Kaitlin Osgood has a stowaway. Underneath the glossy shell of the Senior VP for Countermeasures International lurks the tattered remains of the girl she once was: street rat and thief, Ashley Porter. Every day, every decision is brittle with the fear of discovery.
In the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the cruise ship acting as the platform for the latest space elevator, she should finally be safe…
…safe from the sexy, enigmatic eyes of Director of Port Security Camden Glaswell, who seems to see through Kaitlin’s ruse.
…safe from the relentless, burning pursuit of master thief Stephan Chen, the chief architect of Kaitlin’s former life of crime—the onetime lover who haunts her still.
But Kaitlin has another secret: her talent for security comes not from the latest technology, but from her ability to sense people’s emotions, to see the ghosts of their intentions.
It’s a talent she must learn to wield as a weapon before the mistakes of her past cost Kaitlin her life…
When you can’t run any further, you must turn and fight, but if one of the people you have to fight is inside your mind, what then?
Kaitlin is a costume our heroine wears, a persona she pulls on to exude competence and confidence, neither of which she feels the moment she learns the thief she used to work for (her former lover) is on board. Who is the narrator, really? She used to be Ashley—indeed Ashley’s panic over people in her past finding her propels much of the action—but she keeps Ashley locked up as tight as she can behind a door in her mind. Who is she now? Who will she be from this moment forward? All questions she must put on hold, teetering on the edge of forging the unknown future while a homicidal thief threatens her security.
Kaitlin’s friends attempt to help her but full disclosure is not an option. She knows something bad, very very bad, is about to happen onboard the ship but has only hazy details and no rational explanation for how she comes by her information.
The author skillfully winds us in future-tech woven with psi-abilities and explores every person’s right to privacy. Action-packed, Spectre of Intention is ripe with physical vocabulary designed to keep you attuned to Kaitlin’s fear and longing. An intelligent, well-researched scifi is always good to find, and I learned a ton about space elevators. The human story in this book balances the physical science for the technically impaired, mixed in with spicy scenes of passion between the heroine and Cam Glaswell (fans self).
The lovely and multi-talented Ms. Macalino was a kick to hang out with at Orycon 33 (seriously, check out her cosmetic and bath product line if you’re ever in downtown Hillsboro, OR on the 200 block of Main St.; visit Jacobsen’s Books and then pop across the street to the coffee shop.) and this book is one of the fastest reads I’ve picked up in a while, always a sign of smooth writing. Readers have more to look forward to from this author as well; a series set in Venice is next on her agenda. Check the author’s website.
Spectre of Intention is available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com






