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Mindhunters #2
Waking Evil
A KILLER, A PROPHECY - AND THREE DEATHS FORETOLD
Buffalo Springs, Tennessee, is a neighborly kind of place where folks leave their doors unlocked and crime is unheard of. But once every generation, a strange red mist settles over the town, and with it comes omens of death...
When the body of a young woman is found, forensic investigator Ramsey Clark is called in. She knows about the legend of the mist and about the curse that has the entire town afraid of the dark. But Ramsey believes in evidence, not superstition, despite what she's told by the parapsychologist who's been dogging her every step. Then another murder rocks Buffalo Springs, and Ramsey begins to wonder if a killer is playing on everyone's fears or if a prophecy is indeed being fulfilled - one victim at a time.
Buffalo Springs, Tennessee, is a neighborly kind of place where folks leave their doors unlocked and crime is unheard of. But once every generation, a strange red mist settles over the town, and with it comes omens of death...
When the body of a young woman is found, forensic investigator Ramsey Clark is called in. She knows about the legend of the mist and about the curse that has the entire town afraid of the dark. But Ramsey believes in evidence, not superstition, despite what she's told by the parapsychologist who's been dogging her every step. Then another murder rocks Buffalo Springs, and Ramsey begins to wonder if a killer is playing on everyone's fears or if a prophecy is indeed being fulfilled - one victim at a time.
359 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 6, 2009
109 people are currently reading
673 people want to read
About the author
Kylie Brant
82 books639 followersThe mother of five children, Kylie Brant claims she began writing to save her sanity. Plotting stories became her method of escape from the reality of constant ball games, chauffeuring kids, and refereeing "minor" disagreements between her perfect offspring.
In 1992 she was elated to get a call from Silhouette offering to buy her second novel. Home with laryngitis at the time, she still managed to croak out agreement, and her career was born. A few months later she went on to sell Rancher's Choice, the first manuscript she’d written.
Kylie is married to her high school sweetheart, and they make their home in Iowa. She insists that all her heroes are based on her husband of 23 years because he possesses that most heroic of make qualities — ironing skills. Those abilities come in handy, as she juggles a full time teaching job with writing and a family.
Doing things the easy way has never held much appeal for this multi award-winning author. She graduated with high honors from the University of Northern Iowa. A graduation photo shows her in cap and gown holding her two sons, one aged 16 months and the other three weeks. She went on to obtain a teaching job working with learning-disabled children while completing her master’s degree at night and during summers.
"There was a time in my life when I could imagine myself as a life-long student," she recalls. "I actually toyed with the idea of pursuing a doctorate. But instead, my life took a spin and I ended up writing romances. I’ve never regretted it!" Her family has since been completed by the birth of another son and a set of twins, a boy and a girl.
Kylie’s books are regularly featured on bestseller lists such as Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Bookseller. With over a million copies of books in print, her novels have been distributed in 20 countries and released in seven languages.
Family and friends are the main focus of Kylie’s life. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she enjoys reading and flower gardening. She loves traveling, preferring beach, ocean, and room service.
In 1992 she was elated to get a call from Silhouette offering to buy her second novel. Home with laryngitis at the time, she still managed to croak out agreement, and her career was born. A few months later she went on to sell Rancher's Choice, the first manuscript she’d written.
Kylie is married to her high school sweetheart, and they make their home in Iowa. She insists that all her heroes are based on her husband of 23 years because he possesses that most heroic of make qualities — ironing skills. Those abilities come in handy, as she juggles a full time teaching job with writing and a family.
Doing things the easy way has never held much appeal for this multi award-winning author. She graduated with high honors from the University of Northern Iowa. A graduation photo shows her in cap and gown holding her two sons, one aged 16 months and the other three weeks. She went on to obtain a teaching job working with learning-disabled children while completing her master’s degree at night and during summers.
"There was a time in my life when I could imagine myself as a life-long student," she recalls. "I actually toyed with the idea of pursuing a doctorate. But instead, my life took a spin and I ended up writing romances. I’ve never regretted it!" Her family has since been completed by the birth of another son and a set of twins, a boy and a girl.
Kylie’s books are regularly featured on bestseller lists such as Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Bookseller. With over a million copies of books in print, her novels have been distributed in 20 countries and released in seven languages.
Family and friends are the main focus of Kylie’s life. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she enjoys reading and flower gardening. She loves traveling, preferring beach, ocean, and room service.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
March 30, 2017
After a slow start ... and I mean sloooooooooow, this one picked up about halfway through. I honestly thought I was going to keel over from boredom up to a certain point. It was interesting but just seemed to drag ...
Dev and Ramsey, interesting characters. Her, more than him. She had a past ... and a painful one, at that. She was trying to erase it from her life ... but sometimes things brought the memories hurtling back.
Honestly, the Southern accent was doing my head in for a bit but I soon got used to it, y'all!!
I sort of had an inkling of the bad guy ... but was still surprised when it was revealed.
Gotta love a country song. I shure do!
Sex scenes were hot!
Dev and Ramsey, interesting characters. Her, more than him. She had a past ... and a painful one, at that. She was trying to erase it from her life ... but sometimes things brought the memories hurtling back.
Honestly, the Southern accent was doing my head in for a bit but I soon got used to it, y'all!!
I sort of had an inkling of the bad guy ... but was still surprised when it was revealed.
There was a he-done-me-wrong song blaring from a jukebox ...
Gotta love a country song. I shure do!
The Boss came on the radio then, singing the merits of being born in the USA.
Moving lower, she swirled her tongue in the slight indentation of his navel. Used her fingers to follow the trail of hair, a couple of shades darker than that on his head, to where it arrowed toward his sex ...
Sex scenes were hot!
March 26, 2017
Waking Evil follows the same pattern as the first book. A sick creep rapes and tortures women and he has his own weird way of justifying it.
A body found in the woods slowly reveals the sickness beneath the polite facade of a small southern town. Every thirty years a red mist appears out of nowhere and its appearance is followed by three deaths. The first one was the body a group of teenagers found in the water.
The two protagonists, each with enough personal emotional baggage to make them and the story interesting, are likeable enough. Their relationship moves fast, but I expected that and it's a bit better written than the one from the first book.
A body found in the woods slowly reveals the sickness beneath the polite facade of a small southern town. Every thirty years a red mist appears out of nowhere and its appearance is followed by three deaths. The first one was the body a group of teenagers found in the water.
The two protagonists, each with enough personal emotional baggage to make them and the story interesting, are likeable enough. Their relationship moves fast, but I expected that and it's a bit better written than the one from the first book.
December 23, 2016
A woman’s body is found floating in a pond in Buffalo Springs, Tennessee and Ramsey Clark, a member of the famous Mindhunters, a team captained by ex-FBI profiler Adam Raiker, is called in to investigate.
Soon, the legends and fables of the rural town take over the case, the murder coincided with the strange phenomena of "red mist" that appears in town every thirty years and claims its three victims. Investigating that is paranormal investigator (that doesn’t believe in paranormal per-se) Devlin Stryker, that poses yet another threat to Ramsey and her tough-chick shell.
But the red mist doesn’t care if the lead profiler is getting deeper and deeper in her quasi-romance with Devlin and soon, there’s another body to be found. Was it really a suicide or is there the stench of foul play?
Ramsey better find out quick, because the fanatical killer is already gunning for her.
Re-reads certainly grant a new perspective. Because while, on first read, this one received five stars and favorite status, this second time around, the rating got knocked off. Because while the suspense was great, quickly catching me in its clutches, the intensity quickly dropped since we only got a few brief glimpses in the villain’s mindset.
The characters, although slightly better developed than in the first book, a lot more layered and with a whole lot more of issues, were also slightly grating on my nerves. Especially the heroine with all her baggage from the past, that in the end proved to be just a teaser, while the hero remained pretty much a blank slate throughout the story. His affability bothered me, since it looked like there was nothing deeper underneath—I guess he just became so well versed in masking everything, nothing more came through.
The romance, although it looked more pronounced and more “in the foreground” than in the first book, came through as flat, since I wasn’t that invested in the two leads. It felt rushed, its progress didn’t seem that organic, and in the end I felt like they were nothing more than friends-with-benefits that actual lovers thinking of maybe building a future together.
I have no complaints about the writing style. Ms. Brant mixed suspense, thriller, blood, chills, romance, and pretty steamy scenes together perfectly, intertwining little details to make this quite a well-rounded story, even though, as said before, some elements stuck out at the edges.
The suspense, even though not that prominent, failing to deliver the requisite ominous feels was the best part of the story. There were plenty of twists and turns, false leads, and red-herrings to make your head spin, and although I’ve read it before, I’ve obviously forgotten who the real baddie was, because the reaction of “oh, my effing God what just happened?!” was back. I guess I fell for the false leads like I did the first time reading it.
Yes, the surprise reveal was a real kicker.
And, unlike the first book, the ending wasn’t abrupt. Ms. Grant took her time (after that initial big twist), and let things run their course without rushing anything.
Actually, there was an aspect of the style of this book that bothered me initially. The story is placed in Tennessee, where everybody (the heroine from Mississippi included) were fluent in y’all. Well, that y’all aspect of the writing was tiresome at first with apostrophes thrown in there almost willy-nilly, but once I got used to the "pattern" I completely forgot it was there.
So that’s not really an objection but merely an observation.
A good story, with a great mix of every single element I love in my novels (even a slight paranormal angle, but you'll have to read it to know what I mean), intriguing and surprising suspense, amazing portrayal of the small-town and its mentality without falling into the hillbilly trap, and a nicely twisted villain.
Pity the romance and h/H failed to impress (this second time around).
Soon, the legends and fables of the rural town take over the case, the murder coincided with the strange phenomena of "red mist" that appears in town every thirty years and claims its three victims. Investigating that is paranormal investigator (that doesn’t believe in paranormal per-se) Devlin Stryker, that poses yet another threat to Ramsey and her tough-chick shell.
But the red mist doesn’t care if the lead profiler is getting deeper and deeper in her quasi-romance with Devlin and soon, there’s another body to be found. Was it really a suicide or is there the stench of foul play?
Ramsey better find out quick, because the fanatical killer is already gunning for her.
Re-reads certainly grant a new perspective. Because while, on first read, this one received five stars and favorite status, this second time around, the rating got knocked off. Because while the suspense was great, quickly catching me in its clutches, the intensity quickly dropped since we only got a few brief glimpses in the villain’s mindset.
The characters, although slightly better developed than in the first book, a lot more layered and with a whole lot more of issues, were also slightly grating on my nerves. Especially the heroine with all her baggage from the past, that in the end proved to be just a teaser, while the hero remained pretty much a blank slate throughout the story. His affability bothered me, since it looked like there was nothing deeper underneath—I guess he just became so well versed in masking everything, nothing more came through.
The romance, although it looked more pronounced and more “in the foreground” than in the first book, came through as flat, since I wasn’t that invested in the two leads. It felt rushed, its progress didn’t seem that organic, and in the end I felt like they were nothing more than friends-with-benefits that actual lovers thinking of maybe building a future together.
I have no complaints about the writing style. Ms. Brant mixed suspense, thriller, blood, chills, romance, and pretty steamy scenes together perfectly, intertwining little details to make this quite a well-rounded story, even though, as said before, some elements stuck out at the edges.
The suspense, even though not that prominent, failing to deliver the requisite ominous feels was the best part of the story. There were plenty of twists and turns, false leads, and red-herrings to make your head spin, and although I’ve read it before, I’ve obviously forgotten who the real baddie was, because the reaction of “oh, my effing God what just happened?!” was back. I guess I fell for the false leads like I did the first time reading it.
Yes, the surprise reveal was a real kicker.
And, unlike the first book, the ending wasn’t abrupt. Ms. Grant took her time (after that initial big twist), and let things run their course without rushing anything.
Actually, there was an aspect of the style of this book that bothered me initially. The story is placed in Tennessee, where everybody (the heroine from Mississippi included) were fluent in y’all. Well, that y’all aspect of the writing was tiresome at first with apostrophes thrown in there almost willy-nilly, but once I got used to the "pattern" I completely forgot it was there.
So that’s not really an objection but merely an observation.
A good story, with a great mix of every single element I love in my novels (even a slight paranormal angle, but you'll have to read it to know what I mean), intriguing and surprising suspense, amazing portrayal of the small-town and its mentality without falling into the hillbilly trap, and a nicely twisted villain.
Pity the romance and h/H failed to impress (this second time around).
June 8, 2016
Вторая книга о следователях из агентства Рэйкера.
Иной темп, иная атмосфера. На сей раз действие происходит в маленьком городке – болота, леса, скрытные местные жители и легенда о красном тумане, что появляется каждые 30 лет и предвещает смерти.
В озере найден неопознанный труп, и Рэмси Кларк прибывает в город для расследования. Чтобы хоть как-то разговорить местных, ей приходится прибегнуть в помощи Девлина Страйкера – писателя, исследующего паранормальные явления. Как правило, он развенчивает глупые слухи и легенды, но иногда натыкается на нечто действительно необъяснимое. Красный туман, кажется, как раз из этой категории. Девлин особенно заинтересован в деле, потому что при прошлом появлении тумана жертвой стал его отец. Точнее, и жертвой, и убийцей.
Эта история гораздо размереннее и мрачнее. Герои, опять же, с темным прошлым, но тут хоть Девлин весельчак – он скрасил повествование своим юмором. Ну и Рэмси другой мужчина точно бы не раскачал, а этот, глядишь, поможет ей избавиться от призраков прошлого.
Красной нитью через весь роман проходит тема предательства самыми близкими людьми. Это касается и героев, и жертв. Жутко. Ну и сама разгадка преступления до крайности мерзка. Не понимаю, как в наши дни люди могут творить такое, хотя знаю, что это не преувеличение и действительно встречаются подобные… индивиды.
В общем, еще один замечательный романтический триллер от Брант. Правда опять чуть резковатая концовка – особенно на фоне общего неспешного темпа.
Рада была встретиться со счастливо женатыми героями прошлой книги, хоть и мельком. Ну и наконец-то нам показали сурового Адама Рэйкера – тоже мельком, но впечатление он произвел)))
И да, таки здесь добавилась мистика. Не сильно много, и все же тег «паранормал» теперь оправдан.
Кажется, я подсела на серию xD
Иной темп, иная атмосфера. На сей раз действие происходит в маленьком городке – болота, леса, скрытные местные жители и легенда о красном тумане, что появляется каждые 30 лет и предвещает смерти.
В озере найден неопознанный труп, и Рэмси Кларк прибывает в город для расследования. Чтобы хоть как-то разговорить местных, ей приходится прибегнуть в помощи Девлина Страйкера – писателя, исследующего паранормальные явления. Как правило, он развенчивает глупые слухи и легенды, но иногда натыкается на нечто действительно необъяснимое. Красный туман, кажется, как раз из этой категории. Девлин особенно заинтересован в деле, потому что при прошлом появлении тумана жертвой стал его отец. Точнее, и жертвой, и убийцей.
Эта история гораздо размереннее и мрачнее. Герои, опять же, с темным прошлым, но тут хоть Девлин весельчак – он скрасил повествование своим юмором. Ну и Рэмси другой мужчина точно бы не раскачал, а этот, глядишь, поможет ей избавиться от призраков прошлого.
Красной нитью через весь роман проходит тема предательства самыми близкими людьми. Это касается и героев, и жертв. Жутко. Ну и сама разгадка преступления до крайности мерзка. Не понимаю, как в наши дни люди могут творить такое, хотя знаю, что это не преувеличение и действительно встречаются подобные… индивиды.
В общем, еще один замечательный романтический триллер от Брант. Правда опять чуть резковатая концовка – особенно на фоне общего неспешного темпа.
Рада была встретиться со счастливо женатыми героями прошлой книги, хоть и мельком. Ну и наконец-то нам показали сурового Адама Рэйкера – тоже мельком, но впечатление он произвел)))
И да, таки здесь добавилась мистика. Не сильно много, и все же тег «паранормал» теперь оправдан.
Кажется, я подсела на серию xD
April 27, 2011
Favorite Lines: “One minute she was upright, and the next he’d tripped her and her face was pressed in the dirt. His booted foot was on her back. “Damn right it does. And I’d like to tell you all ‘bout just how smart I am. But more than that, I’d like to show you.” The rifle barrel caressed a cool path over her cheek. “Because if ever there was a woman who needed spiritual cleansing, it’s you.”” (p. 333)
Waking Evil is the second book in Kylie Brant’s Mindhunters series. I did not read the first book, Waking Nightmare, but I was able to read this book without a problem. It can be read as a stand alone. As of 2011—there are five books in this series.
It’s a romantic suspense which is told from the third person POV. The “all seeing eye” shows the story from the hero, heroine, a victim and villain’s points of view. During the time the reader is with the hero and heroine, the past which helped form their characters is brought up. For me it showed the growth their characters made off pages. The characters we meet are not the same people they were 10 years previous to the story being told.
The suspense was great. The story was well thought out and I liked the way the past was brought to light not only with the main characters, but within Buffalo Springs. The biggest issue I had with the book was the romance. I don’t find it plausible that Ramsey and Devlin fell in love so fast. They fell in love over the course of a few days. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, because they want to create a life together. I’m not sure that they will be able to have a HEA.
Waking Evil doesn’t really even feel like a romance. It feels like a suspense with a slight romantic thread.
Be aware that there is a slight paranormal aspect to this book. I was a little surprised by it, although looking back I shouldn’t have been. The only reason it works is because Devlin is a paranormal investigator. Honestly, I could have done without any paranormal action at all. In the end, the story was exciting but not one that I see myself reading again.
Scooper Speaks
Waking Evil is the second book in Kylie Brant’s Mindhunters series. I did not read the first book, Waking Nightmare, but I was able to read this book without a problem. It can be read as a stand alone. As of 2011—there are five books in this series.
It’s a romantic suspense which is told from the third person POV. The “all seeing eye” shows the story from the hero, heroine, a victim and villain’s points of view. During the time the reader is with the hero and heroine, the past which helped form their characters is brought up. For me it showed the growth their characters made off pages. The characters we meet are not the same people they were 10 years previous to the story being told.
The suspense was great. The story was well thought out and I liked the way the past was brought to light not only with the main characters, but within Buffalo Springs. The biggest issue I had with the book was the romance. I don’t find it plausible that Ramsey and Devlin fell in love so fast. They fell in love over the course of a few days. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, because they want to create a life together. I’m not sure that they will be able to have a HEA.
Waking Evil doesn’t really even feel like a romance. It feels like a suspense with a slight romantic thread.
Be aware that there is a slight paranormal aspect to this book. I was a little surprised by it, although looking back I shouldn’t have been. The only reason it works is because Devlin is a paranormal investigator. Honestly, I could have done without any paranormal action at all. In the end, the story was exciting but not one that I see myself reading again.
Scooper Speaks
February 7, 2013
This is the second book Kylie Brant's "Mindhunter" series.
Amazing suspense/thriller!
The character's are intense, strong, broken, and determined to seek justice.
full review to come :))
Amazing suspense/thriller!
The character's are intense, strong, broken, and determined to seek justice.
full review to come :))
April 9, 2011
After reading the first book in this series, I had a pretty good idea what I would get from this second book. And really, that's what I got. There weren't any surprises.
Series Note:
Second book in the "Mindhunters" series about an independent forensics agency and the people who work there. You don't have to have read the first book in order to read this one.
Summary:
Raiker Forensics agent Ramsey Clark is sent to Buffalo Springs, Tennessee after the body of a woman is found left in a pond, raped, tortured and strangled. It's Ramsey's job to help figure out who she was, why she was murdered, and by whom. Complicating matters is a local legend that refers to a strange red that appears out of nowhere every generation or so and the unexpected deaths that follow. Ramsey doesn't believe in psychic hoodoo. She believes in facts, so the legend means nothing to her.
It does mean something to parapsychologist and local man Devlin Stryker. Dev has returned home to do some investigation of his own - somewhat motivated by events in his own past there. But he and Ramsey butt heads quickly, until attraction rears its head. As they continue to investigate, the uncover what could be a conspiracy that is generations old.
Review:
I could save time by just copying and pasting my review from the first book (Waking Nightmare) because pretty much everything I wrote for that review applies to this book as well. They have the exact same strong points and the exact same weak points.
Like book 1 in the series, this one has an intricate plot that is logical and (somewhat) realistic. I didn't find it as interesting as the plot in the first book, though. Something about it didn't quite ring my bell, but I can't pinpoint anything specific. It might be because it's a rather slow-moving plot, just kind of meandering along with no real action intensity. I got a bit bored now and then. There was just something unfocused about the plot. But it was still decent and I didn't mind reading it.
And again, Brant does well (too well) at keeping the reader guessing about who the bad guy is. The author doesn't give you much to point you one way or another on trying to figure out who is guilty. Depending on your point of view, that could be a good thing or a bad thing. I'm undecided. Part of me likes that I was kept guessing, but another part of me thinks the author was too nebulous because there really isn't anything to point you in one direction or another. It one thing to try to piece together the clues and it's another thing to have no clues at all (or very few).
I did like the short guest appearance by Abbie and Ryne from book 1. Readers got to know what they were up to and that they settle into HEA bliss. Which was good to know because the end of book 1 felt more like an HFN than a HEA.
Aside from those somewhat good points about that book, that's really the only positive stuff I can think to say. And here's where I could literally paste my discussion of the weak points of book 1. They are exactly the same.
-- The author still gives very little about Raiker Forensics. Again, you get just the basic introduction to it but other than that you get nothing to give you a good connection to a topic that is the basis of the entire series. Not a good thing, in my opinion.
-- The "hick" talk got annoying. Sure, it's realistic, but it was damn annoying to read.
-- The author's desire to make the characters mysterious by giving only hints and tidbits about their tragic pasts gets old pretty damn quick. It was okay in book 1, but having to go through another entire book with all these vague clues and references to tragic things that happened to the characters started to piss me off. I don't want to spend every page of every book wondering who the hell these characters are.
-- As an extension of that, like book 1, the character portraits were utterly terrible. You get to the end of the book and still feel like you have no clue who these people really are. Same as book 1, you find out who they are at the moment (investigator, parapsychologist) and you learn about the 1 or 2 specific events in their pasts that helped formed who they are, but nothing else. Take Ramsey for instance. She grew up trailer trash, had a terrible thing happen to her, married at 17 to a abusive man...then somehow she ended up with the TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigations), then with Raiker Forensics. HUH? How in the world did she get from point C to point D? The author gives us no idea whatsoever. With both these books it's been very hard to connect with the characters when you're left no really knowing who they are and how they got to be the way they are.
-- And some of that lack of connection is maybe what makes the romance so-so. There was a bit of a lack of chemistry between these two, and like the first book, they seemed like they were pushed together solely because they were there. I just wasn't really feeling the relationship. Nevermind that they never once say "I love you" in the book and that the ending feels more HFN than HEA.
-- Lastly, and this one is a minor quibble. I would have like more of a wrap-up at the end, tying up all the loose ends, answering all questions. I didn't find the wrap-up of the plot as satisfying as it could have been.
That sums up all my thoughts, I suppose. I think author Kylie Brant has a lot of potential as a romantic suspense author but she hasn't quite got all the nuances of a good RS down yet. At least in my opinion. I'm not ready to give up on her books, or the series, yet.
Series Note:
Second book in the "Mindhunters" series about an independent forensics agency and the people who work there. You don't have to have read the first book in order to read this one.
Summary:
Raiker Forensics agent Ramsey Clark is sent to Buffalo Springs, Tennessee after the body of a woman is found left in a pond, raped, tortured and strangled. It's Ramsey's job to help figure out who she was, why she was murdered, and by whom. Complicating matters is a local legend that refers to a strange red that appears out of nowhere every generation or so and the unexpected deaths that follow. Ramsey doesn't believe in psychic hoodoo. She believes in facts, so the legend means nothing to her.
It does mean something to parapsychologist and local man Devlin Stryker. Dev has returned home to do some investigation of his own - somewhat motivated by events in his own past there. But he and Ramsey butt heads quickly, until attraction rears its head. As they continue to investigate, the uncover what could be a conspiracy that is generations old.
Review:
I could save time by just copying and pasting my review from the first book (Waking Nightmare) because pretty much everything I wrote for that review applies to this book as well. They have the exact same strong points and the exact same weak points.
Like book 1 in the series, this one has an intricate plot that is logical and (somewhat) realistic. I didn't find it as interesting as the plot in the first book, though. Something about it didn't quite ring my bell, but I can't pinpoint anything specific. It might be because it's a rather slow-moving plot, just kind of meandering along with no real action intensity. I got a bit bored now and then. There was just something unfocused about the plot. But it was still decent and I didn't mind reading it.
And again, Brant does well (too well) at keeping the reader guessing about who the bad guy is. The author doesn't give you much to point you one way or another on trying to figure out who is guilty. Depending on your point of view, that could be a good thing or a bad thing. I'm undecided. Part of me likes that I was kept guessing, but another part of me thinks the author was too nebulous because there really isn't anything to point you in one direction or another. It one thing to try to piece together the clues and it's another thing to have no clues at all (or very few).
I did like the short guest appearance by Abbie and Ryne from book 1. Readers got to know what they were up to and that they settle into HEA bliss. Which was good to know because the end of book 1 felt more like an HFN than a HEA.
Aside from those somewhat good points about that book, that's really the only positive stuff I can think to say. And here's where I could literally paste my discussion of the weak points of book 1. They are exactly the same.
-- The author still gives very little about Raiker Forensics. Again, you get just the basic introduction to it but other than that you get nothing to give you a good connection to a topic that is the basis of the entire series. Not a good thing, in my opinion.
-- The "hick" talk got annoying. Sure, it's realistic, but it was damn annoying to read.
-- The author's desire to make the characters mysterious by giving only hints and tidbits about their tragic pasts gets old pretty damn quick. It was okay in book 1, but having to go through another entire book with all these vague clues and references to tragic things that happened to the characters started to piss me off. I don't want to spend every page of every book wondering who the hell these characters are.
-- As an extension of that, like book 1, the character portraits were utterly terrible. You get to the end of the book and still feel like you have no clue who these people really are. Same as book 1, you find out who they are at the moment (investigator, parapsychologist) and you learn about the 1 or 2 specific events in their pasts that helped formed who they are, but nothing else. Take Ramsey for instance. She grew up trailer trash, had a terrible thing happen to her, married at 17 to a abusive man...then somehow she ended up with the TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigations), then with Raiker Forensics. HUH? How in the world did she get from point C to point D? The author gives us no idea whatsoever. With both these books it's been very hard to connect with the characters when you're left no really knowing who they are and how they got to be the way they are.
-- And some of that lack of connection is maybe what makes the romance so-so. There was a bit of a lack of chemistry between these two, and like the first book, they seemed like they were pushed together solely because they were there. I just wasn't really feeling the relationship. Nevermind that they never once say "I love you" in the book and that the ending feels more HFN than HEA.
-- Lastly, and this one is a minor quibble. I would have like more of a wrap-up at the end, tying up all the loose ends, answering all questions. I didn't find the wrap-up of the plot as satisfying as it could have been.
That sums up all my thoughts, I suppose. I think author Kylie Brant has a lot of potential as a romantic suspense author but she hasn't quite got all the nuances of a good RS down yet. At least in my opinion. I'm not ready to give up on her books, or the series, yet.
September 25, 2010
Investigator slowly unravels a mystery. Some motivations and details were not explained. A lot of mean people in this story.
STORY BRIEF:
A woman is sexually tortured, murdered and thrown into Ashton Pond. The TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) investigates and brings in outside forensic consultant, Ramsey. She works for Raiker Forensics, a consulting firm also known as The Mindhunters due to their brilliance and track record in solving tough crimes. The victim’s stomach contents reveal that the murderer forced her to eat a type of plant shortly before she died.
There is a local legend that every 20 or 30 years a red mist appears in the woods near Ashton Pond. When the red mist appears, three deaths will occur. Dev grew up in the area but since left. He now investigates paranormal and psychic phenomenon and writes books about it. He is using equipment to investigate the red mist. Some locals won’t talk to outsiders like Ramsey, but they like Dev. So Dev helps Ramsey by accompanying her on visits to question various people.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The book cover labels this as romantic suspense, but I see it as mostly a mystery with some romance and some suspense. Most of the story has the reader following along with Ramsey during her impressive and detailed investigation to solve the murder. She gathers a variety of information from a variety of places. She has the right kind of intuition and judgment that others don’t. By the end, the murder is solved. Aside from the murder, there are a lot of mean people getting away with doing mean things – not only currently but also during Ramsey’s and Dev’s past. It’s depressing to think about what they went through when they were younger, due to their own family members as well as outsiders.
As a mystery it was good. Dev’s personality and dialogue were charming. The last fifth of the book had me eager to keep reading to find out what happened. However, I prefer reading more about other things, than slowly solving a mystery which was the majority of time in this book. I was disappointed that several things were not explained, see Spoilers below. Caution, there are some brutal sexual torture scenes.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
Page 36 of the book tells us Ramsey is thinking the sexual “trauma suggested possible multiple partners.” Therefore, I think I can talk about the following spoiler without giving away the store. I was disappointed that the author did not provide details about how and why a group got together to rape and kill the girl. How frequently did they do this? I can’t imagine what kind of conversations those people had with each other when they planned, did this, or talked to each other later about it. How many were in the group? How did they justify it? I wanted to know more. The red mist happens every 30 years or so. I got the feeling that this type of murder would happen more frequently than every 30 years. If that was true, then the red mist was occurring with some but not all of the murders. The number of murders by members of the current and past groups was not explained.
There was a roadside scene about men with clubs. I wanted to see some justice. The author didn’t continue with what would happen next. I had questions about Ezra. Was he shot and wounded? When and why did he move the chemicals? I also wanted to know what happened to Ramsey at age 15 in the woods. The author says a group of guys planned to rape her, but we aren’t told or shown what happened. I assume they raped her, but I wasn’t sure.
DATA:
Story length: 359 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 4. Total number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Tennessee. Copyright: 2009. Genre: mystery with some romantic suspense.
STORY BRIEF:
A woman is sexually tortured, murdered and thrown into Ashton Pond. The TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) investigates and brings in outside forensic consultant, Ramsey. She works for Raiker Forensics, a consulting firm also known as The Mindhunters due to their brilliance and track record in solving tough crimes. The victim’s stomach contents reveal that the murderer forced her to eat a type of plant shortly before she died.
There is a local legend that every 20 or 30 years a red mist appears in the woods near Ashton Pond. When the red mist appears, three deaths will occur. Dev grew up in the area but since left. He now investigates paranormal and psychic phenomenon and writes books about it. He is using equipment to investigate the red mist. Some locals won’t talk to outsiders like Ramsey, but they like Dev. So Dev helps Ramsey by accompanying her on visits to question various people.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The book cover labels this as romantic suspense, but I see it as mostly a mystery with some romance and some suspense. Most of the story has the reader following along with Ramsey during her impressive and detailed investigation to solve the murder. She gathers a variety of information from a variety of places. She has the right kind of intuition and judgment that others don’t. By the end, the murder is solved. Aside from the murder, there are a lot of mean people getting away with doing mean things – not only currently but also during Ramsey’s and Dev’s past. It’s depressing to think about what they went through when they were younger, due to their own family members as well as outsiders.
As a mystery it was good. Dev’s personality and dialogue were charming. The last fifth of the book had me eager to keep reading to find out what happened. However, I prefer reading more about other things, than slowly solving a mystery which was the majority of time in this book. I was disappointed that several things were not explained, see Spoilers below. Caution, there are some brutal sexual torture scenes.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
Page 36 of the book tells us Ramsey is thinking the sexual “trauma suggested possible multiple partners.” Therefore, I think I can talk about the following spoiler without giving away the store. I was disappointed that the author did not provide details about how and why a group got together to rape and kill the girl. How frequently did they do this? I can’t imagine what kind of conversations those people had with each other when they planned, did this, or talked to each other later about it. How many were in the group? How did they justify it? I wanted to know more. The red mist happens every 30 years or so. I got the feeling that this type of murder would happen more frequently than every 30 years. If that was true, then the red mist was occurring with some but not all of the murders. The number of murders by members of the current and past groups was not explained.
There was a roadside scene about men with clubs. I wanted to see some justice. The author didn’t continue with what would happen next. I had questions about Ezra. Was he shot and wounded? When and why did he move the chemicals? I also wanted to know what happened to Ramsey at age 15 in the woods. The author says a group of guys planned to rape her, but we aren’t told or shown what happened. I assume they raped her, but I wasn’t sure.
DATA:
Story length: 359 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 4. Total number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Tennessee. Copyright: 2009. Genre: mystery with some romantic suspense.
November 30, 2015
I'm kind of on the fence with how to rate this book. There were some elements I liked, some elements I found unnecessary. I was distracted reading this, not because of too much going on around me, but rather I was focusing on the distractions because I couldn't fully immerse myself in this book. I decided to go with a solid 2.
I liked the characters for the most part. I thought Devlin was interesting with his parapsychology, and he was a nice, southern gentlemen who had the ladies wrapped around his finger. Those parts were fun. I also really liked his grandpa, he seemed like such a crotchety (yet cute) old timer. Ramsey was OK. I didn't feel like her character was wholly developed, and she was never really physically described, so I had a hard time creating her character in my head. I like the old southern town and the quirky townsfolk, but the drawl was starting (startin') to get on my nerves. Most everything ending in -ing was shortened to -in'. Maybe that's why it dragged on for me. I tend to get annoyed quickly, therefore losing focus.
The other part I found kind of off was the murder investigation. I would have been fine without the introduction of the supernatural element/red mist legend. It seemed disconnected to me, like there were two different stories being followed and it took FOREVER for them to come together. I would have liked a stronger focus on one or the other, the legend or the current murder, but equal time was spent on both and I started to not care about either one. And I also found it strange that a forensic investigator spent very little time with forensics, and more time beating the pavement chasing down leads that the detectives should have been doing. That was kind of farfetched, at least to me.
I will probably read more books in this series, but they won't be my first choice. I have so far read books 1 and 2, and neither one has knocked my socks off. They are pretty average, nothing that makes them stand out, but I still want to know more about Raiker Forensics. That alone is what will make me continue the series.
I liked the characters for the most part. I thought Devlin was interesting with his parapsychology, and he was a nice, southern gentlemen who had the ladies wrapped around his finger. Those parts were fun. I also really liked his grandpa, he seemed like such a crotchety (yet cute) old timer. Ramsey was OK. I didn't feel like her character was wholly developed, and she was never really physically described, so I had a hard time creating her character in my head. I like the old southern town and the quirky townsfolk, but the drawl was starting (startin') to get on my nerves. Most everything ending in -ing was shortened to -in'. Maybe that's why it dragged on for me. I tend to get annoyed quickly, therefore losing focus.
The other part I found kind of off was the murder investigation. I would have been fine without the introduction of the supernatural element/red mist legend. It seemed disconnected to me, like there were two different stories being followed and it took FOREVER for them to come together. I would have liked a stronger focus on one or the other, the legend or the current murder, but equal time was spent on both and I started to not care about either one. And I also found it strange that a forensic investigator spent very little time with forensics, and more time beating the pavement chasing down leads that the detectives should have been doing. That was kind of farfetched, at least to me.
I will probably read more books in this series, but they won't be my first choice. I have so far read books 1 and 2, and neither one has knocked my socks off. They are pretty average, nothing that makes them stand out, but I still want to know more about Raiker Forensics. That alone is what will make me continue the series.
January 5, 2010
They just keep getting better and better. Not light reads but very enjoyable. Solving the crime doesn't come easy and kept me guessing to the very end. Love the characters in these books. Kyle Brant has another winner as far as I'm concerned.
January 29, 2015
4 stars – Romantic Suspense
August 31, 2021
Hat sich in der Mitte leider sehr gezogen.
October 27, 2021
This was book 2 in the
"Mindhunters"
series. Forensic investigator Ramsey Clark is called in when a girls body is found. Ramsey was once an FBI agent but now works for Raiker Forensics aka "The Mindhunters" Devlin Stryker is a parapsychologist with his own interest in the case. I loved these two working together I loved the way Dev got her. Both of these characters have emotional scars at first Ramsey was skeptical of Dev's work and he irritated her with his flirting. I liked both of these characters a lot although Ramsey comes off as difficult, distant and cold. Devlin I liked a lot he was very charming with his flirting. This was a good read or listen as I did audio. I liked the narration of this book. I am looking forward to listening to the next book in this series.
August 31, 2016
I wish these books were more suspense and less romance, to be honest. Because the investigations are great to read about, but I don't really give a fuck about the characters who are cannot keep it in their pants long enough to solve a case. Forming a connection that will eventually lead to a relationship? Fine, absolutely. Kay Hooper does that well. The way Brant writes romance just doesn't appeal to me, I guess.
The paranormal phenomenon was jarring and felt as if it were stuck into the plot rather than a natural part of it.
The paranormal phenomenon was jarring and felt as if it were stuck into the plot rather than a natural part of it.
February 3, 2011
This was my third "Mindhunters" book. I really didn't realize they are ROMANTIC mystery / suspense books until "about the author" in this one. I could do with less romance and more descriptive endings. The plot was really good, but I really think she wrapped this one up in two chapters, and it could have been so much more - the development of the plot is good, but the ending was underdeveloped in my opinion. Disappointed in this one.
March 23, 2011
The second book in the Mindhunters series. This is one of those books that have the right balance of suspense, mystery and romance for my personal taste. That said I did have a few issues with Ramsey's past. I didn't feel it was developed enough and if it wasn't that important to the story why bring it in in the first place. The endng was a little too quickly wrapped up in my opinion. But overall, an enjoyable read.
September 22, 2015
Awesome
This book was awesome from beginning to end. I loved not being able to figure out who the killer/killers were. I started to suspect Rollins just before he was revealed which make this book even better for me, because I usually know who it is halfway through a book. Love it!
This book was awesome from beginning to end. I loved not being able to figure out who the killer/killers were. I started to suspect Rollins just before he was revealed which make this book even better for me, because I usually know who it is halfway through a book. Love it!
June 21, 2010
Very good. Brant can really deliver on the romantic suspense. Devon was a very sweet and sexy hero. I thought he was perfect for Ramsey. Although I do wish we would have got to see her kick her brother's sorry a$$. :-) But I am just evil like that.
March 9, 2014
Great series
Great series
Awesome book and a great series each book is a stand alone in its own right. can't go wrong with this author!
Great series
Awesome book and a great series each book is a stand alone in its own right. can't go wrong with this author!
April 12, 2014
I did not care for this writing style, the characters or location. It was just boring and very bland ...no chemistry.
June 16, 2021
good book but a little too much romance/sex for me
February 4, 2025
„Kylie Brant weiß, wie man Thriller schreibt!“ Sagt The Big Thrill.
Das sehe ich anders.
Zu erst einmal zu den offensichtlichen Problemen, nämlich dass einfach mir nichts dir nicht das N-Wort benutzt wird oder bei einer forensischen Haaranalyse von “Menschenrasse“ die Rede ist. Wtf. Ich dachte, das hätten wir im letzten Jahrhundert gelassen…
Dann war der Spannungsbogen leider einfach nicht vorhanden und das Ende war mehr als Random und hat leider auch einiges offen gelassen. Das Klischee der misshandelten und vergewaltigten Frau wurde durch den religiösen Touch wenigstens noch ein bisschen interessanter gemacht, aber alles in allem hat man das Gefühl gehabt: Das hab ich doch schon mal gelesen…
Im gesamten Mittelteil des Buches ist auch nicht nennenswertes passiert, was irgendwie zur Lösung des Falles beigetragen hätte. Stattdessen erfährt man viel über die fragwürdige Beziehung der beiden Protagonisten, was mich zu meinem nächsten Punkt führt.
Den Übergang von „ich finde dich absolut nervig“ zu „ich will dir die Klamotten vom Leib reißen“ habe ich überhaupt nicht verstanden. Das war keine Chemie vorhanden zwischen den beiden, mal abgesehen davon, dass der Typ halt einfach kein Nein akzeptieren kann. Und ja, ich habe es verstanden, du findest sie “faszinierend“, i get it, aber bitte höre doch auf sie „Süße“ oder „Honey“ zu nennen. Es ist unangenehm.
Alles in allem ein Buch, das den Titel „Psychothriller“ wohl eher nicht verdient hat.
Das sehe ich anders.
Zu erst einmal zu den offensichtlichen Problemen, nämlich dass einfach mir nichts dir nicht das N-Wort benutzt wird oder bei einer forensischen Haaranalyse von “Menschenrasse“ die Rede ist. Wtf. Ich dachte, das hätten wir im letzten Jahrhundert gelassen…
Dann war der Spannungsbogen leider einfach nicht vorhanden und das Ende war mehr als Random und hat leider auch einiges offen gelassen. Das Klischee der misshandelten und vergewaltigten Frau wurde durch den religiösen Touch wenigstens noch ein bisschen interessanter gemacht, aber alles in allem hat man das Gefühl gehabt: Das hab ich doch schon mal gelesen…
Im gesamten Mittelteil des Buches ist auch nicht nennenswertes passiert, was irgendwie zur Lösung des Falles beigetragen hätte. Stattdessen erfährt man viel über die fragwürdige Beziehung der beiden Protagonisten, was mich zu meinem nächsten Punkt führt.
Den Übergang von „ich finde dich absolut nervig“ zu „ich will dir die Klamotten vom Leib reißen“ habe ich überhaupt nicht verstanden. Das war keine Chemie vorhanden zwischen den beiden, mal abgesehen davon, dass der Typ halt einfach kein Nein akzeptieren kann. Und ja, ich habe es verstanden, du findest sie “faszinierend“, i get it, aber bitte höre doch auf sie „Süße“ oder „Honey“ zu nennen. Es ist unangenehm.
Alles in allem ein Buch, das den Titel „Psychothriller“ wohl eher nicht verdient hat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2022
This is 1 star for me but I have issues with romantic suspense so this really was not the book for me. I finished this with a lot of skimming - which is really challenging to do with an audio book. As I mentioned, I am not a romantic suspense reader but I like the reader Bronson Pichot, this was free on audible plus and the blurb had some paranormal overtones which made it sound interesting. I had read and liked the Rockton series which were murder mysteries so I gave this a shot hoping for something similar - a slightly more serious murder investigation than the cozies that I can also tolerate. But this was everything I have issues with in the RS genre - in the moment scenes with the rapist/murderer juxtaposed with love scenes. And just what I tried to avoid by starting with this 2nd Mindhunters - when looking at this series I skipped the first book because the rapes were mentioned in the the blurb - but this one also has torture/rape and a MC with gang rape in her past and a side character who thinks about a past rape.
I do have to give the author credit though, even though I still need mind bleach for the parts I wasn't able to skip, I did need to find out the resolution to the mystery - hence the skimming.
I do have to give the author credit though, even though I still need mind bleach for the parts I wasn't able to skip, I did need to find out the resolution to the mystery - hence the skimming.
July 5, 2021
Interesting Characters & Story
This is a pretty decent thriller in a genre that's fairly flooded these days. But reader beware, if you can't stand a side of romance with your thriller, you might want to pass on this one. The two main characters, who are as alike as cats and dogs, do manage to create some serious steam while solving this case.
When I say the main characters are different, I really do mean "night and day." The female profiler, Ramsey, is actually a pretty difficult, distant, and basically unlikable person on the outside. Devlin, however, is a modern day Rhett Butler. He oozes southern charm with that rakish quality that has women swooning and men making fists. These two are hardly from the same planet. Yet Devlin woos her with incomparable patience and gentleness as she attempts to ignore him and work her case. As if.
The story itself is nicely paced and well woven. Bronson Pinchot's narration was fabulously voiced. He is an amazing narrator. Unfortunately, he had a few mispronunciations of locations that drove me slightly nuts, but those were few and far between. He still did a fantastic job with all the characterizations.
This is a pretty decent thriller in a genre that's fairly flooded these days. But reader beware, if you can't stand a side of romance with your thriller, you might want to pass on this one. The two main characters, who are as alike as cats and dogs, do manage to create some serious steam while solving this case.
When I say the main characters are different, I really do mean "night and day." The female profiler, Ramsey, is actually a pretty difficult, distant, and basically unlikable person on the outside. Devlin, however, is a modern day Rhett Butler. He oozes southern charm with that rakish quality that has women swooning and men making fists. These two are hardly from the same planet. Yet Devlin woos her with incomparable patience and gentleness as she attempts to ignore him and work her case. As if.
The story itself is nicely paced and well woven. Bronson Pinchot's narration was fabulously voiced. He is an amazing narrator. Unfortunately, he had a few mispronunciations of locations that drove me slightly nuts, but those were few and far between. He still did a fantastic job with all the characterizations.
March 23, 2022
Mind-boggling
The main reason I wanted to read this is because of Bronson Pinchot. I've always liked his quirky character on Perfect Strangers and I feel that he would make this an engaging read. And true enough, his narration made this book even more interesting. His take on each character totally stood out during the entire narration. And his southern accent sounds so natural there was no dull moment while I was listening to it. But, and probably my own fault, I often found myself wondering what was happening next. Maybe because I got so engrossed with the narration? But either way, I got a bad feeling that I missed out on some important parts here. But as a whole, this was good romantic suspense. I was actually rooting for our MCs up to the very end because their chemistry is combustible! I wish there were more sweet, steamy, and intimate moments with them together.
This is my first book from the author and from this book, she writes good romantic suspense. I loved the idea that reading this feels like watching my favorite crime dramas. This won't definitely my last from her, that is for sure!
The main reason I wanted to read this is because of Bronson Pinchot. I've always liked his quirky character on Perfect Strangers and I feel that he would make this an engaging read. And true enough, his narration made this book even more interesting. His take on each character totally stood out during the entire narration. And his southern accent sounds so natural there was no dull moment while I was listening to it. But, and probably my own fault, I often found myself wondering what was happening next. Maybe because I got so engrossed with the narration? But either way, I got a bad feeling that I missed out on some important parts here. But as a whole, this was good romantic suspense. I was actually rooting for our MCs up to the very end because their chemistry is combustible! I wish there were more sweet, steamy, and intimate moments with them together.
This is my first book from the author and from this book, she writes good romantic suspense. I loved the idea that reading this feels like watching my favorite crime dramas. This won't definitely my last from her, that is for sure!
October 19, 2023
Initially I enjoyed this series. However, this is the third book I’ve read and in each one thus far, the female character is emotionally damaged and resigned to live her life alone. Then along comes a handsome irresistible, yet annoying to her, male character who ultimately swoons her and gets her to realize she wants/needs him. So while she’s highly skilled in her field and therefore written to be “strong”, ultimately she apparently still needs a man to save her. I didn’t even finish this book. Take out the emotionally damaged and helpless female who can only be saved by the ultra handsome man who won’t stop pestering her, and the story would be much better.
March 7, 2020
Awesome story. Ramsey was kick ass but not without reason. Dev seemed like a laid back country boy but was much more. Together, there were enough sparks to create a bonfire. It didn't hurt that both were excellent at their jobs and that they were able to work together. This is one I'll be rereading over and over.
January 25, 2021
I really enjoyed the first book in the series so I went into this one assuming I’d enjoy it as well. Unfortunately not. The main character is beyond abrasive which is fine when it’s part of an evolution but she just remains...unremarkable, unlikable, and uninteresting. As far as the story itself goes, I’ll just say that the end had this skeptic rolling her eyes damn near out of her head. ouf.
November 14, 2024
Pretty much just like the first book in the series. Psycho and sadistic serial rapist on the loose. Mild erotica scene descriptions. No real likable characters. Very slow start to the story. Twist at the end on the rapist. Would be better of more mystery and less descriptive sex scenes. The accents were pretty lame too.
February 9, 2019
Positives: great story line, interesting characters. I love how she walks you through the investigation and you still don’t know “who dun it”. The author is a master at weaving a tale with just the right amount of suspense and mystery.
Negatives: graphic sexual content
Negatives: graphic sexual content
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