Sometimes her eyes seduce. Sometimes they stare straight at the kind of sights most people turn away from. But in the blazing neon and searing sun of Las Vegas, she can’t see the man who is watching her and thinking to himself: She is the one. . . .
From the mountain views beyond the Strip to the dingy dens of forbidden pleasure, Susan Pulaski loves Las Vegas. A woman who wears a gun at her side and her heart on a sleeve, Pulaski is the perfect fit for her city and her job: unraveling the minds of deviant personalities. Until a killer begins decorating Sin City with the horribly disfigured bodies of once beautiful young women. . . . and Pulaski’s own demons go on a binge.
Eight months after her cop husband’s death, her life is spinning out of control–just as her detective colleagues start searching for a serial killer who methodically stalks his female victims and plunges them into an orgy of terror. When a violent incident earns Pulaski a pink slip from the LVPD and a trip to detox, she’s out of the hunt altogether, so she begins to desperately try to regain her job, her reputation, and custody of the niece she’s been raising on her own. It seems hopeless–until Pulaski meets the one person who can lead her into the mind of a madman no one else can understand. Darcy O’Bannon is a twenty-five-year-old autistic savant whose relationship with the world around him is so unusual that it forces Pulaski to view the crimes from a bizarre–but ultimately insightful–perspective.
White-knuckling her way to the center of the case, she becomes the key player in a desperate hunt for a killer who believes he has found divine inspiration in the works of Edgar Allan Poe. But even with the assistance of Darcy’s astonishing skills, Pulaski is in even more danger than she knows. For the man she seeks is watching her, seduced by her frailties and strengths, her beauty and boldness. To finish his masterwork of horror, he needs her.
In a blistering novel that brings together glitz and goth, human weakness and human genius, and a murderous psychopath who is all too chillingly real, master storyteller William Bernhardt has created an unparalleled literary Las Vegas thrill ride that will leave readers breathless until the final, stunning page.
“Murder in Sin City, as investigated by a tough woman cop and her incomparably gifted young associate–Bernhardt and Las Vegas go together like fire and gasoline.” –STEPHEN COONTS, author of Liars and Thieves
“Showcasing William Bernhardt at the height of his storytelling powers, Dark Eyeis a Silence of the Lambs meets Rain Man thriller that will chill you while its two unique and endearing protagonists steal your heart.” –LISA SCOTTOLINE, author of Killer Smile
About the Author
WILLIAM BERNHARDT is the author of many novels, including Primary Justice, Murder One, Criminal Intent, Death Row, and Hate Crime. He has twice won the Oklahoma Book Award for Best Fiction, and in 2000 he was presented the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award “in recognition of an outstanding body of work in which we understand ourselves and American society at large.” A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Kirsten, and their children, Harry, Alice, and Ralph. Readers can e-mail him at WB@williambernhardt.com or visit his website at www.WilliamBernhardt.com.
I love my job. Even on the worst day when I can't seem to put together a coherent sentence, I am grateful for having been given this magnificent opportunity to participate in the literary exchange of ideas. My mother says I was telling people I wanted to be a writer when I was seven. I know that seems incredible, but she's my mom, so we have to believe her. I never missed an opportunity to visit the library, which was blissfully near my home, and the librarians there took a great interest in this nerdy, shy, bespectacled kid who kept reappearing almost every day. They encouraged me to read widely and to read the best of everything, and that is exactly what I did and have continued to do all my life.
I sent off my first submission when I was eleven, to Highlights Magazine. This was a poem of which I was particularly proud concerning the Oklahoma Land Run. They turned me down. Yes, that was my first rejection letter. Over the next twenty years, I collected over 400 more of them. No, I'm not exaggerating. I still have them. Every last one. There was a reason, I realize now, why all those compositions were being rejected. They weren't very good. But they improved over time. I didn't know it, but during the entire torturous process of submission and rejection, I was learning how to write.
I finally had my first novel published (by Ballantine, a division of Random House) when I was thirty-one. To some, this may seem an early age to publish, but if you clock it from my first rejection, it took twenty years. That was a great year--my first son, Harry, was born in August, and my first book, Primary Justice, was born in December. The book surprised everyone and the follow-up did even better and before I even realized it I had accomplished my goal--I was a real honest-to-gosh writer. I've been writing ever since. I've written more than twenty novels, edited two anthologies, done two books for children, and published numerous stories, essays, puzzles, and poems. I have three children now, and this job allows me to be present when they come home from school and available when they need me during the day, which is a blessing I could not have anticipated back when I was a seven-year old gazing dreamily at author photos on dust jackets, wishing I could see myself there.
My goals for the future are to continue to learn, to grow, to find new ways of doing my work and doing it better. I think the current interest in thrillers provides a marvelous opportunity to spin bigger and more exciting stories. I've learned that I enjoy teaching, which has led to the William Bernhardt Writing Programs and The Fundamentals of Fiction DVDs, as well as many speaking and teaching engagements throughout the year. My interest in mentoring aspiring writers led me to start the Small-Group Seminars and Master Classes, which allow me to teach my favorite subject all across the nation. And in my personal life, my goal is I to be the best parent possible to Harry, Alice, and Ralph, and the best possible partner to my wife, Marcia. I'm very excited about the future--my personal life with these extraordinary people, and my professional life, creating new stories for you wonderful people who still understand the importance of storytelling and the written word. ------- William Bernhardt is the author of more than twenty novels, including Primary Justice, Murder One, Criminal Intent, Death Row, Capitol Murder, Capitol Threat, Capitol Conspiracy, and Nemesis. He is one of fewer than a dozen recipients of the H. Louise Cobb Distinguished Author Award given "in recognition of an outstanding body of work in which we understand ourselves and American society at large." He is also one of the country's most popular writing instructors, teaching at various conferences throughout the year. A former trial attorney, Bernhardt has received several awards for his public service. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Marcia, and their children.
This review is from: Dark Eye: A Novel (Hardcover)
I've been a huge fan of William Bernhardt's for many years, especially his Ben Kincaid series. Once in a while he tries something different, and with each novel he's getting better and better. DARK EYES, in my opinion, is his best work yet, and I highly recommend it. I've heard it referred to as Silence of the Lambs meets Rain Man, and the person who said that hit the nail right on the head!
Susan Pulaski is a psychologist who is also grieving the loss of her husband, which results in her becoming an alcoholic though she's not yet ready to admit it. After a violent incident that happened during one of her drinking binges she winds up in detox and then things go from bad to worse. She loses her job, her house, and custody of her niece who she's been raising for years. Desperately trying to get her life back in order she asks for her job back, but all she gets to be is a consultant on the case of a crazed serial killer obsessed with the works of Edgar Allen Poe who is kidnapping & killing young girls. He sends coded messages that even the experts can't solve.
Then she meets Darcy O'Bannon, a twenty-five year old autistic savant, who just happens to be the son of her boss Chief Robert O'Bannon, and her life changes. Darcy is able to solve these coded messages and together the two of them try to find a way to catch this killer. The relationship between these two characters is so touching that I was simply mesmerized by it, as well as the whole story.
I've read many, many novels in my day and finding a story in which I feel so much compassion for the characters doesn't happen everyday, but it did in this novel. I was so taken in by them that I could help but cry at the end. I think an author who can write like that has a truly great gift, and William Bernhadrt has definitely become that type of author.
DARK EYE will scare you out of your wits, make you laugh, then make you cry and you won't want it to end. Do yourself a favor and read it today.
Janet Slezak
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This review is from: Dark Eye: A Novel (Hardcover)
Our heroine is a talented (and alcoholic) psychological profiler for the Las Vegas PD. Since the death of her husband, she's been a bit of a loose cannon--and for that, she loses custody of her teenage niece and her job. She fights back, albeit gradually, against these setbacks and eventually joins the LVPD in its pursuit of an elusive serial killer.
On the plus side: the characters are believable, tastefully flawed, and likable. The insight into autism injected into the narrative is not overbearing, and it adds pathos to the typical Dr. Watson character that is almost ubiquitous to stories of this kind. The writing is fair, and the pacing is smooth and natural. Lastly--in a genre filled with all sorts of horrible crimes, the antagonist in this story still comes up with some torture methods that elicit a visceral response.
On the minus side: It's a bit predictable with a final showdown that seems highly improbable. One of my biggest complaints against books of this type is when the motives behind the criminal's deeds are farfetched and contrived. I just don't think someone would get this delusional about a particular author and start mimicking fictional crimes--yet still have a regular job where no one suspects he/she has a lair where all sorts of terrors are inflicted on unsuspecting vicims.
If you're on a plane, give this one a read. It'll keep your attention. If you're looking for something a bit more intellectual, try Val McDermid or Denise Mina.
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This review is from: Dark Eye: A Novel (Hardcover)
First, I have to say that I have read, and loved, most of William Bernhardt's previous work. Next, let me say that I despised this one! I should never have even finished it because so much of it made my skin crawl, but I kept hoping it would, somehow, redeem itself. It never did. There are certainly readers who will love this type of grisly tale, but I'm sure that many of us, familiar with Mr Berhardt's earlier books, will be stunned when they try to get into this one. It was impossible to care what happened to any of the characters....perhaps because there were so many of them.
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First Sentence:
Three times I've fired my weapon. Read the first pageKey Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Fara Spencer, Edgar Allan Poe, Chief O'Bannon, Golden Age, Las Vegas, Lieutenant Pulaski, Susan Pulaski, Helen Collier, Annabel Spencer, New York, Tony Crenshaw, Jesus Christ, Sears Tower, Sin City, Very Excellent Day, Lenore Johnson, Lieutenant Barry Granger, Lieutenant Granger, Miss Swanson, Shirley Temple, World War, Britney Spears, Chief of Police Robert O'Bannon, Clark County Police Dept, John Douglas
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