Haunted (MIRA)

When she is hired by Matt Stone to examine the bizarre happenings at his historic Virginia estate, paranormal investigator Darcy Tremayne discovers that Melody House is filled with great evil, plunging her into a powerful battle between the living and the dead. Original.

A gorgeous psychic and a skeptical small-town sheriff overcome their initial dislike and fall in love in this uninspired offering from veteran romance writer Graham (aka Shannon Drake). Sheriff Matt Stone doesn't believe in ghosts and scorns anyone who does. But after several people flee his historic mansion, claiming to have seen a menacing spirit, Matt calls in Harrison Investigations. From the moment he lays eyes on psychic Darcy Tremayne, a former make-up model turned paranormal investigator, he treats her like dirt; indeed, Matt's redeeming qualities are few. Nevertheless, Darcy doesn't let his hostility disrupt her investigation or her burgeoning attraction to him. Despite the overblown imagery Graham (Night Heat; The Awakening) uses when Darcy and Matt are together ("the energy within her [was] a lightning storm that catapulted around him"), their intimacy feels contrived and superficial, largely because the protagonists themselves are one-dimensional. It's never clear how or why Darcy can sense things about people and ghosts; she just can-when it's convenient. Graham uses italics for Darcy's ghostly visions as well as for characters' thoughts, which may confuse some readers. Most, however, will be simply baffled by this established author's substandard effort.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Darcy Tremayne became psychic after her best friend, Josh, was killed the night of their high-school prom. Working for his dad at Harrison Investigations, she goes to historic Melody House to investigate a ghost that so scared a bride on her wedding night she ran naked down the stairs screaming. The owner of the home, and sheriff of Stoneyville, Matt Stone, is not taken with the willowy, aristocratic-looking red-haired ghost buster to begin with because she resembles his ex-wife, but against his will, he finds himself thinking of her so much that he seems to be developing a paranormal connection that puts him near her every time she is in danger. The very prolific and best-selling Graham has crafted a fine paranormal romance with a strong mystery plot and a vibrant setting. Diana Tixier Herald
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