White Lies

This spirited paranormal romance is the latest in Krentz's Arcane Society series (which includes some novels, like the recent Second Sight , written as Amanda Quick). Clare Lancaster, like her parents and grandparents, is a member of the clandestine Arcane Society, an association of parasensitives who are dedicated to the study of the paranormal. Clare's extraordinary abilities as a human lie detector make even other paranormals uneasy, with the exception of her half-sister Elizabeth. Elizabeth's troubled marriage brings Clare to Arizona and into the family circle. There, Clare finally meets Archer Glazebrook, her biological father, but she also meets Jake Salter, another highly talented parasensitive who turns out to be on assignment from Jones & Jones (the investigative arm of the Arcane Society) to track down a possible plot to take over the society. The cabal he's after has some connection to the still-unsolved murder of Clare's objectionable brother-in-law months before. More murders follow, and Jake and Clare have to work together to save themselves and the society. Krentz delivers another evocative romance, complete with engaging dialogue and explicit sex scenes, but the real meat of the plot concerns the sleuthing: that a charismatic alpha male finally meets his mate is icing on another densely plotted Krentz confection. (Jan.)