The Braille Killer

Alice Bergman #1

by Daniel Kuhnley

How can you catch what you can’t see?

Blind at birth, Alice Bergman’s sight has been restored—but her childhood struggles and the assault she endured have never been forgotten. For the last ten years, she’s been secretly receiving letters from her attacker–letters written in Braille.

Now a homicide detective, Alice is assigned a murder case. The victim? A blind girl. The scene is preternaturally clean, far more than can be explained in any rational way. Alice is able to relive the girl’s last moments–but she can’t see the girl’s killer.

That doesn’t matter, though. Alice knows the killer is the same person who attacked her as a teen.

When another girl is murdered, Alice herself becomes a suspect due to grisly evidence at the murder scene. When the stress of the case and the trauma of her past combine to bring on the same blindness she faced as a child, Alice must struggle in the dark to catch the killer and regain her sight before the Braille Killer strikes again–this time, much closer to home.

It's like The X-Files meets Medium. A dark and gritty beginning to a new and thrilling series, read the first Alice Bergman novel today!

Genres: Thriller

330 pages, Hardcover

Published January 29, 2019

About the author

Read the FREE prequel novella to The Braille Killer, Birth Of A Killer .

You can also read my Dark Fantasy novella, Scourge , for FREE as well!



I'm Daniel Kuhnley, an American author of Dragon Fantasy and Supernatural Serial Killer stories. Some of my novels include The Dragon's Stone, Reborn, The Braille Killer, and Rended Souls. I enjoy watching movies, reading novels, and programming. I live in Albuquerque, NM with my wife who also writes.

All of my novels are professionally edited and proofread to ensure you have an enjoyable reading experience.

More information about my novels and sample chapters are available at danielkuhnley.com.


facebook.com/DanielKuhnley
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bookbub.com/profile/daniel-kuhnley

Reviews

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure what to expect when I started reading The Braille Killer, one of the Amazon Kindle Unlimited selections that caught my eye. A super twisty, supernatural murder mystery would be a good way to describe it. The Braille Killer is more than that... the characters are developing as the writing unfolds, and the darkness that surrounds Alice builds as the novel progresses. It is interesting how the mystery builds on the paranormal activities that Alice uncovers and tries to keep secret.

I like that the themes of secrets and forgiveness are explored throughout Alice's journey, and I love the Alice in Wonderland references too. Alice has a quirky, fun sense of humor that is evident in author Daniel Kuhnley's writing.

I believe that The Braille Killer is provocative- the reader is thrown into the book and becomes invested right away... (I could not put it down!!!) There were a couple times that I found myself very angry with some of Alice's decisions. Then I would admire her... then I wanted to smack her. Then I felt like she needed a hug. Same with her sweet and sexy boyfriend, Seth. As much as I wanted everything tied up with a neat little bow in sweet circular plot fashion... I like and respect the ending of The Braille Killer... and look forward to reading the novella offered by the author at the end of the Kindle version. Is this book one of a new series??? Make sure to read the author's notes at the end of the book for more details.

[Donna Kilgore · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely masterful blend of thriller-mystery-paranormal suspense! I truly enjoyed this unique story! It has so many unexpected elements that I loved. Kuhnley is a masterful story-teller with an amazing ability to throw the reader directly into a story and keep them there until the very last page. Readers are hooked on an emotional level thanks to characters that are well-crafted and fleshed out in a very relatable way. I also enjoy that even though this story is full of chills, thrills, and darkness there are also well-timed moments when the writer's wonderful sense of humor shines through. His timing is superb. I've enjoyed his fantasy series so much that I wasn't sure what to expect with this thriller. Let's just say, Daniel Kuhnley can write dark and twisted just as epically as he can fantasy. Maybe even more so. It takes a lot to creep me out, but I was sufficiently creeped out by the villain living in the dark corners of every page of this novel. I'll never look at garlic-pickles the same way again! I look forward to reading more of these Alice Bergman stories!

[Ellie Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

~About

For years, a deranged killer has been stalking detective Alice Bergman, claiming that his victim’s blood is on her hands. It is up to Alice to unravel the clues he sends her, and to accept that her past has a part to play in his sick schemes.


~Characters

Alice is a well-motivated detective, with a past she’s long been hiding from. She is persistent in the things that matter to her, even going so far as to break the rules when deemed necessary. I found her to be likable and sympathized with her past, the more I learned of it.


Seth (Alice’s lover and work partner) is a firm yet fun loving man, who worries over other’s well-being. I liked that he could be tough with Alice when he needed to be, making her confront the truth of her actions, even if it’s the last thing she wants to do.


The killer was well developed and his MO took me ages to figure out, which I liked. His communications with Alice set my hair on edge, divulging the contents of a truly twisted mind. The conflict between him and Alice was well thought out and made for a gripping reading experience.


Overall, the characters each had traits that drew me in and made me want to know more about their backgrounds.



~Likes and Dislikes

I really liked the first person, present tense narration style and was immediately hooked into the story. There were slight fantasy and sci-fi elements involved, which made for a delightful change to the ordinary murder mystery thrillers I’ve read. The tension building was done well, building up to a fantastic ending that ends on a partial cliff-hanger.


My only slight dislikes were the heavy amount of detail at the start of the book that I wasn’t sure was necessary, along with having a lot of figurative language shoved into a small portion of the book, which felt overdone. This is a personal annoyance and did not detract from my overall enjoyable reading experience.



~Memorable Quotes

Two particular quotes stood out to me in this book.


1) ‘I don’t want to live in a world of shadows again, but |I’m starting to learn that just about everything in my life is beyond my control.’


2) ‘The darkness never prevails- A sliver of darkness does nothing to dissipate the light, but a sliver of light in the deepest darkness can be seen from far and wide like a beacon. Give in to the light and you’ll find answers to questions you didn’t even know you had. – It must start from within- change your mind and you can change the world.’


The second quote in particular really moved me. I’ve learned from experience that a positive mindset can make a big difference to how your world and those around you revolve. It spreads out, affecting others in ways that make the world more bearable, literally changing things in reality.



~Overview

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience reading The Braille Killer. It made for a tense, thought-provoking read, with themes of revenge, forgiveness, and the past.


My rating: 5 stars.
Recommended for lovers of murder mystery thrillers, with unique supernatural twists.

[D.M. Kilgore · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely masterful blend of thriller-mystery-paranormal suspense! I truly enjoyed this unique story! It has so many unexpected elements that I loved. Kuhnley is a masterful story-teller with an amazing ability to throw the reader directly into a story and keep them there until the very last page. Readers are hooked on an emotional level thanks to characters that are well-crafted and fleshed out in a very relatable way. I also enjoy that even though this story is full of chills, thrills, and darkness there are also well-timed moments when the writer's wonderful sense of humor shines through. His timing is superb. I've enjoyed his fantasy series so much that I wasn't sure what to expect with this thriller. Let's just say, Daniel Kuhnley can write dark and twisted just as epically as he can fantasy. Maybe even more so. It takes a lot to creep me out, but I was sufficiently creeped out by the villain living in the dark corners of every page of this novel. I'll never look at garlic-pickles the same way again! I look forward to reading more of these Alice Bergman stories!

[Mathew Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not sure what to think when I started reading this book. Normally I am into the fantasy style stories instead of the modern day ones. Having read the author's(Daniel Kuhnley) other books, I figured I would give this a try. I was rather surprised at how fast I was pulled into the story and the characters. The twists and turns that are uncovered in this are set up really well and the pace of the mystery never let up. Overall really well done. Looking forward to another in this story line.

[Mark Van · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Braille Killer is a marvelous read for anyone that loves mystery, suspense, and who-done-it's. It's a book about a female detective hunting a killer and is chock full of intrigue. Read the prequel, The Birth Of A Killer and you'll be a fan just as I am. Daniel Kuhnley has written many books that are fantastic, but this one is the best, in my opinion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did

[Mary M. Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book! Very suspenseful!! I couldn’t wait to turn the page! I definitely recommend this book!

[Tamika Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book

I love this book, I didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read the sequel. As a blind person it kept me captivated till the end.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trying to read this book is like knowingly eating rotten food. just don’t.

[danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of my favorite genres are detective led mysteries. But this is that plus some supernatural elements. Bottom line this is not a combo I like at all. I'm sure this book will end up being a series, at least that's how it ends - with more questions than answers.

For people that like these two genres being combined might like this book better than I did.

As for the narration, I'm not sure this narrator was the right choice for this book. Her voice is too juvenile (young) sounding to add any realism for a cop.

I was given this free audiobook at my request and have left this review voluntarily.

[Linda Branham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know everybody liked this book - but I just didn't like it at all. I think because I truly disliked the main character, Alice,. Didn't like her thinking, her feelings, her behaviors. I thought I would like it because my mother wrote Braille - and we even had a braille typewriter at home... so I could identify with the letters in Braille and blindness - because many people where my mom worked were blind - and therefore were people I knew well
But, as I said - I truly disliked Alice - and if she were a real person in my life - I would keep far away from her

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift,
This is an incredibly fabulous book! The heroin is a young woman who by a seemingly miracle regains her sight after being blind since birth.
She is a homicide detective on a mission...a secret...she will take to her grave if needs be.
With a killer on the loose she must solve these murders before it hits home. This tale told by a master storyteller takes the reader on a wild ride of supernatural proportions! This is truly a must read.

[Georgia Tumbleweed McNabb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the blub and the reviews and was looking forward to a in depth Murder investigation dealing with blind people. I am Sooo Disappointed with what the book Actually was. Instead I got a book about a narcissitic Detective who just rambles on and does not even follow police procedures correctly. She does Not even let her partner who happens to be her lover in on what has been happening for 10 years

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Stopped almost exactly half way at chapter 15 when it started turning Matrix-y. I was having trouble getting through the juvenile writing before that but was trying to give it a change. That was the tipping point for me. This is just not my style of book. I thought it would be a good detective murder mystery, not a young immature detective who lives with her mom that is introduced to a Matrix style world by an ex-priest. No thank you.

[Trudey Roe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An evil that can walk thru the door ways of shadows!

A childhood terror and the words of madmen will redefine a young woman's destiny and bind her sight to a future dependent on death! Intense an riveting, a must read for fans of thrillers with a touch of paranormal!

[Stephen Levesque · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slow, boring, waist of time.

[Cynthia Shipley · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent read, took my time savoring, so much to digest did not want to rush through. Getting ready to get the next in the series know it will be awesome.

[Kitty · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this book, but the magic aspect of it killed it for me. Usually when books end on cliffhangers like that I'm stoked to read the next book. But this was so disappointing.