Kay Hooper
Blood Dreams (2007)
Author: Kay Hooper
Genre: Mystery (Police Detective)/Suspense
Plot Summary:
The book begins with a dream. Dani Justice is a psychic whose dreams are premonitions of horrors to come. She begins dreaming about a murderer who is killing women, first in Boston, and now in the small town of Venture, Georgia. Her twin sister, Paris, is also psychic, though her abilities are different from Dani's and include channeling electricity and telepathy. Dani and the FBI's Special Crimes Unit (and characters from several of Hooper's books), along with the civilian offshoot company, Haven, work together to catch the killer before he takes his next victim. However, the killer remains one step ahead of the investigators and one of their own is taken before the final confrontation. SPOILER: After pulling Paris and another investigator, Hollis, into her dream, Dani realizes that she has acquired her sister's abilities. Later, Dani and Paris are psychically attacked and Paris later dies in the hospital. Dani acquires her sister's ability to control electricity, which will be helpful in the final confrontation of the book. As this is the first book of a Trilogy, the real mastermind of the crimes is not discovered, though the killer is found.
Geographical Setting: Georgia, United States
Time Period: Present Day (2007)
Series: Book One of the Blood series, followed by Blood Sins and Blood Ties
Appeal Characteristics:
Two of the biggest appeal characteristics in this book is characterization and pace of the book. Though this book is the first of the Blood Trilogy, many of the characters are already fleshed out in previous books. The new characters, namely Dani, the protagonist, are described completely throughout the book. Her thoughts, fears, desires and needs are brought to life by the author. The pace of the book is also a large part of its appeal. Kay Hooper keeps her readers caught in a suspenseful web of dialogue and plot twists. She deviates between the killer's point of view and that of the investigators, keeping the reader from discovering too much to figure out the mystery while also keeping the reader invested enough to turn the next page. Though not a book that goes at a "break-neck" speed, the pace of this book is compelling, leaving readers with no other option than to keep going. Another appeal characteristic is setting, which is in the southern United States (Georgia, to be exact) and a contemporary time. Kay Hooper does not specify the year, but the reader can easily assume that the book is set in present day. The story line involves police detectives and police procedure (particularly the Federal Bureau of Investigation). The unique aspect of the FBI element is that all the investigators have some psychic ability, which only adds to their characterization.
Read-alikes: In Stealing Shadows by Kay Hooper, Cassie Neal, an L.A. policewoman, uses her psychic powers to help with investigations. She leaves L.A. after a bad case and moves to North Carolina, where she finds herself hunted by an evil man who is killing women to get to Cassie. This book introduces Noah Bishop and the Special Crimes Unit that is present in the Blood Trilogy. Also by Kay Hooper, the book exhibits several of the appeal characteristics that makeBlood Dreams so compelling. The characters are well fleshed out, especially the female protagonist, Cassie. She too is psychic, as seems to be a hallmark of Kay Hooper's suspense novels. Furthermore, there are many areas of the book that go into police procedure, which is appealing to many readers. In addition, the book is also written in the same suspenseful pace that flavors Blood Dreams. Readers feel almost compelled to turn the next page to find out whether the killer is brought to justice. In Firestorm by Iris Johansen, Kerry Murphy investigates fires, along with her dog and a special ability. Kerry uses her psychic abilities to "sense" how, and by whom, a fire was started. Together with another psychic, the two work together to stop a killer who can start fires from a distance. Iris Johansen writes similarly to Kay Hooper. She invokes characters that feel real to the reader and are three dimensional in their thoughts and desires. She also employs serial characters, so the reader can really get to know each character throughout the books. Though not a police procedural book, both characters work with firefighters, so there is some of the procedure of arson investigation involved in the book. In addition, Iris Johansen also writes in a suspenseful pace, letting the plot twists and the character progression lead the reader through a frightening journey to the end.
Blind Spot by Terri Persons combines appeal elements from Blood Dreams to create another mystery/suspense book with a strong police procedure (FBI) storyline. Agent Bernadette Saint Clare has been transferred from several different FBI posts before arriving in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she is called upon to use her rare ability to see through the eyes of the killer by using a victim's personal effects. Terri Persons uses the appeal element of suspenseful plot twists to keep readers turning the page while giving the reader a glimpse at the inner workings of the FBI. Another appeal characteristic this book shares with Blood Dreams is it's psychic protagonist, who uses her special abilities to fight crime and bring criminals to justice. Creation in Death by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) is set in New York City (year 2060). Lt. Eve Dallas has seen bodies like this before. Mutilated and artfully laid out, Eve is reminded of a case from nine years ago that got away from her and her partner. But clues are now piling up that lead Eve to think she is being targeted as the killer's next victim. Though lacking the psychic details of Kay Hooper's Blood Dreams, this book appears to fall in line with several appeal elements from Hooper's work. The character of the antagonist is a serial killer and has killed women prior to the book's beginning at an alarming rate. The protagonist, Eve, is a police detective that is now being targeted by the killer and is forced to find him before he finds his next victim (which might be her). Readers who like police procedure might enjoy this book, as procedure is explained and evident in Robb's writing. In The Death Dealer by Heather Graham, P.I. Joe Connolly is hired by philanthropist Genevieve O'Brien to investigate the murder of Thorne Bigelow, a member of the New York Poe society that Genevieve's mother also belongs. Joe Connolly is worried about his new ability to hear the voices of dead people, but that talent comes in handy as he races to find the murderer, who is killing off members of the Poe society at an alarming rate. Though not a police detective mystery, the book does contain many of the appeal elements found in Blood Dreams, such as the psychic abilities of the lead investigator, a serial killer, and a contemporary setting. There is also a background romance between the lead investigator and Genevieve, though reader reviews suggest that the romance does not take over the suspenseful nature of the plot. The suspenseful writing pace is one that is guaranteed to keep the reader glued to the seat in order to finish the book and find out the identity of the killer.
Red Flags: strong language, rape, the supernatural, explicit death, vague sexual references
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