Sleeping in Flame
Jonathan Carroll
Orb, Oct 2004, $13.95, 302 pp.
ISBN: 0765311860

In Vienna, model Maris York insists that screenwriter Walker Easterling saved her life as her former boyfriend of a year was apt to violently harm her. As Maris and Walker become acquainted, they fall in love. For both this is a shocking miracle as he thought he knew love when he was married to Victoria and she felt Luc was the real thing.

As Walker's love flourishes, he develops paranormal abilities that frighten him. He begins seeing Venasque the mage and others for help. As love grows, paranoia grows exponentially because Walker soon believes that Maris is his eternal soulmate, but that their past lives together have ended tragically with his father being part of the triangle; however, in this present life Walker has no idea who sired him. Still, will history repeat itself?

SLEEPING IN FLAME is a reprint of an exhilarating reincarnation romantic suspense that is at its best when the plot focuses on the psychological impact of knowing the results of the interconnection between the champion and the woman he loves in past lives. This Kafka-esque, Through the Looking Glass tale hooks the audience to follow Walker as he learns more about what happened before, but has no idea how to prevent it occurring again. Maris is a fine counterpart, but the book belongs to Walker, whose struggles with being a bit more than human will grip readers even when he journeys down side roads that seem outside the main plot yet keep the audience reading more of this terrific offbeat tale.

Harriet Klausner