Deadly Dreams: The Mindhunters by Kylie Brant
Reviewed by Gerti
"Deadly Dreams" is the 2nd of the Mindhunter books that I have read by Kylie Brant, and I have to say, I like it better than the last one, "Waking the Dead". Brant seems more focused on the genre here, although there is still some heat between the two main characters who are trying to track down a cop killer. Brant used to write intimate romance books, but in "Deadly Dreams," her clear and accessible style works beautifully telling a grim story of immolation and revenge.
The protagonist is a former Philadelphia cop named Maris Chandler, who move to the Mindhunters, but then left the business of crime-fighting completely after a tragic case where a little boy died. She is teamed up with Nate McGuire, the detective in charge of a special Philadelphia Police Department task force trying to catch a killer targeting cops, past and present. Risa has special skills though--she has psychic dreams that enable her to get a jump on those clues sought by other detectives.
Nat McGuire is the tall, dark, and handsome type, but he has not ime for romance because he has spent years taking care of the autistic son of his alcoholic sister, Kristen. Still, he finds himself drawn to Risa, who likewise has not time for love, since she's still dealing with the trauma of failing t save a ittle boy who had been kidnapped. She's also dealing with her boss, Mindhunter CEO, Adam Raiker, who keeps dropping in on her unexpectedly as he is also being stalked by a killer who has tried to bring him down several times. The FBI has supposedly tracked the assassin down, but they've erred, and Raiker is shot again. Chandler is traumatized, and after a long night at the hospital, heads home to sleep, only to awaken to her home on fire, as the cop killer now perceives her special skills as a threat to his discovery.
Chandler survives, but the close call makes McGuire reveal is feelings about her, and leads to her spending the night at his place. Yes, there is a sex scene, but it's all secondary to the couple working on the crime spree, and eventually, they get it figured out. Now Chandler just has to get to the last kidnapped cop in time, before the killer has the chance to set him on fire.
This book has a great plot, and moves along at a fast pace. It is markedly better than the previous book of her that I read, her writing is good enough to get me to track down some of her other crime novels, and find out more about this diverse group of criminologists called "the Mindhunters". I have already checked out one of the blurbs on the cover which says Brant is destined to become a star. She IS if she can keep writing them like this! "Deadly Dreams" will keep you up late into the night, reading!
