Customer Reviews

Running Hot (Arcane Society, Book 5)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When Grace Renquist is sent on assignment for Jones & Jones, it's supposed to be a simple in and out mission. Go to Maui, identify a suspect by his aura, and go home. Even so, Luther Malone, Waikiki bartender and J&J agent, is sent along as a bodyguard, just in case. Suddenly Maui is teeming with high-level Nightshade operatives, not to mention two different contract killers, in a plot that leads all the way to the Governing Council of the Arcane Society.

I just loved this book! Grace is such a different type of heroine, and she and Luther have both been damaged in different ways. They come together fast (and hot), but the sense of emotional connection is there from the beginning. It's clear they're perfect for each other and that Luther has no intention of letting her go now that he's found her. I found myself sniffling a bit as Grace realized she'd found a home with Luther and his band of fellow survivors -- and when we finally learn the truth about Arizona Snow (from Eclipse Bay).

This one's a thrill-ride. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

First, I have been a Jayne Ann Krentz fan for years, all the way back to the Stephanie James pen-name. Many of the early books are "keepers." However, Ms. Krentz has taken the Arcane Society series about as far as it can go. The characters and plotting have become weaker with each new book. She does give both protagonists emotional baggage, but nothing that supposedly great sex can't cure the first time experienced together. I did not feel any emotional connection with either Grace Renquist or Luther Malone. The antagonist, La Sirene, who can kill with her voice, is not developed sufficiently for the reader to understand her motivation--why would she feel such obligation to father and sister she's known only a year, when she is portrayed as totally self-absorbed??? The plot is generic. The whole "secret society, conspiracy theory" genre has been overdone in the past few years.

I do get the feeling that a sequel or two is being set up--Fallon Jones and the surviving sister (who turns on her father and sister's legacy to identify Nightshade members of the Arcane Society) may get their own book(s). They might be an interesting pairing. Unless the sequel brings back strong, well-delineated characters with realistic problems and solutions, it's time to wind up the series.

Krentz has woven an intricate plot around two battered and bruised Arcane Society members. Grace Renquist, a librarian with a past, and Luther Malone, an ex-cop, join forces for a routine assignment from J&J. Routine becomes the opposite as they stumble onto Nightshade. There are many different plot lines, even a mention of a character from the Eclipse Bay series, that come together almost flawlessly for a dramatic ending.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:

I had a tough time deciding between 4 and 5 stars, but somehow I ended up with 4, which fits my definition of "really liked it." The author is using a standard formula, but it works well and is entertaining. There were many lines that had me chuckling. The two main characters are neat. I liked their back stories and their developing interactions. I also enjoyed the author's video clip about the book on her website: krentz-quick dot com.

STORY BRIEF:

This is author's 5th book about the Arcane Society, humans with psychic abilities, called sensitives. Grace and Luther can read other peoples' auras. They each have an additional ability. Grace can see more detail about the person's personal life and past activities than Luther can. Luther has a hypnotizing effect. He can use his powers to calm down the other person, put them to sleep, or make them want to talk or do something. Grace and Luther work for the Jones & Jones agency. The agency wants Grace to go to Maui to look at the aura of someone suspected of killing three women. This is her first field assignment. Her past work for the agency has been as a research librarian. Luther is assigned to act as her bodyguard. While in Maui, they discover several high-level sensitives, who've enhanced their talents with an illegal drug and are criminally dangerous.

DATA:

Story length: 337 pages. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 4. Total number of sex scene pages: 11. Setting: current day Caribbean island, Hawaii and southern California. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense with a psychic twist.

OTHER BOOKS REVIEWED:

For a list of my reviews of other books by this author, see my 4 star review of "Sizzle and Burn" posted 2/09/08.

BOOKS IN THE ARCANE SOCIETY SERIES:

By Amanda Quick, set in Late-Victorian England:

Not read by me.

Second Sight (Book 1)

The Third Circle (Book 4)

The Perfect Poison (Book 6)

By Jayne Ann Krentz, set in current day U.S.:

I have read all three of these, my ratings and review dates follow.

White Lies (Book 2) 3 stars. 2/09/08.

Sizzle and Burn (Book 3) 4 stars. 2/09/08.

Running Hot (Book 5) 4.5 stars. 1/06/09.

Jayne Ann Krentz can take very little and make a great tale out of it, and that is what she has done with her Arcane Society Novels. I must admit that the paranormal is a favorite read and she is one of the best when it comes to romance. That said, I did enjoy this book better than the last one. Anything written by her is on my must have list. The heat between her couples is electric and yet she handles it in a mature and romantic way.

The heat between Luther Malone and Grace Renquist is wonderful and I can only wish to meet someone and find the response that they have to each other. Both belong to the society and are recruited to check out a man suspected of murdering the daughter of another couple who are members of the society. Both can read auras and both are well above 10 on the Jones index. A scale that measures psychic energy.

Luther is a former cop. He now lives in Hawaii and works as a bartender when not working for Jones and Jones, the agency that oversees the Society. He was shot on his last job and walks with a cane. Not only can he see auras he can manipulate them.

Grace has secrets of her own, she now works as a librarian in the Society researching psychic powers and the people who have them as well as where they inherited them from. She is keeping a low profile because her former employer got involved with Nightshade and tried to murder her. Only her ability saved her from being murdered.

The job is supposed to be a quick peek and run back to headquarters. However, they stumble onto a meeting of the top members of Nightshade, the nemesis of the Society. Wherever Nightshade goes it stirs conflict and infighting. They are quickly caught up in a maelstrom of violence and assorted schemes.

I found it very entertaining and an enjoyable read. The romance is hot and the story involved. In other words a story as only Jayne Krentz can write them. Worth the money and the time, I encourage you to get this one.

I couldn't wait for this book to come out as I have enjoyed Ms. Krentz's books for as long as I can remember. I wasn't disappointed as I am with many other formerly favorite authors. The main criticism I "hear" about her books is that they are all similar. Well, this one isn't. Don't get me wrong it has a lot of the same elements that are in Ms. Krentz's past books but there is a lot more to it. While there are some truly bad guys most of the characters have more shades of gray to their personalities. The plot line and characters are interesting and well-written. I savored the book like I would a good piece of chocolate.

I own every Jayne Ann Krentz novel, as well as all those written under her other names (including Jayne Castle, Amanda Quick, Stephanie James, etc.), so I am a huge fan. What I love most about her stories is that they are consistently well-crafted and well written. The stories just flow and the characters leap off the pages, seeming so real.

This is the fifth book in her so-called "Arcane Society" series. It is as superb as all her others. You can pick up any book, without having read the others, and the story is complete in itself. I guess the category would be romantic/suspense/paranormal: Arcane society members all have psychic talents that enable them to do extraordinary things. Jayne has invented all sorts of new talent in this book (e.g. a soprano who can kill with her voice, an "aura" reader who can kill with mental energy and her touch etc.) Her books are never boring! Highly recommended!

I've always found JAK's books re-readable, it's one reason I buy them again and again. Contrary to some of the other reviewers here, I think the Arcane world is great and love the way she threads past novels and characters into the books. I look forward to reading Caleb and Fallon's stories -- and more.

I have read many books by this author, and liked them. Thus, my continuing to read her books, but after this one, I don't think I will read any more of them.

First, the characters were two-dimensional at the best of times. There was not any real depth to them. Even though the author tried to give them some depth with their back-stories, I found them boring and nothing I haven't seen a dozen other authors try to do.

Second, the story followed the same old formula. Two wounded, psychic, people who are attracted to each other, fall into bed, in the first few chapters, and have hot animal sex with their psychic abilities making it the best sex on the planet. But no real romance or genuine love.

Third, the dialogue was boring.

Finally, because of all that, I have never cared less about any story or character, before or since. I managed to make it most of the way through the book, but started laughing and couldn't finish it.

This had potential but there was all talk and little action. It was an effort to even finish.