Gabriel's Ghost - Linnea Sinclair

• Series: Dock Five Universe #1
• Author: Linnea Sinclair
• Publisher: Bantam Spectra
• Year: 2005
• Setting: the Future.
• Amazon Listing - Gabriel's Ghost

After a decade of cruising interstellar patrol ships, former Captain Chasidah Bergren, onetime Pride of the Sixth Fleet, finds herself court-martialed for a crime she didn’t commit—and shipped off to a remote prison planet from which no one ever escapes. But when she kills a brutal guard in an act of self-defense, someone even more dangerous emerges from the shadows.

Gabriel Sullivan—alpha mercenary, smuggler, and rogue—is supposed to be dead. Yet now this seductive ghost from Chaz’s past is offering her a ticket to freedom—for a price. Someone in the Empire is secretly breeding jukors: vicious and uncontrollable killing machines that have long been outlawed. Gabriel needs Chaz to help him stop the practice before it decimates imperial space. For Chaz, it’s a matter of survival. For Sully it means facing the truth about who—and what—he really is. The mission means putting their lives on the line—but the tensions that heat up between them may be the riskiest part of all. from author website retrieved 4/6/2007.

Awards

• 2006 RITA® for Paranormal Romance

Reviews

• "A Perfect 10! Linnea Sinclair hooks readers from the first page, then teases at the end of each chapter with a surprise, a twist, or a turn. Fast-paced, suspenseful, tension-filled and highly emotional, GABRIEL'S GHOST is an addictive tale of adventure and romance that readers will be hard pressed to put down. The breathtaking, exciting climax left this reviewer eager for Ms. Sinclair's next release. Buckle up, hold on tight, and prepare for a wild ride you won't soon forget!" --Carla Arpin, Reviewer, Romance Reviews Today

• "Readers have come to expect the extraordinary from author Linnea Sinclair, but GABRIEL'S GHOST still exceeds all expectations! With the vision and texture of a poet, the heart of warrior, and the skill of a master, Sinclair creates a world of psychic gifts and shape shifters, of dangers beyond imagination and love beyond question. Chaz must rethink her beliefs, her morals, and her desires when betrayal leaves her stranded on a desolate, dangerous world. Gabriel must risk his deepest secrets and trust almost beyond capacity for this woman who challenges him, infuriates him, and makes him long for redemption from his private hell. Their mutual tangles of fears and desires, anger and faith leave them both reeling even as they work together to stop the breeding of jukors.

Furthermore, I confess to a growing weakness for mature heroines who can present themselves as total equals, matching strengths and vulnerabilities to men with likewise believable and endearing characterizations. And Sinclair succeeds with pizzazz. Together this court-martialed captain and this ghost create a tale so entrancing, so mesmerizing that readers will be absolutely blown away by their fabulous tale." --Cindy Penn, Midwest Book Review

• "Star-struck readers of Linnea Sinclair’s sci-fi romances -- I know you’re out there because the author’s previous release, Finders Keepers, had “the wow factor in spades” -- are in for another out-of-this-universe reading experience with the release of Gabriel’s Ghost... Exploring the awesomely complex world of sci-fi romance -- where religion, politics and societal prejudices are on a collision course -- is vastly rewarding when Ms. Sinclair is at the storytelling helm." --Cheryl Jeffries, Heartstrings Reviews

• "Written in the first person, GABRIEL'S GHOST was a book I simply couldn't put down. From the first scene I was absorbed by the storyline, and by chapter four I was so engrossed in the characters and their relationships that I never wanted the book to end...This author has been on my must read list since her very first book, and GABRIEL'S GHOST reaffirms her position there. " --Sue Waldeck, Road to Romance

• "Fine characterizations, snappy and smart dialogue, nifty world building and plenty of political and religious intrigue make for an interesting tale. It's written through Chas's point of view, but Sinclair does a nice job of presenting the problems and motivations of the various species that populate the story. The romance between Chas and Gabriel is provocative and believable, and Sinclair keeps the sexual tension between them simmering... Readers who enjoy romantic science fiction packed with a heady blend of adventure, action and intrigue will love Gabriel's Ghost." --Martina Bexte, BookLoons

• "I was ecstatic at the level of involvement I experienced with this book... I ran the gamut of every emotion possible while reading Gabriel's Ghost. The action, romance, intrigue and more never ceased." --Robin Taylor, In The Library Reviews

• FIVE MOONS! OUTSTANDING! "The universal scope of this book is incomparable. We have corporate greed, starship troopers and space stations, rogue pirates and hardscrabble smugglers, a Quest to Save Tortured Innocents, a Heroine who kicks butt and takes no prisoners, a Hero that is as yummy as double chocolate fudge, and a love affair that could become legendary. What could be better?" --Brenda Thatcher, Mystique Books Reviews