Some of It Was Real

Fischer (When Elephants Fly) delivers a pulsating story of an up-and-coming psychic edging toward superstardom, the journalist set on taking her down, and their unexpected romance. Sylvie Young has legitimate paranormal skills, even if her agent insists she check at least a few of her audience members’ social media profiles before each appearance to make sure she can please the crowd with her knowledge. But when Los Angeles Times reporter Thomas Holmes attends one of her performances after posting a fictitious story about losing his wife, Sylvie falls for the bait. Thomas’s crusade to debunk so-called “grief vampires” is personal, as his mother has squandered enormous sums of money over the years trying to contact her dead husband and son through psychics, though he doesn’t like to talk about it. He makes a deal with Sylvie: she will perform without “cheating,” and if it works, he won’t expose her past tricks. As Thomas and Sophie fall for each other, both are scared of what the other might reveal about their lives. Fischer has a natural touch for plotting and clever dialogue, and her fresh, delightful plot charms and entices. Women’s fiction readers will devour this. (July)