What do you think?
Rate this book
Ghost Hunters #16
People in Glass Houses
Dive into the alien world of Harmony in this new novel by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Castle.
His name is Joshua Knight. Once a respected explorer, the press now calls him the Tarnished Knight. He took the fall for a disaster in the Underworld that destroyed his career. The devastating event occurred in the newly discovered sector known as Glass House—a maze of crystal that is rumored to conceal powerful Alien antiquities. The rest of the Hollister Expedition team disappeared and are presumed dead.
Whatever happened down in the tunnels scrambled Josh’s psychic senses and his memories, but he’s determined to uncover the truth. Labeled delusional and paranoid, he retreats to an abandoned mansion in the desert, a house filled with mirrors. Now a recluse, Josh spends his days trying to discover the secrets in the looking glasses that cover the walls. He knows he is running out of time.
Talented, ambitious crystal artist Molly Griffin is shocked to learn that the Tarnished Knight has been located. She drops everything and heads for the mansion to find Josh, confident she can help him regain control of his shattered senses. She has no choice—he is the key to finding her sister, Leona, a member of the vanished expedition team. Josh reluctantly allows her to stay one night but there are two rules: she must not go down into the basement, and she must not uncover the mirrors that have been draped.
But her only hope for finding her sister is to break the rules…
His name is Joshua Knight. Once a respected explorer, the press now calls him the Tarnished Knight. He took the fall for a disaster in the Underworld that destroyed his career. The devastating event occurred in the newly discovered sector known as Glass House—a maze of crystal that is rumored to conceal powerful Alien antiquities. The rest of the Hollister Expedition team disappeared and are presumed dead.
Whatever happened down in the tunnels scrambled Josh’s psychic senses and his memories, but he’s determined to uncover the truth. Labeled delusional and paranoid, he retreats to an abandoned mansion in the desert, a house filled with mirrors. Now a recluse, Josh spends his days trying to discover the secrets in the looking glasses that cover the walls. He knows he is running out of time.
Talented, ambitious crystal artist Molly Griffin is shocked to learn that the Tarnished Knight has been located. She drops everything and heads for the mansion to find Josh, confident she can help him regain control of his shattered senses. She has no choice—he is the key to finding her sister, Leona, a member of the vanished expedition team. Josh reluctantly allows her to stay one night but there are two rules: she must not go down into the basement, and she must not uncover the mirrors that have been draped.
But her only hope for finding her sister is to break the rules…
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 7, 2024
About the author
Jayne Castle
52 books2,048 followersThe author of over 40 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense, often with a psychic and paranormal twist, in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonyms:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Amanda Quick
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
Ms. Krentz is married and lives with her husband, Frank, in Seattle, Washington.
Pseudonyms:
Jayne Ann Krentz
Amanda Quick
Stephanie James
Jayne Bentley
Jayne Taylor
Amanda Glass
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
May 31, 2024
Molly and Leona were growing up in an orphanage as sisters, though they technically weren't related. When they were adopted by the Griffin moms, they had a happy upbringing. Now adults, Molly works with crystals and Leona's a para-archeologist on a mission. But Leona's missing, and Molly is forced to asked Joshua, a man who escaped from a local asylum, for help. Turns out he is really a skilled navigator, and just needs Molly's help to get his life back together. Excitement, romance, betrayal, and great world building are all here in this Harmony novel--and Jayne Castle has kindly introduced us to a wonderfully entertaining character, the adorable dust bunny Newton.
May 12, 2024
Molly Griffin’s sister, Leona, has gone missing from the underground Hollister Expedition and Molly’s determined to find her. When she discovers the location of Joshua Knight, the navigator of the lost expedition she heads out to find him and piece together what happened and how to rescue her sister. However, Joshua has no memory of what happened.
People in Glass Houses takes place in Jayne Castle’s fun, futuristic world of Harmony. People came from Earth after interstellar travel opened up, and those who colonized ended up with paranormal abilities awakened by the planet’s energy.
Both Joshua and Molly have paranormal abilities they use to help solve the mystery and end up getting close and of course falling for each other. This is a low angst romance, with the majority of the conflict coming from the mystery and danger they encounter trying to look for Leona.
I think my favorite part of the story is Newton, the dust bunny! He could go from full on “adorable mode” to “sleeked out” and ready for a fight on a dime!
This was a fun combination of romance, humor, sci-fi with paranormal elements mixed in. The story is part of a larger series, but the story works well on its own and Ms. Castle does a nice job introducing and explaining the world of Harmony in the prologue.
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
People in Glass Houses takes place in Jayne Castle’s fun, futuristic world of Harmony. People came from Earth after interstellar travel opened up, and those who colonized ended up with paranormal abilities awakened by the planet’s energy.
Both Joshua and Molly have paranormal abilities they use to help solve the mystery and end up getting close and of course falling for each other. This is a low angst romance, with the majority of the conflict coming from the mystery and danger they encounter trying to look for Leona.
I think my favorite part of the story is Newton, the dust bunny! He could go from full on “adorable mode” to “sleeked out” and ready for a fight on a dime!
This was a fun combination of romance, humor, sci-fi with paranormal elements mixed in. The story is part of a larger series, but the story works well on its own and Ms. Castle does a nice job introducing and explaining the world of Harmony in the prologue.
A copy was kindly provided by Berkley in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2024
I am a longtime Jayne Castle reader. Amanda Quick was one of my first loves, and I only started reading contemporary romance by swapping to Jayne Ann Krentz when I finished all of the AQ's. So it makes sense that my first paranormal romances were Jayne Castle, JAK/AQ's PNR alter-ego. People in Glass Houses returns to Harmony, a completely different planet where humans don't use fossil fuels or electricity: instead, they use psychic powers as channeled through amber! (Also by "completely different planet" it's just contemporary America except for the psychic powers and some alien ruins. I don't mind, though.)
We've got Molly, a talented "crystal artist," and Josh, a psychic "navigator." Molly's sister just disappeared on an academic expedition into the underworld, and Josh is the only survivor. They team up to rescue the missing academics, and along the way they exorcise a haunted house, go to the wedding of the season, get double-crossed, and fall in love. Honestly it's all pretty par for the course for a Jayne Castle. If you like her books, you know exactly what to expect, and she delivers. If you have never read her books, you could probably pick this one up, but you might want to start a little earlier in the series! I'm basically addicted, so I had a great time.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
We've got Molly, a talented "crystal artist," and Josh, a psychic "navigator." Molly's sister just disappeared on an academic expedition into the underworld, and Josh is the only survivor. They team up to rescue the missing academics, and along the way they exorcise a haunted house, go to the wedding of the season, get double-crossed, and fall in love. Honestly it's all pretty par for the course for a Jayne Castle. If you like her books, you know exactly what to expect, and she delivers. If you have never read her books, you could probably pick this one up, but you might want to start a little earlier in the series! I'm basically addicted, so I had a great time.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
June 2, 2024
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES (A Ghost Hunters/Harmony Novel Book #17) by Jayne Castle is an action filled paranormal/urban fantasy romantic suspense return to the world of Harmony and this story returns to Illusion City and the Underworld tunnels. I anxiously wait for each new book in this series to once again immerse myself in the Harmony worldbuilding, each new couple and of course, the dust bunnies.
Joshua Knight is a renowned navigator in the Underworld. On his latest trip into the tunnels, he reappears on the surface without any other members of his expedition to the Glass House and has no memory of what occurred in the tunnels. With his reputation in tatters and everyone believing him to be delusional, he disappears to the mansion in the desert where the tunnels led him to the surface to hide from the world, but the mansion full of mirrors is not benign.
Molly Griffin has finally found her true talent as a crystal artist. Her talent and abilities have led her to be chosen to provide the crystal circle for the wedding of the year in Illusion City. As she prepares for the wedding, she discovers the location of the navigator who led the team, which included her sister, Leona Griffin, underground and has been lost for a month. She knows he is the key to locating her missing sister and she is willing to face anything to help him regain his memory and find her sister.
I always love returning to Harmony! The worldbuilding immerses me into a world I feel at home in as much as this reality. The paranormal abilities are interesting and believable to the environment, as well as dust bunnies that are as individual as the people they choose to befriend. I love the dust bunnies so much! Molly and Joshua may have some communication problems at first, but Molly has had to hide portions of her and her sister’s past for so long, trust is difficult. The suspense plot has a lot of action and many twists that kept me guessing to the end. Even though it is not a cliffhanger ending to this story, you discover an overall Ghost Hunters series arc plot is carrying over to the next book featuring Molly’s sister, Leona.
If you are looking for a paranormal series that has action, romance, paranormal abilities, humor, and dust bunnies, this will be perfect for you. I highly recommend this paranormal romantic suspense, this addition to the entire series, and this author!
PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES (A Ghost Hunters/Harmony Novel Book #17) by Jayne Castle is an action filled paranormal/urban fantasy romantic suspense return to the world of Harmony and this story returns to Illusion City and the Underworld tunnels. I anxiously wait for each new book in this series to once again immerse myself in the Harmony worldbuilding, each new couple and of course, the dust bunnies.
Joshua Knight is a renowned navigator in the Underworld. On his latest trip into the tunnels, he reappears on the surface without any other members of his expedition to the Glass House and has no memory of what occurred in the tunnels. With his reputation in tatters and everyone believing him to be delusional, he disappears to the mansion in the desert where the tunnels led him to the surface to hide from the world, but the mansion full of mirrors is not benign.
Molly Griffin has finally found her true talent as a crystal artist. Her talent and abilities have led her to be chosen to provide the crystal circle for the wedding of the year in Illusion City. As she prepares for the wedding, she discovers the location of the navigator who led the team, which included her sister, Leona Griffin, underground and has been lost for a month. She knows he is the key to locating her missing sister and she is willing to face anything to help him regain his memory and find her sister.
I always love returning to Harmony! The worldbuilding immerses me into a world I feel at home in as much as this reality. The paranormal abilities are interesting and believable to the environment, as well as dust bunnies that are as individual as the people they choose to befriend. I love the dust bunnies so much! Molly and Joshua may have some communication problems at first, but Molly has had to hide portions of her and her sister’s past for so long, trust is difficult. The suspense plot has a lot of action and many twists that kept me guessing to the end. Even though it is not a cliffhanger ending to this story, you discover an overall Ghost Hunters series arc plot is carrying over to the next book featuring Molly’s sister, Leona.
If you are looking for a paranormal series that has action, romance, paranormal abilities, humor, and dust bunnies, this will be perfect for you. I highly recommend this paranormal romantic suspense, this addition to the entire series, and this author!
May 3, 2024
This is book 16 in the Ghost Hunters series and I have to say it is a paranormal fantasy romance series that I enjoy quite a bit and find different than others of the genre. The dust bunnies alone make this book well worth reading. You can jump in anywhere in the series, but there is some continuity with characters so I would recommend starting sooner in the series than this one. Molly and her sister Leona were left orphaned as children and have been close their whole lives. When Leona and all of the members of the expedition she was on disappeared, all of them except for Joshua Knight who turned up with his psychic senses burnt out and no idea where he came from and no memory of what happened. Molly and her moms, who are private investigators, find where Joshua is and Molly and her dust bunny head out to find Joshua determined to find her sister and convinced he holds the key. Their investigation takes them in directions they couldn’t have expected and despite both of their efforts to deny them the chemistry between them is undeniable. Overall I gave this one 4.5 stars rounded up because any book with one of the dust bunnies is worth rounding up to me.
May 7, 2024
Castle pulled me in with the tale of two orphans, a dust bunny, and Guild Hunter rescue. She then pulled us forward as crystal artist Molly Griffin, works on her most ambitious project yet, one that could make her career. A little murder, and finding out the moms have located the Tarnished Knight, have Molly setting things aside and traveling to the Glass House to confront Joshua Knight. Joshua is a talented navigator who lost her sister and the Hollister Expedition team in an uncharted underground tunnel.
Sparks fly when Joshua and Molly meet. He’s annoyed and wants her to leave. Honestly, he doesn’t think she’d survive a night in the house of mirrors, but Molly is full of surprises and soon the two are working together to find the lost team. I loved the back-and-forth banter, a sizzling “enemies to lovers'” tale combined with plenty of suspense, danger and alien woo-woo.
I liked Molly from the get go, and despite how gruff Joshua is, it’s easy to understand him and feel compassion. He was psi-burned and is also very talented, and did I mention stubborn. The two worked well together, and their chemistry felt genuine.
Of course, I adored Newton our dust bunny, who loves to eat chips, can sense danger and has excellent taste in people. Secondary characters from family to villains rounded out the story and grounded the characters.
Castle combined a great mystery with sizzling romance, powerful characters, family and humor, keeping me reading past my bedtime. It is unnecessary to read the books in order, as the author explains the world enough in each book. However, I recommend reading all of them! This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
Sparks fly when Joshua and Molly meet. He’s annoyed and wants her to leave. Honestly, he doesn’t think she’d survive a night in the house of mirrors, but Molly is full of surprises and soon the two are working together to find the lost team. I loved the back-and-forth banter, a sizzling “enemies to lovers'” tale combined with plenty of suspense, danger and alien woo-woo.
I liked Molly from the get go, and despite how gruff Joshua is, it’s easy to understand him and feel compassion. He was psi-burned and is also very talented, and did I mention stubborn. The two worked well together, and their chemistry felt genuine.
Of course, I adored Newton our dust bunny, who loves to eat chips, can sense danger and has excellent taste in people. Secondary characters from family to villains rounded out the story and grounded the characters.
Castle combined a great mystery with sizzling romance, powerful characters, family and humor, keeping me reading past my bedtime. It is unnecessary to read the books in order, as the author explains the world enough in each book. However, I recommend reading all of them! This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
May 26, 2024
Another fun romp from this author.
I really enjoy her books set on the alien planet Harmony--a nice blend of SF with major paranormal overtones of the psychic abilities variety.
I liked our tortured hero, Joshua Knight, and our determined heroine with a mission, Molly Griffin. They had a good chemistry together. Joshua was the explorer leading the Hollister Expedition (an academic group looking to examine newly discovered artifacts in the underground regions inhabited by the long-vanished aliens) when disaster struck. Joshua was the only one to make it back to the surface, severely disoriented, with his psychic senses totally fried. Molly wants to ask him a few questions as her sister Leona was a member of the vanished, presumed dead, Hollister team.
The mystery has some twists and turns, of course, as Joshua and Molly works to figure out just what happened.
The requisite dust bunny is a lively addition to the team. Newton has attached himself to Molly, who keeps him well-supplied with Zing Chips. (I am convinced that one reason the author keeps returning to Harmony is that she wants to keep playing with the dust bunnies).
It all ends well--baddies revealed and dealt with, romance headed for an HEA, Newton and fellow dust bunnies having a grand time with a case of individual bags of Zing Chips.
I'll be on hand for the next book, absolutely.
I really enjoy her books set on the alien planet Harmony--a nice blend of SF with major paranormal overtones of the psychic abilities variety.
I liked our tortured hero, Joshua Knight, and our determined heroine with a mission, Molly Griffin. They had a good chemistry together. Joshua was the explorer leading the Hollister Expedition (an academic group looking to examine newly discovered artifacts in the underground regions inhabited by the long-vanished aliens) when disaster struck. Joshua was the only one to make it back to the surface, severely disoriented, with his psychic senses totally fried. Molly wants to ask him a few questions as her sister Leona was a member of the vanished, presumed dead, Hollister team.
The mystery has some twists and turns, of course, as Joshua and Molly works to figure out just what happened.
The requisite dust bunny is a lively addition to the team. Newton has attached himself to Molly, who keeps him well-supplied with Zing Chips. (I am convinced that one reason the author keeps returning to Harmony is that she wants to keep playing with the dust bunnies).
It all ends well--baddies revealed and dealt with, romance headed for an HEA, Newton and fellow dust bunnies having a grand time with a case of individual bags of Zing Chips.
I'll be on hand for the next book, absolutely.
May 30, 2024
While this is the 16th book in the author's Ghost Hunters series, I believe it would stand on its own, as the author gives a bit of an introduction to the world fairly early on.
I especially liked the beginning of the book when Molly (the heroine of the book) and her "sister" Leone are children at an orphanage. it's clear they're adventurous and curious. The book was a bit slow for me at points in the "present" part of the story, when we spent a very long time with Molly and Joshua at a strange haunted house. It definitely picked up once they left and got to the city.
There's a clear setup for Leone's story towards the end of the book, as well as a revisit from a villain from an earlier book.
Overall, I would give this a B-/B, so am rounding up to 4 stars.
I especially liked the beginning of the book when Molly (the heroine of the book) and her "sister" Leone are children at an orphanage. it's clear they're adventurous and curious. The book was a bit slow for me at points in the "present" part of the story, when we spent a very long time with Molly and Joshua at a strange haunted house. It definitely picked up once they left and got to the city.
There's a clear setup for Leone's story towards the end of the book, as well as a revisit from a villain from an earlier book.
Overall, I would give this a B-/B, so am rounding up to 4 stars.
August 6, 2024
Another terrific paranormal romance set on the planet Harmony
Joshua Knight belongs to the rich and powerful Knight clan, who are highly respected as explorers in the mystical, green-quartz tunnels of the Underworld of the planet Harmony. Joshua is an off-the-chart explorer talent, who can find his way anywhere in the Underworld areas of Harmony, even without tuned amber, which is impossible for everyone else. Several weeks ago, he was leading the Hollister scientific expedition to a newly discovered sector known as Glass House, which is a maze of crystal that is rumored to conceal powerful Alien antiquities. Every member of the expedition except Josh disappeared and, after extensive unsuccessful efforts to recover them by multiple rescue teams, the searches have been called off, and the team has been declared as presumed dead.
The press has labeled Josh with the insulting title, Tarnished Knight, and his own family are ashamed of him, because the debacle has negatively affected their business prospects. Josh has no ability or desire to defend himself, because whatever happened to him down in the tunnels scrambled his psychic senses and caused amnesia, and during a brief stay in a parasych ward, the doctors labeled him delusional and paranoid. In spite of the enormous odds against him, Josh refuses to give up on finding out what happened to his team. In service of that mission, he has retreated to an abandoned mansion in the desert a few hours drive from Illusion Town (the Harmony version of Las Vegas, and the name of the sub-series of Ghost Hunters that this book is part of). Josh chose this isolated spot because it is through an opening within the mansion's basement that he exited the Underworld on the day his team vanished. The locals in the area near the mansion consider it both cursed and haunted, because the past three owners have died within it, and it is widely believed that the mansion itself murdered them. It is filled with eerie, psi-hot mirrors, and every night it is invaded with an equally psi-hot mist that enters the house through the basement's link to the Underworld.
Molly Griffin is an off-the-chart crystal talent who is able to assist people with troubling, psy-based emotional disturbances by entering their dreamscapes. She does that as a free, public service at a local youth center, but her income is derived from infusing specially tuned psi energy into beautiful crystal sculptures. Ever since the Hollister Expedition disappeared, she and her adoptive lesbian mothers, who are highly skilled private investigators, have been absolutely determined to figure out what happened to it, because Molly's beloved sister, Leona, is one of the para-archaeologists on the team. When her moms finally track down Josh, Molly drops everything and heads to the mysterious mansion to find him, because he is the key to rescuing Leona, whom Molly is convinced is still alive.
One of the things I found unusual and quite enjoyable in this particular GH novel is the two prequels, in which we meet Molly and Leona when they are 6 years old. The prequels are extremely well done and, in particular, involve dust bunnies in a wonderful way.
As one of JAK’s most devoted fans, I have read every book she has ever written. As is the case in all of her paranormal romances in the GH series—and all of her romantic-suspense novels as a whole—JAK offers an FMC and MMC who are a dynamic, crime-solving duo. Molly and Josh are equally brave and determined, and there is enthralling mental, emotional, and sexual chemistry between them. In every GH novel, JAK offers a cute and clever dust bunny, who is psychically bonded to either the FMC or the MMC. In this novel, the dust bunny, Newton, is attached to Molly.
I love absolutely everything about the GH books, and every couple of years I revisit the entire series in audiobook format. This particular book is narrated by the fabulously talented actor, Barbara Rosenblat, who has narrated Books 11-16 in the GH series (see below). Ms. Rosenblat is one of my all-time-favorite narrators. Her dramatic talent brings the story fully to life, and she is tremendously gifted at authentically portraying both male and female characters, of all ages.
For any fellow JAK fans who might find it of interest, I have provided below a list I made for myself of all of the novels in the Ghost Hunters series, which stretches across 25 years:
0.5. Bridal Jitters (1999)
1. After Dark (2000)
2. After Glow (2004)
3. Ghost Hunter (2006)
4. Silver Master (2007)
5. Dark Light (2008)
6. Obsidian Prey (2009)
7. Midnight Crystal (2010)
8. Canyons of Night (2011)
9. The Lost Night (2012)
10. Deception Cove (2013)
11. The Hot Zone (2014)
12. Siren's Call (2015)
13. Illusion Town (2016)
14. Guild Boss (2021)
15. Sweetwater and the Witch (2022)
16. People in Glass Houses (2024)
Note: JAK has indicated that there will be another Illusion Town novel with Leona as the FMC. Yay!!!
Joshua Knight belongs to the rich and powerful Knight clan, who are highly respected as explorers in the mystical, green-quartz tunnels of the Underworld of the planet Harmony. Joshua is an off-the-chart explorer talent, who can find his way anywhere in the Underworld areas of Harmony, even without tuned amber, which is impossible for everyone else. Several weeks ago, he was leading the Hollister scientific expedition to a newly discovered sector known as Glass House, which is a maze of crystal that is rumored to conceal powerful Alien antiquities. Every member of the expedition except Josh disappeared and, after extensive unsuccessful efforts to recover them by multiple rescue teams, the searches have been called off, and the team has been declared as presumed dead.
The press has labeled Josh with the insulting title, Tarnished Knight, and his own family are ashamed of him, because the debacle has negatively affected their business prospects. Josh has no ability or desire to defend himself, because whatever happened to him down in the tunnels scrambled his psychic senses and caused amnesia, and during a brief stay in a parasych ward, the doctors labeled him delusional and paranoid. In spite of the enormous odds against him, Josh refuses to give up on finding out what happened to his team. In service of that mission, he has retreated to an abandoned mansion in the desert a few hours drive from Illusion Town (the Harmony version of Las Vegas, and the name of the sub-series of Ghost Hunters that this book is part of). Josh chose this isolated spot because it is through an opening within the mansion's basement that he exited the Underworld on the day his team vanished. The locals in the area near the mansion consider it both cursed and haunted, because the past three owners have died within it, and it is widely believed that the mansion itself murdered them. It is filled with eerie, psi-hot mirrors, and every night it is invaded with an equally psi-hot mist that enters the house through the basement's link to the Underworld.
Molly Griffin is an off-the-chart crystal talent who is able to assist people with troubling, psy-based emotional disturbances by entering their dreamscapes. She does that as a free, public service at a local youth center, but her income is derived from infusing specially tuned psi energy into beautiful crystal sculptures. Ever since the Hollister Expedition disappeared, she and her adoptive lesbian mothers, who are highly skilled private investigators, have been absolutely determined to figure out what happened to it, because Molly's beloved sister, Leona, is one of the para-archaeologists on the team. When her moms finally track down Josh, Molly drops everything and heads to the mysterious mansion to find him, because he is the key to rescuing Leona, whom Molly is convinced is still alive.
One of the things I found unusual and quite enjoyable in this particular GH novel is the two prequels, in which we meet Molly and Leona when they are 6 years old. The prequels are extremely well done and, in particular, involve dust bunnies in a wonderful way.
As one of JAK’s most devoted fans, I have read every book she has ever written. As is the case in all of her paranormal romances in the GH series—and all of her romantic-suspense novels as a whole—JAK offers an FMC and MMC who are a dynamic, crime-solving duo. Molly and Josh are equally brave and determined, and there is enthralling mental, emotional, and sexual chemistry between them. In every GH novel, JAK offers a cute and clever dust bunny, who is psychically bonded to either the FMC or the MMC. In this novel, the dust bunny, Newton, is attached to Molly.
I love absolutely everything about the GH books, and every couple of years I revisit the entire series in audiobook format. This particular book is narrated by the fabulously talented actor, Barbara Rosenblat, who has narrated Books 11-16 in the GH series (see below). Ms. Rosenblat is one of my all-time-favorite narrators. Her dramatic talent brings the story fully to life, and she is tremendously gifted at authentically portraying both male and female characters, of all ages.
For any fellow JAK fans who might find it of interest, I have provided below a list I made for myself of all of the novels in the Ghost Hunters series, which stretches across 25 years:
0.5. Bridal Jitters (1999)
1. After Dark (2000)
2. After Glow (2004)
3. Ghost Hunter (2006)
4. Silver Master (2007)
5. Dark Light (2008)
6. Obsidian Prey (2009)
7. Midnight Crystal (2010)
8. Canyons of Night (2011)
9. The Lost Night (2012)
10. Deception Cove (2013)
11. The Hot Zone (2014)
12. Siren's Call (2015)
13. Illusion Town (2016)
14. Guild Boss (2021)
15. Sweetwater and the Witch (2022)
16. People in Glass Houses (2024)
Note: JAK has indicated that there will be another Illusion Town novel with Leona as the FMC. Yay!!!
May 8, 2024
"People in Glass Houses" by Jayne Castle is another captivating addition to the Harmony series, and as a long-time fan, I couldn't be more thrilled. Castle's skillful recap at the beginning sets the stage perfectly, instantly immersing readers into the familiar yet intriguing world of Harmony. Her storytelling prowess shines through, keeping me engaged and invested from start to finish.
Molly's determination to find her missing sister, Leona, is palpable, and her decision to trust the enigmatic Joshua Knight, despite his troubled past, adds layers of tension and suspense to the narrative. Castle expertly balances Molly's stubborn resolve with Joshua's guarded skepticism, resulting in a dynamic and entertaining duo. Their interactions are filled with witty banter and genuine chemistry, making them a joy to follow throughout the story.
The introduction of Newton, the charming dust bunny, adds an extra layer of whimsy to the tale, providing moments of levity amidst the mystery and danger. Castle's world-building continues to impress, seamlessly blending futuristic elements with paranormal intrigue.
For both longtime fans and newcomers alike, "People in Glass Houses" offers a fast-paced and enjoyable read that delivers on all fronts. With its engaging characters, thrilling plot twists, and vibrant setting, this book is sure to leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.
Very grateful to the publisher for this copy, opinions are my own
Molly's determination to find her missing sister, Leona, is palpable, and her decision to trust the enigmatic Joshua Knight, despite his troubled past, adds layers of tension and suspense to the narrative. Castle expertly balances Molly's stubborn resolve with Joshua's guarded skepticism, resulting in a dynamic and entertaining duo. Their interactions are filled with witty banter and genuine chemistry, making them a joy to follow throughout the story.
The introduction of Newton, the charming dust bunny, adds an extra layer of whimsy to the tale, providing moments of levity amidst the mystery and danger. Castle's world-building continues to impress, seamlessly blending futuristic elements with paranormal intrigue.
For both longtime fans and newcomers alike, "People in Glass Houses" offers a fast-paced and enjoyable read that delivers on all fronts. With its engaging characters, thrilling plot twists, and vibrant setting, this book is sure to leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series.
Very grateful to the publisher for this copy, opinions are my own
July 24, 2024
I really enjoyed this trip to Harmony. Newton, the Dust Bunny was the star - as it should be. But I also loved the cold and distant hero and how the Fun House became its own character in the book. Now I have to get caught up on Jayne's books.
April 18, 2024
The tenth science fiction romance set on Harmony was another excellent book in the series. Molly Griffin is determined to find her sister who was lost in the alien tunnels underground. She was part of the Hollister Expedition. Only the navigator - Josh Knight - managed to make it out alive. But he is psi-burned and has disappeared after escaping from a psychiatric hospital.
Molly is an artist who tunes crystal but her adopted mothers run a detective agency. They manage to track Josh down to a creepy old mansion made of fireglass and filled with tuned mirrors outside a small town. The house is built on a hot zone and filled with psychic influences.
Molly shows up, determined to help him get over his psi-burn so that he can find her missing sister. He's cranky and irritable; she's stubborn and determined. It's a match made in Harmony heaven. Or it would be if Molly believed in matches. She's keeping secrets that she feels make her ineligible for the Covenant Marriage that most on Harmony eventually enter.
Since Josh's mental problems after the ill-fated Hollister Expedition mean that he was dropped from the matchmaking agency who was looking for a covenant marriage for him, he isn't all that concerned about a future marriage either. He's much more interested in restoring his ruined reputation.
Teaming up - and using Molly's psychic talents to heal Josh's - is the only way that both will be able to get what they want. Luckily, Molly's dust bunny Newton is glad to go along for the ride as long as she keeps supplying the Zing Chips!
This was another excellent romance between two people who feel that they are well outside the norms for their culture. Both have strong powers that they feel the need to conceal from everyone until they learn to trust each other enough to share.
I enjoyed the witty banter, the dust bunny, and the adventure.
Molly is an artist who tunes crystal but her adopted mothers run a detective agency. They manage to track Josh down to a creepy old mansion made of fireglass and filled with tuned mirrors outside a small town. The house is built on a hot zone and filled with psychic influences.
Molly shows up, determined to help him get over his psi-burn so that he can find her missing sister. He's cranky and irritable; she's stubborn and determined. It's a match made in Harmony heaven. Or it would be if Molly believed in matches. She's keeping secrets that she feels make her ineligible for the Covenant Marriage that most on Harmony eventually enter.
Since Josh's mental problems after the ill-fated Hollister Expedition mean that he was dropped from the matchmaking agency who was looking for a covenant marriage for him, he isn't all that concerned about a future marriage either. He's much more interested in restoring his ruined reputation.
Teaming up - and using Molly's psychic talents to heal Josh's - is the only way that both will be able to get what they want. Luckily, Molly's dust bunny Newton is glad to go along for the ride as long as she keeps supplying the Zing Chips!
This was another excellent romance between two people who feel that they are well outside the norms for their culture. Both have strong powers that they feel the need to conceal from everyone until they learn to trust each other enough to share.
I enjoyed the witty banter, the dust bunny, and the adventure.
April 26, 2024
This was another great installment of the Harmony verse and it references characters from Guild Boss since Molly is a crystal artist who is making a wedding piece for the Gabriel & Lucy and has the same villain that is still trying to find someone to work the vortex machine from the previous novel. I really enjoy this verse and while the books are formulaic they are such a fun read and the chemistry between the characters is always so great and they complement each other so well. I always love seeing all the different powers that all these characters can have and what they can do with them. All in all a fantastic fun read and I can’t wait for the next one.
Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.
May 24, 2024
Another fun dust bunny story! Very entertaining!
March 26, 2024
Wow! Loving Molly from the get go. She is instantly relatable with a backstory that is realistic but interesting enough to keep you hooked.
Between Molly and Joshua there was plenty of miscommunication in their friendship. While frustrating, was absolutely needed to propel the plot forward due to Josh’s damaged senses and the need to repair the damage to find her missing sister.
Between Mollys determination and Joshua’s funny sense of humor, and the remaining cast of likable characters it has everything I love and more in a romance book, add in a touch of the supernatural? I’ve always been a fan of the supernatural and this only fueled it.
This is in the middle of a series, however, I had no problem jumping right in and having a general understanding of what was going on.
Thank you to Netgalley. Berkley Publishing and Jayne Castle for the eARC!
Between Molly and Joshua there was plenty of miscommunication in their friendship. While frustrating, was absolutely needed to propel the plot forward due to Josh’s damaged senses and the need to repair the damage to find her missing sister.
Between Mollys determination and Joshua’s funny sense of humor, and the remaining cast of likable characters it has everything I love and more in a romance book, add in a touch of the supernatural? I’ve always been a fan of the supernatural and this only fueled it.
This is in the middle of a series, however, I had no problem jumping right in and having a general understanding of what was going on.
Thank you to Netgalley. Berkley Publishing and Jayne Castle for the eARC!
May 6, 2024
People in glass houses
Imagine being kidnapped because you posses a psychic power that someone wants to experiment and you are the subject rather you and your sister. You are taken by this deranged psychopath and placed in a room that you cannot escape from but your sister finds a way to control the situation by contacting a private investigating company any your lives become meshed together with 2 moms who realize why you were taken. That’s the past in the present the situation is fire as your sister was part of an expedition that disappeared. Kidnapped or dead? Molly Griffin not only got a last time after leaving the orphanage but realized there was something unique about her and her sister and she’s on a quest to find her.
As the story moves ahead and Molly uses her skills and abilities to help Joshua find his talents and uses dreamscape as a tool, what you witness is amazing and allows readers to experience what he does and the ability to enter a persons dreams and see another person taking control of them. The mansion is scary and the heat builds up and the mist is inside and is so thick outside you can’t escape. As they get closer they realize that the answers they are searching for are in the Underworld and the dangers aside they go down deep and dark to find the Hollister team and the harsh revelations about who kidnapped them will come out later as other people are involved, who hired Mr. Invisible, who killed him and why was Joshua also a victim of a diabolical plot? Why was he fired? What happens when her sister and the team are found? What is the significance of the crystals and those created for the wedding? Good or bad energy as a result of the robbery?
The author takes Molly and Joshua down many roads in order to understand the mystery behind the mirrors, their power and how they controlled actions, memories, you won’t believe what else? As Molly and Joshua go back to the mansion one last time they are blindsided by a visitor who has other plans for them and the connection to the robbery, murder and a hidden deal that went south is revealed as the targets are Joshua and Molly. An ending that will keep you in suspense and even the positives will become uncertain when the author throws a twist and revelation you won’t expect. What is the significance of the Glass House? Who is hiding in plain sight? People in glass houses: let’s hope it doesn’t shatter more lives.
Fran Lewis just reviews
Imagine being kidnapped because you posses a psychic power that someone wants to experiment and you are the subject rather you and your sister. You are taken by this deranged psychopath and placed in a room that you cannot escape from but your sister finds a way to control the situation by contacting a private investigating company any your lives become meshed together with 2 moms who realize why you were taken. That’s the past in the present the situation is fire as your sister was part of an expedition that disappeared. Kidnapped or dead? Molly Griffin not only got a last time after leaving the orphanage but realized there was something unique about her and her sister and she’s on a quest to find her.
As the story moves ahead and Molly uses her skills and abilities to help Joshua find his talents and uses dreamscape as a tool, what you witness is amazing and allows readers to experience what he does and the ability to enter a persons dreams and see another person taking control of them. The mansion is scary and the heat builds up and the mist is inside and is so thick outside you can’t escape. As they get closer they realize that the answers they are searching for are in the Underworld and the dangers aside they go down deep and dark to find the Hollister team and the harsh revelations about who kidnapped them will come out later as other people are involved, who hired Mr. Invisible, who killed him and why was Joshua also a victim of a diabolical plot? Why was he fired? What happens when her sister and the team are found? What is the significance of the crystals and those created for the wedding? Good or bad energy as a result of the robbery?
The author takes Molly and Joshua down many roads in order to understand the mystery behind the mirrors, their power and how they controlled actions, memories, you won’t believe what else? As Molly and Joshua go back to the mansion one last time they are blindsided by a visitor who has other plans for them and the connection to the robbery, murder and a hidden deal that went south is revealed as the targets are Joshua and Molly. An ending that will keep you in suspense and even the positives will become uncertain when the author throws a twist and revelation you won’t expect. What is the significance of the Glass House? Who is hiding in plain sight? People in glass houses: let’s hope it doesn’t shatter more lives.
Fran Lewis just reviews
July 3, 2024
Read this review on Got Fiction? Book Blog
This is book 16 in Jayne Castle’s Ghost Hunters/Harmony series, but it can be read as as standalone, so don’t let that intimidate you.
This book opens with a couple of little girls who are playing on a swing set when one of them is kidnapped. While she is rescued almost immediately, when we fast forward to the present, we see that her kidnapping is still relevant.
Molly Griffin needs Joshua Knight. Her sister is missing and he is her only link, her only clue, her only hope. But the problem is that Joshua Knight doesn’t want to be found.
Joshua Knight was the leader for an academic archaeology team. He was to navigate them into the uncharted area called the Glass House, but that team has been missing for a month, and his mind is fractured. He somehow made it out of the alien tunnels alive, and in a weird abandoned house. But he can’t find the team, he can’t remember what happened, how he escaped, or why he’s alive when everyone else is presumed dead.
One of the missing archaeologists is Molly’s sister. And Molly’s convinced not only is her sister alive, but that she can help Joshua. So she hunts him down and it turns out that he lives in the weird abandoned house he woke up in. The house has its own unknown energy source and weird things happen, especially at night. The town is convinced the house is cursed so they give Joshua the house since he’s been staying there anyway. They just want it off their hands.
When Molly finds him, Joshua tries to push her away since he thinks the house is dangerous, and he’s not in his right mind. What he doesn’t know is that Molly is able to fix his fractured memory and burnt out talent.
This is a case of the two main characters being stronger together than apart, and I really love that. This author is always good about having strong and independent characters who compliment each other. There is always a fun pet dust bunny, and I really do love that aspect of this series. This book has the crazy weird house as its own character as well. If you haven’t read the Harmony/Ghost Hunters series, you’re in for a treat. This series is light, fun, and it’s something different out there in the realm of Paranormal Romance.
***ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
This is book 16 in Jayne Castle’s Ghost Hunters/Harmony series, but it can be read as as standalone, so don’t let that intimidate you.
This book opens with a couple of little girls who are playing on a swing set when one of them is kidnapped. While she is rescued almost immediately, when we fast forward to the present, we see that her kidnapping is still relevant.
Molly Griffin needs Joshua Knight. Her sister is missing and he is her only link, her only clue, her only hope. But the problem is that Joshua Knight doesn’t want to be found.
Joshua Knight was the leader for an academic archaeology team. He was to navigate them into the uncharted area called the Glass House, but that team has been missing for a month, and his mind is fractured. He somehow made it out of the alien tunnels alive, and in a weird abandoned house. But he can’t find the team, he can’t remember what happened, how he escaped, or why he’s alive when everyone else is presumed dead.
One of the missing archaeologists is Molly’s sister. And Molly’s convinced not only is her sister alive, but that she can help Joshua. So she hunts him down and it turns out that he lives in the weird abandoned house he woke up in. The house has its own unknown energy source and weird things happen, especially at night. The town is convinced the house is cursed so they give Joshua the house since he’s been staying there anyway. They just want it off their hands.
When Molly finds him, Joshua tries to push her away since he thinks the house is dangerous, and he’s not in his right mind. What he doesn’t know is that Molly is able to fix his fractured memory and burnt out talent.
This is a case of the two main characters being stronger together than apart, and I really love that. This author is always good about having strong and independent characters who compliment each other. There is always a fun pet dust bunny, and I really do love that aspect of this series. This book has the crazy weird house as its own character as well. If you haven’t read the Harmony/Ghost Hunters series, you’re in for a treat. This series is light, fun, and it’s something different out there in the realm of Paranormal Romance.
***ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley
July 10, 2024
I love the paranormal side to her mystery / murder series. The characters are always intriguing, and the background involving an abandoned alien colony, and its fascinating underworld keeps me coming back for more adventures. Molly ‘s story was well plotted, and she was an equal match for Joshua Knight, who had strong talents of his own. The dust bunny is always a welcome addition to the story. The attraction by the two main characters was so fun, and romantic. The amount of respect, and trust in each other, and physical attraction made a strong base for their future. I look forward to her sister’s story, in her next book. I gave this a 5 star rating. The sexual content does not drown out the story, nor is it over done. It fits in perfectly with the book . I would recommend this series to others.
June 4, 2024
Tuning Crystals
Set in the future the stories of Ghost Hunters, para psychology and a need for amber sound strange but having read all of Jayne Castles books its just an adventure in a different dimension! With a talent for tuning crystal Molly sets off too find her sister who us lost in the underground tunnels. her one hope of finding Leona is Joshua Knight a psi-burned navigator of the underworld. You just have to read the series to fully enjoy the stories and enter a new world that still carries love and adventure.
Set in the future the stories of Ghost Hunters, para psychology and a need for amber sound strange but having read all of Jayne Castles books its just an adventure in a different dimension! With a talent for tuning crystal Molly sets off too find her sister who us lost in the underground tunnels. her one hope of finding Leona is Joshua Knight a psi-burned navigator of the underworld. You just have to read the series to fully enjoy the stories and enter a new world that still carries love and adventure.
June 15, 2024
I love this series. Picked this up at the library today and sped through it. I am also listening to earlier books at the same time. The whole plot of Harmony is such fun. Molly and Joshua are great characters, and I am so looking forward to the next book already.
I am in awe of this author, whether she is writing as herself, Amanda Quick or Jayne Castle, the overlapping of the present, past, and future, I thoroughly enjoy the stories.
However, Harmony and dust bunnies are the most fun.
I am in awe of this author, whether she is writing as herself, Amanda Quick or Jayne Castle, the overlapping of the present, past, and future, I thoroughly enjoy the stories.
However, Harmony and dust bunnies are the most fun.
June 2, 2024
Always like these. Light paranormal romances that are fun and a bit weird. Interesting world.
June 7, 2024
Entertaining, a little romantic, and a nice addition to the series. As always, love the dust bunnies.
July 8, 2024
Welcome back to Harmony, the 16th book in the Ghost Hunters series. The story is filled with all we have come to expect and the Author delivers. Got to love those dust bunnies, strong women and men who fall for each other quickly. Fun!
May 14, 2024
I loved this newest entry in the Ghost Hunters series. I loved the main couple, and the dust bunny Newton was wonderful! I think this is book number 16 in the series, so I wouldn't recommend starting here, but this is such a fun action/fantasy/romance series. I can't wait for Leona's story.
December 17, 2023
This is listed as the tenth book in the Harmony series and it takes place on Harmony, a planet settled by colonists in the late twenty-first century. This is a Science Fiction romance. If you haven’t read any previous books in the series, not to worry, the author has a summary of the Harmony world in a note at the start of the book.
Molly and Leona were placed in a School for Orphan girls when they were babies. They are not sisters by blood, however they grew up together and are very close. Molly is kidnapped one day when they are swinging on the playground and Leona gets help from the lady detective agency next door. They find Molly in the ruins below the city with a dust bunny, a clever scruffy pet she names Newton and they convince the lady detectives to adopt them. As they grow older they discover that like many of the settlers on Harmony, they have special psychic powers - Molly and Leona’s powers are very strong.
Molly tunes crystals and is creating an energy circle for a celebrity power couple’s wedding when she gets word that Leona has gone missing on an archeologic expedition in the ruins. The only one to make it out is Joshua Knight, an underworld navigator who had lead the expedition. Molly and her dust bunny go to find him at his home in The Funhouse, a haunted house full of mirrors. I don’t want to give too much away about what happened to Joshua but it’s special when Molly helps him heal using her special talents.
Molly and Joshua have a magical connection as they search for Leona. They are a good match and I enjoyed watching their romance grow as they explore The Funhouse and the ruins to find Leona and search for answers to the mysteries that surround them.
There is also an underlying mystery that intertwines through the series that started with a villain named Taggert Spooner - yikes, she chose my name for the villain! I think it’s helpful to read another book in the series first and I think Guild Boss is a good choice because it ties in with this book.
There are some fun things that made me smile, especially the dust bunnies. Newton somehow manages to become an influencer for Zing Chips! There are also self-driving cars.
There were places in the story where I felt it bogged down talking about crystals and I wanted more romance and more of Molly and Joshua together without their focus being solely on the mystery. I always appreciate the author’s subtle humor and would love to have seen even more.
I think I’ve read all of Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick/Jayne Krentz’s books and I’m thankful for her comforting reads. I look forward to Leona’s story in the next Harmony book. Thank you to Jayne Castle, Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
Molly and Leona were placed in a School for Orphan girls when they were babies. They are not sisters by blood, however they grew up together and are very close. Molly is kidnapped one day when they are swinging on the playground and Leona gets help from the lady detective agency next door. They find Molly in the ruins below the city with a dust bunny, a clever scruffy pet she names Newton and they convince the lady detectives to adopt them. As they grow older they discover that like many of the settlers on Harmony, they have special psychic powers - Molly and Leona’s powers are very strong.
Molly tunes crystals and is creating an energy circle for a celebrity power couple’s wedding when she gets word that Leona has gone missing on an archeologic expedition in the ruins. The only one to make it out is Joshua Knight, an underworld navigator who had lead the expedition. Molly and her dust bunny go to find him at his home in The Funhouse, a haunted house full of mirrors. I don’t want to give too much away about what happened to Joshua but it’s special when Molly helps him heal using her special talents.
Molly and Joshua have a magical connection as they search for Leona. They are a good match and I enjoyed watching their romance grow as they explore The Funhouse and the ruins to find Leona and search for answers to the mysteries that surround them.
There is also an underlying mystery that intertwines through the series that started with a villain named Taggert Spooner - yikes, she chose my name for the villain! I think it’s helpful to read another book in the series first and I think Guild Boss is a good choice because it ties in with this book.
There are some fun things that made me smile, especially the dust bunnies. Newton somehow manages to become an influencer for Zing Chips! There are also self-driving cars.
There were places in the story where I felt it bogged down talking about crystals and I wanted more romance and more of Molly and Joshua together without their focus being solely on the mystery. I always appreciate the author’s subtle humor and would love to have seen even more.
I think I’ve read all of Jayne Castle/Amanda Quick/Jayne Krentz’s books and I’m thankful for her comforting reads. I look forward to Leona’s story in the next Harmony book. Thank you to Jayne Castle, Berkley and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.
April 30, 2024
We all know the way that phrase ends, don’t we? “People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” It’s a somewhat more potentially kinetic way of talking about the “pot calling the kettle black.” Or putting it yet another way, people who have the same faults should resist poking at each other along the same fault lines.
As it turns out, this particular story is also a case of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” – although Joshua Knight and Molly Griffin want to be much more than friends the moment they meet, in spite of both of them living in the glass house of having extremely high levels of paranormal talent that they keep under wraps.
Because too much power can be extremely dangerous – especially when all the power is encased in the fragile mind of a human. Any human.
Although at the moment they meet, both Joshua and Molly do happen to be rather fragile humans – particularly in the context of the not-totally-explored and still all too frequently dangerous lost Terran colony on Harmony. A planet where high-resonating crystal artifacts left on the planet by aliens have caused, raised and enhanced the psychic powers of the humans who have occupied the planet for more than two centuries.
Joshua Knight is considered to be psi-burned. He was a talented guide and navigator to Harmony’s fascinating but treacherous underworld, and he lost ALL the members of his last expedition.
An expedition that included Molly Griffin’s sister Leona. Molly needs Joshua to lead her to where he lost her sister. Joshua needs Molly to help him regain his lost memories of where he lost the expedition in order to have even a chance at making that happen.
Lucky for them, their talents dovetail in a harmony that neither of them ever expected. But not lucky at all for the mastermind who set Joshua up to take the fall and did not reckon, at all, on the dogged persistence of the Griffin sisters.
And not that the villain doesn’t have a plan B to take care of all of those new, pesky, loose ends that Molly and Joshua have managed to unravel in the crystal palaces hidden under Harmony.
Escape Rating A-: Once upon a time, a historical romance author writing under the name of Amanda Quick introduced an organization of physically adept practitioners and mad scientists into her Victorian Era set romances – and the Arcane Society was born. In one of her other personas, Jayne Ann Krentz, the author carried the Arcane Society in the 20th and 21st centuries. Under a third name, Jayne Castle, she created the lost Terran colony world of Harmony and eventually admitted that the original colonists included a considerable number of members of, you guessed it, the Arcane Society.
It’s been over two centuries since Harmony was cut off from Earth. The population has evolved to include paranormal talents, many of which have become specialized in response to the resonating crystal artifacts that aliens left behind on their new home world. Their society has also evolved into the close-knitted, family oriented, relatively stable structure that we see in this series.
The population also still throws out the occasional mad scientist.
Which is part of Molly and Leona Griffin’s background, although it’s not really part of this story – except in the trust issues that background left in both women – although the next book in the series will be going there – and I’m seriously looking forward to it.
But in the meantime, this book is focused in Harmony’s present, and follows directly after the events of Guild Boss while putting brand new characters in the literal hot seat – along with another of Harmony’s adorable, scene-stealing predators, Newton the intrepid dust bunny.
As is often the case in the entire extended Arcane Society/Harmony series, there’s both a crime to solve and a talented person to save from what seems like the brink of madness. Molly’s sister is missing, the search has been called off. Molly is determined to pursue the only lead she has left, the supposedly burned out has-been navigator, Joshua Knight.
Joshua is the one who needs saving – he’s pretty sure he’s going mad, and the crazy house he’s squatting in is helping to finish the job that the mess of that lost expedition merely started. Joshua and Molly are each other’s last chance, so they grab onto that chance – and each other – with both hands.
That they manage to find the lost expedition – as wonderful as that is – opens up an entirely new can of worms so that the chief worm can finally get squashed. Only to open the way for yet another and even more dangerous worm – or perhaps that should be wyrm – to emerge from the shadows.
The romance between Molly and Joshua is as hot as the energy they both channel, but the way that their mutual needs and insecurities keep bumping up against one another keeps the relationship from feeling like insta-love. They also have a lot more in common than just their tangling insecurities, leaving the reader to believe that they really do have a good chance at an HEA even after the adrenaline of this case evens out.
To make a long story – or review – short; Harmony is a fascinating world, the paranormal powers keep everything and everyone involved tuned up to the max, the dust bunnies are both adorable and deadly, the romances are scorching, and the tension of whatever wrong needs to be righted or case that needs to be solved has been keeping this reader on the edge of her seat from the very first and this entry in the series continues that happy trend. Visit Harmony and settle in for a long, highly charged, utterly captivating binge-read.
And, also very much to the good, the way that the resolution of this adventure hints so tantalizingly at the next gives this fan of the series a lot of high-rez hope for the next – which doesn’t appear to be coming nearly soon enough!
Originally published at Reading Reality
As it turns out, this particular story is also a case of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” – although Joshua Knight and Molly Griffin want to be much more than friends the moment they meet, in spite of both of them living in the glass house of having extremely high levels of paranormal talent that they keep under wraps.
Because too much power can be extremely dangerous – especially when all the power is encased in the fragile mind of a human. Any human.
Although at the moment they meet, both Joshua and Molly do happen to be rather fragile humans – particularly in the context of the not-totally-explored and still all too frequently dangerous lost Terran colony on Harmony. A planet where high-resonating crystal artifacts left on the planet by aliens have caused, raised and enhanced the psychic powers of the humans who have occupied the planet for more than two centuries.
Joshua Knight is considered to be psi-burned. He was a talented guide and navigator to Harmony’s fascinating but treacherous underworld, and he lost ALL the members of his last expedition.
An expedition that included Molly Griffin’s sister Leona. Molly needs Joshua to lead her to where he lost her sister. Joshua needs Molly to help him regain his lost memories of where he lost the expedition in order to have even a chance at making that happen.
Lucky for them, their talents dovetail in a harmony that neither of them ever expected. But not lucky at all for the mastermind who set Joshua up to take the fall and did not reckon, at all, on the dogged persistence of the Griffin sisters.
And not that the villain doesn’t have a plan B to take care of all of those new, pesky, loose ends that Molly and Joshua have managed to unravel in the crystal palaces hidden under Harmony.
Escape Rating A-: Once upon a time, a historical romance author writing under the name of Amanda Quick introduced an organization of physically adept practitioners and mad scientists into her Victorian Era set romances – and the Arcane Society was born. In one of her other personas, Jayne Ann Krentz, the author carried the Arcane Society in the 20th and 21st centuries. Under a third name, Jayne Castle, she created the lost Terran colony world of Harmony and eventually admitted that the original colonists included a considerable number of members of, you guessed it, the Arcane Society.
It’s been over two centuries since Harmony was cut off from Earth. The population has evolved to include paranormal talents, many of which have become specialized in response to the resonating crystal artifacts that aliens left behind on their new home world. Their society has also evolved into the close-knitted, family oriented, relatively stable structure that we see in this series.
The population also still throws out the occasional mad scientist.
Which is part of Molly and Leona Griffin’s background, although it’s not really part of this story – except in the trust issues that background left in both women – although the next book in the series will be going there – and I’m seriously looking forward to it.
But in the meantime, this book is focused in Harmony’s present, and follows directly after the events of Guild Boss while putting brand new characters in the literal hot seat – along with another of Harmony’s adorable, scene-stealing predators, Newton the intrepid dust bunny.
As is often the case in the entire extended Arcane Society/Harmony series, there’s both a crime to solve and a talented person to save from what seems like the brink of madness. Molly’s sister is missing, the search has been called off. Molly is determined to pursue the only lead she has left, the supposedly burned out has-been navigator, Joshua Knight.
Joshua is the one who needs saving – he’s pretty sure he’s going mad, and the crazy house he’s squatting in is helping to finish the job that the mess of that lost expedition merely started. Joshua and Molly are each other’s last chance, so they grab onto that chance – and each other – with both hands.
That they manage to find the lost expedition – as wonderful as that is – opens up an entirely new can of worms so that the chief worm can finally get squashed. Only to open the way for yet another and even more dangerous worm – or perhaps that should be wyrm – to emerge from the shadows.
The romance between Molly and Joshua is as hot as the energy they both channel, but the way that their mutual needs and insecurities keep bumping up against one another keeps the relationship from feeling like insta-love. They also have a lot more in common than just their tangling insecurities, leaving the reader to believe that they really do have a good chance at an HEA even after the adrenaline of this case evens out.
To make a long story – or review – short; Harmony is a fascinating world, the paranormal powers keep everything and everyone involved tuned up to the max, the dust bunnies are both adorable and deadly, the romances are scorching, and the tension of whatever wrong needs to be righted or case that needs to be solved has been keeping this reader on the edge of her seat from the very first and this entry in the series continues that happy trend. Visit Harmony and settle in for a long, highly charged, utterly captivating binge-read.
And, also very much to the good, the way that the resolution of this adventure hints so tantalizingly at the next gives this fan of the series a lot of high-rez hope for the next – which doesn’t appear to be coming nearly soon enough!
Originally published at Reading Reality
May 13, 2024
3.5 - 4 Stars. For pure indulgence, PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES hit the spot for me. It was perfect for my mood.
MY RATING GUIDE:
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I ENJOYED THIS; 4= I LIKED THIS A LOT; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
In and around Illusion Town, a unique city on the planet of Harmony ~
Joshua Knight grew up in a 4th generation family of underworld explorers and is a very experienced outfitter guide. Yet Joshua is slowly recovering from an unexplained disaster which occurred a month ago while he was leading a scientific group to a newly discovered and valuable underground ruin. The other 5 people in his party unexplainably disappeared but somehow Joshua survived and found himself back up on the surface a good distance outside Illusion Town. Joshua has no memory of what actually occurred underground, nor what happened to the others in the group. In addition, Joshua’s physic talent has been badly fried. For the past month, Joshua has been attempting to piece together his fractured memories.
Molly Griffin, of the Dark Zone (a segment of Illusion Town), is a talented crystal artist, business owner and a volunteer dream therapist. Leona, Molly’s foster sister and closest friend, was a member of the party who disappeared in the so-called Hollister Disaster. When Molly goes searching for the exploration leader, Joshua Knight, who disappeared immediately after the incident, she discovers that he is beginning to believe that his team was ambushed.
Comments ~
1) PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES is connected to Krentz/Castle’s planet Harmony Fantasy world with the characters and critters (dust bunnies) who reside there. PIGH can be read as a Standalone title without missing anything important from earlier books. It has its own characters, adventures and HEA. Readers who enjoy this title might wish to check out other books from the Harmony world (Guide Boss, Illusion Town, Sweetwater and the Witch*)) or the entire series for light, escapism fun.
2) Jayne Castle/Krentz/Amanda Quick is one of my “go-to” authors. I like her main characters. They are always honorable but generally not perfect in appearance or family background (yay!). The men are secure and focused alpha types who enjoy the challenge of strong, opinionated, capable and complicated women. The angst level in Castle/Krentz’s books is low; the dialogue witty; and usually there is plenty of adventure, action and tongue-in-cheek humor to keep me entertained. And there is hardly ever any TSTL behavior by the heroine. YAY. ;D
3) As always Barbara Rosenblat gave a convincing performance with the various characters.
READER CAUTION ~
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language is used on occasion.
VIOLENCE - PG. Not dark or graphic.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - Yes. Intimacy occurs but the scenes could be skipped fairly easily, if desired.
* None of the Harmony books deal in the occult in any way. The characters simply have something
“extra” such as intuition or abilities that make them different. These abilities occur because of the world where they reside or their genetic quirks. No “witchcraft” or dark themes enter into these stories.
MY RATING GUIDE:
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I ENJOYED THIS; 4= I LIKED THIS A LOT; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
In and around Illusion Town, a unique city on the planet of Harmony ~
Joshua Knight grew up in a 4th generation family of underworld explorers and is a very experienced outfitter guide. Yet Joshua is slowly recovering from an unexplained disaster which occurred a month ago while he was leading a scientific group to a newly discovered and valuable underground ruin. The other 5 people in his party unexplainably disappeared but somehow Joshua survived and found himself back up on the surface a good distance outside Illusion Town. Joshua has no memory of what actually occurred underground, nor what happened to the others in the group. In addition, Joshua’s physic talent has been badly fried. For the past month, Joshua has been attempting to piece together his fractured memories.
Molly Griffin, of the Dark Zone (a segment of Illusion Town), is a talented crystal artist, business owner and a volunteer dream therapist. Leona, Molly’s foster sister and closest friend, was a member of the party who disappeared in the so-called Hollister Disaster. When Molly goes searching for the exploration leader, Joshua Knight, who disappeared immediately after the incident, she discovers that he is beginning to believe that his team was ambushed.
Comments ~
1) PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES is connected to Krentz/Castle’s planet Harmony Fantasy world with the characters and critters (dust bunnies) who reside there. PIGH can be read as a Standalone title without missing anything important from earlier books. It has its own characters, adventures and HEA. Readers who enjoy this title might wish to check out other books from the Harmony world (Guide Boss, Illusion Town, Sweetwater and the Witch*)) or the entire series for light, escapism fun.
2) Jayne Castle/Krentz/Amanda Quick is one of my “go-to” authors. I like her main characters. They are always honorable but generally not perfect in appearance or family background (yay!). The men are secure and focused alpha types who enjoy the challenge of strong, opinionated, capable and complicated women. The angst level in Castle/Krentz’s books is low; the dialogue witty; and usually there is plenty of adventure, action and tongue-in-cheek humor to keep me entertained. And there is hardly ever any TSTL behavior by the heroine. YAY. ;D
3) As always Barbara Rosenblat gave a convincing performance with the various characters.
READER CAUTION ~
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language is used on occasion.
VIOLENCE - PG. Not dark or graphic.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - Yes. Intimacy occurs but the scenes could be skipped fairly easily, if desired.
* None of the Harmony books deal in the occult in any way. The characters simply have something
“extra” such as intuition or abilities that make them different. These abilities occur because of the world where they reside or their genetic quirks. No “witchcraft” or dark themes enter into these stories.
May 26, 2024
FINAL DECISION: PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES is a very enjoyable entry in the Ghost Hunters series, offering a well-balanced mix of romance, mystery, and paranormal elements. Castle's engaging characters, intricate plot, and unique setting make for an enjoyable read that will satisfy fans of the series and attract new readers to the world of Harmony.
THE STORY: Joshua Knight, the disgraced explorer now known as the Tarnished Knight, seeks refuge in a remote, mirror-filled mansion after a disastrous expedition in the Underworld's Glass House sector. With his psychic senses shattered and memories lost, he is determined to uncover the truth behind his team's disappearance.
Molly Griffin, a gifted crystal artist, believes Josh holds the key to finding her missing sister, Leona, who was part of the ill-fated expedition. She arrives at the mansion, ready to help Josh regain control of his abilities, but she must abide by his rules: stay away from the basement and leave the draped mirrors undisturbed.
OPINION: Castle's masterful world-building and skillful storytelling create an immersive experience from the very first page. The author knows the rules of this world well, and thus, it feels as real as her contemporary books. The plot, filled with secrets and supernatural elements, keeps readers engaged and guessing until the end.
One of the greatest strengths of this novel lies in its characters. Molly and Josh are both incredibly likable and relatable, each with their own unique personalities, flaws, and motivations. As they spend nearly the entire book together, Castle allows ample time for their relationship to develop organically. The initial tension between them gradually transforms into a deep, genuine connection that feels both earned and satisfying.
The dynamic between Molly and Josh is electric, their personalities clashing and complementing each other in equal measure. Castle expertly weaves together their individual struggles and shared goals, creating a compelling and emotionally resonant relationship.
The presence of Newton, Molly's loyal and adorable dust bunny companion, adds a delightful touch of humor and warmth to the story, as dust bunnies always do.
WORTH MENTIONING: Gabriel Jones and Lucy Bell, characters from the previous book GUILD BOSS, make an appearance as Molly works on their wedding celebration. This nice tie-in rewards longtime readers and adds depth to the interconnected world of Harmony.
CONNECTED BOOKS: PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES is the sixteenth book in the Ghost Hunters/Harmony series. While it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, starting from earlier books is recommended to provide a richer understanding of the Harmony universe and its inhabitants.
STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.
NOTE: I received an eARC of this book in order to prepare a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
THE STORY: Joshua Knight, the disgraced explorer now known as the Tarnished Knight, seeks refuge in a remote, mirror-filled mansion after a disastrous expedition in the Underworld's Glass House sector. With his psychic senses shattered and memories lost, he is determined to uncover the truth behind his team's disappearance.
Molly Griffin, a gifted crystal artist, believes Josh holds the key to finding her missing sister, Leona, who was part of the ill-fated expedition. She arrives at the mansion, ready to help Josh regain control of his abilities, but she must abide by his rules: stay away from the basement and leave the draped mirrors undisturbed.
OPINION: Castle's masterful world-building and skillful storytelling create an immersive experience from the very first page. The author knows the rules of this world well, and thus, it feels as real as her contemporary books. The plot, filled with secrets and supernatural elements, keeps readers engaged and guessing until the end.
One of the greatest strengths of this novel lies in its characters. Molly and Josh are both incredibly likable and relatable, each with their own unique personalities, flaws, and motivations. As they spend nearly the entire book together, Castle allows ample time for their relationship to develop organically. The initial tension between them gradually transforms into a deep, genuine connection that feels both earned and satisfying.
The dynamic between Molly and Josh is electric, their personalities clashing and complementing each other in equal measure. Castle expertly weaves together their individual struggles and shared goals, creating a compelling and emotionally resonant relationship.
The presence of Newton, Molly's loyal and adorable dust bunny companion, adds a delightful touch of humor and warmth to the story, as dust bunnies always do.
WORTH MENTIONING: Gabriel Jones and Lucy Bell, characters from the previous book GUILD BOSS, make an appearance as Molly works on their wedding celebration. This nice tie-in rewards longtime readers and adds depth to the interconnected world of Harmony.
CONNECTED BOOKS: PEOPLE IN GLASS HOUSES is the sixteenth book in the Ghost Hunters/Harmony series. While it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, starting from earlier books is recommended to provide a richer understanding of the Harmony universe and its inhabitants.
STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.
NOTE: I received an eARC of this book in order to prepare a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
May 5, 2024
When Molly's sister Leona goes missing during an Underworld expedition, Molly and her adoptive moms refuse to accept the official decision that the team is dead. When the team's navigator, Joshua Knight, returns they are sure he has the answers they need to find Leona- despite the fact that he came back psi-burned and with no memory of what happened. Dropping her new business days before the biggest wedding of the year (Guild Boss cameos!) to head into the middle of nowhere and meeting a man who doesn't seem to want anything to do with her might not be the best plan, but it's what you do for family. And it helpfully allows her to forget about the dead body that turned up in her shop the night before.
Molly may be stubborn and determined to walk through green hell to save her sister, but Joshua has a stubborn streak of his own. He's also pretty sure he's not entirely sane anymore. Between whatever happened in the Underworld, his shattered senses, and now living in a murderous house full of mirrors, the only thing he does know is that his home is no safe place for Molly and her dust bunny friend. But of course they do stay, and things get complicated.
Molly is a delightful main character. She knows what she can handle and what can go wrong in the world, but she's determined to have a positive outlook on life anyway. Her talent for crystal art lets her bring positivity and beauty to others but she doesn't ignore life's other aspects. Her moms have made sure that she and her sister Leona can handle themselves and there's nothing flighty about this artistic free spirit! She may have a para-profile that has her thinking she isn't a candidate for a traditional long-term relationship, but as we've seen in other Harmony books, where's the fun in 'normal' anyway?
Joshua isn't really sure what to do with Molly and her approach to things, but to give him credit, he's had a rough month by the time we meet him. He's in full survival mode. But even he can't say no to a Zing chip addicted dust bunny like Newton, so he falls in with Molly's plans and (of course!) it ends up being exactly the right thing to do. I enjoyed Joshua's practical approach to things and the entertaining banter between Joshua and Molly.
If you've read any of Jayne Castle's books before you pretty much know how things will go, and Castle delivers delightfully. Newton, as the new dust bunny on the block, is entertaining and gets his moments to shine. If you're new to the series this is an ok place to start, you can pretty much jump into the world anywhere, and you'll have fun catching up on the rest of the series once you're hooked.
A fast and fun read for Harmony fans that will leave you ready and waiting for the next one!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
Molly may be stubborn and determined to walk through green hell to save her sister, but Joshua has a stubborn streak of his own. He's also pretty sure he's not entirely sane anymore. Between whatever happened in the Underworld, his shattered senses, and now living in a murderous house full of mirrors, the only thing he does know is that his home is no safe place for Molly and her dust bunny friend. But of course they do stay, and things get complicated.
Molly is a delightful main character. She knows what she can handle and what can go wrong in the world, but she's determined to have a positive outlook on life anyway. Her talent for crystal art lets her bring positivity and beauty to others but she doesn't ignore life's other aspects. Her moms have made sure that she and her sister Leona can handle themselves and there's nothing flighty about this artistic free spirit! She may have a para-profile that has her thinking she isn't a candidate for a traditional long-term relationship, but as we've seen in other Harmony books, where's the fun in 'normal' anyway?
Joshua isn't really sure what to do with Molly and her approach to things, but to give him credit, he's had a rough month by the time we meet him. He's in full survival mode. But even he can't say no to a Zing chip addicted dust bunny like Newton, so he falls in with Molly's plans and (of course!) it ends up being exactly the right thing to do. I enjoyed Joshua's practical approach to things and the entertaining banter between Joshua and Molly.
If you've read any of Jayne Castle's books before you pretty much know how things will go, and Castle delivers delightfully. Newton, as the new dust bunny on the block, is entertaining and gets his moments to shine. If you're new to the series this is an ok place to start, you can pretty much jump into the world anywhere, and you'll have fun catching up on the rest of the series once you're hooked.
A fast and fun read for Harmony fans that will leave you ready and waiting for the next one!
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
May 7, 2024
People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle is the 16th book in her Harmony series. This takes place in Illusion Town within Harmony, which is a colonized alien world, and the underground maze in Illusion Town, has weird paranormal activity/hallucinations, with many people never escaping.
The story starts when a young Molly and Leona were raised in an orphanage, with both having some psi-talents. After Molly was kidnapped, Leona calls the Griffin Investigations to rescue Molly, and after the Griffin ladies rescued them, they are then adopted by Charlotte and Eugenie. Years later, Molly and Leona have their own special psych talents, and are part of Griffin Investigations.
When Leona is missing during an expedition exploring the underworld, Molly sets out to find her. She knows the only way to find her sister is to find Joshua Knight, the then leader of the Hollister Expedition, who ended up severely damaged, and the rest of the team all disappeared. Molly is determined to convince Joshua that she can help him with his dreams, as well as restoring his memory. Joshua is hiding from the world, staying in a haunted house filled with crystal mirrors. Despite his wanting to close the door on Molly, Josh reluctantly allows her to stay one night. She manages to prove her abilities in helping him regain control of his shattered senses; which will lead them to team up.
Molly was a fantastic heroine, with amazing abilities, which leads Joshua to get his memory back. Both of them worked closely to find Leona and two other team members, and manage to get them back to freedom.
In a short time, the chemistry between Molly and Joshua escalates, especially after he kisses her, he falls unconscious. I really liked both of them together, as they made a perfect match. I also adored the lovable Newton, the dust bunny, who loves his zing chips, and was so much fun. I was also liked both Charlotte and Eugenie, their adopted mothers.
What follows is an exciting mysterious and romantic story line, with a fantastic couple in Molly and Joshua, as well as our adorable Newton. There is a lot of action, as we race to the climax, with Joshua and Molly using their powers to defeat the enemy. People in Glass Houses was an excellent paranormal mystery, with a number of surprises along the way. People in Glass Houses was very well written by Jayne Castle. I look forward to the next book, which is expected to feature Leona as the lead.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
The story starts when a young Molly and Leona were raised in an orphanage, with both having some psi-talents. After Molly was kidnapped, Leona calls the Griffin Investigations to rescue Molly, and after the Griffin ladies rescued them, they are then adopted by Charlotte and Eugenie. Years later, Molly and Leona have their own special psych talents, and are part of Griffin Investigations.
When Leona is missing during an expedition exploring the underworld, Molly sets out to find her. She knows the only way to find her sister is to find Joshua Knight, the then leader of the Hollister Expedition, who ended up severely damaged, and the rest of the team all disappeared. Molly is determined to convince Joshua that she can help him with his dreams, as well as restoring his memory. Joshua is hiding from the world, staying in a haunted house filled with crystal mirrors. Despite his wanting to close the door on Molly, Josh reluctantly allows her to stay one night. She manages to prove her abilities in helping him regain control of his shattered senses; which will lead them to team up.
Molly was a fantastic heroine, with amazing abilities, which leads Joshua to get his memory back. Both of them worked closely to find Leona and two other team members, and manage to get them back to freedom.
In a short time, the chemistry between Molly and Joshua escalates, especially after he kisses her, he falls unconscious. I really liked both of them together, as they made a perfect match. I also adored the lovable Newton, the dust bunny, who loves his zing chips, and was so much fun. I was also liked both Charlotte and Eugenie, their adopted mothers.
What follows is an exciting mysterious and romantic story line, with a fantastic couple in Molly and Joshua, as well as our adorable Newton. There is a lot of action, as we race to the climax, with Joshua and Molly using their powers to defeat the enemy. People in Glass Houses was an excellent paranormal mystery, with a number of surprises along the way. People in Glass Houses was very well written by Jayne Castle. I look forward to the next book, which is expected to feature Leona as the lead.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews