What You Can't See (Mass Market Paperback)

by Allison Brennan (Author), Karin Tabke (Author), Roxanne St. Claire (Author)
Key Phrases: bullet catchers, Rafe Cooper, Anthony Zaccardi, Father Philip (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

THREE GRIPPING TALES
FROM TODAY'S BRIGHTEST STARS
OF DANGER AND SEDUCTION

Allison Brennan

Demonologist Anthony Zaccardi can't save the twelve priests brutally slaughtered at a California mission, but he's determined to send the killer -- an ancient demon -- back to hell. And when tough, sexy local sheriff Skye McPherson refuses to believe something supernatural is at work, Anthony realizes that to "Deliver Us From Evil" he must first win Skye's trust, then her heart.

Roxanne St. Claire

Popular TV psychic Arianna Killian's conversations with the dead have earned her the attention of a killer who fears her abilities, and Bullet Catcher Chase Ryker is the skeptical bodyguard assigned to protect her. æWhen the messages turn deadly, they are given a "Reason to Believe" in life after death...and love...after all.

Karin Tabke

After a fatal car crash, bad boy cop Zach Garret's descent into hell is interrupted by an unusual deal for "Redemption." All Zach has to do is return to earth as a warrior sworn to defend his ex-fianc?e Danica Keller, the unknowing keeper of a power coveted by the forces of darkness. But even harder than keeping Danica alive that long is convincing her to give a second chance to the man who once betrayed her.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Deliver Us From Evil
By Allison Brennan

Chapter One

Blood isn't red.

Blood goes beyond color. Rich and textured, dark and fathomless, blood was life and death. Burgundy didn't do it justice. If blood were wine, it would be a full- bodied cabernet, perhaps a zinfandel, certainly not something as boring, mundane, two- dimensional as red.

Especially spilled blood, filling the crevices of the nearly two- hundred- fifty- year- old limestone floor of a forgotten California mission. Every hole, every nook, every imperfection in the aged floor filled with blood, corner to corner, the porous stone absorbing death so dark red it was almost black, as black as the heart of the evil man who had murdered the twelve priests in this oppressive chapel.

Evil men. Certainly it had taken more than one person to slaughter twelve unarmed priests.

Until this morning, the most spilled blood Sheriff Skye McPherson had witnessed was a vicious murder- suicide three years ago. A man had stabbed his family to death, then shot himself, the bastard. Even the arcs of blood slashed against those white walls didn't come close to the tragedy before her today.

She'd never rid this image from her mind, never forget the stench of violence.

Violence? Twelve people dead. It was a massacre.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph." Detective Juan Martinez crossed himself as they proceeded carefully through the carnage.

They were in the chapel of Santa Louisa de Los Padres, a small mission closed to the public. Skye had hiked up here many times with her father, Chuck McPherson, a U.S. forest ranger who had known the Los Padres National Forest better than anyone and had befriended the priests who came to the mission on sabbatical.

That was before. Five years ago the diocese relocated the few who'd lived there, ended the sabbatical program, and moved in retired priests who weren't as friendly as their predecessors. But Skye was too busy now for weekend hikes anyway. And with her father dead, she didn't enjoy the wilderness as she once had.

Skye let the criminalists do their job as she surveyed the scene. So much violence in such a small room -- it was as if the imprint of what happened last night would forever taint this hall. The altar drew her eye. She wasn't Catholic, she didn't care much for any religion, but it was obvious something sacrilegious had occurred.

The huge stone crucifix had been turned upside down. It must weigh hundreds of pounds, in addition to the deceptively simple six- foot solid- wood carving of the crucified Christ. Blood coated the crown of thorns on Christ's head, whether spatter from the killings or put there on purpose Skye wouldn't know until the crime scene team finished their work.

One of the dead lay on the raised altar; the remaining victims were scattered around the room, on the floor or in the pews. Not all bodies were intact.

There was good news, bad news. The good news was that they had the prime suspect in custody, along with the man who had discovered the bodies. The bad news was the suspect was allegedly in a coma. She'd believe it when she had a second opinion.

"I thought de Los Padres was for retired priests," Martinez said as he looked around. Many of the dead were too young for retirement.

"That's what the diocese has said, but they've been pretty hush- hush about this place for the last couple years," Skye said. "They did some major renovation five years ago, but I haven't been here for more than a decade." She forced herself to look at the faces of the victims. Their frozen expressions of terror gave her additional motivation to find the killers.

"The crime scene has been compromised." Head of the small county CSU Rod Fielding carefully approached, his face grim, stating what they already knew. "The guy who brought Mr. Cooper to the hospital didn't take any care about stepping in blood or disturbing evidence. I need his prints, his shoes, and a statement. What he touched, why, the whole nine yards."

"I sent a deputy to the hospital to hold Mr. Zaccardi until I get over there to interview him." Skye stared at the crime scene. "I don't expect it'll be anytime soon."

"Sooner than you think."

Skye whipped around and saw a tall, broad-shouldered man with dried blood on his white tailored button-down shirt. His naturally tan face was as hard as the stone walls that framed the mission, but his eyes were as deep and rich as dark chocolate. He looked like a pirate, not only out of his country but completely out of his element. His commanding presence caused everyone to pause a beat.

Anthony Zaccardi, no doubt.

"You're in the middle of my crime scene," she said.

Zaccardi stared at her with haunted eyes, his black hair falling to his shoulders. He wore a small dark stud in his left ear and bore a three- inch scar on the side of his neck along the edge of his collar. He was physically fit and muscular, more than capable of killing. But twelve men without a scratch? Doubtful. Besides, she had already verified his itinerary and the timeline wouldn't have worked, otherwise he'd be in lockup.

Chances were he had nothing to do with these murders. But she wasn't going to assume anything.

"I want my cross back."

She frowned. "What's he talking about?"

Tommy Reiner, the cop she'd sent to sit on Zaccardi, stepped into the room. He paled at the sight and scent of death. "He wanted to talk to you."

"I told you to keep him at the hospital."

Zaccardi repeated, "I want my cross."

Just what she needed, a lawsuit that she was denying Catholics their right to worship the way they saw fit.

"Uh -- " Tommy hesitated.

"Give it back to him."

"It appeared to be a weapon."

"For shit's sake," she muttered. She motioned for them to leave the chapel, then turned to Rod. "You need me, I'm outside."

"I have enough to keep me busy," he said. "But when you're done with Zaccardi, I'd like him to walk me through his exact steps."

She ushered everyone out of the chapel and into the courtyard. "This is a crime scene. I -- "

"You need to know what I touched when I arrived, where I went. I understand. I need my cross, Sheriff."

Zaccardi spoke with a subtly luxurious European accent. He looked Italian, dressed well, and had an aura about him that suggested he always got what he wanted, when he wanted.

Reiner said, "It's a knife, Skye. I swear."

She snapped her fingers. "Let me see it."

The cop left through the main courtyard entrance. They'd cut the lock on the gate when they entered. With one survivor at the hospital, they had to assume going in that there were other survivors, regardless of what Mr. Zaccardi had said over the phone.

There weren't.

"So you weren't lying when you told my deputy you just flew in from Italy."

"I don't lie."

Everyone lied, but she refrained from saying so. "What are you doing so far from home?"

"Rafe asked me to come. He was concerned about something happening here. He felt something -- " He paused.

"Something what?"

"He said something evil had slithered inside."

She raised her eyebrow. "Were those his exact words?"

"Yes."

"And you dropped everything and flew halfway across the world?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Rafe wouldn't ask for help if he didn't need it."

"Help?"

"Yes."

"What kind of help."

"I told you. Something -- "

She waved her hand dismissively. "Something evil, right."

"What kind of evil?"

Skye had almost forgotten her detective, Juan Martinez, had followed them out of the chapel, until he asked the question. A few years older than she was, Juan had been one of her few close friends in the department since she became a cop eleven years ago.

"The kind of evil I understand."

"For a man who doesn't lie, you're being awfully evasive," Skye snapped.

His jaw tightened. "I'm a demonologist."

That was the last thing she expected to hear. She glanced at Martinez, who was nodding. "You study demons," he said, as if it were in the same career category as brain surgery.

"Among other things." Zaccardi stared at the chapel doors. "I was here five years ago. It had been safe." His voice trailed off.

"And now? You're saying demons killed those men?"

Skye snorted. "Please. We're looking for the men who helped your friend butcher those priests."

Zaccardi stepped toward her, aggressive. She put her hand on the butt of her gun, but he didn't so much as blink. "Rafe did not kill those men. He didn't have any part in it."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"That doesn't matter -- "

"All I'm saying is we don't always know our friends, especially those we don't see all the time." And sometimes we don't even know our own family. Skye steeled herself against her memories.

Zaccardi shook his head. "Rafe and I might as well be brothers. I know his heart. He knows mine. We were raised together, studied together in Europe."

"When?"

"Until he moved to America ten years ago."

"And you haven't seen him since," Skye said flatly.

"No."

Deputy Reiner came back with an evidence bag. Inside was a knife in the shape of a cross. Dagger would be a more descriptive word.

"This is your cross?" Skye took the bag from Tommy. "How'd you get this on the plane?"

"I checked my baggage. It is a cross."

"Right." This guy was getting weirder and weirder. But he didn't seem dangerous. Not physically dangerous, at any rate. His alibi had checked out. Between the time his flight landed in San Francisco and the four- hour drive to the mission, he couldn't have killed the priests. She handed him the bag.

Surprise lit his face. He retrieved the cross and slid it into a loop on his belt. For a moment he looked just like the pirate Skye had envisioned earlier, the dagger-cross his sword, a breeze lifting his hair, the morning sun chiseling his face.

Rod stepped into the courtyard. "Skye, you have to see this." He stared at Zaccardi. "You should come, too."

Skye didn't want to discipline Rod in front of the other cops, but he didn't have authority to bring civilians into the crime scene, even though he'd been working the job ...

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (December 26, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416542299
• ISBN-13: 978-1416542292
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,380 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 4 1/2 Stars for The Bullet Catchers novella. LOVED the story, but it was too short & a bit off key for the BC series., December 30, 2007

By	Alyce In Wonderland "The Looking Glass" (Over the hill or underland, or just behind a tree) - See all my reviews

"What you Can't See" is a compilation of three novellas, including Roxanne St. Claire's Bullet Catchers story, "A Reason to Believe". This review is written with Bullet Catchers fans in mind. If you haven't been reading the series, start from the first book. My review, as well as the story, will not have much meaning for new readers. The entire series is terrific.

The Bullet Catchers Series:

Kill Me Twice

Thrill Me to Death

Take Me Tonight

What You Can't See: "A Reason to Believe"

First You Run


I like every type of romance novel... historical, paranormal, contemporary, western, you name it. I've been enjoying the Bullet Catchers as a contemporary series. After reading the first three books, I started "A Reason to Believe" with the expectation of a contemporary continuation to the ongoing story of the Bullet Catchers bodyguard firm. It threw me a bit when I realized that this edition of the series is a paranormal. As much as I love paranormals, I didn't like seeing this straight- shooting series bend towards a different genera.

I was also disappointed in the fact that "A Reason to Believe" was so short. At under 100 pages, I read it in one sitting. I wanted more for Chase Ryker. He's ultra hot with a super sexy intelligent mind. We didn't get to really explore his soul, which is what has made the BC men so appealing up to this point.

That being said, the story was actually very good. Plenty of action, suspense, romance, and good laughs. A 5- Star quality story:


Chase Ryker is no ordinary bodyguard. He has more than muscle, courage, and brawn. He has an extremely brilliant mind. Rather than coming from a military or law enforcement background, Chase is a former scientist and astronaut. With all of his years of studying the facts and laws of science, he finds paranormal ideas to be ridiculous. When he is assigned the job of guarding a television talk show psychic, he dreads having to listen to her nonsense. After watching a taping of her show, he is impressed with how good she is at fooling people. He's sure she has been given information about her guests before the show. No one could be that good at guessing other people's pasts.

Arianna isn't surprised when her new bodyguard thinks she's a fraud. There are many people who would agree with him. Her fear is in the fact that if he doesn't believe her visions are real, he can't protect her from the death that the visions precede. She has psychically witnessed a murder. Once the murderer realizes that she knows, she will be the next victim. Her only hope is to prove herself to Chase.

One thing Chase can't deny is his attraction to Arianna. The more time he spends with her, the more his scientific denials of her gift seem to falter. Could Arianna really be what she claims? Can she really have witnessed a murder in her mind? Has she seen Chase's own past, or has she spied into his background for the information? Whether or not her gift is real, Arianna has become precious to him. He'll do whatever it takes to stop those who threaten her. As a team, they will solve the mysteries of her visions of murder.


Want to read the whole BC series? Here are the links:

Kill Me Twice (The Bullet Catchers, Book 1)

Thrill Me to Death (The Bullet Catchers, Book 2)

Take Me Tonight (The Bullet Catchers, Book 3)

What You Can't See

First You Run

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different for me, but very interesting, March 8, 2008

By	Laff2day "laff2day" (San Diego, ca United States) - See all my reviews

I bought this on a whim. I wasn't sure if I would like this type of book, but thought that I would give it a try. The subject matter of the stories bothers me for some reason. I have nightmares whenever I watch scary movies that feature demons or devil worship, but these stories actually caught my attention, and kept it. The first story had me thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. This is unusual for me. I even went out and bought another book by Allison Brennan to see if I will like it or not.

If you like paranormal stories (I do) that feature demons (I usually don't) you should enjoy this anthology. They did have good plots, and I enjoyed reading the entire book. My daughter asked to borrow it, and that is unusual as we usually don't read the same type of stories.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Paranormal excellence!, January 15, 2008

By	Laurie D (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

DELIVER US FROM EVIL by Allison Brennan
Demonologist Anthony Zaccardi works in conjunction with the Vatican. When he is summoned by a friend to come immediately to a small California mission that is home to a dozen emotionally troubled priests, he is disturbed to find the priests all brutally murdered and his friend near death. There remains a demonic presence at the mission that is so evil that Anthony can scarce get his mind around it. When Sheriff Skye McPherson arrives on the scene, Anthony is her first suspect. It isn't long before the evil that killed the priests worms its way into Skye's very being and she has little choice but to trust Anthony to assist with her investigation, and to keep her alive.
This story is the darkest and contains the vilest evil of the three stories. Anthony and Skye are intriguing characters. Anthony is practical and patient, wise beyond his years, having been reared with other "gifted" young men. Skye is a serious, self-sufficient woman who bears the emotional scars from a lonely, loveless childhood. Together they make an unforgettable couple, ready to take on any force that tries to come between them.
REASON TO BELIEVE by Roxanne St. Claire
Bullet Catcher Chase Ryker is sent to act as bodyguard to Arianna Killian. Chase doesn't appreciate the assignment or Arianna's "act" as a psychic and thinks she's exploiting those trusting enough to believe that she's in touch with their deceased loved ones. Chase's boss, Lucy Sharpe, has no doubt that her friend Arianna is the real deal when it comes to her psychic abilities, and she is determined to keep Arianna safe from a stalker who has been hounding her. When the stalker's threats escalate and Chase and Arianna are forced to remain side by side he begins to reconsider her capabilities, especially when she confronts him about troubling events from his past - events that he's never shared with anyone.
I've read negative comments from Bullet Catcher fans that have me shaking my head. This is an excellent story and I don't see how they could possibly be dissatisfied. Chase and Arianna are perfect for each other, even if it takes them a while to realize it. Chase refuses to believe in Arianna's abilities, but readers will see him slowly begin to question the things he witnesses. Arianna's patience as she gently tries to persuade him speaks volumes about the confidence she has in her abilities. I realize that this is a novella and Bullet Catcher readers want full-length stories, but I found it satisfying and complete without being rushed.
REDEMPTION by Karin Tabke
When Zach Garrett's former undercover partner sets him up and attempts to kill him, he is shocked at the betrayal. But that confusion multiplies as he finds himself suspended in an unknown place, with the fires of hell nipping at his feet. It turns out he's being given a second chance but in order to take full advantage of it, he must convince his former fiancée, Danica Keller, to believe the unbelievable truth, that she comes from a lineage of Starkeepers and that she must willingly join forces with him or die. All of this expected from a woman who thinks that Zach betrayed her on the police force years before resulting in the loss of her job, her reputation, and her trust. What Danica doesn't know is that Zach betrayed her in order to save her life and was devastated by doing so, living with a shattered heart since. Convincing Danica of her destiny may be the least of Zach's worries when his partner returns on the scene in a form much deadlier than that of a dirty cop and more determined than ever to end Zach's life once and for all.
This story was (in my opinion) the most sensual of the three. Zach and Danica had been lovers and know what magic lies between them. Despite the crushing pain of their past, they love each other deeply, but with seemingly insurmountable tasks ahead of them, it's unclear whether they will survive to attempt a future together. Zach's near-death experience is wonderfully written and readers can feel the devil's very presence. Danica's pain at Zach's earlier betrayal is brought to light so excellently that I was incredibly aware of her painful heartache. I so badly wanted to see these two get together, but Danica's hatred of Zach runs so deep that it's not clear whether it will truly pan out.
I can't say that I have a favorite of the three stories - I enjoyed them all. I will say that I would have liked to see the second and third be just a tad longer, but only because I selfishly wanted more, not because I felt shortchanged or that they were rushed.