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Mindhunters #5
Deadly Dreams
Risa Chandler's prescient dreams of death and murder haunted her nights. They also proved invaluable for Adam Raiker's brilliant team of forensic criminologists, the Mindhunters—until a tragic end to one case shattered Risa's confidence, and drove her into seclusion. But for Risa, there's no hiding from death—or from her dreams.
Though skeptical, Philadelphia homicide detective Nate McGuire enlists Risa's help in finding a serial killer who has claimed three victims. Reluctantly, she agrees. Because she's been dreaming again—rituals by fire, charred horrors, tortured screams. But Risa's feeling something else: the heat of a stranger who's watching her just as closely, a madman with dreams of his own—to make Risa his ultimate fiery sacrifice.
Though skeptical, Philadelphia homicide detective Nate McGuire enlists Risa's help in finding a serial killer who has claimed three victims. Reluctantly, she agrees. Because she's been dreaming again—rituals by fire, charred horrors, tortured screams. But Risa's feeling something else: the heat of a stranger who's watching her just as closely, a madman with dreams of his own—to make Risa his ultimate fiery sacrifice.
325 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 5, 2011
25 people are currently reading
597 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 46 reviews
February 18, 2016
Liked:
1. the heroine was an ex cop with some psychic dreams - I quite liked that aspect as the dreams were contributing more under the shape of a sixth sense/instincts;
2. the heroine was older and divorced;
3. the hero too had some family;
4. the crimes were interesting, the mistery ok (although I had guessed some things, no particular twists);
Disliked:
1. some characters had no particular relevance to the story (aka Cass);
2. there was actually no romance, I don't know why the the main characters hooked up, this book could've ended with them being just friends/ colleagues and it would've been just fine.
Honestly, I found it quite jarring to the whole rhythm of the story when suddenly they decided to be atracted one to each other.
1. the heroine was an ex cop with some psychic dreams - I quite liked that aspect as the dreams were contributing more under the shape of a sixth sense/instincts;
2. the heroine was older and divorced;
3. the hero too had some family;
4. the crimes were interesting, the mistery ok (although I had guessed some things, no particular twists);
Disliked:
1. some characters had no particular relevance to the story (aka Cass);
2. there was actually no romance, I don't know why the the main characters hooked up, this book could've ended with them being just friends/ colleagues and it would've been just fine.
Honestly, I found it quite jarring to the whole rhythm of the story when suddenly they decided to be atracted one to each other.
February 24, 2013
This story was AMAZING!
Suspense, drama, mystery, romance..yep.. this book had it all!
LOVED this story, and I LOVE this series!
Bravo Ms. Brant for your writing, characters, and story telling!
Suspense, drama, mystery, romance..yep.. this book had it all!
LOVED this story, and I LOVE this series!
Bravo Ms. Brant for your writing, characters, and story telling!
June 25, 2017
This was, how should I put it, underwhelming.
First of all, I don't like reading about people killing cops. That's one layer of this story. The way this killer is doing it is as detailed as you can get without spoiling the who.
Next, I'm not a fan of corrupted ones either. That's another layer. All personal preferences. None of this is a spoiler since it becomes clear what's going on right in the beginning.
Risa dreams about the murders. But she doesn't want to participate because the past mistake that haunts her so she can't even look at her gun let alone touch it. If you 'heard' my eye-roll there, good. Risa's issues aren't done well. Anyway, stuff happens and she tags along the task force leader, Nate. They investigate stuff and it's boring as hell.
There are so many abused women in this book. Risa is not one of them, of course. She has other demons and they aren't that interesting. Other women are Nate's sister Kristin (has a five year old disabled child and acts in the way you want to strangle her), his partner Cass (to say she has terrible taste in men would be an understatement; often bruised) and Risa's mother (see Cass, but in the past). None of this is important for the story, though.
Nate is a nice guy who wants to save everyone. He has some weird notions like if a woman can look at a dead body without being sick, it's not surprising because 'there was a reason people said women were the stronger sex.' No, Nate, it's because some people (people, not women) aren't squeamish.
Risa is even worse: 'If you've got something to say, Detective, go ahead. Don't be a girl about it.' What does this even mean?
The suspense part of the story isn't horrible, but the main characters never make you like them. The best I could push myself was indifference. It doesn't help the villains (both the killer and his victims) are so over-the-top, I almost imagined one of the cops twirling his moustaches. The killer's motivation is weak too -
The romance? God, that was bad, embarrassing even. People use words 'zero chemistry' often, but this could stand as a textbook example of it.
Overall, I find this series interesting enough to continue with the rest. I did like the previous books, after all. This book didn't live up to my expectations.
First of all, I don't like reading about people killing cops. That's one layer of this story. The way this killer is doing it is as detailed as you can get without spoiling the who.
Next, I'm not a fan of corrupted ones either. That's another layer. All personal preferences. None of this is a spoiler since it becomes clear what's going on right in the beginning.
Risa dreams about the murders. But she doesn't want to participate because the past mistake that haunts her so she can't even look at her gun let alone touch it. If you 'heard' my eye-roll there, good. Risa's issues aren't done well. Anyway, stuff happens and she tags along the task force leader, Nate. They investigate stuff and it's boring as hell.
There are so many abused women in this book. Risa is not one of them, of course. She has other demons and they aren't that interesting. Other women are Nate's sister Kristin (has a five year old disabled child and acts in the way you want to strangle her), his partner Cass (to say she has terrible taste in men would be an understatement; often bruised) and Risa's mother (see Cass, but in the past). None of this is important for the story, though.
Nate is a nice guy who wants to save everyone. He has some weird notions like if a woman can look at a dead body without being sick, it's not surprising because 'there was a reason people said women were the stronger sex.' No, Nate, it's because some people (people, not women) aren't squeamish.
Risa is even worse: 'If you've got something to say, Detective, go ahead. Don't be a girl about it.' What does this even mean?
The suspense part of the story isn't horrible, but the main characters never make you like them. The best I could push myself was indifference. It doesn't help the villains (both the killer and his victims) are so over-the-top, I almost imagined one of the cops twirling his moustaches. The killer's motivation is weak too -
The romance? God, that was bad, embarrassing even. People use words 'zero chemistry' often, but this could stand as a textbook example of it.
Overall, I find this series interesting enough to continue with the rest. I did like the previous books, after all. This book didn't live up to my expectations.
February 22, 2016
4.5 Stars for the suspense and 3 stars for the romance. Still a very good read. All of Raiker's investigators have special talents and Risa isn't any different. But after her last case she feels unable to cope with her talent or its aftereffects when things go wrong. She gets a visit from the sexy, gruff dark-eyed detective, Nate McGuire, about a burned dead body and her boss told his boss to have her come to the scene. Now neither one is happy about the situation. Risa at Raiker because he is pushing her where she doesn't feel she is ready to go. On Nate's part he doesn't need the distraction of attractive blond nor her help on his case.
Of course neither of them realize the scope and gravity of what they are about to uncover and soon will rely on each other to figure out who the killer is, before Risa becomes his next target. If she is willing to trust in her gift again. What I really enjoyed about the book is the way KB built the investigation for us as the reader. Usually the minute details of how an investigation pans out is glossed over. But here they weren't and made for a very interesting, tight read to see how Nate and Risa connected the dots to catch a cop killer. What wasn't so good was the romance what there was of it, took a long time to get there and when it did, the I Love yous were too quick to be believable. Risa and Nate made a good couple, but they were partners one minute and the next they were in bed. Still enjoyed the story enough that I didn't mind too much. I am really looking forward to the next book, which is the yummy, scarred Adam Raiker's book.
Of course neither of them realize the scope and gravity of what they are about to uncover and soon will rely on each other to figure out who the killer is, before Risa becomes his next target. If she is willing to trust in her gift again. What I really enjoyed about the book is the way KB built the investigation for us as the reader. Usually the minute details of how an investigation pans out is glossed over. But here they weren't and made for a very interesting, tight read to see how Nate and Risa connected the dots to catch a cop killer. What wasn't so good was the romance what there was of it, took a long time to get there and when it did, the I Love yous were too quick to be believable. Risa and Nate made a good couple, but they were partners one minute and the next they were in bed. Still enjoyed the story enough that I didn't mind too much. I am really looking forward to the next book, which is the yummy, scarred Adam Raiker's book.
June 14, 2016
На сей раз речь о серийном поджигателе. И сжигает он полицейских – заживо.
Очередное динамичное и напряженное расследование, отсылки в прошлое, группа продажных копов, творивших дела в восьмидесятых, а теперь за это расплачивающихся… Это месть одной из их жертв? Кого-то из преступного мира? Или кто-то из группы раскаялся и решил наказать остальных?
Во главе расследования Нейт Макгуайр (полицейский) и Мариса Чендлер (из агентства Рэйкера).
И вот тут два момента, один очень положительный, другой не очень.
Плюс: Таки нам опять показали паранормал, ура)) Наконец появился герой со способностями. У Рисы бывают пророческие сны. Автор не ставит их во главу угла, расследование идет своим чередом, почти не опираясь на дар, но он имеется и свою роль сыграет. Очень вкусная деталь, особенно потому, что прежде в серии о подобных способностях не упоминалось и оскомину набить они не успели.
Минус: Отношения Рисы и Нейта… будто незавершенные. Не хватило мне химии, а признания показались преждевременными. Впрочем, герои от этого не стали менее интересными. Также есть несколько оборванных ниточек – история с сестрой Нейта и с Кэс и ее ублюдком-бойфрендом. Обе линии должны были раскрыть для читателя характер героя. И они раскрыли, вот только до конца автор ничего не довела. Несколько досадно.
Но атмосфера как прежде классная, триллер цепляет и держит в напряжении (несмотря на то, что личность убийцы я раскрыла почти сразу)))
Ну и Адам, таинственный Адам Рэйкер… последние месяцы на него активно покушались и в этом романе почти успешно. Пик достигнут. В следующей части будем разбираться с его проблемами)) Наконец-то.
Очередное динамичное и напряженное расследование, отсылки в прошлое, группа продажных копов, творивших дела в восьмидесятых, а теперь за это расплачивающихся… Это месть одной из их жертв? Кого-то из преступного мира? Или кто-то из группы раскаялся и решил наказать остальных?
Во главе расследования Нейт Макгуайр (полицейский) и Мариса Чендлер (из агентства Рэйкера).
И вот тут два момента, один очень положительный, другой не очень.
Плюс: Таки нам опять показали паранормал, ура)) Наконец появился герой со способностями. У Рисы бывают пророческие сны. Автор не ставит их во главу угла, расследование идет своим чередом, почти не опираясь на дар, но он имеется и свою роль сыграет. Очень вкусная деталь, особенно потому, что прежде в серии о подобных способностях не упоминалось и оскомину набить они не успели.
Минус: Отношения Рисы и Нейта… будто незавершенные. Не хватило мне химии, а признания показались преждевременными. Впрочем, герои от этого не стали менее интересными. Также есть несколько оборванных ниточек – история с сестрой Нейта и с Кэс и ее ублюдком-бойфрендом. Обе линии должны были раскрыть для читателя характер героя. И они раскрыли, вот только до конца автор ничего не довела. Несколько досадно.
Но атмосфера как прежде классная, триллер цепляет и держит в напряжении (несмотря на то, что личность убийцы я раскрыла почти сразу)))
Ну и Адам, таинственный Адам Рэйкер… последние месяцы на него активно покушались и в этом романе почти успешно. Пик достигнут. В следующей части будем разбираться с его проблемами)) Наконец-то.
February 5, 2023
This was a whole lot better than the last couple. This author's writing seems to be getting less misogynistic as the series progresses. The last book had a total douchebag MMC but Nate is.... OK. He has the predictable issues with a consultant coming onto his case but he's actually kind of respectful, and open and is a man who can acknowledge his feelings. With words... 😱
The narrator, Bronson Pinchot, does a great job with these characters and with the accents.
The narrator, Bronson Pinchot, does a great job with these characters and with the accents.
April 27, 2011
*3.5 Stars*
This is the fifth book in the Mindhunters series, but it stands alone well. I haven’t read any of the previous books but I never felt lost while reading this. We meet some of the previous characters—and it’s possible that the heroine’s problems with her last case may have been shown in a previous book—but there was nothing tying them to the events in this book that would necessitate reading the previous books before this one.
Although this is listed as Romantic Suspense on the author’s website, I would be really hesitant to label it as such. The romance aspect was light--very light. I, personally, think it would fall more in line with regular Suspense. Even though it did show the main characters getting together, it was subtle and more of a background feature.
I really liked how well the author showcased the main characters’ lives outside of their case. The location wasn’t focused on enough to be memorable—I honestly couldn’t remember what city they were in until I checked the book—but that didn’t bother me at all because the characters and the case were made memorable.
Nate’s outside life was particularly heartbreaking. He was stuck with a troubled sister who he couldn’t trust to be responsible for her own son. They all lived together for stability, but it was a tense situation with no real right answer. I really felt for Nate and although I wouldn’t have made the same decision he did, I still understood his reasons. Besides, I’m way meaner and less forgiving than he is. ;)
That wasn’t the only time the author threw in personal complications to add depth and complexity. Nate’s partner kept making the wrong decision in her personal life and it started to bleed over into her work. There was no easy out for her and I felt really bad for her, but I couldn’t really blame the police force either. Even Rissa had problems with her mom. She loved her mom, but the two women didn’t always understand each other. I just really appreciated these details because it helped present a well rounded cast. This was definitely not a book where the hero and heroine lived in a vacuum while they fell in love.
The author did a great job pulling me into the case. The attitude toward the investigation and the procedural aspects of the story seemed very well done. The book started a little slow, but I was soon pulled in. I liked that the author showed Rissa’s dreams as fragmented and full of symbolism and throw away details, just like a real dream would be. It was up to Rissa to find the important details and interpret them.
One of the more fascinating characters was Adam Raiker, Rissa’s boss. What he has been through, and the strength that he has shown in not only surviving but living, captured my attention right away. He is a man who has been through hell and back and it shows, literally. I was already interested in checking out other books in the series, but if I hadn’t, the details about him would have clinched it. I can’t wait to learn more about him.
Although I did enjoy the book once I got into it, it doesn’t change the fact that I picked it up expecting a Romance. The fact that it was pretty nonexistent and that their I-Love-You’s at the end seemed to come out of nowhere really dimmed my enjoyment. Added to that, the author’s writing style always kept me distant. I can’t seem to find the words to express what I mean, but the author’s style read more like a horror or suspense, not a Romance or UF. I was never quite able to forget that I was reading a book.
Favorite Quote:
*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.*
This is the fifth book in the Mindhunters series, but it stands alone well. I haven’t read any of the previous books but I never felt lost while reading this. We meet some of the previous characters—and it’s possible that the heroine’s problems with her last case may have been shown in a previous book—but there was nothing tying them to the events in this book that would necessitate reading the previous books before this one.
Although this is listed as Romantic Suspense on the author’s website, I would be really hesitant to label it as such. The romance aspect was light--very light. I, personally, think it would fall more in line with regular Suspense. Even though it did show the main characters getting together, it was subtle and more of a background feature.
I really liked how well the author showcased the main characters’ lives outside of their case. The location wasn’t focused on enough to be memorable—I honestly couldn’t remember what city they were in until I checked the book—but that didn’t bother me at all because the characters and the case were made memorable.
Nate’s outside life was particularly heartbreaking. He was stuck with a troubled sister who he couldn’t trust to be responsible for her own son. They all lived together for stability, but it was a tense situation with no real right answer. I really felt for Nate and although I wouldn’t have made the same decision he did, I still understood his reasons. Besides, I’m way meaner and less forgiving than he is. ;)
That wasn’t the only time the author threw in personal complications to add depth and complexity. Nate’s partner kept making the wrong decision in her personal life and it started to bleed over into her work. There was no easy out for her and I felt really bad for her, but I couldn’t really blame the police force either. Even Rissa had problems with her mom. She loved her mom, but the two women didn’t always understand each other. I just really appreciated these details because it helped present a well rounded cast. This was definitely not a book where the hero and heroine lived in a vacuum while they fell in love.
The author did a great job pulling me into the case. The attitude toward the investigation and the procedural aspects of the story seemed very well done. The book started a little slow, but I was soon pulled in. I liked that the author showed Rissa’s dreams as fragmented and full of symbolism and throw away details, just like a real dream would be. It was up to Rissa to find the important details and interpret them.
One of the more fascinating characters was Adam Raiker, Rissa’s boss. What he has been through, and the strength that he has shown in not only surviving but living, captured my attention right away. He is a man who has been through hell and back and it shows, literally. I was already interested in checking out other books in the series, but if I hadn’t, the details about him would have clinched it. I can’t wait to learn more about him.
Although I did enjoy the book once I got into it, it doesn’t change the fact that I picked it up expecting a Romance. The fact that it was pretty nonexistent and that their I-Love-You’s at the end seemed to come out of nowhere really dimmed my enjoyment. Added to that, the author’s writing style always kept me distant. I can’t seem to find the words to express what I mean, but the author’s style read more like a horror or suspense, not a Romance or UF. I was never quite able to forget that I was reading a book.
Favorite Quote:
"'Nate the Great?'" Risa read off the note. Her mouth quirked as she turned slightly to prevent his grab for the paper. "One of your conquests, detective?"
"She's sixty if she's a day, and has a strange fixation on me. I don't encourage it."
Risa flicked a nail at the message. "So inviting you over for borscht and kotlety isn't an ethnic euphemism for sex?"
*Review originally posted on Fiction Vixen.*
April 20, 2011
I ended up rather disappointed in this book. I expected so much more from it and just didn't get any like I was hoping for.
Series Note:
Fifth book in the "Mindhunters" series about and independent forsenics agency and it's agents. I would suggest at least reading book 4 before reading this one. The first trilogy is pretty independent, but this second trilogy has an overall story arc.
Summary:
Marisa Chandler is an agent for Raiker forensics who has dreams about crimes - who did them, why, how, where, etc. But when her dreams don't help her fully understand a child kidnapping case and she is unable to save a little boy, Risa hands in her resignation and takes time to heal her wounded shoulder. She is staying with her mom in Philadelphia when her dreams return, showing her the terror of a man being burned alive. Risa is thrust into an investigation of a cop killer who has so far set 3 cops on fire.
Heading the investigation is detective Nate McGuire. He's not thrilled with and outsider's help, but his main goal is to find out who is killing cops and why. And as they search for clues, the two grow closer together and trusting each other may be all that will save Risa when the killer targets her.
Review:
I had a lot of issues with the first trilogy in this series. Lack of thorough character portraits, over doing keeping the characters enigmatic, poor romance, not enough clues to the bad guy, etc. But when I read the first book of the second trilogy, it seemed like the author had made a lot of improvement. I really enjoyed that book and didn't really have any major issues. So I was expecting much of the same with this book. Unfortunately, this one regresses back to the same issues that the books in the first trilogy had.
Similar to my complaint in the first trilogy, this book does a poor job of connecting you to Raiker Forensics as group that the series is based upon. Especially in the early part of the book. Risa is just sort of dropped in there as the lead character and she just happens to be an agent of the group. You don't get a feel of what Raiker Forensics is. That doesn't work for me. The group is what the series is based on, I want to feel connected to it.
There was also a bit of an issue where it seemed like a lot of things happened off the page between this book and the last one, things that have a great deal to do with the overall story arc of the second trilogy. Someone is trying to kill the leader of Raiker Forensics and a bunch of things happened and it felt like some big events were glossed over. That annoyed me.
Also like problems I had with the first trilogy, the character portraits aren't very thorough. The characters are primarily in the moment and you get only past info as it relates to one or two tragic moments in their lives. Otherwise, you don't know anything else about these characters. Another very annoying thing.
But what is even more annoying is that the author seems to be so set on making these characters enigmatic that you spend most of the book guessing about what is going on with them. Risa had a big tragic even happen that made her question her career and over and over again you get little tid bits about that event but never an explanation until near the end. And it just gets so annoying waiting and waiting for an explanation. I just wanted to know already. And Nate is helping take care of his nephew and you get bits about the kid has issues, a disability of some sort, but it's not until like 300 pages into the book you finally learn the kid is autistic. What was the big deal about not telling that straight off? It had virtually no consequence to the story so why did I had to keep wondering what was wrong with the kid? It's once thing to have some mystery to the characters but it's another to be continuously evasive to the point that it hurts your characters.
Then there's the romance of the book. I almost want to say 'what romance?' because for most of the book there's none. There wasn't even really any chemistry between these two for most of the book. They are just two people who are working together and now and then you get one of them thinking the other is kind of interesting and whatnot. There was not connection between them that I could feel. So you keep reading and reading hoping for some romantic development and it just doesn't come. They don't kiss for the first time until page 244 of 325 pages. And I want to say they FINALLY kiss, but even then I wasn't feeling the romance of it. Then they don't kiss again until page 283 after which they have sex. I just never felt the romantic connection between these two. And when the end rolled around, you feel more of an HFN ending than an HEA. You really have no idea how these two are going to work out a relationship. Which is made worse because the issues of Risa's psychic dreams and Nate understanding them is dealt with very poorly. Overall, the romantic element of the book was very poor. And I understand it's a romantic suspense. I don't mind if the romance in an RS book is second priority, the case takes first string. But I still want to feel the romance between the characters. That didn't happen here.
On the suspense plot front...it was okay. The case was interesting, but it was also rather slow moving. Most of the book is spent with Risa and Nate just going around questioning people and checking places out. It was a bit boring and tedious and didn't add enough tension to the story. Plus there were so many secondary characters that when one was brought up again later I couldn't remember what his role was earlier in the book and I had to stop and go back and find the character so I could understand the connection. The clues as to the bad guys identity were a little better than some of the other books. I was able to guess about half way through who the bad guy was. So that was good. But it was a plot that could have been more action oriented, more tense instead of so procedural and minutiae oriented.
Were there good things about the book that I liked? Hmm...well, I liked Nate. He seemed like a good guy. And I liked that there were some guest appearances of past characters. There was also a furthering of the overall story arc involving Adam Raiker and who wants to kill him. That aspect makes you really want to read the next book (which will feature him and supposedly wrap up the arc). And the ending was pretty good. It does leave some issues open regarding the story arc, but I can deal with that knowing they'll be handled in the next book.
So yeah, on the whole, this book bugged me. I think it's my least favorite of the series so far, which is really disappointing after the last book was the best of the series for me. It leaves me having no idea what to expect of the last book in the series, which I have to read so I know how the story arc wraps up and so I can learn more about Adam Raiker.
Series Note:
Fifth book in the "Mindhunters" series about and independent forsenics agency and it's agents. I would suggest at least reading book 4 before reading this one. The first trilogy is pretty independent, but this second trilogy has an overall story arc.
Summary:
Marisa Chandler is an agent for Raiker forensics who has dreams about crimes - who did them, why, how, where, etc. But when her dreams don't help her fully understand a child kidnapping case and she is unable to save a little boy, Risa hands in her resignation and takes time to heal her wounded shoulder. She is staying with her mom in Philadelphia when her dreams return, showing her the terror of a man being burned alive. Risa is thrust into an investigation of a cop killer who has so far set 3 cops on fire.
Heading the investigation is detective Nate McGuire. He's not thrilled with and outsider's help, but his main goal is to find out who is killing cops and why. And as they search for clues, the two grow closer together and trusting each other may be all that will save Risa when the killer targets her.
Review:
I had a lot of issues with the first trilogy in this series. Lack of thorough character portraits, over doing keeping the characters enigmatic, poor romance, not enough clues to the bad guy, etc. But when I read the first book of the second trilogy, it seemed like the author had made a lot of improvement. I really enjoyed that book and didn't really have any major issues. So I was expecting much of the same with this book. Unfortunately, this one regresses back to the same issues that the books in the first trilogy had.
Similar to my complaint in the first trilogy, this book does a poor job of connecting you to Raiker Forensics as group that the series is based upon. Especially in the early part of the book. Risa is just sort of dropped in there as the lead character and she just happens to be an agent of the group. You don't get a feel of what Raiker Forensics is. That doesn't work for me. The group is what the series is based on, I want to feel connected to it.
There was also a bit of an issue where it seemed like a lot of things happened off the page between this book and the last one, things that have a great deal to do with the overall story arc of the second trilogy. Someone is trying to kill the leader of Raiker Forensics and a bunch of things happened and it felt like some big events were glossed over. That annoyed me.
Also like problems I had with the first trilogy, the character portraits aren't very thorough. The characters are primarily in the moment and you get only past info as it relates to one or two tragic moments in their lives. Otherwise, you don't know anything else about these characters. Another very annoying thing.
But what is even more annoying is that the author seems to be so set on making these characters enigmatic that you spend most of the book guessing about what is going on with them. Risa had a big tragic even happen that made her question her career and over and over again you get little tid bits about that event but never an explanation until near the end. And it just gets so annoying waiting and waiting for an explanation. I just wanted to know already. And Nate is helping take care of his nephew and you get bits about the kid has issues, a disability of some sort, but it's not until like 300 pages into the book you finally learn the kid is autistic. What was the big deal about not telling that straight off? It had virtually no consequence to the story so why did I had to keep wondering what was wrong with the kid? It's once thing to have some mystery to the characters but it's another to be continuously evasive to the point that it hurts your characters.
Then there's the romance of the book. I almost want to say 'what romance?' because for most of the book there's none. There wasn't even really any chemistry between these two for most of the book. They are just two people who are working together and now and then you get one of them thinking the other is kind of interesting and whatnot. There was not connection between them that I could feel. So you keep reading and reading hoping for some romantic development and it just doesn't come. They don't kiss for the first time until page 244 of 325 pages. And I want to say they FINALLY kiss, but even then I wasn't feeling the romance of it. Then they don't kiss again until page 283 after which they have sex. I just never felt the romantic connection between these two. And when the end rolled around, you feel more of an HFN ending than an HEA. You really have no idea how these two are going to work out a relationship. Which is made worse because the issues of Risa's psychic dreams and Nate understanding them is dealt with very poorly. Overall, the romantic element of the book was very poor. And I understand it's a romantic suspense. I don't mind if the romance in an RS book is second priority, the case takes first string. But I still want to feel the romance between the characters. That didn't happen here.
On the suspense plot front...it was okay. The case was interesting, but it was also rather slow moving. Most of the book is spent with Risa and Nate just going around questioning people and checking places out. It was a bit boring and tedious and didn't add enough tension to the story. Plus there were so many secondary characters that when one was brought up again later I couldn't remember what his role was earlier in the book and I had to stop and go back and find the character so I could understand the connection. The clues as to the bad guys identity were a little better than some of the other books. I was able to guess about half way through who the bad guy was. So that was good. But it was a plot that could have been more action oriented, more tense instead of so procedural and minutiae oriented.
Were there good things about the book that I liked? Hmm...well, I liked Nate. He seemed like a good guy. And I liked that there were some guest appearances of past characters. There was also a furthering of the overall story arc involving Adam Raiker and who wants to kill him. That aspect makes you really want to read the next book (which will feature him and supposedly wrap up the arc). And the ending was pretty good. It does leave some issues open regarding the story arc, but I can deal with that knowing they'll be handled in the next book.
So yeah, on the whole, this book bugged me. I think it's my least favorite of the series so far, which is really disappointing after the last book was the best of the series for me. It leaves me having no idea what to expect of the last book in the series, which I have to read so I know how the story arc wraps up and so I can learn more about Adam Raiker.
December 28, 2016
A couple of months ago, her prescient dreams proved not to be infallible, and Marisa Chandler decided to resign from Raiker’s Forensics to lick her wounds and her confidence. Fortunately for her, and for the detectives targeted by a crazy firebug, Adam Raiker refused to accept Risa’s resignation, and instead got her instated into the task force assembled to catch the so-called Cop Killer.
Partnered with tall, dark, and handsome homicide detective Nate McGuire, Risa has no choice but dream again...And heed those dark dreams of fire, screams, and death, since her life just might depend on her dreams...And her intuition.
After the crash and burn of its predecessor, the Mindhunters is back with a bang in this gem of a story and restored my faith in this second “trilogy” ending with Adam Raiker’s book (coming next).
For those of you, unfamiliar with this series, it’s about employees of a private investigative agency, often on loan to the government or police forces around USA offering their special services in difficult, tricky cases. These employees use a set of skills, a strong mix of intuition, instinct, observation, and sometimes slight psychic abilities (in this book the heroine uses her nightmares to guide her in the investigation of a serial killer torching cops) in order to excellently perform on their jobs. They’re usually paired with police officers/government agents, sometimes together...And the romance blossoms.
Speaking of romance...The entire series is more along the line of a suspense/thriller with a romance as a side story. Mostly successful, sometimes not so much, with usually one or two sex scenes, some heated looks, even more heated kisses (usually after a life-and-death situation), and some intense inner doubts about the blossoming relationship (mostly on the heroine side, the heroes are all for HEA and a long life together). Mostly the romance runs in the background, more like an undercurrent, while most of the book is straight suspense.
This one was the lighter in romance of the bunch to date, literally blink and you miss it, all crammed up in the last third of the book, but somehow it worked much better than the prolonged tension and hesitation so much present in the previous one. It was this “understated-ness” of the romance angle that brought it so much more to the surface, adding a certain emphasis on it, making things cleared in hindsight, and provided, if you will, a good respite from the other aspects of the book (not just the suspense and the villain). You might say it was rushed, but, as both Risa and Nate admitted, there is something about those life-and-death situations, that brings a much sharper focus on things. Even things you might not want to admit.
For the rest, in order maybe not to say too much, I’ll keep it simple...The characters were great (as always), multidimensional, layered, flawed, and with problems of their own outside of the investigation, the characterization, the motivation, the reasoning was spot-on, the pacing just right, the plot tight and intriguing, the suspense amazingly intense (especially that last scene when time was running out), and it kept me guessing who the villain was until Ms Brant chose to reveal his identity (didn’t see that one coming).
Loved it from beginning to end, there wasn’t a dull moment in the book, everything flowed together seamlessly, and the appetizers for Raiker’s book made me want to read the next one immediately.
Chapeau!
Partnered with tall, dark, and handsome homicide detective Nate McGuire, Risa has no choice but dream again...And heed those dark dreams of fire, screams, and death, since her life just might depend on her dreams...And her intuition.
After the crash and burn of its predecessor, the Mindhunters is back with a bang in this gem of a story and restored my faith in this second “trilogy” ending with Adam Raiker’s book (coming next).
For those of you, unfamiliar with this series, it’s about employees of a private investigative agency, often on loan to the government or police forces around USA offering their special services in difficult, tricky cases. These employees use a set of skills, a strong mix of intuition, instinct, observation, and sometimes slight psychic abilities (in this book the heroine uses her nightmares to guide her in the investigation of a serial killer torching cops) in order to excellently perform on their jobs. They’re usually paired with police officers/government agents, sometimes together...And the romance blossoms.
Speaking of romance...The entire series is more along the line of a suspense/thriller with a romance as a side story. Mostly successful, sometimes not so much, with usually one or two sex scenes, some heated looks, even more heated kisses (usually after a life-and-death situation), and some intense inner doubts about the blossoming relationship (mostly on the heroine side, the heroes are all for HEA and a long life together). Mostly the romance runs in the background, more like an undercurrent, while most of the book is straight suspense.
This one was the lighter in romance of the bunch to date, literally blink and you miss it, all crammed up in the last third of the book, but somehow it worked much better than the prolonged tension and hesitation so much present in the previous one. It was this “understated-ness” of the romance angle that brought it so much more to the surface, adding a certain emphasis on it, making things cleared in hindsight, and provided, if you will, a good respite from the other aspects of the book (not just the suspense and the villain). You might say it was rushed, but, as both Risa and Nate admitted, there is something about those life-and-death situations, that brings a much sharper focus on things. Even things you might not want to admit.
For the rest, in order maybe not to say too much, I’ll keep it simple...The characters were great (as always), multidimensional, layered, flawed, and with problems of their own outside of the investigation, the characterization, the motivation, the reasoning was spot-on, the pacing just right, the plot tight and intriguing, the suspense amazingly intense (especially that last scene when time was running out), and it kept me guessing who the villain was until Ms Brant chose to reveal his identity (didn’t see that one coming).
Loved it from beginning to end, there wasn’t a dull moment in the book, everything flowed together seamlessly, and the appetizers for Raiker’s book made me want to read the next one immediately.
Chapeau!
March 7, 2024
With every book it gets better and better. I love the story within a story going on. This one was kinda neat, I didn't figure out who the killer was until right before it was revealed this time. it's kinda fun guessing. The one thing I wasn't really sure what they did to the last one, the guy she saved. I also was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more about the couple this time. Still, very good. Kylie is an excellent author
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2012
He believes in trial by fire. He captures and sets his victims on fire and gives them no mercy.
When it’s found out that someone is burning retired or active policemen it comes to the attention of Adam Raiker of The Mindhunters. One is his people Risa Chandler happens to currently be taking a medical leave after a harrowing experience in the same town as the latest victim. Risa has also started suffering from “dreams” again and her latest is of a man screaming as he is on fire.
Nate McGuire who is a Philadelphia homicide detective has been asked to pick up and take Risa to the latest scene. He has no idea who she is or why she is suddenly part of the investigation. Once it’s realized they have a serial killer on their hands and Risa skills looks to be helpful she is asked to join the task force that’s created to find the killer.
Nate and Risa race to figure out what the link is between the victims and realize there will probably be more before they find the killer.
While the investigation is going on we also get glimpses of Nate and Risa’s home life. Nate had to take custody of his sister’s special needs son when her addictions got out of hand. Even though his sister is back and living with him she isn’t always trust worthy and doesn’t handle the stress of having a special needs child and what she calls a perfect brother well.
Risa last mission left a child dead and she was injured. She is questioning everything about her life and goes to stay with her mother who she has sort of a love/hate relationship with. Risa childhood was not the greatest from the choices her mother made and some of those choices almost got her mother killed.
If you’re a fan of the series Adam is still trying to find the person that is out to kill him. The attempts on his life have only increased but he thinks he knows know how is behind them. His story and the conclusion is the next book in the series.
When it’s found out that someone is burning retired or active policemen it comes to the attention of Adam Raiker of The Mindhunters. One is his people Risa Chandler happens to currently be taking a medical leave after a harrowing experience in the same town as the latest victim. Risa has also started suffering from “dreams” again and her latest is of a man screaming as he is on fire.
Nate McGuire who is a Philadelphia homicide detective has been asked to pick up and take Risa to the latest scene. He has no idea who she is or why she is suddenly part of the investigation. Once it’s realized they have a serial killer on their hands and Risa skills looks to be helpful she is asked to join the task force that’s created to find the killer.
Nate and Risa race to figure out what the link is between the victims and realize there will probably be more before they find the killer.
While the investigation is going on we also get glimpses of Nate and Risa’s home life. Nate had to take custody of his sister’s special needs son when her addictions got out of hand. Even though his sister is back and living with him she isn’t always trust worthy and doesn’t handle the stress of having a special needs child and what she calls a perfect brother well.
Risa last mission left a child dead and she was injured. She is questioning everything about her life and goes to stay with her mother who she has sort of a love/hate relationship with. Risa childhood was not the greatest from the choices her mother made and some of those choices almost got her mother killed.
If you’re a fan of the series Adam is still trying to find the person that is out to kill him. The attempts on his life have only increased but he thinks he knows know how is behind them. His story and the conclusion is the next book in the series.
April 12, 2011
Deadly Dreams is another Mindhunter outing and it is good. Solid really. The plot is basically cops are being burnt alive, some retired, some active and there doesn't seem to be a tangible connection. Risa is a employee of Adam Raiker, a few months ago she was injured in a rescue, her confidence shattered. So, she's been recuperating and staying with her mother. She thinks she is done with the job. Risa was a former cop, basketball player and has even been divorced. She has always had "dreams" psychic one's really. Her mother never understood them, the only person who did was her boss Adam. Risa is invited over to the crime scene by the detective in charge Nate who was told by his boss to take her help. Risa is reluctant but still goes along and then a task-force is formed with Risa on it. Nate has problems of his own, his sister and his autistic nephew.
There is continuance of the sub-plot from the previous book about someone being after Adam Raiker's life. The attempts have increased. The book is about shady cops, the suspense and the investigation is well done. Like the other books I had a problem with the romance, it was too mellow, barely there, I really couldn't see the progress that much but the book is so well done that people may hardly notice that.
Looking forward to Adam's book.
There is continuance of the sub-plot from the previous book about someone being after Adam Raiker's life. The attempts have increased. The book is about shady cops, the suspense and the investigation is well done. Like the other books I had a problem with the romance, it was too mellow, barely there, I really couldn't see the progress that much but the book is so well done that people may hardly notice that.
Looking forward to Adam's book.
April 22, 2013
Good read. More mystery/suspense than romance, in fact very little romance, if that's what you're looking for. Could easily be read as a standalone. 4 stars
March 2, 2024
I loved this book. I’ll admit though, the “victory” at the end felt hollow. I’m all for a fair and controlled justice system in real life, but in fiction I’m a fan of true karma. For the heroine (who I liked) to feel great about saving the final victim (who was scum of the earth) just didn’t give the reader that feeling of great accomplishment.
That’s my disappointment to bear though, or to consider how badly that guy will be treated when he’s locked up in prison.
That’s my disappointment to bear though, or to consider how badly that guy will be treated when he’s locked up in prison.
November 20, 2024
I am sensing a theme to this series. All the books are so similar in overall plot and storyline. At least the dreams Risa had made the story a little more interesting. However, that wasn't enough to offset the lack of mystery, developed characters, etc. Again the story could have been much shorter and not have lost any real value to the plot.
July 9, 2024
This series has very little overall plot. Each book is really a stand alone with new characters. Each book follows pretty much the same outline with different bad guys and different methods to catch the killer. I was also reading other mysteries at the same time and it just didn't work for me.
January 21, 2019
So good....
May 28, 2019
Meh
I have one last book in this series, which I will read... but I hope it's not good. I really don't want to want to continue these.
:)
I have one last book in this series, which I will read... but I hope it's not good. I really don't want to want to continue these.
:)
December 16, 2019
this one was hard to get into Liked the story but have to much going on.
January 8, 2020
I love this series and each book is just getting better!
May 26, 2020
Great series from Kylie Brant. The way she mixes romance with terror is great. I love books that can make me cry about what is going on with the characters.
November 3, 2020
Good story of agent whose dreams come true.
January 1, 2021
Nothing like an enjoyable murder/mystery to finish out the year. Looking forward to continuing the "Mindhunters" series in the new year!
March 7, 2021
Another great thriller by Kylie Brant.
Good characters and storyline with twists and turns
Great narration too
Good characters and storyline with twists and turns
Great narration too
July 4, 2021
Overall, I loved the book and I can't wait to read the next one. Well done!
January 29, 2022
Risa is plagued with self doubt and not willing to see doubt in the eyes of those she cares about. This was another great installment to the series.
August 26, 2024
20. Deadly to dream. And to read.
September 24, 2025
Another amazing read, keeping you guessing!
March 30, 2011
Favorite Quote: “I might be able to come up with something better then ‘decent’ next time. But there is no way in hell I’m going with ‘Nate the Great’.”
Risa Chandler’s dreams of death are the bane of her existence but prove to be invaluable to Adam Raiker’s criminologist team, the Mindhunters. When a case goes horribly wrong, Risa goes into hiding to recover. But dreams never fade and soon Risa will have to risk everything to once again bring a killer to justice.
Risa Chandler is a profiler with the Mindhunters group. She recently suffered a devastating loss on a case and has travelled home to recuperate and deal with what she deems her failure. Risa’s “gift” is dreams. Through her dreams she views the killer’s misdeeds. When she dreams one night of fire and death, she knows her gift is no longer dormant.
Nate McGuire is a detective with the Philadelphia police department. He is ordered to find and bring Risa to his crime scene after a third brutally burned body is discovered. As Nate and Risa investigate this hideous crime; navigating through the myriad of suspects, clues, and misdirection they find more then they bargained for. Someone is systematically killing off a group of former police officers one by one.
Deadly Dreams is the fifth book in Kylie Brant’s Mindhunter series. A twisted and dark romantic suspense; we are held hostage in the multi layered and complex world that Ms. Brandt has created. A stimulating action packed journey that takes us from the very beginning to the explosive finale; gaining knowledge from all sides. It does start out little slow as we are acclimated, along with our agents, to the detailed specifics of the crime and those involved. Ms Brant shows considerable knowledge as she maps out the police procedures for us in a clear and concise matter. The running dialog between the characters is fast and smooth-allowing you to slip right into the story with them. As the plot picks up speed, the mystery and suspense follows suit leaving us ripe with tension till the very last page.
Our hero and heroine are a delightful mixture of contrasts, adding humor and and a lightness to the main storyline. The romance is considerably less involved then the main plot but Ms. Brant uses those scenes to flesh Nate and Risa out brilliantly. I found myself becoming very vested in their outcome. They are fabulous together. The sexual tension between these two is electric. Both Risa and Nate are loyal, intelligent, hard working people. Each of them has responsibilities that they take very seriously.
As these two circle and side step their attraction to each other, you slowly start to see the walls they have built around themselves come down. I actually found myself hurting a little at Nate’s attitude towards Risa when her “gift” is exposed.
I really like that Ms. Brant doesn't make their relationship a central aspect of the story but does manage to intertwine it with the other story lines; allowing it to merge naturally and enhance the ending. Our secondary characters are a integral part of the story from the most visible to the ones we hear about. Each one adding personality, drama, and insight to the story. Adam Raiker is a forceful personality that makes you take notice. Silent but deadly-he is a multi-faceted man. With each installment we learn more and more about what happened in his past. In this book his past has it’s own sub story and we learn great deal.
People and former co-workers of Risa’s and Nate’s lives are also visible in here which gives us valuable insight in to their emotional make ups.
I will admit I was slightly confused about the sub-story concerning Nate’s partner, Cass. Her story doesn’t have any real bearing on the main storyline nor the ending beyond a facet in Nate’s “take care of the world” attitude. It seemed out of place.
Even though we are gradually told why the crimes are being committed, the actual identity of the villain is surprising. I found the the ending to be dramatic and intense. Questions are answered and some more asked that allows for advancement of the over all arc and for our characters-showing us that this is not the last we have seen of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Kylie Brant in the future. Her next book in the series, Deadly Sins (Mindhunter #6), releases August 2011.
Risa Chandler’s dreams of death are the bane of her existence but prove to be invaluable to Adam Raiker’s criminologist team, the Mindhunters. When a case goes horribly wrong, Risa goes into hiding to recover. But dreams never fade and soon Risa will have to risk everything to once again bring a killer to justice.
Risa Chandler is a profiler with the Mindhunters group. She recently suffered a devastating loss on a case and has travelled home to recuperate and deal with what she deems her failure. Risa’s “gift” is dreams. Through her dreams she views the killer’s misdeeds. When she dreams one night of fire and death, she knows her gift is no longer dormant.
Nate McGuire is a detective with the Philadelphia police department. He is ordered to find and bring Risa to his crime scene after a third brutally burned body is discovered. As Nate and Risa investigate this hideous crime; navigating through the myriad of suspects, clues, and misdirection they find more then they bargained for. Someone is systematically killing off a group of former police officers one by one.
Deadly Dreams is the fifth book in Kylie Brant’s Mindhunter series. A twisted and dark romantic suspense; we are held hostage in the multi layered and complex world that Ms. Brandt has created. A stimulating action packed journey that takes us from the very beginning to the explosive finale; gaining knowledge from all sides. It does start out little slow as we are acclimated, along with our agents, to the detailed specifics of the crime and those involved. Ms Brant shows considerable knowledge as she maps out the police procedures for us in a clear and concise matter. The running dialog between the characters is fast and smooth-allowing you to slip right into the story with them. As the plot picks up speed, the mystery and suspense follows suit leaving us ripe with tension till the very last page.
Our hero and heroine are a delightful mixture of contrasts, adding humor and and a lightness to the main storyline. The romance is considerably less involved then the main plot but Ms. Brant uses those scenes to flesh Nate and Risa out brilliantly. I found myself becoming very vested in their outcome. They are fabulous together. The sexual tension between these two is electric. Both Risa and Nate are loyal, intelligent, hard working people. Each of them has responsibilities that they take very seriously.
As these two circle and side step their attraction to each other, you slowly start to see the walls they have built around themselves come down. I actually found myself hurting a little at Nate’s attitude towards Risa when her “gift” is exposed.
I really like that Ms. Brant doesn't make their relationship a central aspect of the story but does manage to intertwine it with the other story lines; allowing it to merge naturally and enhance the ending. Our secondary characters are a integral part of the story from the most visible to the ones we hear about. Each one adding personality, drama, and insight to the story. Adam Raiker is a forceful personality that makes you take notice. Silent but deadly-he is a multi-faceted man. With each installment we learn more and more about what happened in his past. In this book his past has it’s own sub story and we learn great deal.
People and former co-workers of Risa’s and Nate’s lives are also visible in here which gives us valuable insight in to their emotional make ups.
I will admit I was slightly confused about the sub-story concerning Nate’s partner, Cass. Her story doesn’t have any real bearing on the main storyline nor the ending beyond a facet in Nate’s “take care of the world” attitude. It seemed out of place.
Even though we are gradually told why the crimes are being committed, the actual identity of the villain is surprising. I found the the ending to be dramatic and intense. Questions are answered and some more asked that allows for advancement of the over all arc and for our characters-showing us that this is not the last we have seen of them.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Kylie Brant in the future. Her next book in the series, Deadly Sins (Mindhunter #6), releases August 2011.
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