Blind Instinct

Jessica Coran #7

by Robert W. Walker

FBI Medical Examiner Dr. Jessica Coran is enlisted by London's New Scotland Yard to spearhead the investigation into a series of brutal crucifixion killings and must call on all her skills in tracking killers to find a psychopath who will do anything to stop her. By the author of Darkest Instinct. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

374 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Aka Geoffrey Caine, Glenn Hale, Evan Kingsbury, Stephen Robertson

Master of suspense and bone-chilling terror, Robert W. Walker, BS and MS in English Education, Northwestern University, has penned 44 novels and has taught language and writing for over 25 years. Showing no signs of slowing down, he is currently juggling not one but three new series ideas, and has completed a film script and a TV treatment. Having grown up in Chicago and having been born in the shadow of the Shiloh battlefield, near Corinth, Mississippi, Walker has two writing traditions to uphold--the Windy City one and the Southern one--all of which makes him uniquely suited to write City for Ransom and its sequels, Shadows in White City and City of the Absent. His Dead On will be published in July 2009. Walker is currently working on a new romantic-suspense-historical-mainstream novel, titled Children of Salem. In 2003 and 2004 Walker saw an unprecedented seven novels released on the "unsuspecting public," as he puts it. Final Edge, Grave Instinct, and Absolute Instinct were published in 2004. City of the Absent debuted in 2008 from Avon. Walker lives in Charleston, West Virginia.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not get interested. Maybe later.

[Gill Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the plot but the attempt by the author to write dialogue as a cockney/English police officer would speak is cringe making. Harrogate is not on the coast. Cockneys do not say Aye instead of yes and we don’t have lieutenants in the police force. I’m 56 years old and have never played shove ha’penny in a pub nor heard of half of the expressions included. The clean air act of 1956 banned the burning of coal in London! I could barely understand what the characters were saying to the point I nearly abandoned the book. I still may yet as I haven’t finished it yet.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The climactic scenes and rhe lead up to them were pretty exciting. Though I found the romantic dialogue between Coran and Sharpe somewhat goofy at times. I also think the whole Tattooed man subplot could be deleted with no loss to the novel. Walker seems a skilled student of humanity at times and outright formulaic at others. So, yeah, kind of a mixed review.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This ALMOST made three stars, but overall it was a waste of time. One problem is that I knew who the killer was from the very beginning. It was so obvious I HOPED The author would do something different. The author oversold this character completely, and I went the whole book pretty much knowing exactly what would happen. The only saving grace this book book has was the resolution did have a certain amount of suspense to it. That wasnt' enough to make it worth a read though. The book is poorly written. I thought the author's prose was stilted and awkward at times. And the romance between the characters was predictable and cliched. Also, no chief of police (or whatever the term is in England) could be so stubborn and stupid. Its almost as if he WANTED to botch the investigation. I know politics does affect police work, but it seemed unrealistic.

Just too many things wrong with this book. I am glad I got it at a thrift store and didnt' pay too much for it.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several murders occured in London with the victims showing signs of being crucified and left near bodies of water around the town. Scotland Yard inspector Sharp is stymied as the clues are few and he lobbies to fly FBI Medical examiner Dr. Jessica Coran over to consult. Jessica spots several things missed by the local ME, but also has to battle resistance from the Locals. As the hunt continues more bodies turn up and the pressure mounts to find the killer. By now Jessica suspects that there are more than one individule involved and that they are dealing with religius cult as the millenium (2001) is nearing. There are hints at several possible killers, a spot of romance and tension between Sharp and his superior before the case is solved just in the nick of time.....

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

FBI Medical Examiner Dr. Jessica Coran (a nicer Kay Scarpetta) has been called to England to help look into a series of murders by crucifixion. The bodies of several people have been found floating in water in various parts of London but the manner of death is found to be from asphyciation from hanging on a cross. She teams up with Inspector Richard Sharpe and they begin to look for answers to the crimes. I like this series. Jessica is a hard fighting woman who doesn't back down. She fights the "system" and takes no bull from men who think she is not a viable scientist. I knew who the murder was very early on but the plot twists and the action kept me on edge until the climax. Excellent read.

[Jo Hawke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of a whole bunch of books left in my previous house by the owner, who told me to have all. Most were of the Harlequin type and are headed elsewhere. This one said something like, "If you like Patricia Cornwall, you'll like this," and I remember liking a couple of her books. We'll see...

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

One review said 'chilling...gruesome' and I agree. A bit too hard edged for me.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this series too!

(Until I started keeping track on GoodReads.com, I did not realize I was reading so many series!)

[Diann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sort of predictable. Knew how it would end. Good reading though.

[Elaine]

book 7 in the Jessica Coran series

[Karen Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

gruesome - absolutely awesome book