Omens

May 13, 2013
Armstrong (the Otherworld series) blends mystery and paranormal romance in the first Cainsville novel, which—despite its length—will frustrate readers with its lack of substance. At age 24, Olivia Taylor-Jones learns she was adopted by her wealthy parents after her birth parents, Pamela and Todd Larsen, were convicted of committing eight ritual murders. On the run from reporters, she makes her way to Cainsville, Ill., an isolated and peculiar small town decorated—or perhaps protected—by numerous gargoyles and populated by inhabitants among whom Olivia’s blossoming visions are not extraordinary. Gabriel Walsh, the former lawyer for Pamela Larsen, hunts down Olivia with a business proposition and offers to prepare her to visit Pamela in prison. His commanding presence exudes danger and intrigue, and he and Olivia become enmeshed in a harrowing investigation that may prove the Larsens’ innocence. The fantasy elements take a backseat to the mystery, and by book’s end little is known about the world Armstrong is constructing.

June 15, 2013
Fairy magic meets hoary thriller cliche in this work of paranormal suspense by the author of the best-selling Otherworld series (Thirteen, 2012, etc.). Raised by a loving department-store magnate father and a high-strung, self-involved mother, Olivia Taylor-Jones is utterly overset to discover that she's adopted, the biological child of the Larsens, a notorious serial-killer couple. The relentless paparazzi drive her from Chicago to Cainsville, an isolated, gargoyle-encrusted town founded (and still inhabited) by fairies and those with a drop of the old blood. As Olivia slowly comes to terms with her hitherto unknown past, and gets a glimmering of her ability to perceive and understand omens, she heeds the plea of her biological mother, Pamela (who claims she's innocent), to investigate the Larsens' alleged crimes. Assisting her is icy-eyed, advantage-seeking and, of course, attractive Gabriel Walsh, Pamela's former attorney. Together, Olivia and Gabriel uncover evidence linking one set of murders to a government conspiracy famously overused in fiction. As the first in a series, the book raises far more questions than it answers, so much so that it feels somewhat unsatisfying. No doubt, Olivia and Gabriel's relationship will deepen in future installments, but there's insufficient material for romance-seekers so far. Gabriel's self-serving attitude perversely gives him some depth, while Olivia seems less a fully rounded character than a set of paranormal romance cliches strung together: strong-willed debutante with hidden depths, skeptic coming to terms with magic, woman infuriated by a man she's secretly attracted to, etc. Here's hoping Armstrong will deliver something more substantial in Book 2.

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July 1, 2013
What would you do if you discovered that you were adopted, and your birth parents were purported serial killers? Twenty-four-year old Olivia Taylor Jones faces this question when her privileged Ivy League existence is fractured by a startling revelation. Traveling to spooky Cainsville, Illinois, to uncover the truth, she joins forces with Gabriel Walsh, her mother's former attorney. Of course, in true Armstrong fashion, the supernatural plays a featured role, as Cainsville harbors some deeply embedded secrets waiting to be unleashed by Olivia's latent paranormal powers. Armstrong, author of the popular Otherworld series, excels at world-building, and this reverse Cinderella story perfectly launches a new series chronicling the irresistibly odd and creepy Cainsville universe. Fantasy fans will be eager to make repeated visits.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2013

In this launch of a new series from the author of the hugely popular "Otherworld" books, wealthy, 24-year-old Ivy Leaguer Olivia Taylor Jones is happily engaged when she discovers that she is adopted--and that her biological parents are serial killers imprisoned for life. Olivia's efforts to find out more about them take her first to her mother's former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, and then to secretive Cainsville, IL, where she and Gabriel look into evidence that could prove her parents' innocence. There, Olivia finds herself using strange talents hidden since childhood that give her special appeal to the spooky Cainsville residents while bringing out the bad guys. Mystery, romance, otherworldly stuff...classic Armstrong.

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2013

New York Times best-selling paranormal author Armstrong ("Women of the Otherworld" series) launches a new series that is very different from her paranormal novels. Olivia Taylor Jones's existence is rocked when she discovers that her sheltered life in Chicago was based on a lie and that she was adopted. Olivia travels to Cainsville, IL, in search of answers about her real parents, who are serving life sentences for a series of ritualistic murders. Gabriel, her parents' lawyer, keeps close tabs on Olivia in this town full of secrets. It is here that Olivia taps into powers that she didn't know she had, and Armstrong does a wonderful job providing a guessing game for readers as they try to figure out what happened all those years ago and what darkness is rising in response to Olivia's developing powers. VERDICT Armstrong launches this series with a great debut that will attract readers who like a paranormal bent to their suspense thrillers. Warning: Readers will be hooked and eagerly awaiting a return visit to this new world. [See Prepub Alert, 2/11/13.]--Crystal Renfro, Georgia Inst. of Technology Lib. & Information Ctr., Atlanta

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.