Yes, I know this is fiction but I can't be the only reader who on some subconscious level feels like there are echoes of actual government parapsychic experiments on remote islands in the Pacific Northwest. That's how vivid - and realistic - Jayne Ann Krentz's imagination is.

This second book in Krentz's The Lost Night Files trilogy hits the ground running and never lets up. The characters, both primary and secondary, are intriguing, with hidden layers that kept me guessing through a number of twists and turns. The sense of place that Krentz creates on the island is a character in itself: immersive, evocative, highly suspenseful, and vital to the overall storyline.

The slow-growing romantic relationship between Luke and Talia is forged in their unlikely partnership as they race against time to find and free Phoebe and stop the bad guys who are determined to take them out. I was with them every step of the way, frequently on the edge of my seat, gasping out loud more than a few times, always eager - though sometimes apprehensive - to discover what was lurking around the next corner. Set aside plenty of time before you turn the first page. This is another Krentz story that is impossible to put down.

While The Night Island can be enjoyed as a standalone, there's an overarching storyline that continues through the three books. I enjoyed this second book much more for having read book one, Sleep No More, first. For maximum enjoyment and understanding, I recommend reading the series in order.

*ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

Talia March along with her cohosts of the podcast "Lost Night Files" is trying to track down the truth behind their own lost night. When she shows up for a meeting with an informant, she runs into Luke Rand who's seeking answers to his own lost night and the nightmares that indicate that he might have killed someone.
When the informant disappears, the two team up and head off to a mysterious island in the Pacific Northwest called Night Island in search of answers. It seems that Talia is able to seek and find and Luke is able to influence others strongly enough to potentially kill them. Night Island seems to be populated by misfits and a garden gone wild.
When dead bodies begin to show up the two know that's there more afoot and they might actually end up dead themselves even as they seek answers. Lost laboratories, an elaborate plot, enhanced psychic talents and an unlikely romance. As always Ms. Krentz delivers an elaborate plot, with a strong mystery. I can't wait to learn more about the plot behind the lost nights.

(Note: This review contains spoilers for book #1 in the series, SLEEP NO MORE.)

I've been a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz's fast-paced, high-octane romantic suspense thrillers for years now, so I always look forward to the next one. THE NIGHT ISLAND did not disappoint. In fact, the pacing is smoother than in the previous book in this series ( SLEEP NO MORE ), and the plot is easier to follow.

In SLEEP NO MORE, we learned that months earlier, three women (Pallas, Talia, and Amelia) had woken together, strapped to gurneys in a burning building, with no memories of the previous night... and with enhanced psychic abilities. Determined to find out what happened to them, they joined together to start The Lost Night Files podcast. SLEEP NO MORE recounts Pallas's investigation of someone else's missing night; she and the subject, Ambrose, eventually figure out that they both took the same psych evaluation test years before, and suspect that whoever experimented on the four of them may be working from a list based on that test.

After a prologue to introduce the hero, THE NIGHT ISLAND begins with Talia March headed to a meeting with an unknown informant with information about the list. But when she shows up at the rendezvous, the informant is missing, and another interested party, hero Luke Rand, is also there. The pair warily exchange information, discovering that they are both looking for the same list, and for the same reasons: Luke, too, experienced a lost night and a significant boost to his psychic powers. Talia knows he's not telling her everything, but based on a clue found in the missing informant's house, they agree to join forces to investigate the Night Island and search for the informant using Talia's enhanced talent for finding things. Outwardly the home of a tech-free meditation retreat, the Night Island has a decidedly creepy vibe, with unusual vegetation, a mysterious conservatory, and a very weird gardener. When people on the island start turning up dead, it will take all of Luke's and Talia's skills to keep themselves alive and solve the puzzles of the Night Island.

If you're thinking this sounds somewhat familiar, you're not wrong. There were hints in SLEEP NO MORE that the Lost Night Files trilogy might eventually tie into the Fogg Lake trilogy, with its mysterious Foundation and secret, lost government labs where experiments in psychic abilities and weapons took place. Those hints grow stronger in THE NIGHT ISLAND, which has me very excited for the third book (presumably featuring the third member of the podcast team, Amelia, and probably releasing in January 2025.) And since there were hints in the Fogg Lake books that the Foundation may exist in the same "universe" as the Arcane Society novels, though independent and unaware of the Arcane Society... well, this Krentz fan is definitely hooked.

One of the things I love about the Arcane Society series is how the Society offers structure and organization to the paranormal world and to the various types of "talent." Most of the characters are aware of and operate within that known structure; it helps ground them. Their own talents may be off the charts, but most of them exist within a community that recognizes and acknowledges the existence of the paranormal. In a more nebulous way, the Foundation serves a similar purpose in the Fogg Lake books.

That's not true for the Lost Night Files characters, who went from having slightly-better-than-normal intuition or abilities to having a strong psychic talent. Not only are they dealing with the impacts of, and learning the extent of, their enhanced abilities, there's all the disorientation of not knowing what happened to them and who was responsible. And they have to cope with all this without the benefit of any support other than each other, in a world which doesn't believe at all in paranormal abilities. It makes all the Lost Night Files characters less confident, less trusting, and less open about their abilities than most of the Arcane Society characters... but equally determined to survive and thrive. Talia and Luke are no exception.

In fact, Talia and Luke are typical of Krentz's main characters—smart, capable, and emotionally strong—though both are on the edgier, less communicative side of the Krentz hero/heroine spectrum for the reasons I mentioned above. I'm still not entirely sure why Talia is so drawn to the deeply taciturn Luke. Then again, she's not exactly open about her own thoughts and feelings, and clearly recognizes and (to some extent) accepts Luke's reticence. As a long-time fan, I have accepted that sometimes, I just have to accept the attraction between Krentz's hero and heroine as a given, and that's what I did in this case. Krentz does a good job of showing how their relationship develops from wariness to reluctant-and-limited partnership to deep-seated trust as they learn more about one another. The progression feels slow, but since the book takes place over the course of four days, it's actually quite fast.

It's hard to say any more about the plot of THE NIGHT ISLAND without revealing spoilers, so I won't. I'll just say that for me, it hangs together better than the plot of SLEEP NO MORE —which I nonetheless enjoyed—and that I liked THE NIGHT ISLAND as much or more on a second reading (to refresh my memory for this review) than I did the first time through. If you are already a Krentz fan, I think you'll have fun with this book. If you are new to her work, or to her paranormal-themed romantic suspense, I recommend starting with either SECOND SIGHT (the first Arcane Society novel, written under her Amanda Quick pen name), or THE VANISHING (the first Fogg Lake book.)

This is the seond book in The Lost Night Files series. I haven't read the first one, but this was easily read as a stand alone. This was one of those creepy kind of books where things are happending to people that should never happen.

Description:
Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers, bonded by a night they all have no memory of, are dedicated to uncovering the mystery of what really happened to them months ago—an experience that brought out innate psychic abilities in each of them. The women suspect they were test subjects years earlier, and that there are more people like them—all they have to do is find the list. When Talia follows up on a lead from Phoebe, a fan of the trio’s podcast, she discovers that the informant has vanished.

Talia isn’t the only one looking for Phoebe, however. Luke Rand, a hunted and haunted man who is chasing the same list that Talia is after, also shows up at the meeting place. It’s clear he has his own agenda, and they are instantly suspicious of each other. But when a killer begins to stalk them, they realize they have to join forces to find Phoebe and the list.

The rocky investigation leads Talia and Luke to a rustic, remote retreat on Night Island in the Pacific Northwest. The retreat promises to rejuvenate guests with the Unplugged Experience. Upon their arrival, Talia and Luke discover guests are quite literally cut off from the outside world because none of their high-tech devices work on the island. It soon becomes clear that Phoebe is not the first person to disappear into the strange gardens that surround the Unplugged Experience retreat. And then the first mysterious death occurs…

My Thoughts:
This was a gripping and suspenseful thriller that kept my attention throughout. I liked the characters Talia and Luke. The plot was well done and moved quickly. There's a romance here too to enjoy. The things happening at the retreat are dark and creepy. I liked the investigation of what was happening there.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy. Expected publication is January 9, 2024.

Well that was a bit of madness! Both Talia and Luke have a lost night, some psychic abilities, and a desire to figure out just what is going on in common. Luke's talents are a bit more intense and a bit scarier but if I was going to a creepy island cut off from the rest of the world he would definitely be the person I'd want with me. I like Talia and I like how she reacts to Luke's revelations as well as how she handles a stressful situation.

The island is one of the most claustrophobic settings I've come across in a book. I could pretty much feel the plants closing in on me as I was reading. The island is filled with unsavory characters and I while it seemed like no one was up to any good I wasn't sure whose nefarious motives were the problem.

This a fun read with some bonkers paranormal activity and a super creepy setting. The whole Lost Night plot is a bit convoluted and the ending felt a bit incomplete which kept this from being a total win for me. I'm hoping this will be more explained in the next book. If you're looking for a fun read with likable characters and don't mind stretching believability more than a bit you can never go wrong with a Jayne Ann Krentz book.

In Book 2 of the Lost Night Files, podcaster Talia March is looking for an informant who promised to sell her a very important list. The list contains names Talia and her friends believe are people who all "lost nights", people kidnapped and experimented on to try and enhance their psychic abilities. They believe this because they are sure they are on that list. But Talia isn't the only one trying to buy the list and when she arrives at the meeting place she discovers Luke Rand was also trying to buy the list, and the buyer has been kidnapped. With no choice but to work together, Talia and Luke need to find Phoebe before she is killed. Fortunately, Talia's enhanced ability makes her very good at finding things- and people.

Unfortunately, the trail takes them to Night Island, a rocky island cut off from the outside world but with a high amount of violent psychic energy, weird fellow guests, and possibly carnivorous plants. It soon becomes clear there is also at least one killer on the island.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Luke and Talia. From their first interaction when they don't think they can trust each other, to when they have no choice but to trust each other on the island, their banter and sniping back and forth are highly entertaining. By the time we know they've fallen for each other (even if they haven't entirely worked it out) their chemistry is sizzling and the trust is solid. Separately they are enjoyable characters, together they are fantastic. The fast pacing and energy of the book overall keeps things going at a fast clip, and I found it a very satisfying read overall. Though I'm not sure I'll ever look at plants quite the same way again.

While you don't have to read Sleep No More, book 1 in the series (each can act as a stand-alone), to enjoy this book, I would probably recommend reading the series in order to get the most out of the "lost night" aspect. The end here builds on the end of the previous book, which is clearly building up to whatever the big showdown will be in book 3, and I think reading them in order might prove most satisfying to most readers.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I flew threw some older Castle novels recently and this trilogy fits right in. I loved the paranormal element, though I keep waiting for a Jones or a Sweetwater to show up. I am also curious to see how she ties everything to the Harmony novels, as there are some definite echoes. Must reads for anyone who grew up on classic Krentz.

The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz is the second book in her trilogy, The Lost Night Files. Refresher: The story revolves around three woman who share a lost evening, which neither of them remember what happened to them; with the three of them waking up in the same hotel that was on fire. The three ladies, Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers acknowledge that each of them now have enhanced psychic abilities and they team up creating the Lost Night Files podcast, hoping to gather information.

In Night Island, the story focuses on Talia March, who follows on a lead regarding a list from a podcast fan. When she arrives at the person’s house, another man is also looking for Phoebe, and together they sense that she has been kidnapped. Talia is not sure if she can trust this person, who is also looking for the list.

Luke Rand, our hero, has also lost of night of his own, as well as having a different kind of enhanced abilities, not to mention he has recurring nightmares. At the start they do not trust each, but they agree to team up, as they had the same goals (find the list & Phoebe). They end up on Night Island, a remote retreat, pretending to be a couple, but communications on the island are shut down. They discover the retreat was creepy, with strong psychic energy surrounding the island. In a short time, both Talia and Luke begin to trust each other, with them both revealing more of their enhanced abilities (Talia can sense and find dead bodies, and Luke has abilities to become a psychic assassin, allowing him to be able to kill using his newfound talent).

The relationship between Talia and Luke grows, as they each find themselves attracted to each other, with the chemistry between them sizzling. Talia tries to convince Luke that he would never be an assassin, and during his nightmares, his dreams will reveal more revelations of the truths. I really loved Talia and Luke together.
What follows is an exciting and compelling storyline, that had me unable to put the book down. Talia and Luke discover more mysteries and secrets, especially in the weird and strange gardens. As they find Phoebe, the danger escalates, as the three of them are stuck on the island due to storms. Someone is trying to kill Luke, and he will use his unique abilities to try and save them.

Night Island was very well written by Jayne Ann Krentz, with wonderful characters, nonstop action, in a fantastic paranormal mystery. To tell too much more would be spoilers, and I do not want to ruin the story for you. I look forward to the last book in this trilogy, with Amelia having her own storyline.

Another great addition to The Lost Night Files, Krentz’s latest novel to explore physic powers. When Talia March and Luke Rand meet outside the abandoned house of an informant willing to sell a list, they soon realize that they must team up and find the missing informant. This means heading to Unplugged Experience, a tech-less retreat located on Night Island in the Pacific Northwest San Juan Islands.

Soon we are in a classic mystery as they are cutoff from the world, trapped on an island with strangers and then they find the first dead body. Oh, and then there is also a raging storm and man-eating plants, Talia and Luke must use all their wits ( and psychic powers) to keep it together, solve the mystery and get back to civilization. Along the way, they may also come to find that they make a really good team.

Though this is the second book in a series, there is not much overlap with the book before and stands alone nicely. In this book, we are following Talia (one of three presenters on the Lost Night podcast.) She has been given a tip from a woman named Phoebe who purports to have a list of other people who have been experimented on. But when Talia shows up at the cabin, no Phoebe. But there is a Luke Rand and he also wants the list. In fact, he tries to hold Talia psychically to see if she knows where the list is. Talia manages to break free and also manages to find a pendant that she knows will lead her to Phoebe.
The search will take she and Luke to a San Juan island where they will have to pretend to be a couple. They go under the guise of attending a meditation retreat but they aren't interested. Luckily, the retreat is just a cover for some more nefarious happenings.
Like usual, there are a LOT of things happening in this story. And you think you get to the end but then there's another end. And another. This book didn't sound as much like Krentz as she has added some current-ish phrases.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out January 9, 2024
Follows Sleep No More
ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Though second in the series, The Night Island makes a good stand-alone read as well. Having read the first, I was comfortable with the plot premise of the characters sharing a "lost night" wherein they were each drugged and experimented on, with telling implications for their former intuitions now paranormal gifts.

As I mentioned in reviewing the first title, the writing for this series seems more cohesive internally that I'm used to in Krentz' writing. This second book continues that trend, but the achievement of the writing is somewhat capped by the formulaic structure of the series and Krentz' style in general.

I appreciate that formula across all of Krentz/Quick/Castle's books: I know what I'm getting when I choose to read one. But there were points in this The Night Island at which I caught myself wondering if things were going a little too slow or too predictably. I'm not sure how to credit that impression: Was it just me a this point in my reading life? Or was it this particular title lacking some pizazz or distinction?

One thing done well in this book and in this newest series is the characterization: I found the male MC Luke to be somewhat more nuanced than other MCs from previous books. And I did like the cohort of characters that carried over from the first book. That makes for a strong engagement for the reader who is still invested in those previous relationships.

Regardless of possible weakness, I did enjoy this latest book in the series, and I do recommend it to others who enjoy Krentz' writing style and structure. And I'll definitely look for the third release when it is available.

Thanks for NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy. Publication date is scheduled to be Feb 9, 2024.

I was given an early copy of this book in return for a review.

This is the second book in The Lost Night Files series. This is Talia and Luke's story. Both Talia and Luke are planning to buy a list of others who have been subjects of the same "lost night" experiment. When they arrive at the location to purchase the list (at separate times but meet at the location), the seller is missing. Talia and Luke are lead to the Night Island in search of Phoebe (the seller). On Night Island they participate in the Unplugged Experience is get onto the island and search for signs of Phoebe. There are a variety of odd happenings while they are on the island. You'll have to read the book to find out exactly what those happenings are. Talia and Luke develop a romantic relationship while on the island.

I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one. While the paranormal aspect is still present I did not find the happenings in this book as interesting as the last one. I'm sure some will enjoy this book and if you are reading the series you will want to read this addition. It isn't a bad story, just wasn't my favorite read.

Talia is searching for clues about the night that she can't remember. She's eager to buy a list names from Phoebe but when she shows up with the cash, Phoebe is missing and another buyer is also searching for answers. Talia agrees to work with Luke Rand, a temporary team against a killer.

Why I started this book: Krentz tells a solid romance, time after time. I eagerly requested an ARC from Netgalley.

Why I finished it: Solid edition to her latest series. Not my favorite of hers... check out [book:All Night Long|29616] for one of her best romances.

Since the weather was so crappy, I curled up in my recliner with my dog, a flavored coffee, and this new book by Jayne Ann Krentz. I've always loved her books. Every winter, I know I will get to enjoy another page turner filled with intrigue, new-found love, and a mesmerizing plot that kept me in my chair until the wee hours in the morning when I finally finished it. Wow! That was fantastic! A really good read not to be missed!

THE NIGHT ISLAND is the second in Jayne Ann Krentz’s LOST NIGHT Files Trilogy. What is known is that something happened at the Lucent Spring Hotels where three women find themselves psychically changed forever.
In the first in the series, SLEEP NO MORE, readers get the backstory Pallas, the first to follow the clues to her solution.

The three three also decide to start a podcast (a nice uncrowded field) hoping to find others with similar experiences. In this, the second in the series, Talia, trying to understand what has happened to her, is also looking for Pallas who has disappeared.

Luke Rand, another unwitting participant of the bizarre scientific experiment and Talia decide to team up, which in turns, leads them to the Unplugged Experience on a remote island.

Murder and mayhem ensue. But you know things will turn out okay because Jayne Ann Krentz knows her fan base.

The disappearance of a mysterious informant leads two people desperate for answers to an island of deadly deception in this new novel in the Lost Night Files trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz.

Fans of Krentz's paranormal series will devour this book, and she's sure to win new fans as well, Recommended. #TheNightIsland #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthorSeries

In this second book of the Lost Night Files series, Talia March along with her colleagues Pallas and Amelia, have one major thing in common. All three women believe they were victims of a secret scientific experiment aimed at enhancing their innate psychic abilities. They are determined to figure out exactly what happened, each one of them now have differing strong psychic talents. A list appears to exist of others who were also part of the program; one listener of the trio’s podcast contacts them. Phoebe is the person who seems to have that information about the list, but when Talia goes to a planned meeting, it appears something nefarious happened to her source.

As Talia looks for Phoebe, she runs into Luke Rand, who also after information on his own similar incident of which he has recurring nightmares as well as enhanced abilities. Talia and Luke realize they are working towards the same goals and agree to partner up though keeping their mental and emotional distance. While trying to track Phoebe and the missing list, they end up going to a remote San Juan Island to a supposed Zen inner peace type of retreat.

Once on the private island, Talia and Luke, who are pretending to be a couple, find they and other guests are cut off from all outside communications. The staff at the facility all seem very suspicious; clearly more is going on than a back to nature experience. There are a lot of creepy things, supernatural happenings, and strange people on the island. Talia and Luke can feel the power of extremely strong psychic energy on there and are determined find out not only what is really going on, but how it might relate to their own individual situations.

The story also has paranormal connections to characters of other books by Ms. Krentz that are similar series; however, it is not necessary to have read them prior to this one as well as the first of the book of The Night Island File. Each story can be read as a standalone.

Talia March is following up a tip to the list she and her partners at the Lost Night Files podcast are searching for when she discovers that her informant is missing. Luke Rand, who suffered a lost night of his own, is also looking for the informant and the list. The two are immediately suspicious of each other but agree to team up mostly to not let the other get a head start on the investigation.

Clues lead them to an isolated island off the Washington coast where they discover even more myteries and, unfortunately for Talia, more dead bodies. Finding bodies has been a consequence of having her psychic abilities ramped up during her lost night.

Luke's ability to read people via their emotions has also ramped up. Now, he is afraid that he has become a psychic assassin who can kill people with his talent. Talia tries to convince him that he's wrong because an ability still requires choice, and she knows he won't choose to become an assassin. Unfortunately, Luke wasn't the only one who had his powers ramped up to become and assassin and the other man who feels his ramp up was more successful is determined to kill Luke.

Not only do Talia and Luke have to deal with the psychic assassin but Night Island was once the site of botanical experiments, and the plant life has gone feral and dangerous. Avoiding an assassin and lethal vegetation give Talia and Luke a strong incentive to work together and learn to trust each other and, finally, to admit that they love each other.

This is the second of a trilogy which means that readers of the first book have more information about the ultimate evil doer who is behind both characters' lost nights and what the ultimate aim is. It was entertaining to watch Luke and Talia gather more pieces of the bigger puzzle as they fell in love.

Come join a relaxing meditative retreat with amazing cuisine, they said. You'll have fun, they said. You'll relax, they said... Nothing in the brochure mentioned The Little Shop of Horrors flora. In book two in this Lost Night Files series, we uncover a bit more about the experimentation on unwilling participants. Talia receives a lead and tries to follow it to a private island. Little does she know what kind of a thrilling retreat she is going to experience there. I loved this book.

As with most of Ms. Krentz's stories, this follows her tried and true formula with a spunky female, Talia, and a stoic alpha male, Luke, trying to work together. The chemistry starts as a frenemy vibe and metaphors into a compatible lover rapport. As this romance is blossoming, the two face down foes as well as finds clues to answer the questions they have about their lost time.

The pace of this story is just right and keeps me flipping page after page. The psychic plot device in this story is similar to several of the other series. This gives it a comfortable easy read as a reader will not need much explained. It could feel recycled and stale for some readers. For me, it is another variation that makes me want to draw out on a white board to see how these all interconnect over the centuries and across different universes. I'm trying to see if they all tie together. I am not sure but it would be fun to map it out.

This paranormal romance is recommended to readers who lean towards the psychic possibilities and enjoy enemies to lover themes.

Jayne Ann Krentz writes a great mystery going on, it had everything that I was hoping for. The characters worked in this universe and it had everything that I was looking for. I enjoyed the concept and glad it was so well written.