So in a bit of a re-read moment currently. It’s winter, it’s cold and work is stressful.
I quite enjoy Jayne Ann Krentz’s books, across all of her names, so they are often a comfortable re-read. There are some definite tics though, which are more apparent when one binges. Things that often happen:
- Heroine has no family/dead family/family that are not supportive/supportive family that don’t understand her. I have yet to read one of her novels where the heroine has a completely supportive and in tune family. Which, in all fairness, is something that happens in a lot of genres- a supportive in tune family does not make for a compelling plot.
- Hero has weird scientific hobby career (depends on era) that aligns perfectly with heroine’s interest and plotline
- Hero has no family or no family apart from dependent child(usually a nephew or niece)
- Cute pet
- psi/paranormal energy
- past relationship of hero has impact on story
- father figure (but not actual father) for heroine has impact on story
- Found family – friends who have bonded
- random gay couple that have served as parental influence, usually for heroine (male and female couples). They don’t get their own story, but are supporting characters
This book has a number of these.
Heroine has a career working as a freelancer helping source and “unlock” paranormal books. Her family think she is weird and sent her to a special boarding school for troubled teens, where she made lifelong friends. Her mom is dead, family is dad, stepmom, stepbrother, twin half sisters and adversarial step-grandmother.
Hero works for family mining company researching paranormal crystal technology. Family is stable and well balanced but his almost fiancé was murdered a year ago in his home, and he didn’t have a concrete alibi.
An old lab book from hero’s dad’s ex-business partner is rumoured to be on the market, so hero engages heroine to find it. Heroine recently confronted a home invader at her work, stunning him with paranormal energy and she is being black mailed, so she engages hero for protection.
So the story deals with the relationship, the mystery of obtaining the lab book (and who wants it), who killed the almost fiancé, and some threats to the heroine’s family.
Overall, i enjoy the book. Do i enjoy it because i have been reading the author for years and it makes sense? Is my enjoyment lessened by the features that i identified above? Not sure. It’s a reasonably solid read, the solution is not immediately obvious and the story moves at a decent pace.
