The Hollow and the Haunted

Raines debuts with an unexpectedly charming dark fantasy set in the fictional small town of Thistle, Wash. High school student Miles Warren is part of a psychic family capable of banishing evil spirits. It’s unusual that he would receive a death premonition for a stranger, but his latest vision is just that: a strange boy pleading for his help. During a party at the home of his family’s long-standing rivals, the Hawthornes, Miles is surprised to recognize the boy, Gabriel Hawthorne, heir to the cruel and calculating Hawthorne matriarch, Felicity. Setting aside their tumultuous, century-long family feud, the two work together to understand Gabriel’s death prophecy and possibly prevent it. Along the way, they discover the ugly history that led to the rift between their families. Raines seamlessly combines horror and fantasy as she gradually unravels the threat to Gabriel’s life. A slow-burning queer romance between Miles and Gabriel adds both tension and tenderness. This will leave readers eager for a sequel. (Oct.)