How to write

Jayne Ann Krentz has taken a page out of Nora Roberts’ book and attempted a cross over from Romance to Suspense.  I have to say the transition is not altogether successful.  Unlike Roberts, who writes as JD Robb in the futuristic cop series, In Death; Krentz has dropped her Amanda Quick pseudonym to pen the Arcane Society series.  Despite the intrigue, secret societies, espionage, serial killers and a wide assortment of physic abilities, the heart (and heat) of the story is still romance. 

Sizzle and Burn is the third installment of the Arcane Society series.  Raine Tallentryre hears voices and during a visit to her deceased aunt’s home, she hears the evil rants of a serial killer.  She follows the disturbing psychic residue to a locked door in the basement and discovers the Witch Hunter’s latest victim.  Fortunately, the girl is still alive. Unfortunately, Raine has to explain the discovery without everyone in town assuming she’s crazy, just like Aunt Vella, who was shunned and ridiculed for years. 

Raine had no idea that the Witch Hunter would be the least of her concerns.  Zack Jones, a private investigator employed by the Arcane Society, needs Raine’s help to locate a missing chemist and stop Nightshade, a rival society of super psychics, from distributing a deadly formula. The formula improves natural psychic abilities, amps them to Level 10, but it has a dangerous side affect - insanity and death, usually from suicide.

Raine agrees to help Zack in exchange for information. She wants to learn more about the circumstances of her father’s death, and the cause of her aunt’s insanity.  Sparks fly and while dodging bullets, smoke bombs, botched muggings, kidnapping attempts and a determined author, the two find time to fool around and forge a psychic bond. 

The subplots lay scattered like The Nightshade’s operatives; failing in their assignments they are completely dispensable.  Until the author resurrects them for a quick fix climax.  Characters come on scene, left undeveloped and irrelevant, and then disappear.  After reading this book, I could empathize with poor Raine; bombarded with meaningless gibberish and seeking solace in a bottle of scotch.  Forget the Sizzle, I just got burned.