Jude Deveraux, Always

Always

Jude Deveraux

Pocket, Nov 2004, $7.99

ISBN: 0743479017

Darci Monroe continues her search for her missing beloved spouse Adam Montgomery and his sister, whom most people believe she killed. However, the FBI asks for her help in rescuing philanthropist J. Barrett Hallbrooke, father of Agent Jack Rose, abducted without a trace or ransom. Jack is estranged from his dad and detests the "Hillbilly Honey" as he considers Darci a mercenary killer. He thinks her show of power is a fake because it does not work on him as Darci realizes a female is protecting him.

With the help of the mysterious spirit Devlin, they force the ghost of Lavender Shay to appear; the female ghost admits she loves Jack and wonders why he failed to appear at their wedding. Soon, the two modern day teammates end up in 1843 where Lavender lives, his father has been stranded, and Darci has no power with no hope of returning to their times.

The trials and tribulations of Darci continue as she is guided down a path to learn how to use her powers. The storyline grips the audience from the moment the heroine displays her abilities to a building filled with FBI agents and never lets up until the final post-game discussion between Devlin and Henry. Darci steps closer to achieving her objective of rescuing her loved ones with a neat twist in this plot while also getting nearer to the finish line as described by Henry. Jack shows she is human as her prowess fails with him due to the protection by Lavender, an intriguing character as a ghost and as a mid-nineteenth-century person. With a strong cast and engaging time travel paranormal plot, Jude Deveraux furbishes a delightful otherworldly fantasy.

Harriet Klausner