall I found it an interesting diversion from the standard romance genre.

The premise of the story was actually very good. The comments from the other posts stated that there were a lot of loose ends that were not tied in the book. There are indeed one or two things that were not clarified, like what happened in the missing 48 hour of the heroine.

But I felt most things were resolved and what wasn't resolved didn't side track the reader. Indeed the Curio cabinet was found at the very end of the book in a rushed plot with another character I don't remember throughout the book. The plot revolving around Emmet London's nephew was resolvoed.

Some readers may get confused by the actual paranormal stuff in the book. I would suggest reading her other paranormal and futuristics to familiarize oneself of her concepts of psyhic philosophies. It was an easy read for me because I had read all her books except for the other books as Jayne Castle, which I have on pending order at the moment.

Overall, it felt like the usual Jayne A. Krentz light read. I would recommend this book because it's a good book if you like futuristics and paranormals. The difference in this book was that it didn't haven't has many romantic scenes in it, although I would say the romance between the main characters appear to work for me. Her better futuristics and paranormals are "Shield's Lady", "Sweet Startfire", "Crystal Flame", "Gift of Gold", and "Gift of Fire".

Lately I have been very disappointed with Jayne Anne Krantz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle and sadly this book is continuing that trend. The science fiction aspect of it was neither smart nor believeable. The characters were flat and uninteresting. The love affair was practically non-existant. (After 270 pages they FINALLY come together, in a boring love-scene that is less than a page and a half long.) It makes me wonder if someone else is writing some of these more recent books, with the publishing house using Jayne's name to sell them. If so, they are ruining her good name!! If not, shame on you Jayne! As an equally annoyed friend of mine remarked to me: Maybe Jayne should stop churning out these formula books every six months and take a whole year to write one good one!

A few hundred years ago, colonists from earth passed through a curtain in the universe that took them into another part of the galaxy. The curtain closed without warning, separating them from the mother planet forever. The colonists then make their home on the planet of Harmony where, after several generations, their progeny begin developing extraordinary psychic abilities.

There were peoples that dwelled on Harmony before the earth colonists arrived, but their race died out centuries beforehand. They left behind some rather unusual things, however, such as channeled psychic energy called illusion traps that, if a person wanders into them, can send them into a psychosis.

Lydia Smith is a para-archeologist currently working at a less than reputible museum of artifacts. She used to be high up in the academic world, but after she fell into an illusion trap in the old catacombs in Cadence City, her colleagues feared that she would be too unstable to work with. Lydia is trying to make a name for herself so she can start her own consulting firm. She finds her first big client in Emmett London. She and Emmett work together to find his missing nephew Quinn and develop an undeniable attraction for each other along the way...

"After Dark" is very enjoyable, but the flower series is better. The planet of Harmony simply feels too modern day earth-like to be a futuristic set on a different planet. At least in "Amarillis", "Zinnia", and "Orchid", the people who dwelled within St. Helen's had noticeably different inventions, such as coff-tea and ice jelly. On Harmony, they drink regular old tea and eat pizza. Same with the lingo. On St. Helen's, the inhabitants used phrases like "five hells" whereas when they cuss on Harmony, it's just "hell". In other words, I wasn't convinced that I was reading about life in another time on another world.

One more criticism stems around the alleged "romance"...the protagonists don't get together until the book is all but over and even then you're kind of left hanging as to whether or not the hero and heroine make it to happily-ever-after. According to her website, JAK originally intended for this to be a series, but now isn't certain she wants to write one. IF this turns into a series, then I'm certain we'll all find out what happens with Lydia and Emmett. But if it doesn't, then readers that like their happily-ever-afters spelled out for them will probably find the lack of description about what becomes of the protagonists' relationship disgruntling at best and annoying at worst.

Regardless of those two criticism, I still thoroughly enjoyed "After Dark". It contains all of the usual witticisms that JAK is known for and the city of Old Cadence with its ghost hunters and para-archeologists makes for an entertaining way to spend a day. I don't regret buying this book, but I'm still convinced it could have been better.

The thrill of a romance and the satisfaction of a good sci-fi. The premise deals with a planet where the occupants originally came from earth, but have been cut off from it for a couple generations. The settlers now have their own, different planetary and genetic history that create the background for this story. I recommend it to Laurell Hamilton/Anita Blake fans and to Dara Joy/Dark series fans. It is a favorite sci-fi romance mystery and I am sorry to see that others have given it so little credit for a successful change in venue. I would love to see another book(s) based on these characters or simply using the same background.

Of all Jayne Castle's books, I love this the most. Oh, her other books (Zinnia, Orchid, Amaryllis) are okay, but somehow they sound the same once you read all three of them. 'After Dark' is rather different.

The first time I read this book, I was kinda frustrated with the fact that so many 'jargons' are introduced, that made the first few pages rather confusing and 'messy'. But when you go deeper into the book, you will be amazed at how the story unfolds - the ghost hunters, the ghosts, ghost duels, the illusion traps - very, very creative story-telling here.

Oh, and I especially love Lydia's pet dust bunny, Fuzz. Very cute, with his 'daylight eyes' and 'hunting eyes' and the fact that it is addicted to, of all things, pretzels.

Very good story telling here, believe me.

After Dark is the prequel to After Glow - just out recently under the Castle name. It was a super paranormal/off-world tale that I really adored and thought it a great, vibrant tale, much in the old Krentz mold. Strangely, it was not received well by her fans at the time - before the big Paranormal Romance boom. Its reception was so cold that her publisher put off putting out anymore in this series for nearly four years. I guess the Paranormals burning up the charts caused them to rethink that line, and they brought out the sequel to After Dark - After Glow - which received great reviews. My, my what a time frame can mean to the readers mind?

After Dark was a great Off-World tale of Harmony, where earth travelers colonized and then were cut off from Earth connections when the "curtain" closed. (See Amaryllis, Zinnia and Orchard, books set on the same planet). A race of aliens once lived on the planet, leaving behind vast underground ruins, all protected by "trap" illusions. It takes a special sort of "detangler" to derazzle the traps that were known to fry people's minds. Lydia Smith is a detangler for an archaeologist team working in the eerie green glowing underground. When something goes wrong, Lydia finds herself without a job or a professional reputation. In comes Emmett London, who is tracking down lost antiques. He hires Lydia as a consultant. Alien ghosts and "traps" start haunting the couple left and right as it's obvious someone doesn't want the team to solve the riddle of the missing alien artifacts. Lydia and Emmett sizzle. This was one paranormal that was ahead of the pack.

Super use of Multi-POV (Point of View), the way all romances should be written!

Welcome to the world of harmony. Our heroine, Lydia, is a para archaeologist. She doesn't care much for the sexy, macho ghosthunters who are needed for excavations underground. Our hero, Emmet, isn't just one of JAKs usual alpha males, he is also a powerful ghost hunter. Need I say more than that this is a HOT romance? While the mystery (murder, stolen artefact etc)and basic romance is typical JAK formula, the world of Harmony is wonderfully original and the caracters truly come alive. You don't just read this book, you experience it!