OUT OF TIME - Samantha Graves
Grand Central's Forever
ISBN: 978-0-446-61837-3
August 2008
Romantic Suspense / Paranormal Adventure

New York City and Mexico, the Present

After years as a tomb raider, Simon Bonner has had enough adventure and is ready to retire and settle down. That is, until the man who jumped his claim and stole his wife lands dying on his doorstep. Jackson has quite a tale to tell about a fabulous treasure in Mexico that can be found only through the agency of a certain seer and an ancient crystal lens. Jackson gives Simon the lens and the woman's name before he dies. An unscrupulous raider named Kesel, an old enemy of Simon's, is holding Celina -- Jackson's wife and Simon's ex -- as prisoner until the treasure is given him in exchange. Simon once loved Celina...looks like retirement will have to wait.

Jillian Talbot walks the straight and narrow as curator of a private museum in Manhattan. If she uses her psychic ability to see the world and the creation of an ancient object, no one needs to know about it. Nor do they need to know her father was once an art thief. Her sister, Raven, is a thief also, but on the right side of the law; she recovers stolen items. While leaving the museum late one evening, Jillian is kidnapped at gunpoint. Simon comes to her rescue, but she soon realizes he's not planning to set her free.

Simon convinces Jillian she's safer with him than on her own. He also divulges a bit of the legend surrounding the lens and lets her hold it. When Jillian looks through it, her ability to see the past increases many-fold.

Thus begins an exciting tale of romance and passion, danger and adventure, set around the alluring possibility of finding The Archives of Man, something that could change the world for the better...in the right hands. More than one party, however, is on their trail.

C. J. Barry steps out of the futuristic romance realm to write contemporary romantic suspense as Samantha Graves. OUT OF TIME is her second title. (Raven's story is told in 2007's SIGHT UNSEEN.) Well-written, with attractive protagonists -- the hero has just enough of the bad boy in him along with the virtues of loyalty and generosity to appeal to feminine hearts. And Jillian needs to have that trace of wildness in her stirred to the surface.

Of conflicts there are several, of minor characters there are many, but it isn't always easy to tell the good from the bad. This makes for a riveting plot to go along with an arousing romance. Do yourself a favor; read OUT OF TIME.

Jane Bowers