"An Out Of This World Mystery/Romance"

AFTER GLOW reintroduces Lydia Smith and Emmett London, who were the protagonists in Castle's delightful AFTER DARK.

AFTER GLOW is once again set on an Earth-colonized planet once peopled by Harmonics. The Harmonics have left behind an underground city of catacombs composed of glowing green quartz. No one has any idea what the Harmonics looked like, did or where they went when they left their structures behind. But that doesn't stop the new residents from nonstop exploration underground and interpretation of finds by Para-archeologists from their Universities.

After 200 years on the planet the colonists descendants have developed paranormal abilities, which allow them to explore the underground catacombs and deal with the numerous booby traps found there. Their abilities fall into two categories: tanglers and ghost hunters.

Lydia Smith is a tangler, who actually untangles illusion traps that can literally fry the mind of anyone who blunders into them.

Emmett London is a very powerful man both politically and paranormally. Emmett can kill ghosts and can also summon large ghosts to frighten away his enemies.

Lydia and Emmett joined together to solve a kidnapping in AFTER DARK and also fell in love, although they failed to disclose their feelings. AFTER GLOW takes place several weeks after the action in the previous book. Lydia is still trying to find out what happened to her during a 48 hour Lost Week End spent underground. Meanwhile Emmett has been drafted to head the local ghost hunter's Guild after it's leader is shot.

In order to protect Emmett from a possibly fatal challenge from one of the Guild's leaders, Lydia tells the local media that they are getting married in a "marriage of convenience" that afternoon. The marriage of convenience would be disolved after one year unless renewed by the couple.

Emmett quickly falls in with this plan as he is hoping that Lydia will fall in love with him and marry him in a permanent 'Covenant Marriage.' The action is nonstop from page one as Lydia continues her bad luck of finding bodies and then is kidnapped. Emmett for his part is desperate to protect Lydia and to stop a killer from killing again. AFTER GLOW is well plotted with enough twists and turns to keep the reader rapidly turning pages.

Castle's Paranormal world is one that won't annoy the Romance or Mystery reader--the focus stays on the people in the story and not on the machines of their world. Because the settlers are originally from earth there is not a lot of annoying technobabble or weird names for everyday items that can often bog down a Sci Fi story.

Lydia and Emmett remind me of a sober Nick and Nora Charles, with Fuzz the Dust bunny playing Asta. Or perhaps Mr. and Mrs. North or The Hart's (from Hart to Hart) with paranormal abilities. What they share with all of these couples is charm, intelligence and witty dialogue. Lydia and Emmett are both likable and intelligent people who are not afraid to trust each other or make a commitment. Both also have a strong core of strength and integrity that rules all of their actions.

Castle (Jayne Ann Krentz) has always written memorable pets and her creation Fuzz the dust bunny joins the pantheon of my favorite JAK pets. Fuzz, looks like lint, loves pretzels and appears harmless when his blue eyes are opened; but when his second hunting set of eyes open watch out because by the time you see his teeth it is too late. As with all of Krentz's animals Fuzz enhances the story and serves an important role in the plot.

Book's end had me smiling and hoping that this wasn't the last we are going to see of Lydia, Emmett and Fuzz; after all there is still Zane the 13 year old budding Ghost hunter's story left to tell or even Quinn the kidnapped nephew from AFTER DARK. Something tells me that Lydia and Emmett are a couple that marriage won't make boring. Especially with Lydia's propensity for finding dead bodies.

While AFTER GLOW's story stands well on it's own, I would recommend first reading AFTER DARK as both books are quick and enjoyable reads.

Reviewed by Linda Hurst
Posted March 10, 2004

Summary

Life is complicated for Lydia Smith. She's working at that tacky, third-rate museum, Shrimpton's House of Ancient Horrors, trying to salvage her career in para- archaeology—and dating the most dangerous man in town. Just when she thinks she might be getting things under control, she stumbles over a dead body and discovers that her lover has a secret past that could get him killed.

Just to top things off, trouble is brewing underground in the eerie, glowing green passageways of the Dead City and that dynamic dust-bunny, Fuzz, has a couple of surprises up his tatty, furry sleeve.

Of course, all of those problems pale in comparison to the most pressing issue: Lydia has been invited to the Restoration Ball and she hasn't got a thing to wear.

This is futuristic romantic-suspense with a paranormal twist.