Second Sight [Mass Market Paperback]

Beth Amos (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1998

You can't always see

An acclaimed investigative journalist, Marlie Kaplan was headed for stardom until a story she was working on undercover went terribly wrong, leaving her blind. But through experimental surgery, she miraculously gets back partial visionand something more. Now she can also see unexplainable things, things beyond the naked eye...

What's in front of your eyes.

Eager to jump-start her career, Marlie lands an exclusive interview with a charming yet enigmatic politician. Then the unthinkable happens; A colleague is murdered and Marlie's the only witness. What began as a promising new start suddenly dissolves into a terrifying web of deception and death, a nightmare from which there is only one escapeif Marlie can see it in time.

A riveting novel of suspense that combines the intriguing psychological terror of Dean Koontz's Fear Nothing with the exquisite nail-biting tension of Mary Higgins Clark.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After having been blinded in an explosion, TV journalist Marlie Kaplan is implanted with an experimental computer chip that allows her to see an energy field (the color ranges from evil black to passionate red) that surrounds everyone and reveals their hidden emotions. When Marlie happens upon a grisly murder, she realizes that the crime could have been committed by any of the three men in her life (an antagonistic detective, a sneering ex-husband and a charming would-be governor) and is forced to rely on her extra sense to find the guilty party. Writing from inside Marlie's mind, Amos (Cold White Fury) ably shows Marlie's attitude develop from an understandable after-surgery bitchiness to the focused thoughtfulness required of a reporter. Many readers will appreciate such exposition, but it may discourage those who like their mysteries with a little less introspection.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Beth Amos is a graduate of Mercer County Community College in New Jersey, where she obtained her nursing degree, and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia, where she obtained a degree in Health Administration. She has worked as a registered nurse in a variety of settings for over fifteen years. Currently, she is the executive director for the Virginia Association for Hospices.

Amos has had several articles published in HOSPICEa nationally published journal for professionals working with the terminally illand in Life Health, a Richmond area health care magazine.

Born in New York, Amos now resides in Richmond, Virginia, with her family and a menagerie of pets.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins (Mm) (November 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061012882
• ISBN-13: 978-0061012884
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Beth Amos is the author of over 200 published articles as well as three suspense novels published by HarperCollins: Cold White Fury, Eyes of Night, and Second Sight. She spent 3 years as a contributing editor for Barnes&Noble.com and is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers, Inc.

Amos is an RN whose past work experience has included everything from birth (obstetrics) to death (hospice). She currently works in an ER and enjoys a number of side hobbies, including competitive Scrabble, stained glass, and scuba diving.

For more information check out Beth's web site at www.bethamos.com

Select Reviews for Cold White Fury:

"Amos loads her story with intricate details that lead to a knockout ending, and she breathes life into Jennifer and Tanner through scenes filled with maternal instinct and preadolescent innocence. This tender relationship between mother and son remains the only certainty in a novel filled with convincing twists." ~ Publishers Weekly

"High action suspense likely to appeal to Dean Koontz fans." ~ Toronto Star

"Plot twists, murders, mind control and poltergeist-like disturbances make for an intense read in which the blood all but sticks to the soles of your shoes." ~ Richmond Times-Dispatch

Select Reviews for Second Sight:

"Writing from inside Marlie's mind, Amos (Cold White Fury) ably shows Marlie's attitude develop from an understandable after-surgery bitchiness to the focused thoughtfulness required of a reporter." ~ Publishers Weekly

"The clever Ms. Amos combines cutting edge technology with new age philosophy to create an exciting and unique thriller." ~ Romantic Times

Select Reviews for Eyes of Night:

"Tapping into primal fears of abduction and experimentation, Beth Amos expertly builds the tension into a crescendo of danger and fear that will thrill readers everywhere!" ~
Romantic Times

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Psychic Mystery!, July 18, 2001

By 

Jonathan Burgoine "bookseller" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Second Sight (Mass Market Paperback)

....In the case of Beth Amos' "Second Sight," the psychic gift is that of seeing auras. What makes this book unique, however, is that the woman 'blessed' with this ability was a journalist blinded in an explosion, who gains this ability with a medical proceedure, but still remains legally blind (though with some sight).

Combining the suspence of an almost-blind character trying to survive a murderer who may strike again, and the hair-raising psychic thriller of a woman who can see evil, this is a great read for anyone looking to stay awake at night.

Marlie Kaplan is a wonderfully written heroine, with enough wit and style to make her interesting, and watching her navigate through the web of police and political corruption is a nail-biting experience.

If you liked Joseph Glass' "Eyes," or "Blood," or have read and enjoyed any of Kay Hoopers "Shadows" series, this book is for you!

'Nathan

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible read, September 12, 2000

By 

K. Lininger (FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Second Sight (Mass Market Paperback)

I have been a fan of Beth Amos since her book Cold White Fury (see my review). Now Ms Amos has done it again. From the 1st page to the last it kept my attention. I spent the afternoon reading this book from start to finish and not being able to put it down. Story of Marlie, a report for the news. She gets a tip of police corruption and goes out to investigate but instead finds herself in a trap that leaves her blind and her coworker dead. One year later, Marlie undergoes an experimental surgery to recover some of her sight. With part of her sight back, she wants to go back to work. A colleague is murdered right next to Marlie's house. She witnesses the murder but can't see clear enough identify the murderer. With the murder behind her she goes back to work with gusto to find out what really happened. An up and coming Senator agrees to an interview that may save Marlie's career, a police detective that fears for her life after witnessing a murder, and an ex-husband who is a domineering jerk who is keeping Marlie away from her daughter all are ingrediants for an excellent murder mystery, enjoy

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars BEYOND THE NAKED EYE..., January 16, 2005

By 

Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Second Sight (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a moderately enjoyable novel of suspense that is more plot driven than character driven. The central character, Marlie Kaplan, is a hotshot investigative broadcast journalist who is working clandestinely on a story about police corruption that she believes will put her in the catbird seat. She is also not opposed to taking risks to get the story that she wants. At the last minute, however, events take a deadly twist, and, as a result, she is left blind.

Having divorced her husband and having lost custody of her child, Marlie is desperate to regain her sight and her life. She undergoes experimental eye surgery in hopes of having her vision and her former life restored. While the surgery restores some of her sight, it adds a new dimension to her vision: the capacity to see people's auras. With the partial return of her vision, Marlie hopes to return to work but finds that her former employer is not interested. When Senator Richard Waring, a handsome and charismatic politician offers to give her an exclusive interview, Marlie decides to parlay that interview into the key that unlocks the door to her former job.

When a rival and colleague is murdered, Marlie, however, is the only witness. Due to her visual issues, she cannot identify the killer in the customary way. There is, however, something that she saw, something to which no one, except the killer, can lay claim. Detective Carvelle, the detective investigating the incident that left Marlie blind, is worried for her safety, but Marlie suspects the Detective's interest in her may be connected to the police corruption story she was originally following. Meanwhile, to complicate matters, it appears that the Senator's interest in Marlie may be more than just professional.

The reader will probably not need second sight to be able to unravel the mysteries contained within the pages of this book. One can decipher its secrets fairly easily, leaving the reader to wonder why Marlie is seemingly unable to do so, until it is almost too late. There are also some issues that are ridiculous, such as the fact that Marlie, who formerly had custody of her teenage daughter, can now only have supervised visits, because of the supposed reckless behavior that brought about her blindness. Still, the book makes for an moderately entertaining read, if one's expectations are not unduly high.