Truth Behind The Mask by Lesley Davis

Publisher:             Bold Strokes Books


Imagine a city full of Batmen and Batwomen. The Sentinels and their Sighted are very reminiscent of that. Normal people who employ high tech equipment to enhance their abilities, they use their skills to protect their city Chastilian from criminals and other "bad" people. They live routine lives by day and wear masks to protect their identities at night when they enforce the laws and live by a strict code of honor. Their job is to rescue victims, not to get involved with them.

Pagan Osborne was born into the Sentinels, literally. Her parents were founders of the group and performed legendary feats before being brutally murdered by a crime lord. Pagan was raised by her older sister and her lover to accept that legacy and step into a leadership role in the Sentinels when she was old enough.
Pagan is shy by day and heroic by night, but neither personality quite knows how to deal with Erith Baylor. They meet when Pagan's security company is asked to install alarms at the car dealership where Erith works and an instant friendship forms. Erith brings a lightness and sense of fun that Pagan has been missing for a long time, but she has her own secrets and they soon draw her into Pagan's Sentinel work. 

A criminal is trying to seize control of the city and is leaving a string of dead bodies to prove how determined he is. As information is gathered about this new threat, Pagan has to determine whether Erith is a victim of the crime spree or a clever plant meant to infiltrate and undermine the Sentinels. The answer is important to Chastilian's safety as well as Pagan's heart. 

Lesley Davis fans may be unsettled if they buy Truth Behind the Mask, because she has taken a slightly different path. Unlike her previous work, none of the characters in this book have paranormal or supernatural powers, but the fans should give the Sentinels a chance. Anyone who likes stories about heroes will probably enjoy this book. The characters seem somewhat flat and undeveloped, but the story flows well and is entertaining. 

Davis may be heading in a new direction with her novels. The question will be whether the fan base built by her earlier work will follow her.

Cast A Wide Circle by Lesley Davis

Publisher:                Windstorm Creative

Cast a Wide Circle is by Lesley Davis who is also the author of the Adepts of Calluna series. In each of her books, Davis creates a world of magic that flirts just on the edges of being possible. Her characters are women dealing with the ordinary world with unordinary powers. 

Taryn Parker runs a successful cyber café that is connected to a friend's restaurant. What makes Taryn interesting though is that her constant companion is her best friend David. Who is dead. David was murdered and hasn't been able to "cross over," so he lingers behind to help Taryn with her other interesting activity. She receives emails from dead people who need help with finding their ways to the "other" side. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "You have mail." Taryn receives the messages on an unplugged computer; then David enters the computer to help these people find their ways. 

It's this particular ability that brings them in contact with Kerrigan Archer. Kerrigan is a witch, the leader of a coven that has a problem. There is a magical chant that this coven says to keep the universe in balance and the keeper of the chant has been murdered by a radical group of monks working for "dark forces." To protect the chant, the keeper took the chant with him and now the coven needs to recover it before the universe spins out of control. The effects are already being felt as wars, murder and mayhem break out around the world. As Taryn and Kerrigan try to recover the chant, they have to deal with the monks who are trying to stop them both here and on the "other" side. The only hope they have to be successful eventually is the growing bond between the two women, but that bond may not be strong enough to overcome death.

What makes Cast a Wide Circle appealing is that Davis makes it so probable. Her witches don't run around twitching their noses to make things happen and, except for her unusual computer, Taryn doesn't appear to have anything special about her. They don't zap themselves from one place to another, but drive cars. They live, for the most part, completely normal lives. It's the realistic settings, along with the characters, that sell the story. Taryn is an improbable hero who can't seem to keep herself from getting hurt and that makes her appealing. This is not a book for those who like their stories heavy in the paranormal; however, it has just enough to make it an interesting story for most readers.