The unexplained real-life phenomenon of the Marfa, Tex., lights in the sky provides the inspiration for this patchwork thriller from bestseller Morrell (First Blood), who plays with possible theories to account for the mysterious lights-the shimmer of the title-as well as the various reactions people have had to them since as far back as WWI. When Tori Page, wife of Santa Fe cop Dan Page, unexpectedly turns up in the small west Texas town of Rostov, the book's stand-in for Marfa, Dan flies to Rostov, where he winds up trying to understand the lights' powerful effects. Some can't see the lights, some feel they can produce miracles and some viewers turn homicidal. Still others hope to harness the power of the lights for military uses. A massacre, secret government installations and experiments and Page's investigative efforts fail to coalesce into the kind of riveting suspense that has been Morrell's hallmark. 10-city author tour. (July)

The Rostov Lights in Texas have been around for hundreds of years. People are drawn to the site to look—some see them, others don't—but all are affected in some way. New Mexican police officer Dan Page follows his wife, Tori, to the site, determined to discover the cause of her fascination with the lights. Multiple points of view, minute-by-minute current events, and historical flashbacks detailing previous encounters with the lights converge, as Page finds himself at the center of a disaster. Some observers become unaccountably violent, and there is a mass shooting at a tourist observation platform. What exactly are the Rostov Lights, and where do they come from? VERDICT Morrell (Scavenger), known as the father of the modern action novel, fleshes out his usual action-packed style with a surprisingly delicate love story in this tale inspired in part by the true-life phenomenon of the Marfa Lights in Texas. His fast-moving plot recalls conspiracy theories à la Roswell and The X-Files and will appeal to both fans of that paranormal show and to Morrell's readers.—Charli Osborne, Oxford P.L, MI

Call this book what you want—novel, mystery, sci-fi, thriller, or adventure—it’s all here. And Phil Gigante has just the voice to make it all work. A cop's wife goes missing and is found in a nearby town, where she, and hundreds like her, are transfixed by strange lights that have appeared in the sky there for years. Meanwhile, at a government installation nearby, something very strange is going on. Are the two phenomena linked? Phil Gigante's multifaceted voice will let you know at exactly the right time. In the meantime, he portrays a thundering madman, a gravelly voiced sheriff, a 30-something woman, a grandfather, and the manly hero of this story, Dan Page. Listening to Gigante, you find it hard to believe he's the only narrator. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine