Heart of Lies

Edmonds keeps her Alice Worth urban fantasy series going strong with this suspenseful and heartfelt seventh installment (after Heart of Vengeance). Fresh from a dangerous trip into the underworld, mage and private investigator Alice is anxious to get back to work, despite the protests of her werewolf boyfriend, Sean. Meanwhile, her relationship with her ghost familiar, Malcolm, grows strained. With both men frustrated with her, it’s a tense and uncertain Alice who agrees to take on the missing person case of young artist Julia Sheffeld. Her investigation leads her to the dangerous dark fae. Certain that Julia will come to an unfortunate end without her help, Alice must forge alliances with the volatile light fae as she is pulled deeper into the case. The magical machinations can feel unwieldy at times and may prompt readers to thumb through earlier installments to remind themselves of exactly how Alice’s magic works, but in the plot itself Edmonds is at her best, fusing supernatural suspense with down-to-earth family drama. This is a treat for series fans. (Dec.)