cover image Now You See Me

Now You See Me

Tina Wainscott. St. Martin's Press, $6.99 (342pp) ISBN 978-0-312-97909-6

The plot line of Tina Wainscott's paranormal mystery, Now You See Me, is similar to many other thrillers of this ilk, but its sensitive characterizations and incisive descriptions separate it from the pack. When Olivia Howe, a blind psychic, experiences a vision of a girl being kidnapped, she turns to the police, only to be rebuffed. Knowing they have a limited time to find the girl, Olivia appeals to Det. Max Callahan, the one man in the Palomera, Fla., police department who's willing to listen. It's inevitable that Olivia and Max will become lovers, but Wainscott (Unforgivable, etc.) cleverly keeps the suspense rolling by introducing a handful of red herrings and penning a number of chilling close calls and near encounters. Though Wainscott hasn't yet reached the popularity of Kay Hooper or Lisa Jackson, this intoxicating thriller is on par with those authors' best works.