"A dark tale of a man who will stop at nothing"

DREAM MAN is a paranormal/mystery that is mesmerizing. Marlie Keen is an empath. She does not view these unusual powers as a gift. To her they are a curse, setting her apart from everyone, for who is comfortable with a person who can 'read' their thoughts and emotions? She cannot read them all the time, but at various points they are as clear as if she hears a persons thinking. This 'skill' is annoying at times. But the power is strongest when she moves fully into the empath mode. She actually has a near seizure, blacking out. She cannot see the real world, cannot take care of herself, for she is in the mind of another, seeing what they see.

These dark out of body visions have been silent for nearly two years, so silent she prayed the ability was gone. But as she is driving home one night a strong empath seizure hits her. She barely is able to make it home and lock herself behind the door, before she succumbs to the horrible nightmare. During these spells, Marlie not only sees what is happening, she feels it, and what she experiences this time is murder in a most horrible fashion. Marlie is not unfamiliar with this situation. In the past, her visions drove her to help the police, until her aid backfired in a terrible fashion, leaving her deeply scared mentally. She hoped the power died with dreadful night. But Marlie is not so lucky. She knows the visions won't stop. She will see another woman slaughtered, and another. So she does the one thing she would rather not face again. She goes to the police about what she 'saw' in the hopes of stopping the killer before he strikes again.

She is prepared for the police's disbelief and disdain, maybe even suspicion she somehow was involved in the killing or knows the killer personally. She has been there before and has gone through that ordeal. What she is not prepared for is Dane Hollister. Hollister wants this killer caught and will use anything and everyone in his path, including Marlie Keen. At first, he is abusive, not believing her story about seeing the killer in a vision. He doubts her, he almost hates her for what he believes are her lies, but he wants her with a passion that is frightening.

Marlie tries to keep Dane at arms length, but the detective is relentless. She cannot decide how much he believes about her. Worse, she knows she is falling hard for him, but still tries to maintain her protective shell, because men have rejected before her as a freak. What man would want a woman inside his mind. What man would a woman to be able to see through his lies? But Dane slowly wins her confidence as they search for the serial killer. Dane is there when she experiences another blackout at the precise instant the killer strikes again, so he has no choice, but to believe her. He promises Marlie if she will work with him on the case he will protect her, shield her from the press, and keep her safe. Only, despite his burning attraction for Marlie, no matter how he is coming to feel about her, he will use her as bait if it means stopping this madman.

Dane swears he is different, that he does not view her as some kind of a circus freak, yet when push comes to shove, he proves he is not that much apart from the rest. Worse he betrays her,setting her up as lure to draw the killer, and in the process destroys their growing love.

Tense, gritty and emotionally draining. A book you will never forget.

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted March 31, 2003