Sketch artist Kendra Smith, the heroine of Mariah Stewart's (The President's Daughter, etc.) Until Dark, has experienced more than her share of sorrow: her father died of cancer, her brother and cousin are presumed murdered and her mother recently committed suicide. Still, she agrees to lend her skills when her ex-boyfriend, Special Agent Adam Stark, asks for her aid in searching for the Soccer Mom Killer, who targets blonde single mothers. The sexual chemistry between Adam and Kendra simmers on the back burner as they work the case, which may disappoint those looking for more sparks. But when Ian's watch shows up near one of the murder scenes and victims turn up bearing crosses and butterfly clips identical to the ones Kendra wears, tension of another sort heats up. Savvy readers may immediately suspect who the killer is, but this thriller packs a few extra punches for those who are overconfident in their powers of deduction. (Ballantine, $6.99 400p ISBN 0-345-44740-9; Dec.)
Set in a homey American small town, where the annual community Christmas pageant is the highlight of the year, The Twilight Before Christmas treads ground that may feel unfamiliar at first to fans of Christine Feehan's gothic Dark series (Dark Melody, etc.). But things are not always what they appear. In the hands of this imaginative author, something as harmless as a spell of bad weather—specifically, fog in a village that never has fog—rapidly develops into an evil entity that uses Christmas decorations as deadly weapons to prevent said pageant. It's up to Kate Drake and her six sisters (witches all) to save the festivities and the town, with the help of ex-Army Ranger Matt Granite and a few other heroic hunks. As is typical of Feehan's novels, dark suspense and sensual romance co-exist here in unlikely but perfect harmony. (Pocket Star, $6.99 304p ISBN 0-7434-7628-X; Nov.)
