Running Hot (Arcane Society, Book 5) (Hardcover)

by Jayne Ann Krentz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
A heroine who can see dark energy flashes in a villain's aura and a hero who can squelch villainous thoughts before they're put into action go to paradise to find a murderer, but find love, sex and a nest of drug-enhanced evildoers instead in Krentz's latest Arcane Society novel. Librarian Grace Renquist and ex-cop-turned-bartender Luther Malone, both members of the centuries-old Arcane Society, join forces when the psychic investigative agency Jones & Jones hires Grace, with Luther as her bodyguard, to find a killer in Hawaii. Luther quickly realizes Grace is not your normal paranormal, but their hot romance is put (briefly) on hold as they learn that Nightshade, drug-fueled supernatural baddies, are after the same murderer—as is the lethal psychic hunter La Sirène, an opera diva with a killer voice. The plot is fast, steamy and wildly entertaining even if it defies credulity. Krentzs fans will enjoy this outing and appreciate the teaser that readers have not seen the last of this power couple. (Jan.)
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From Booklist
Luther Malone should have known that even an “easy” assignment from Fallon Jones would have a few unexpected twists. Not only did Jones expect him to work with a complete novice with no field experience, but also Malone’s new “partner,” Grace Renquist, is a librarian! It’s true, she works in the Bureau of Genealogy at the Arcane Society, but Grace knows her talents at aura-reading are every bit as good as Malone’s paranormal gift, and she is determined to prove her professional worth while on assignment with this ex-cop with a limp, a fear of guns, and attitude. Of course, the one thing Jones fails to tell either Malone or Grace is that while they conduct a secret investigation in Maui to search for a possible murderer, they are going to have to pretend to be married. Combining a superbly matched pair of protagonists, wonderfully original secondary characters (including a deliciously self-absorbed diva villainess with a “killer” voice), and a cleverly constructed plot, best-selling Krentz works her usual literary alchemy and creates another irresistible, paranormal-flavored novel of sexy romantic suspense to add to her much-loved Arcane Society series (Sizzle and Burn, 2008). --John Charles

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (December 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039915521X
• ISBN-13: 978-0399155215
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #22,023 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 5 in The Arcane Society Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This may be my favorite Arcane book yet!, December 31, 2008

By	Aficionado - See all my reviews

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.

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too Much Arcane????, January 8, 2009

By	Linda S. Myers (TN) - See all my reviews

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the Arcane Crowd, January 1, 2009

By	S. Feicht "seefeicht" (Rensselaer, IN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.