The Mobius Striptease grabbed me from the very first paragraph, then propelled me along with fast-paced action, an unusual plot and excellent writing. Yes, it is a cliché, but I’ll say it anyway—this book is a page-turner.

The main character, Madeline LaRue, is tough on the outside and almost as tough (at least that’s what she’d have us believe—and she is narrating) on the inside. Her voice is smart, snappy, and fresh. Right from page one, even as the dialog zipped me along, it is clear that the heroine is a complex character, which is a treat; I find few women warriors in this genre can claim as much. Madeline has depth—and a sardonic sense of humor.

The story unfolds with the villain imperiling not just Madeline and her friends, but the entire planet. And then the novel goes in directions I didn’t expect. If you are looking for a typical chase kind of plot, be forewarned: The author has a lot more in mind. While there is adventure aplenty, Ms. Haley’s interest lies in the consequences of her characters’ actions in the long-term. What her bad guy unleashes can’t be solved by destroying him. Herein lies the problem.

Madeline has to figure out what is going on at the New Age retreat her twin and her charismatic rock star lover have founded. Dru is trying to save the world, though his methods are a little different from those employed by that real-life rock-star-turned-world-savior, Bono. Much of the tension in the novel comes from an unfolding race against time. Madeline, who carries some pretty heavy metaphysical baggage into the story, has to apply what she learns over the course of her investigations to save herself before she can possibly save anyone else, never mind the entire planet.

One of the requirements of good fantasy and sci-fi fiction is to create a world that is different from our own yet is still believable. Ms. Haley does a great job; the world she has created is our own with a few twists and turns that even the heroine, who has lived with strange happenings most of her life, can hardly believe. Because Madeline has as much trouble believing in what is going on as I did ultimately made it easy for me to buy into the plot.

I give the author extra points for adding an unusual romantic element to the action. The romance here falls (thankfully) far from what is found in most romance novels. In The Mobius Striptease the heroine must make peace with her own unfinished business—business that involves one of the men who turns up at New Atlantis—if she is going to solve the mystery at the center of the novel. This may sound pretty typical, but it isn’t. So as not to be a spoiler, I’ll only say it takes “interactions” with several men before Madeline understands and accepts her own heart.

There is a lot of junk out there in cyber, e-novel-land. I’m happy to report this novel doesn’t fall into that category. My understanding is that Ms. Haley has a published book of nonfiction under her belt as well as writing for newspapers and magazines. It shows. If you are looking for a satisfying read, look no further. Grab a cup of tea or maybe a highball glass of something harder—and enjoy…

……Leslie Noyes
lmnCreate@myfairpoint.net