"Magic, precious gems, a drug cartel, and a stalker. Oh, my!"

Gemologist and jewelry designer Lisa MacDougall is desperate to escape the clutches of her boss, Andrei Romanoff. Andrei has gone from sexual harassment to stalking and Lisa is afraid to be alone with him. After an attempted rape by Andrei, Lisa quits her job. That evening, she finds out that she has inherited property from an uncle she never knew she had. But danger lurks in Ben Lomond, North Carolina. A drug cartel honcho wants Lisa's property and the reputed emerald mine located on it.

DEA agent Marco Santiago is determined to bring down the head of the Verde Fogata cartel, Manuel Norda. Norda was responsible for the murders of Marco's mother and grandmother twenty years ago. When a drug bust turns into a trap, Marco is more frustrated than ever. He and his partner find out that Norda has ties to a small-town lawyer in Ben Lomond, North Carolina.

Both Marco and Lisa have inherited mystical powers from their ancestors. Lisa grew up not knowing about her powers, whereas Marco is comfortable with his powers since his grandmother taught him before her death. Lisa is strangely attracted to Marco and is frightened by the intensity of her feelings for him. As Lisa learns more about her powers, she must decide if she can trust Marco with her love.

Many questions abound in this paranormal romantic suspense. Are Lisa and Marco fated to repeat the mistakes of Lisa's great-grandmother? Will Andrei find out where Lisa is? And what will Norda do to get his hands on Lisa's land?

GREEN FIRE is not an explicitly sensual novel, but the suspense is spine tingling! There was one moment of disbelief, when Marco doesn't behave as a trained DEA agent, but otherwise the law enforcement aspects seem to be dead on to real life. Squeamish readers be warned: there are two attempted rapes, torture and several murders 'on screen'. If you haven't tried Ms. Michaels' books, I would encourage new readers to give them a try.

Sensuality: Attempted rape; sexually explicit scenes: 4.

Reviewed by Denise Powers
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted April 29, 2003

Summary

A jewelry designer with unusual psychic powers and a DEA agent battle Colombian drug lord over a secret cache of emeralds in the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina.