Angel in the Dark: A New Age Mystery

Shamus Award nominee Dain (Dead Man's Hand) offers a refreshing, self-styled ""New Age"" mystery, with a glimpse into the world of spiritual consciousness and apparitions of the past and present. In an effort to reestablish herself after the sudden death of her husband, Tim, Mariana Morgan joins a meditation circle in Los Angeles led by her friend Karella. The group persuades Mariana to visit eccentric psychic Suzanne. Mariana is initially skeptical, but she can't deny the truths that come to light through their sessions. The spirits who speak through Suzanne to Mariana answer difficult questions and quell her guilty feelings about Tim's death. Yet they also introduce concepts alien to Mariana, telling her that she is a natural healer who must put her gift to work helping those in need. Mariana is puzzled, though after a series of bizarre, unsettling events, including the ""freak"" deaths of two group members, she realizes that Suzanne's spirits may be right. It appears the group is under attack by a killer who assaults his victims' souls. Mariana faces the dilemma of what to do with the healing energies that rub off on everything she touches, knowing she must take action to stop the negative forces that plague her community. Though at times circuitous, Dain's entertaining novel does a convincing job of describing Mariana's ethereal journey toward love and peace. (Jan.)