Shadow Touch

Shadow Touch (2006) Marjorie M. Liu

Elena Baxter has powers she doesn’t understand. She can heal by touch, but has worked hard to keep her gifts hidden, lest she be studied in a lab and kept from her calling.

Artur works for Dirk & Steele. He escaped from the Russian mafia to the United States, where he was able to use his abilities–learning the history of objects and those who held them through touch. Because this touch also works on humans, Artur has remained isolated–always wearing gloves to keep from inadvertently learning secrets he doesn’t want to know.

Both are kidnapped by a secret Consortium, and sent to Russia, where others with special powers are kept captive and tested–and perhaps even bred to create more individuals with special powers.

I may actually have enjoyed the mystery and story in this book a little better than the romance. Artur is fascinating, and Elena was interesting, but I just had a hard time believing in their romantic connection. (Although the connection they develop as a result of Elena’s healing of Artur I was okay with. Go figure.)

As with all Dirk & Steele books, if you have not read a previous book in the series, you are perfectly fine to jump in here. Even if I wasn’t enamored of the romance, I really did quite enjoy the story and the mystery of the Consortium and the setting in Russia.
Rating: 7/10

Published by HarperCollins e-books

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