Tiger’s Eye: A Stacy Justice Mystery, Book Three

Annino’s third paranormal romantic crime novel featuring Illinois reporter Stacy Justice (after 2011’s Bloodstone) should please fans of the series, but newcomers may be less satisfied. In a recap of the previous book’s cliffhanger ending, an anonymous caller tells Stacy, who was reared by witches, that he “has the tapes,” before claiming that her father died of foul play, rather than an accident as she’d always believed. The tension created by this prologue, however, is allowed to dissipate when the first chapter delays showing Stacy’s immediate response, instead catching up with her playing in a softball game as part of her hometown’s Founder’s Day celebrations. Given that Stacy has only just learned that she’s inherited the role of “Seeker of Justice” from Druid ancestors, her initial nonchalance about exacting revenge on whoever murdered her father is surprising, coming across as an uncomfortable mix of whimsy and Hamlet. (Dec.)