Meredith Blevins The Red Hot Empress

The Red Hot Empress

Meredith Blevins

Forge, Sept 2005, $24.95, 352

ISBN 0765307812

By this time Anne Szabo should know that when she goes along with one of her mother-in-law's plans, trouble follows. Mina wants Jimmy's picture in The Eye, the tabloid where Annie works. Jimmy's a toner, a person who heals illness and cures them through chanting. If he can't cure a person, he is able to give them peace. The picture and the story attract too many people who want to use the twelve year old boy for their selfish purpose.

Flora an Evangelical preacher wants to use Jimmy to heal the sick in her congregation so she can collect a fee. The CDC wants him when he is older to help discover cures for diseases even though his method is outside the box. The FBI wants him because they believe he can create biological weapons. The tongs want him to keep them in good health. When Jimmy's uncle is murdered, Mina kidnaps him and hands him over to Annie to protect, a dangerous job because some assailants will kill to control Jimmy. Anne devises a diabolical plan to make everyone think they are dead so she can figure who the real villain of the piece is.

Meredith Blevins should be on everyone's must read list if they like a who-done-it with plenty of action and a lot of honorable characters. Jimmy almost steals the show as a pre-teen, who is wise beyond his years, a healer who practices alternative health medicine that is mystical in nature. He is an adorable young man who will endear himself to the readers who will root for Annie to keep him safe so he can have somewhat of a normal life.

Harriet Klausner