Alt is in no hurry to get to the bloodshed in her mild sixth paranormal mystery featuring Stony Mill, Ind., psychic empath Maggie O'Neil, Alt's first in hardcover (after 2009's Where There's a Witch
). When Maggie's sister, Melanie, goes into labor, Maggie rushes to the hospital. En route to the delivery floor, Maggie gets stuck in an elevator, where she overhears an ominous conversation between two men (“It's in the bag. No way she'll ever suspect. Not until it's too late”). Maggie later breaks her foot after missing a step on the hospital stairway, offering an opportunity for her hunky wizard boyfriend, Marcus Quinn, to invite her to stay with him while she mends. Plenty of make-out scenes pass between Maggie and Marcus before a corpse turns up. The explanation for the suggestive dialogue she heard will strike many as a letdown. Those expecting only a simple puzzle tacked on to the heroine's continuing quest for romantic fulfillment will be satisfied. (Apr.)
