Doll's Eyes

Rating:
Summary: Deep and Involving
Review: I was prompted to read "Doll's Eyes" after seeing the movie, "In Dreams," which was supposedly based on the book. Well, other than having a psychic heroine, there is very little resemblance between the movie and the book. The movie was good on its own, but I think the book is a little more involving and coherent.

We meet Eve Stein who has been "blessed" or "cursed" with psychic abilities. While visiting her estranged husband at his new lakeside residence, she touches a swing and flashes on a vision of a woman being killed nearby. We learn the killer's identity early and he is certainly a cold, heartless murderer.

Eve tells her vision to a local cop, Dave Levotsky, an almost local legendary detective, who doesn't believe her until she touches him and tells him things about himself that no one could possibly know.

From thereon, Wood takes us on a deep, disturbing journey as the killer learns of the psychic's ability and does everything he can to find her and kill her --- but not before he forces her to reveal what horrible thing happened in his childhood that left him with serious physical and mental scars.

While I usually dislike writers who try to justify their villains' heinous crimes and make you feel sorry for them, Wood pulls this one off nicely. Adam Fuller DID have a horrible childhood and one can certainly see why he feels compelled to murder.

The final confrontation between Adam and Eve (ha!) in the cemetery is chilling and even touching. However, I was kind of disturbed at Eve's sudden "sympathy" for the man who was going to kill her, but the open-ended ending lets you know that things will work out for Eve.

A good solid thriller and highly recommended. Watch "In Dreams" too even though it's nothing like the book!

Rating:
Summary: A page turner thriller
Review: This is the first book I have read by Bari Wood. And it will not be the last. Even though you know who the killer is from the start. You are still sitting on the edge of your seat. Ms Wood has a way with words to strike that chilling nerve in the back of your neck. While reading this book I kept checking to make sure I was alone. The characters had a lot of depth and were very believable. Great job.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: This was a good book. I enjoyed the quick pace and the ending turned out to be different than I expected. It was also nice to know what the killer is thinking about through the book, instead of being suprised at the end to find out who the killer is.