The Reading Spot

Heart Quest by Robin D. Owens

This is the latest book in Ms Owens's Celta series. The others are Heart Mate, Heart Thief, Heart Choice, Heart Duel and Heart Quest. I love this series. It is based in a world where the inhabitant's status is based on their "flair" or magical power. Your flair is mostly genetic (certain magic tend to run in certain families) but partly chance. I love this series but I have not been able to ever find any of them used so I am going to have to break down sometime and buy them new I guess.

Ilex Winterberry is a Guardsman by choice and flair. He left his Noblehouse to be a guardsman because it fit his flair and his house did not have much money. He has been assigned as a liason to the Noble houses of Celta. Now he is looking for a murderer who specializes in Nobles with unstable Flair psi. He is 45 and he thinks he is to old for his Heartmate. He knows that Trif Clover is his Heartmate, but she is only 20. One of his gifts is some precog and in one of his visions he saw his death so has decided that he did not want to condemn Trif to death so soon so he is determined to avoid Bonding with her. She has other ideas.