"Four unworldly tales by four of the finest authors of the genre"

INTERLUDE IN DEATH by J. D. Robb

Eve Dallas is a police investigator in New York City in the year 2059. She is assigned to travel to another planet for the Interplanetary Law Enforcement Seminar to give a speech. She hates space travel so is not happy with the assignment. Her husband, Roarke, owns the huge hotel that will house the seminar. Commander Skinner wants her to help him put her husband, Roarke, behind bars. She tells him where to go in no uncertain terms and has a scuffle with his bodyguard. When the bodyguard is murdered, it looks as if someone is trying to pin the murder on Roarke. Eve goes into action. Eve is a wonderful heroine -- feisty, fresh and oh so sure of herself. Although Roarke helps her, he is no lapdog. They are both refreshing and wonderful characters in the fascinating story by J. D. Robb.

KINSMAN by Susan Krinard

Jonas is returning home after a seven-year absence. He has spent the years with the Shaanuri, a furry people that live on another planet and will only deal with the Kinsman. Many of the Kinsman are telepaths. The first person Jonas meets is a lovely woman named Tea who claims to be a telepath. She says she is looking for her brother and if he will help her find him, she will bear him a telepathic child. He readily agrees because he hasn't slept with a woman for seven years and because telepathic children are difficult to get. Susan Krinard takes the reader to an intriguing world of strange and unusual aliens along with space ships and bad guys. The hero and heroine find healing with love.

IMMORTALITY by Maggie Shayne

The black witch, Puabi, falls into the sea and is rescued by Matthew. He is on the small island assuaging his guilt over the death of his wife. He knows he just did not love her enough and thereby caused her death. Strangely enough, Puabi or Poppy as Matthew calls her, looks very similar to his dead wife. They are very attracted to each other. Poppy is confused that she is having such human feelings. She thinks that her immortality has run out. IMMORTALITY tells an interesting tale about an unusual world populated by humans as well as witches. An amazing story about how goodness and love can conquer all.

MAGIC LIKE HEAT ACROSS MY SKIN by Laurell K. Hamilton

The pesky wereleopards are in trouble again so Anita Blake must go to the rescue. She receives a phone call from a man named Marco and it sounds very threatening. She must find the Narcissus in Chains club and the only one that can help her is the master vampire, Jean-Claude. Anita's on again- off again affair with Jean Claude is a bit of a problem but he agrees to help her for a price. Once again, vampire killer, Anita Blake, is on the job. MAGIC LIKE HEAT ACROSS MY SKIN takes us back to the hard-hitting Anita Blake in Ms. Hamilton's fascinating imaginary world of vampires and were-animals. Her secondary characters are as captivating as her primary characters. What could be a better ending to the OUT OF THIS WORLD anthology than another satisfying tale by a master storyteller.

Reviewed by Marilyn Heyman
Posted August 23, 2001

Summary

OUT OF THIS WORLD Four bestselling mystery authors contribute to this collection that features a theme of love, supernatural style. Includes a new Lt. Eve Dallas story by Robb; a new "Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter" tale from Laurell K. Hamilton (which is actually an excerpt from her upcoming title NARCISSUS IN CHAINS); and stories by Susan Krinard and Maggie Shayne.

Winner of the PEARL AWARD 2001 Honorable Mention - Best Anthology
Honorable Mentions - Best Novella "Kinsman" by Susan Krinard