The Broken Hearts Agency

A “shadow thing” threatens Washington, D.C., in Hayne’s emotional sequel to The Ghosts of Gwendolyn Montgomery. News of New York City’s Ghost Equinox has reached D.C., and the city’s braced for its own paranormal calamity. Against this backdrop, jaded private investigator Linda Villanueva uses her empathic psychic gift to reveal her clients’ “soul selves,” getting them in touch with their truest desires. One such client is overworked and recently dumped Evelyn Kendricks, who, upon developing a newfound sense of self-worth with Linda, embarks on a sensual romance with an old flame, Trevor. Their mushy connection feels rushed, with too little dialogue and somewhat awkwardly rendered sex scenes. Meanwhile, throughout the city, a bizarre supernatural plague leaves the afflicted with bright red “demon eyes” and no memory of who they are. Patient zero is closeted gay pastor Jeremiah Samuelson, whose case draws in both Linda and queer medium Fonsi Harwood, who fans will recognize from the previous volume, to investigate. Haynes favors sentence fragments, and the staccato prose sometimes distracts. A late exposition dump explaining the nature of the threat feels somewhat belabored, but the cinematic final battle ties all story lines together before a genuinely moving denouement. Despite some flaws, this entertaining urban fantasy builds to a poignant message about embracing one’s most authentic self. (June)