Book pick: ‘Devil at Midnight’ ghostly tale of love and time travel

I’m starting backward here because all I can think about is the ending of DEVIL AT MIDNIGHT.

Emma Holly’s latest installment in her Upyr series ends with a huge cliffhanger! Usually, I hate cliffhangers, but this one was done so well that now she’s got me thinking about what will happen next.(Sorry — not gonna tell. You’ll have to read the book!)

DEVIL AT MIDNIGHT is a tale about time travel, mercenaries, unrequited love, evil — and ghosts.

Holly’s heroine is Grace Gladwell,  a beautiful American teen growing up in the 1950s who is killed by her abusive father in a fit of rage. Grace  “wakes up” to find herself meeting with an angel, who tells her she has the opportunity to meet her soul mate. Grace says yes, even though she meets him as a ghost — and back in the year 1460.

Christian Durand is a lonely but honorable man who fights as a mercenary under the brutal rule of his father in Switzerland. Christian can see and hear Grace, and they form a bond that leads to a very sweet and tender love.  Their romance is hindered physically by Grace’s incorporeal form — although (ahem) they do manage to connect at times. But a dangerous and beautiful immortal  –  Nim Wei — also stands in their way. She wants Christian for her immortal partner and joins forces with his father to try and snare the young man.

I’m a big fan of Emma Holly novels but was leery of this story at first because I’m not really into ghosts. But Holly gives her readers another great steamy, fascinating story that’s intriguing because you are always wondering how Grace and Christian can have any kind of physical relationship when she’s a ghost. (Again — not gonna tell. You’ll have to read!) In all of her stories — including this one — Holly builds tension between good and evil. Which will her hero/heroine choose and why?

And while Holly’s villains are ruthless, totally evil and you desperately want them to fail, I did feel a wee bit sorry for Nim Wei, a queen who can’t seem to find an immortal partner despite her great beauty and promises of power.

If you’re new to Emma Holly’s books, you can read this one as a standalone. And if you’re like me, it will leave you wondering what will happen next and wishing that the next book in the duology — ANGEL AT DAWN -- would be out now instead of Jan. 4!!