Explosive Dreams

Dreams and Reality #4

by Hadena James

Bright midways, rides with loud music and flashing lights, barkers trying to get people to spend money on rigged games; the normal sounds of county fairs everywhere until an explosion rips through the tinny music of the carnival rides. Now the screams are not squeals of delight but the terrified shrieks of the dying.

The danger is no longer imaginary, something to shrug off when the ride is over. A killer is studying each fair, looking for that special ride that will rain down the most horror. The bombs he sets brings complete destruction. They leave a dirty field covered in broken bodies and crumpled machinery.

The Serial Crimes Tracking Unit has their hands full searching for his next target and sifting through bodies. Aislinn Cain is having trouble getting into the mindset of the bomber. Her failure to relate makes the body count climb. Then the unimaginable, a member of the SCTU gets cut down. How far will Aislinn go to get justice for her fallen friend and catch the killer?

Genres: Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Serial Killer, Crime, Horror

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2014

About the author

Hadena James began writing at the age of eight. As a teenager, she had several short stories published in literary magazines. She completed writing her first novel at the age of 17.
Hadena graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in European History with minors in German and Russian studies. She has always wanted to be a writer so she also took several classes in creative writing.

Hadena’s primary literary genre is action/thriller. She currently writes two series, both use action/thriller. “The Brenna Strachan Series” uses fantasy and the “Dreams & Reality Series” uses murder mystery as its secondary genre. She continues to explore and expand her writing and hopes to soon produce a comedic action/thriller.

When she isn’t busy writing or running her business, Hadena enjoys playing in a steel-tip dart league. She also loves to travel throughout North America and Europe. Her favorite cities are Chicago, Illinois and Berlin, Germany. She is an avid reader, reading everything from the classics like Jane Austen to modern writers like Terry Pratchett. One of her all-time favorite books is “Good Omens” by Neil Gaimen and Terry Pratchett. She writes all of her books while listening to music and the bands tend to get “honorable mentions” within the pages.

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, the fourth in the series, has the Serial Crimes tracking Unit in pieces as a number of them are badly injured in an explosion. A mad bomber is doing the rounds of county fairs, setting explosives to do the maximum amount of damage. The carnage is complete and terrible. The SCTU is on the trail but in trying to get one step ahead of the bomber and anticipate his next target they leave themselves vulnerable.

High drama and lots of action in this one. And you can't help relating to the team members. Despite the fact they are all sociopaths or dreadfully flawed individuals, they do work on the side of the angels. Being in this team keeps them on the straight and narrow and in this book the team 'glue' was weakened by the devastating injuries and the death of one of their own. The dialogue continues to be sharp and, at times, witty. I'm enjoying this series a lot.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

** Reread May 2021 **


Same rating of 4 stars.



I love reading Hadena James "Dreams and Reality" series!
There's just something about your favourite sociopaths & psychopaths hunting down their own kind. The descriptive prose is dark & compelling, & the plots never disappoint. As dark as the subject is there are times when a good chuckle isn't out of order. The author really does have a talent for making her readers care about such deeply flawed & dysfunctional characters. Highly recommended.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. Like genuinely I savor each book like a fine wine.

So, I don't think I did reviews for the other books, so out the bag Aislinn and Malachi are my favorite characters (I totally ship them and am forever sad it won't happen but I'm also glad there's no romance for Aislinn, or at least as far as here, I don't know about in the future books.)

Now onto this book, I liked the plot but not as much as other ones, but this one had some good growth for Aislinn.

I like the slow trickle of stuff like how we're slowly learning more about the butcher, Aislinn's brother, more on the fortress, etc.

Something I always loved about this series is how more prevalent serial killers are, they're a dime a dozen. it's been a minute since I did this series, so it was a shocking reminder that Hadena's serial killers are big numbers. also, the injuries, I swear Aislinn gotta be more scars than skin at this point, she's a bad ass though.

I admit I was going to put this at 3 stars, but I did 4 because I just genuinely love this series and world and I look forward to every book, this is a series I want to have a physical copy of every book one day. and also, the 4 star is the absolute delicious Malachi and Aislinn scenes we got.

"I won't sit on the floor, but I'll kneel if you want me too." -Malachi Blake (this line will be living rent free with me)

Hadena also played me with that hospital scene, iykyk. I legit thought Xavier was gone for a second, I was like wasn't it supposed to be Michael. I kind of knew it was going to happen because we honestly never got much time with him like the others, I wish we did because it seemed like what his sister said at the end that he loved the team.

So many things I can't wait to learn more of, the butcher, The fortress (that place is fascinating, I hope we get more scenes with the team there.) (not to mention the fan club, the scrapbooking cracks me up because the mental image is hilarious to me-), then we got this new stalker.

So much to look forward too, onto the next book.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story and the characters. At this time I’m continuing to read the rest of the series which I don’t do very often. The only reason I didn’t rate it higher is I find the sentences are a bit short making the reading feel choppy at times. The author may be doing this on purpose as the book is first person narrative but I haven’t read any of her other books so can’t say for sure.

[Krystal Grant]

This book, for me, is where I really start enjoying the story. It's like a ball rolling down hill. I know all the characters by now, like they are my own people. I'm invested in them, the work they do, their personal struggles/issues and the story really starts getting good. The gang are chasing what appears to be a mass murderer who likes blowing shit up and at the same time what seems to be a serial killing sniper. Which throws them for a loop, because those personality types would not get along, let alone work together for a common goal. Interesting to watch them work it out and interesting that they don't always "get their man". I like that, that the story doesn't always get completely wrapped up in a neat bow. We are left wondering who, why, and where next. The answer to where next is a rough one to get through, but I enjoyed the ride nonetheless.

[Adam Shore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, 2 for 2...
Books 1 & 2 were great, well thought out and edited well.
Books 2 & 3 feel rushed to print, poorly edited and oddly glued together side plots.

I find the typos to be distracting and unfortunate when they should have been easily caught by an editor. The inability to spell San Francisco stuck in my head for a while.

The book was still decent and a fun read. I'd recommend it but quality is going down.

I'm going to take a break from this series for a bit and come back to it later. Sometimes binge reading a series is great, other times it just highlights things that may not otherwise be of concern.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won't even lie, the premise seemed a bit comical at first. When you're far removed from real tragedy, a big boom at a fair feels silly and almost childish, at least in comparison to the other killers we have faced, but the descriptions of the final bombing were gruesome. Ouch! James really turned up the emotional impact in this installment. I will say the misogyny was so hard to read this time around. It's not a new aspect of this series by any means, but for some reason it was so obnoxious here. It made me question why I was reading this series.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Noooooooo! Not one of the team! I guess with the short life expectancy it was bound to happen. This book was so fast that I was at the epilogue before I knew it. I cannot wait to read more about Ace’s brother. Nick thought he received a cake sentence but boy is he about to learn he was WRONG! I’ve grown to love these characters more everyday and find myself thinking about them after the book is done. I would so recommend this series and this author.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I like how this one was not only less serial killer, more mass murderer, but also did not end quite the same. Bad guy caught but also.... not. And dang but that ending. Was not expected and a little sad. I am so enjoying the twisted stories in this series. Can't wait to see how that ending plays out in coming book(s).

[Nicole Tul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good

The characters are staying strong, one is killed. I won't go into that,not giving that up you must read this book to find out. This series has sucked me in , if you like a good on the edge of your seat thiller you found it

[Clinton Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

This one gives a bit more insight into the mind of Cain. Very entertaining and fun. She is defiantly one of my favorite protagonists EVER! I'm ready for the next one.

[Tammy Soiseth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always Hadena James doesn't fail to bring excitement. Another page turner. Great read. Can't wait to start the next one!

[Pinky Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arrrgh

A slight cliff hanger in this. And a peek into the fortress. But there is lots off blood and Gore and m maybe a death of a loved one. Loved it

[Gypsie Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. That was an emotional roller coaster!!!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The fourth book in the Dreams and Reality series, Explosive Dreams by Hadena James may be the best book in this series so far (although they have all been excellent, I have to admit that I’ve read this book 5 times since I received a copy). While continuing to develop the SCT Unit and solve cases, Ms. James reminds us about the central focus of the series; Aislinn Cain, an a-typical sociopath struggling with her issues of humanity while capturing serial killers and trying to get closer to her family. Bringing the action much closer to home, this installment takes place in the Mid-West where Ms. James turns a popular summer escape into a serial killer’s dream.

It’s not every day that a woman receives a gift from a secret admirer, but once again Aislinn “Ace” Cain, personal magnet of the criminally insane, has attracted a new “fan”. A fan who sends gifts that have to be quarantined. As if dealing with that, and the fall out of receiving a present full of “The Plague” isn't enough, Ace and her team find themselves saddled with a case which places them all in danger and leaves Ace questioning if she has what it takes to get the job done.


As Ms. James continues to develop the relationships among the members of the SCT Unit, it becomes pretty evident that this installment in her series will be different. While the dialogue is still snappy and Ace continues to be quirky, sarcastic and loveable in her own way, things are shaping up to be a little bit darker. The team is somewhat out of their element and being forced to work with the FBI in a more open manner while dealing with a bomber who doesn’t really fit the “serial killer” mold Ace has become used to.

Ace and the team are also being forced to take more “down” time between cases, and Ace’s family has decided to make themselves at home when she’s there. This is something new for Ace to deal with as previously she was away at school or working and she rarely saw her family. In a way this tests Ace’s “humanity” or lack thereof, and makes her question her place in society even more.

Once again bringing Malachi Blake into the story, Ms. James gives us a view of the special, strange and potentially dangerous relationship existing between these two characters. It also makes me wonder if they’ll find themselves enemies at some point in the future. A showdown that I have no doubt Ace would win, though the mental and emotional cost would be tremendously high.

Will Ace and her team be able to solve who’s destroying everyone’s summer? Will the loss her team suffers spell the end of the SCT Unit or will they be able to recover? You’ll have to read Explosive Dreams to find out. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book in the series, Plagued Dreams, where it looks like Ace will finally get to check out “The Plague” up close and personal.

[Alyson Braccini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm still reading the book but I found a sentence that described me perfectly & showed me again why I love this series... "Hell, I couldn't be bothered to volunteer for anything, even causes I supported, like cancer research and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence." Aislinn Cain. <3

[KIM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew routing for the sociopaths & psychopaths could be so much fun. Aslin Cain and company just keep it rocking and rolling book after book. As I've said before these books are a cozy mystery on steroids. Great characters bringing humor and humanity to bizarre crime stories.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 4 out of 5]

this team hunts both a serial mass murderer whose weapon is bombs placed at state fairs and a sniper who gets one of aislinn' s team and one of Malachi' s. I'm seriously addicted to both the sociopath on the marshal' s team and the psychopath on the fbi team. fascinating. Re-read again in 2020. Still fascinating.

[Митьо Триона · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story in this sequel is really catching, full of gore and suspense but, as the previous books, it was full of typos. Some paragraphs made me think that the author dictated the text to a computer in a hurry and never checked it for typos later.
I really do hope an update is issued so the readers will enjoy this great book seamlessly in the future.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my favorite so far in the series. So many emotions. I laughed, I cried, I was devastated.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Onward I go....

[Doris Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the story line, Couldn’t put this book down. Read it in 2 days.