Customer Reviews

Waking the Dead (Mindhunters)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

and I am going to read the other 2 just as fast as I can order them. This is a fast paced novel, police procedure with overtones of the FBI profilers only they are called mindhunters in this book and there was a movie by the same name starring William Peterson. All are excellent. Getting inside the head of a serial killer takes an unusual talent and gift and this girl has it and more. I will not depict the plot here, others have already done it better than I, but the fast pacing, excellent plotting and daredevil action cannot be beat. Sit down, settle down and enjoy a rollicking good read.

I wondered if I read the same book the others readers read. The only reason I gave it four stars is because I didn't see the option for 3.5 stars. The characters were likable enough and there was a twist or two. My gripe is that there was so much technical stuff. It seemed to go on and on and on. Waking the Dead didn't get my motor running until after page 200 or so. I read the first book and really enjoyed it. I'm a bit hesitant about book three or the one that I haven't read.

In Oregon's Willamette Forest, nature guide Zach Sharper finds seven garbage bags in a remote part of the wilderness in a cave on Castle Rock where you would not expect any trash. He takes a peek and finds each contains bones that he knows from his Ranger days are human remains although none contain a skull. He calls the authorities.

Sheriff Marin Andrews asks Raiker Forensics for help in identifying the bodies. They send former model turned forensic anthropologist Caitlin Fleming to investigate. Sheriff Andrews hires Zach to guide and protect Caitlin into the wilderness. He reluctantly escorts Caitlin deep into what seems to her the primeval forest to the cave on Castle Rock. Every step they take the pair argues safety vs. catching one killer plus an apparent partner or accessory; either way a diabolically brilliant predator.

The latest Mindhunters romantic suspense thriller (see WAKING NIGHTMARE and WAKING EVIL) is a terrific entry as the investigation supersedes the romance; both want one another but know survival comes before seeing where their relationship goes. Zach is a super guide who takes the heroine and readers to a remote part of Oregon while Cait is a fabulous forensic anthropologist due to a fascinating former career as a model. Fans will enjoy climbing Willamette Forest with this couple.

Harriet Klausner

Kylie Brant has created an electrifying and infinitely gripping novel. Waking the Dead is the third novel in a series featuring characters that work for Raiker Forensics. In graphic detail, Kylie creates despicable crimes that add chills and stomach churning tension. Through the heroine's investigation, the relationship that develops between the hero and she smolders, culminating in an explosion. Secondary characters, add entertaining and lighter moments with their different personalities and interaction in what would otherwise be a very dark story indeed. Kyle writes excellent dialogue, creates engaging characters, vividly detailed investigation and action scenes. The smooth process in which she moves the story along keeps the pages turning, allowing the reader to immerse themselves in the novel from start to finish.

Kyle Brant is becoming a firm favorite of mine for her detailed, well-researched and suspenseful stories. I highly recommend this story, this series and look forward to reading the next book. - Abi

An o.k. novel. Not up to Lisa Jackson standards and not really a thriller.

I enjoy Kylie Brant's characters, and those in Waking the Dead are no different. She depicts strong, independent, three-dimensional heroes, heroines, and side characters that pull me in and make me want to know what happens to them. The tension that keeps Zach and Cait apart for a while is believable--Zach doesn't want to be at the beck and call of anyone for any reason, even a murder investigation, and his lack of social graces doesn't endear him to Cait. It doesn't help that for a little while it seems he might fit the profile of the murderer in some respects. Once the two come together, of course, they have delicious chemistry and some delightful sex scenes.

I particularly enjoy Kylie's exploration of psychologically damaged characters, despite the difficulty of believing in three sequential heroines working for the same company who have such messed-up pasts and home lives. She uses both the perps and the family members of the heroines (and sometimes others as well) to examine a variety of mental issues, often with a sympathetic eye.

Another particular joy that I take in this series is the fact that it defies the convention many stories follow in which a woman falls in love and immediately settles down and gives up whatever job it was that previously was so important to her. Brant's characters go through at least some maneuvering to come up with ways to juggle career and love.

In the last two books I objected to a lack of foreshadowing--I very much like to be able to look back at the end of a mystery and, even if I couldn't guess whodunit, think, "aha! That makes sense!" but I had trouble doing so with Waking Nightmare and Waking Evil because there were so few hints, even in retrospect. That was much better in this book. It's still walking a fine line, but I felt like it was a little less obtuse.

The other objection I had was the similarities between the first two heroines--it beggared belief to have two heroines, both working for the same company, in similar situations, in subsequent books, who both happened to be phobic due to past traumas. While there's still some similarity here, the differences are a bit greater. The past trauma is still there, but not the phobia. The characters are also, I think, a little more different in personality (both Cait and Zach) from their predecessors.

Still, I should point out that I enjoy these mysteries and characters enough that even though I had those objections, I rushed to read each book as I got my hands on them--they definitely provided a thrill and plenty of romance and forensics-based action!



[NOTE: Review book provided by publisher]

When seven sets of skeletal remains are found in a cave in Oregon, model turned forensic anthropologist, Caitlin Fleming is flown in to uncover the mystery of who they are and what happened to them. Zach Sharper is an outdoor guide selected by the town sheriff to help Cait as she investigates the forest around the cave. Cait may be the most beautiful woman he's ever seen, but Zach still doesn't want to play chauffeur for her. Zach is skeptical that the woman who graced most teenage boy's walls, including his own, could be capable of handling this case, but Cait proves quickly that she has as much brains as beauty. Identifying the bodies and discovering the killer is going to be difficult though. As Cait works toward that goal, the killer is getting anxious and decides that Cait needs to be dealt with before she reveals the secrets they've tried hard to hide.

There is something special about Zach and Cait. Even in the beginning when Zach is growling at Cait and Cait is aloof towards Zach, there is an immediate and intense sexual tension between them that rapidly grows into admiration and respect. Zach's draw to and desire for Cait is all the more appealing because he's a love 'em and leave' em kind of guy. It's fun to watch him fall for her. Cait is gorgeous, and she certainly could use her looks, but she uses her mind to get what she wants. There's a part of Cait that is reserved and a bit lonely also. Because of who they are and what they've been through, the intimacy between Zach and Cait is really meaningful. Zach's urgency and Cait throwing caution to the wind, are out of character for them, proving the intense and undeniable chemistry between them. The Mindhunters series gets better and better with each novel. Waking The Dead's intricate mystery and the thrilling and surprising twists at the end, along with it's poignant and sensual romance kept me riveted to every page. Kylie Brant has become one of my favorite romantic suspense authors. I can't wait to read what she comes up with next!

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This is my first Kylie Brant book. Ordering others today. I am retired and I read (just about) everything: books, blogs, magazines. When I go to bed late and get up early to read a book, it got to be good!! I can only hope that 'Waking the Dead' keeps you awake also.

Dramatically depicted suspense plus genuine emotional responses keep WAKING THE DEAD totally engrossing and rewarding. There may be countless clues in the third Mindhunters story, yet readers will still be surprised by some revelations and even completely stunned by a few disclosures. Kylie Brant definitely knows how to keep one riveted to every word in her story, as there could be a major hint of what is to come hidden almost anywhere.

Although Caitlin Fleming may have once been an extremely successful teenage model, her career as a forensic anthropologist and now also an investigator is much more rewarding. By working with the well-known Raiker Forensics group, Cait gets to consult with different authorities and help in solving any difficult cases. Her latest assignment is in Oregon, where an outdoor adventure guide discovered seven garbage bags containing skeletons without skulls in a remote cave. Since the remains have already been taken to the morgue, Cait could rely on pictures to tell her about the dump site. However, she wants to see the area for herself, so the sheriff gets the man who found the bags to take her to the not easily accessible area.

Exploring the Willamette Forest and its surrounding locale usually brings contentment to Zach Sharper, but having to guide a former model into the wilderness is not his idea of pleasure. Nonetheless, he will follow the request of the local sheriff who is heading up the investigation into what led to the bodies being hidden in a cave. After Zach and Cait reach the vicinity and talk with each other, sometimes rather vocally, he comes to realize his preconceived opinion about the still beautiful woman needs to be changed. While these two find themselves working together several more times looking for additional evidence on the identity of the discovered bodies plus who killed them, they also become affected by working so closely together, though neither plans to act upon this sexual awareness. As clues start to bring some answers, there still remains plenty of questions, ones the killer wants to remain unknown forever.

Kylie Brant expertly weaves suspense and romance together to create spellbinding novels. In her Mindhunters series, numerous unknowns and plenty of hidden dangers are cleverly written into the story. There is never a lack of intrigue at any time, especially when some of the secretive plots conspired by the killer are described. Whenever the thoughts of one of these merciless individuals are put into words, the result is frequently unnerving from its convincingness. The realism of any story by Ms. Brant is clearly demonstrated through many aspects, from conversations to actions to feelings and even authentic settings. From the very beginning of WAKING THE DEAD, there is a mystery to be solved and gathered evidence slowly gives readers an exact picture of what is actually happening. There are several moments in the story which left me in shock as I never saw those bombshells coming. As each new detail is divulged, I became even more immersed in discovering the final outcome for all concerned. The couple featured in this book is outwardly spirited yet also possess numerous feelings which seldom surface. Ms. Brant gives Zach and Cait an abundance of issues to overcome before finding true happiness, and their path is filled with much angst. They also have fiery natures when it comes to intimacy, and their private encounters are packed with sensuous heat along with much sincerity. Innovative and original circumstances fuel your imagination throughout WAKING THE DEAD, while the love story also intensely affects your emotions.

Reviewed for SingleTitles