Deadly Forecast

May 20, 2013
A spate of suicide bombings in commercial areas of Austin, Tex., engages FBI agent Dutch Rivers, the fiancé of psychic consultant Abby Cooper, in Laurie’s lighthearted 11th Psychic Eye mystery (after 2012’s Lethal Outlook). With a mix of charm and bluster, Abby inveigles her way into working on the case so she can foresee and protect Dutch from any harm that might come to him. As tension builds, the bomb threats and the couple’s upcoming wedding are equally stressful to Abby; she must deal with her type-A sister, Cat, who’s planning an extravagant “Cirque du Ceremony”—whether Abby likes it or not. While Abby’s inner monologue is always entertaining, Abby and Dutch’s inane squabbles make them poor coworkers and a vapid couple. Still, the plot moves at such a quick clip that readers needn’t read too deeply into the convenient timing of Abby’s psychic vibes. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

June 15, 2013
A psychic and FBI consultant must protect her fiance from a dangerous case, even if she gets too wrapped up in it herself. Think your wedding day was fraught? Abby Cooper has a bomb strapped to her chest and two hours to live. As Laurie (Lethal Outlook, 2012, etc.) explains in a series of flashbacks alternating with wedding-day drama, Abby sensed powerful negative forces surrounding her fiance, FBI agent Dutch Rivers, ever since he started working the suicide bombing case of a local hairdresser. Since Abby's perfectly content to make herself a nuisance in order to keep Dutch safe, she talks Dutch's boss, Gaston, into signing her up as part of the investigating team. Though Abby's relieved that now she can keep an eye on Dutch, she can't figure out the motivation of the bomber, who, whatever Homeland Security might think, appears to have been a young woman with no ties to terrorism. Teaming up with her partner and best friend, Candice, Abby tries to use her psychic abilities to feel out people around the case in the hope of finding some connection. Her terror in thinking that danger is still out there is nothing compared to her terror when faced with the wrath of her sister and wedding planner, Cat, after she misses yet another wedding-focused meeting. When the big day comes, M.J. Holliday and associate Gilley Gillespie must track down the bride, who is MIA, since M.J. knows she's in grave danger. Though the constant oscillation between past and present is jarring at first, the two narratives fit together like a puzzle, insisting that fans read just one more chapter to see where the next piece will fall into place.

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July 1, 2013

The badly injured Abby Cooper is still planning to walk down the aisle in her 11th outing (after Lethal Outlook). M.J. Holliday (from Laurie's "Ghost Hunter" series) comes to help out in this paranormal favorite.

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