Double Vision

Dr. Jenna Ramey #2

by Colby Marshall

New from the author of Color Blind...FBI profiler Jenna Ramey has synesthesia, a neurological condition that causes perceptions of color to flash through her mind, triggered by seemingly unrelated stimuli. But she has learned to understand and interpret these associations. They help her do her job. They can help save lives…
 
A little girl has witnessed a mass shooting. What she knows may be the key to finding the man responsible. Jenna has been tasked with drawing her out, figuring out what she saw, what she remembers, what it means.
 
But Molly is an unusual child. She is sweet and bright, and eager to help, but she has a quirk of her own: an intense preoccupation with numbers. It helps her notice things that others don’t. It also leads Jenna into a maze of speculation that could turn into a wild goose chase while the body count continues to rise.
 
Jenna and Molly view the world through their own filters. In some ways, they speak different languages. Now Jenna must learn to communicate, to break Molly’s code, to understand the mind of a murderer…

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Suspense

368 pages, Paperback

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Writer by day, ballroom dancer and choreographer by night, Colby has a tendency to turn every hobby she has into a job, thus ensuring that she is a perpetual workaholic. In addition to her 9,502 regular jobs, she is a proud member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. She is actively involved in local theatres as a choreographer and occasionally indulges her prima donna side by taking the stage as an actress. She lives in Georgia with her family, two mutts, and an array of cats that, if she were a bit older, would qualify her immediately for crazy cat lady status.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised this book. I've been huge into thrillers but had not heard of Colby Marshall until now. I definitely want to check out Colorblind and find out the back story of all the characters. I was fearful for the characters and the brazen choices that they made, holy crap Yancey. To be honest I wanted to shake him out of his self pity and always have to save the girl complex. He could of lost one of the best things he had going for him.

The revelation was amazing - Molly is exceptional and I hope she comes up again in future books. Maybe as a teenager. The humanity and foibles of all the characters really made the book just that more intense. Love it!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book via Penguin's First to Read program.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. A few chapters in I decided to get the first book from the library so I was completely up to date on the story.

I've read a bit about synesthesia before so I was somewhat familiar with what it's like.

I thought this book was a very good mystery/suspense novel. I thought the characters were very realistic and multi dimensional and I liked that the plot wasn't a straight line.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to the next installment in the series!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads winner here. And I am SO GLAD I won this book because I've now discovered an AWESOME new series.

I FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK.

Seriously, I did. It had a bit of everything in it - mental health issues (schizophrenia), Alzheimer's disease, art, art history, mythology, children, amputees, domestic abuse, crayons, popular culture (Disney), religion, psychotic serial killers, one very graphic sex scene, a hostage situation... IT WAS SO FUCKING EXCITING!

(I have never used expletives in a goodreads review before, but that is just how much I loved this book omg). I couldn't tear my eyes away from the pages! It was like watching a movie. Very exciting. Sometimes the writing was a little dense, and I kind of got lost, but I always was caught up in the momentum of this story. :) The final chapters were SO GOOD, holy shit.

A very intricate plot! I am so impressed. I've never been one for crime/murder-mystery novels, but I loved this. I also loved the way Marshall described synesthesia. I've read about this - I played a Scriabin piece in grade 10 piano, and I learnt about this condition then. But I was intrigued throughout the whole book about the colours and the shades. I've actually been keeping track of them in a Google Docs document.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z...

I loved Molly. Amazing, brilliant little girl.

I also loved reading about Jenna and her colour associations, what these colours mean to her. The "crayola wonder". I loved how crayons play such an important role in this book.

I wish I could see colours this way. It would be so cool.

I'm going to read the first book now. Thanks so much for this book, one of the best I've read this year <3

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Jenna Ramey is back .... with a boatload of troubles. Her mother (who escaped from a mental institution) still has not been found. Jenna is living with her father, her brother, and her daughter behind a fortress in order to keep them safe.

Her ex-inlaws are fighting her deceased ex-husband's will ... he left everything to their daughter. Her ex-brother in law is coming around, wanting to make amends and to help keep watch over her daughter. Jenna has a boyfriend, Yancy, who is a 9-1-1 operator. Although carrying a ring in his pocket, he hasn't popped the question yet. And now, with his job, he's become emotionally involved with a battered wife. Only .. she's not exactly what he thinks he is. And as a result, he not only kills a man .. that man is a cop.

After several deaths, Jenna and her team are led to the door of a 6-year-old who has something in common with Jenna. Molly has a 'thing' with numbers while Jenna has a 'thing' with colors.

There is lots of energy and activity throughout the book. There were a couple of places that I plain just skipped over ... it was more descriptive than what I thought was necessary. Overall, it was good reading. I really like all the characters ... did not see the ending that took place.

I gave it 3.5 stars. And I will definitely read the next in this series.

[Kristi Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You do what you have to for people you love."

This book really grows on you. I received my copy courtesy of the Penguin First to Read program.

Dr. Jenna Ramey is an FBI profiler who can sense things with colors called synesthesia and she uses it on her job to help save lives. This is the first book I have read by Colby Marshall but I don't think it matters that it isn't the first in the series.

The story begins with a shooter at a grocery store and numbers and Greek mythology all tie in with a serial killer of pure evil. I was kept guessing throughout and although I had suspicions on a certain character I had no idea where that would take me in this plot.

The characters are wonderful and honest, the wrong versus right might get confusing sometimes but that's the way the world works, right?

I liked the tension that builds up to the climax at the end that like any good series gives us an ending with a hint of more.

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a tightly paced thriller, but ultimately it suffers from the same problem that I've found in many detective stories: too many characters are special. There are too many bizarre names and incredibly rare traits (synesthesia, an insanely intelligent child who didn't read like a child at all, a psychopath, mental illness) packed into one novel. The references to the first book (I assume, since I haven't read it) make for an even more overwhelming read. The obsession with mythology and lore just didn't click to me as being very realistic in the midst of all this other stuff going on. I can read a mystery for mere pulpy entertainment, but this book had way, way too much going on.

I received an advance review copy of this book from Penguin.

[Virginia Winfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the twists and turns throughout this book. I have never really learned much about synesthesia before. It seems to be a strange disease. The characters were great and I did not know who was the real bad guy til close to the end. Wonderful story. Look forward to reading more about these characters. I received an ebook copy from FirsttoRead for a fair and honest opinion.

[Marie]

I won this book in the GR giveaway, can't wait to receive it so I can read it!

(I'll update this review after reading it.)

[Sheila Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some very interesting and well-developed characters and a fast pace to the action kept me wanting to turn the pages. Although this one does leave part of a plot hanging, I enjoyed the story from the first page to the last. If you haven't yet read any of the Dr Ramey series, it would be best to start from the beginning.

[Ceelee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you First To Read for providing me with the free digital galley copy of DOUBLE VISION in exchange for my honest review. Every book I have received from you has been entertaining, engrossing and good quality works.

This is the first mystery novel I have read by Colby Mathews and will not be my last. I was intrigued by Jenna, the FBI profiler who sees colors associated with certain emotions, situations and people which help her solve crime. The term really exists and is called synesthesia. Those who have it can hear see and taste colors and it makes them good problem solvers. I have a form of it myself where I can see numbers and letters in color.Zero is light blue=-gray, one is a rose pink, 2 is red, three yellow and so on. So I was into the book from the get go and for the most part I thought it was great! The is the second book in the series but there is enough background information that helps you understand Jenna and what happened in the first book that makes her so cautious and not trusting of people. The story is about a grocery store shooting where seven people were killed and the possible connection to a serial killer. Jenna enlists the help of a a young girl named Molly who was a witness at the scene and was a genius with numbers and helped to solve the crime. The second story of the novel involves Yancey, Jenna's boyfriend and his decision to get personally involved with a person on a 911 call of which he was a dispatcher.

I have to admit I figured out "whodunit" well before the "reveal" scenes so it was no surprise to me when it finally happened. Still it was a good mystery with lots of twists and well written although i recommend having an editor go over the galley again to catch some missing words and a glaring error calling Yancey Hank, Jenna's murdered husband, which caused some confusion and a few little words here and there toward the end of the book. The only thing I didn't like is it seemed to drag a little in places with some unnecessary scenes and details but maybe that is because I had figured it out and wanted to get the part where my suspicions were confirmed. There were also some interesting information about Greek mythology and numbers symbolism in art too which gave the story more depth. If you like good mysteries with interesting characters DOUBLE VISION should not be missed! Like others have said here, I would love to see Molly come back in the series too. She was great!

[Lisa Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will begin by saying that I haven’t read the first book in this series. I read this one because I received a free advanced copy from Penguin's First to Read program. I did feel as though I was missing a little bit in the relationships and character development having missed the beginning of the story.

I think this was an interesting, well written book. I liked the characters and the plot line. I think it was fantastic that a little girl plays such a huge role, and is actually viewed as helpful. I enjoyed her interactions with the adults in this book. I’m a huge fan of books involving homicide detectives and investigations, so this one was great.

That being said, I thought the color thing was a little distracting. For most of the book, every time she “felt” a color, she either ignored it or said she didn’t know what it meant. There was only one time where the color actually seemed to matter, which was near the end when she figured out who the killer was. For the rest of the book it just seemed to interrupt whatever was going on at that time.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Even with the distraction of the colors, it was a good book. I would definitely give this author another chance.

[Melissa Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book, unfortunately the DRC copy had serious issues in being able to read this without frustration. However, from what I did read it's excellent and a storyline that's perfect for my liking. I'm upset, but I will most definitely and anxiously wait for the release of this so I can read it without the disruptions the digital copy gave me. It's the only book that's ever given me issues from the Penguin FTR program, but every other book I've read from the program has been amazing to say the least. It made me think of one of my favorite tv shows while reading which is "Criminal Minds" as well as few others so it was a lot of fun. Profiling, numbers, colors, evidence, profiling, details, all awesome!!

Thank you #Penguin #FirstToRead program and the Author Colby Marshall for the opportunity :)

[Yoshiblackluvstoread Andino · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with this book since the premise seemed very interesting and I enjoy detective shows where some special ability helps the protagonist solve the cases.

In found it hard to keep myself interested with the story even if the first chapter was very promising but from then on it felt like it dragged trying to widen the scope of the plot but not really getting anywhere. I was expecting since the lead a profiler the role of color synesthesia would have more explained links with psychology but it only gave mentions sometimes making it seem like her ability wasn't really needed after all.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, I'm not the right audience for this book. I misunderstood what the book would be about, from the short synopsis provided. For readers who enjoy stories about serial killers, sleuths with very special almost psychic skills who get so wrapped up in their work that they postpone using those special skills and characters whose lives are tormented for decades by demented parents that somehow are never permanently jailed, then this book will thrill. It is well-written but the topics are not my interest areas. I received this book from Penguin First to Read.

[Katie R · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's really rare for me to give a book 5 stars. It's extra super duper rare for me to give a second book in a series 5 stars. I've done it once in the last 5 years, according to Goodreads. This book was deserving. It kept me up last night and reading through the day. I highly recommend it.

[JM · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great read which I would recommend.

[Chris Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I try to read current novels because authors' styles changes and so do the reader's trends. However, this copyrighted 2015 book caught my eye because of the unusually medical condition of the protagonist. Grapheme-color synesthesia is a real neurological condition that I first heard about five years ago, so when I found this book using this condition as part of the protagonist profile I grabbed it. The author weaves this condition the protagonist has where she sees auras of colors around people and she uses it to give her an edge in crime investigations. The author is vary familiar with the rare condition because she actually has it and so expertly incorporates it into the story. Although, the second in the series, this book is a stand alone and is very intriguing. There were two chapters that dwelled on a particular theory too long and made it drag for me but still it didn't make me stop reading. The rest of the story kept a good pace with an exciting ending (even though I figured who the bad guy was early on, which I do with about 90% of what I read.) After reading the book, it made me want to go and find the first book in the Dr. Jenna Ramey series. The writing is clean and the characters are interesting, believable, and easy to connect to, which left me to wanting read more about them.

[bjneary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this 2nd book in the Dr. Jenna Ramey series and I am so into the way Jenna sees colors as a way to solve the heinous crimes she investigates. I was up at nights worrying about Jenna and Yancey as he struggles with being a 911 operator - he LOVED being in on the crime solving with Jenna in the 1st book, but now he is back to being less than happy with some of the more mundane calls he receives. But all that changes when a female caller is being threatened and Yancy wants to jump in and help (will he make a mistake that costs him?). Also Jenna is working to find out who the Triple Shooter could be- uses the # 3 and 7 in order to kill his victims, and the way Jenna and her colleagues follow the leads and learn about mythology, religion, etc. was VERY interesting. I liked finding out more about Jenna and Hank's relationship before Ayanna, love her father and brother and my favorite character was Molly- she was fearless and excited (like Yancy) to be included in helping Jenna get answers from the store shooting. There is so much action and suspense as well as dark humor and humor in Colby Marshall's books, I can't wait to read the 3rd book in the series! Highly recommended!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Colby Marshall's Double Vision, the 2nd installment in the Dr. Jenna Ramey series, this thriller will intrigue you from the first page. It all started when 6-year-old Molly Keegan reported a shooting at a local grocery store to Yancy Vogul, a 9-1-1 operator. That's when Jenna received the call at the FBI's BAU unit when they headed to the scene. Besides a profiler, she has an usual trait--she has grapheme-color synesthesia, a neurological disorder when she associates colors to emotions. Although she uses it to adapt to her job, she applies it to this case when there were six victims who were killed and Molly witnessed it all. For Jenna, who's dealing with being a single mother to her daughter Ayana, and other life issues like her psychotic mother Claudia, she's the one who picks up subtle colored clues from the victims and from the ones in the past. With the help from Molly's input, who has a strange fascination with everything numerical, she becomes a key piece to this puzzle to track down the Triple Shooter and stop him in the tracks. Little did they know why Molly could pinpoint these details that led straight back to her own home with a shocking twisted ending that would blow you away.

[Lois Baron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wonder if my opinion of this book would be different if I'd read the first one, where apparently a heckuva lot went on having to do with Dr. Jenna Ramey's psycho killer mom (who is, as of this book, still on the loose) and with who is and is not in Jenna's life now

The premise of a profile who can read emotions as colors is appealing. I cut the author slack on when colors explained things and when they didn't and when Jenna got a color reading off something and when she didn't. In the middle of investigation, though, Jenna explains to another agent why there could be two unidentified suspects instead of just one. There's so much explanation that it's virtually unreadable.

A bigger problem is that so many plot threads and characters run through this book that most were underdeveloped. Worse--a couple key points were not satisfactorily resolved.

The writing is serviceable; I really liked the girl who loves numbers and the old man with Alzheimer's (he's the most believable character in the story); the action moves along quickly.

This book is a tumbleweed. It's got lots of stuff tangled up in there. I'm just not engaged enough to keep rolling with it.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would hover this one around a 3.5 overall. I don't think I enjoyed the story as much as the first book, but I loved the secondary characters. This book suffers a bit from the same thing the first book does - there is a lot going on and a lot of different story threads that don't always feel as fleshed out as they could be - but I do enjoy the writing style and pacing of the book.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though I enjoyed the overall premise and plot, the writing itself irked me from time to time throughout, and the culprit was easily figured out from the get-go.

[Marianne Stehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are well written with characters that are well developed and so.e that you can love to hate! Ready to read the next one in the series

[Holly Robins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I definitely skim read some of it because I did not particularly enjoy it.

[Micaela Boles · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was terrible and all over the place. Always have to finish a book but took me forever because it was just not my cup of tea

[Trinity Laughery · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the greatest books I’ve ever read I couldn’t put it down. It’s literally a Criminal Minds episode put into a book so if you’re obsessed with the show like me, definitely read this book!

[Gypsie Holley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put down! Unclear about something a character may or may not have done.

[Amanda Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Literally could not put it down!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as attention grabbing as her first book but still pretty good, some really good twists near the end. Ends on a cliff hanger that'll send me straight to book 3!

[Deb Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Double Vision is the second book in Colby Marshall's Dr. Jenna Ramey series, featuring a heroine with a unique trait for helping solve her cases. Marshall uses the ideas of color and numbers in a very unusual way in this mainstream mystery. Readers who are looking for an uncommon plot and strong characters will love this one. A massive shooting sets the stage for Jenna's latest case involving a six year old gifted child who witnesses a heinous crime. But Molly isn't your average little girl and it's up to Jenna to use Molly's gifts and her own to catch a killer. A very rare book with a fantastic premise!

What I liked:

Okay, so there were parts of this book that were very well written and parts that came across as a little too logical or too easy. But the overall theme of the series is quite unparalleled in most of the main stream mysteries I have read. Marshall gives her heroine Jenna a very rare neurological condition known as synesthesia, in which the patient's neurological pathways are so closely related that they are almost connected. Put simply, this heroine sees in color. Not like you and I do, but in a way that correlates her experiences and can be used to help in her job as an FBI profiler. This was fascinating and it's a real condition. Marshall does't bombard the reader with too much information about it, but she uses it in a way that makes this story something completely different than anything I've read before. Well done!

I don't review too many main stream mysteries because I like a book that is a little less graphic. I don't necessarily like to read about all the guts and gore and thrillers tend to be quite dark in some cases. This book had that type of edge, but it didn't get too messy. Yes, there was a massive shooting in which seven people die, and it is related to another case where more people died, but it didn't give me any cringe worthy moments. I admit to wondering what possesses people to do this kind of thing more than once, but it was the kind of book that was worth reading even if it did deal with some really maniacal minds.

Jenna and her boyfriend Yancy were both great characters that Marshall did a great job writing. Jenna has had to learn to see the world in a different way literally. In this book she has to take her way with colors and try to understand Molly's way with numbers. It was almost like they were speaking two different languages, but were able to find a way to fuse the two to find a killer. I like characters who are unusual in some way and Marshall certainly stimulated that avenue with Jenna's ability. Marshall was also about to show how it affected Jenna's personal life, as well as, her professional life. She was a great heroine and the addition of Yancy as her love interest gave readers a new way of seeing Jenna.

What I Didn't Like:

I seriously wanted to like Molly. And on some levels I did, but I couldn't get away from the idea that she was just too perfect. I know she was written as a gifted child, but she was still supposed to be a child. Even in children who have great intelligence you still have that essence that is still innocent. Molly wasn't like that. She didn't have that quality that made her still seem innocent and childlike. I wanted her to act like a kid, at least a little bit and I didn't get that with her. It seemed like something was missing. She didn't come across as legit, so to speak. Too poised, too adult like and too controlled.

Bottom Line:

There was a lot of potential here. The mystery itself was captivating. Jenna was an amazing heroine and the premise for the series was top notch. I think the author missed the mark a little bit with Molly's character but that didn't take too much away from my overall enjoyment of this book. Main stream mysteries are a little dark sometimes, but they make up for that with sheer realism and gut wrenching action. This was definitely a good one. If you like a good mystery, this one might be right up your alley.