10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
I agree with Robert Ludlum..., July 3, 2001
as long as you understand this is also the first espionage novel I have read this year. I believe it was Robert Heinlein who said a good writer should require readers to suspend disbelief only once in any story. He was talking about science fiction however the same advice would serve Gayle Lynds regarding espionage. The primary storyline of cellular memory is fine, nothing there is so fantastical as to be beyond plausibility; it is the kevlar that must have encased her heroine's transplanted organ that is so difficult to accept. The desire to craft strong female characters is also above contentiousness (there were instances were the estrogen flow was viscous), but at least maintain some semblance of reality during the process.
The lead character, Beth Convey, is a forceful, ambitious associate who harbors partnership aspirations with one of the top law firms in Washington, D.C. when she is stricken by heart failure. After receiving a donor organ from the victim of a motorcycle accident, she immediately begins to experience unsettling dreams, reminiscences and strange cravings. She is assured by her surgeon all of these occurrences are more than likely a reaction to the regimen of pharmaceuticals she is required to take for the rest of her life rather than some esoteric physio-psychological result of her surgery. Over the next year as she becomes consumed with rehabilitation, the dreams do abate, but as the anniversary of her life changing event approaches, they begin to intensify. Beth is overwrought with the need to discover all she can about the donor; hoping against hope enhanced information will enable her to bring closure to her nightmares.
Meanwhile, Jeff Hammond, a disgraced former F.B.I. agent currently working as the Russian Affairs expert for the Washington Post is on an unrequited crusade to track down a troika of Russian defectors and a secretariat's ransom of missing funds. He is convinced although the trio may appear assimilated to capitalism, there remains much they withheld from authorities during their debriefings. His adamancy is what lead to his separation from the F.B.I.; for the last nine years he has been in pursuit, to the detriment of all personal and professional relationships.
Obviously, the independent quests of Beth and Jeff are destined to intersect, propelling the twosome on a harrowing journey through several states, death defying predicaments and largely unanticipated twists, while they grow increasingly aware of the sexual tension rising between them.
The basic premise of MESMERIZED is completing captivating; Ms. Lynds skillfully brings the story to life...as long as you are willing to discount some pertinent anomalies on the critical path, commencing with the logic of a man in his mid-twenties sacrificing all that was previously important based on a hunch where even if he is correct restorative options are not available, followed by the marginally bel!ievable physical competencies attained by Beth, ostensibly attributed to cellular transference. Mental acumen is one thing, and physical dexterity is an entirely separate discussion. Yet personally, the largest leap of faith for me was probably, her postulation an old Ford escort could exceed 100 miles per hour, I don't care if it was traveling downhill, downwind, in a wind tunnel.
Irrespective, Ms. Lynds came tantalizingly close to writing a good story, right up to the point she took a sabbatical from espionage and started writing a harlequin romance, in the middle of a segment where national security was of issue. The detour lead to a disjunctive conclusion further diminished by a cavalcade of perfunctory events. As a result, an above-average story with a few flaws became a average tale with glaring glitches.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bold Writing And Lots Of Non-Stop Action..., May 29, 2001
Gayle Lynds has given us an intriguing mix of genres rolled up into one explosive package...a taunt legal drama and medical/espionage thriller with hefty doses of psychological suspense thrown into the mix.
When we are first introduced to hotshot attorney Beth Convey, she is at the height of her career and in line for a well deserved partnership at her prestigious Washington D.C. law firm. The book opens with her battling a case in court for a multimillion dollar client. Just as she is conducting a riveting cross examination she collapses and is pronounced dead. She is quickly revived but desperately needs a heart transplant. When a Russian man is killed in a motorcycle accident, Beth receives his heart as well as his dreams, his language, his tastes and most frightening of all...his knowledge of weaponry and of a unknown group of world conspirators. Even Russian names and phone numbers that were characteristic for him have become part of her current memory. She becomes quite curious about this and with the help of journalist Jeff Hammond (who happens to be an expert in Russian affairs), she begins to track down her donor only to be thrust into a secret plan that will literary change the balance of world power.
Gayle Lynds is a master researcher and storyteller. She has a certain talent for discovering the most obscure, and controversial character traits and using them to educate and entertain her readers. In _Mosaic_ we were introduced to concert pianist Julia Austrian who was stricken with a rare psychological condition known as "conversion disorder". In _Mesmerized_ we learn about a mind-body connection called cellular memory, and how thousands of heart transplant patients seem to receive tastes, memories and characteristics from their donors that cannot be explained by pure science. It`s up to you to decide if you believe this is all possible within the realm of the story. One thing is for sure...Lynds is an extremely talented writer who makes a defiant and realistic case, but after reading her notes you'll at least be assured that this is definitely not science fiction.
5 Stars. You just can't tie this particular knot any better. It's a terrific read.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Gripping Plot by Lynds, May 1, 2001
By A Customer
I'm a fan of Gayle Lynds - Masquerade and Mosaic were terrific reads - so I was eager to read her latest work. Like all her books, Mesmerized contains a gripping plot following the adventures of Beth Convey, the heroine in this thriller. It is a joy to finally read books featuring intelligent, strong, and decisive women.
As a Beltway resident, I enjoyed reading this book largely set in my own backyard, Washington, D.C. I'm also curious to discover the tranquility in Gettysberg, PA where a portion of the story is set. Her descriptions and attention to detail are superb.
In the interest of not giving the storyline away, I urge anyone to read this book who enjoys suspense, espionage, and the mysteries of medicine.
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