Thursday, September 13, 2007
Killer Dreams

When it comes to mystery thrillers I love the work of Iris Johansen. She writes such fantastic thriller novels, I can hardly put them down when I get a new one. The character development is always impeccable and impressive considering most of her novels tends to have 4 or 5 strong characters.

Sophie Dunston is the main gal in "Killer Dreams". She is a strong, independent woman who is divorced and have a ten-year-old son who suffers from night terrors. His name is Michael and he has been suffering from these traumatic terrors since witnessing his Grandfather killing his Grandmother and trying to shoot him, but his Mom stepped in the way of the bullet. (I'd say he has every right to have trouble at night).

Anyway, Sophie is a brilliant chemist who has devoted all of her time to sleep research. Her father suffered from severe insomnia and that is what prompted her fascination with sleep patterns and disorders. She develops a product called REM-4 that ends up having such control over subjects that it is almost as if it brainwashes them into being slaves. Sophie rebels against what she created, insisting it never be used, but Sanborne (her boss) decides it can be the greatest chemical weapon of their time.

Needless to say Sophie quits and as we are getting into the book we find out she intends to kill Sanborne and destroy all of the REM-4 research.

Meanwhile Sanborne has been using the drug on many people along with a General they refer to as Boch. He has turned people into savage kiling machines that lack all emotion. One of the people who ends up escaping the program is Matt Royd. He too wants to kill Sanborne and Boch for that matter. He ends up joining forces with Sophie. You see where that is going, I'm sure.

Another chemist has altered REM-4 to make it stronger, but now the forumla has a very high fatality rate. Sanborne ends up sending people after Sophie and her son, Michael, because he needs her to fix REM-4 so that it won't kill the subjects, only control them. They end up losing everything and having to go into hiding with Royd.

It is easy to imagine where this book will end up, but how the author gets us to that point is full of twists and turns. Once again Iris Johansen has written a compelling novel that has left me wanting to read even more! Predictable at times, it still has enough suspense to keep me turning the pages. Plus, I really, really love her character profiles; excellent development.

Buy it, Killer Dreams!

Labels: , , , , , ,

  • Written by:
    • | 10:45 AM | 0 comment(s)!
    Monday, June 18, 2007
    By the Light of the Moon

    Leisurely reading or not, Dean Koontz is one of my favorite authors. When I read anything written by him it absolutely captivates me. Yes, he tends to write about sometimes disturbing topics, but he is such a brilliant man and the things he comes up with fascinate me. The way in which he writes is so vivid and real. I love it.

    So yesterday I finished his book "By the Light of the Moon."
    It was my favorite one yet, I think I say that after each of his books though.

    There were several important characters, but the top three are Dylan O'Connor, Sheppard O'Connor and Jillian Jackson. The O'Connors are brothers, Dylan is the oldest and he takes care of his brothers as both of their parents are dead. Shep has severe autism and Koontz wrote his character superbly. Jillian is a comedian who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the three of them end up being united forever during the their terrifying ordeal. All of this involves nanotechnology which I knew nothing about until I read this book and it is VERY interesting.

    **Spoiler Alert**

    Dr. Proctor is an insane man who is too smart for his own good. He has studied nanotechnology in such a "mad scientist" way that he feels he can create a whole new generation of people. He injects Dylan, Shep and Jillian with an unknown substance he refers to as "stuff." Their lives are changed forever, not just because his enemies are now after them to kill them and destroy evidence of the "stuff" but also because the substance has them experiencing very strange symptoms. They all begin to have premonitions and callings which they cannot deny even if it means risking their lives. Shep is able to fold through a dimension and appear in another place of the world within seconds. For a person which severe autism it is very difficult for him and his friends to explain to him what is happening. Especially since they are not sure what is happening either. All they know if that they are racing around the country saving and helping strangers in need.

    This book was just awesome. And even with all the tense moments, Koontz still always manages to make me laugh. The connections between characters are written very well. And I love the witty banter of their dialogue during certain scenes. Excellent, just excellent!

    Labels: , ,

  • Written by:
    • | 7:56 AM | 0 comment(s)!