The Dark Gate
ISBN: 0-373-61760-7 (Silhouette Nocturne)
Finished: 12 October 2007
Who: Larsen Vale and Jack Hallihan
Summary: Larsen Vale has a secret: she sees things. Terrible things. Deadly things. And her latest vision features a strange albino man. . . and her own death. Haunted and afraid, she trusts no one, not even the handsome cop who seems fascinated with her. Washington, D.C. detective Jack Hallihan has one mission: find the man who is assaulting young woman. But the police have no clues, no leads and no witnesses. And Jack has a deadly secret of his own — a secret Larsen holds the key to. Time is running out. If Larsen and Jack can’t learn to trust their attraction to each other, the Gate will be opened — and the world will be forever changed. . .
Comments: Larsen is a lawyer who has a reputation for being an ice queen. When she was younger, she “saw” the deaths of the people she loved the most — her family — before they occurred. She doesn’t let people get close, for fear of what she will see. It’s been years since she had a vision, and when she finally does, it shows her own death. It also provides her with the answers to Jack’s case, but she can’t explain to him how she knows or what any of it means.
Besides having a case he can’t crack, Jack has to deal with a woman he’s attracted to and who doesn’t seem to trust him. He’s trying to win that trust, but it doesn’t help that she’s acting strangely and that, maybe, she‘s the one who can’t be trusted. He knows she lied about what made her flee from a wedding reception. To top it all off, Jack seems to be suffering from the same mysterious condition that eventually destroyed his father. Something about Larsen alleviates his suffering, so he’s torn between the possibility of alienating her by pressing her to tell him the truth, and wanting to keep her by his side.
The villain in this book is creepy. He has the ability to control people’s minds. However, there are a few individuals he can’t control at all. This makes them a threat to him, and they must be eliminated. Jack and Larsen narrowly escape several attempts on their lives.
I enjoyed this story very much. The world-building was uncomplicated and didn’t overwhelm the story. Great potential for sequels, and I can see at least one story lead in the form of Charlie. 🙂 And Harrison. He’s divorced, so he’s got potential for a romance. Plus, he’s got some unresolved issues regarding the unique situation he’s in.
I look forward to seeing more from this author.
LOVED IT !!
