Echo 8

Fisher (The Ophelia Prophecy) capably stitches together SF and romance, though sometimes the seams show. Tess Caufield, a parapsychologist in near-future Seattle, studies Echoes, people who involuntarily travel to Tess’s world from an alternate Earth. Once they arrive, they become energy-draining vampires who kill everyone they touch. The FBI assigns agent Ross McGinnis to guard and shadow Tess, who would otherwise get herself killed through her scientific zeal. Tess insists that the Echoes are still human and can be helped, and tries to keep Echo 8, a man named Jake, alive despite the risks. As she, Ross, and Jake get caught up in a dangerous scientific mystery and a love triangle, they’re surrounded by those who want to exploit the Echo phenomenon no matter how hazardous it is. The novel suffers from shallow characters and predictable relationships, but it’s held together by an ambitious plot and the unusual dilemma at its heart. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Feb.)