Before I Wake (Paperback)

by Dee Henderson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The sheriff of Justice, Illinois, is hunting a killer. Women visiting town are being murdered, tourists in nice hotels, money still in their billfolds, jewelry still on the dresser. Quiet kills--they go to sleep and never awaken. The sheriff is not pleased to find the new detective in town, Rae Gabriella, working the case on behalf of one of the families. She's staying in the same hotel as one of the victims--and her looks suggest she could be the next victim.

From the Back Cover

Welcome to Justice . . .
And good luck leaving alive.

Sheriff Nathan Justice loves the town he serves. Founded by his family generations before, Justice, Illinois, is mostly a peaceful place. But the tranquility has just been shattered.

Women visiting Justice are being murdered. Tourists in nice hotels, money still in their billfolds, jewelry still on the dresser. Quiet kills—they go to sleep and never awaken.

Rae Gabriella left the FBI after an undercover investigation turned terribly wrong. She’s seeking to rebuild her life, and working as a private investigator alongside her former boyfriend Bruce Chapel in Justice, Illinois, seems like a place to start. But she suspects finding some peace and restoring her shaken faith will take more than just a change of location.

The sheriff is not pleased to find Rae working a case on behalf of one of the victims’ families. Rae is staying in the same hotel where one of the women died, and her looks suggest she could be the next victim. Now that Bruce, Rae, and Nathan are forced to work around each other, the situation is threatening to become something much more personal . . . and it will test the faith of everyone it touches before it is over. . . .

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (September 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414308159
• ISBN-13: 978-1414308159
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #200,458 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, September 18, 2006

By	Coppertop (Ohio) - See all my reviews

Finally a new Dee Henderson! This one definitely lives up to her other novels!

The characters are people you just want to get to know! Plus you even get a few mentions of people from past books, which always makes me happy.

This book is set in small town Illinois. Rae is just moving there to join an old friend, Bruce, in a private investigations business. She is former FBI and retired from there after a really bad last case. Bruce and Rae met when they were both with the Chicago PD. Rae's first case as a private investigator turns into a huge case that involves the apparent natural causes deaths of three women. The local sheriff, Nathan, already has his hands full with a huge factory strike and these cases are closed off because there is no evidence of foul play. Rae is hired by one of the dead woman's parents to find out more. Nathan, Bruce and Rae work mostly together throughout the entire book. The case ends up involving drug labs. It is very involved and definitely gripping.

A warning - this is a cliff hanger and Henderson does not wrap up all the threads at the end of the novel. Hopefully there will soon be a follow up to this book!

While Rae has two possible romantic involvements (both Bruce and Nathan are interested), there really is no movement on that front in this book. It is a book of friendship ties. Hopefully we'll get a little romance in the continuation! (I'm rooting for Bruce, but you have your choice).

Definitely worth the time to read as are all of Henderson's books. Just don't plan on getting much sleep once you get into the book!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Murder in Small Town X, November 22, 2006

By	Deborah "Books, movies, and Chinese Food" (Reston, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Rae Gabriella has come to the small town of Justice, Illinois to escape her past as a former FBI agent. She finds a job with her former boyfriend Bruce as a private investigator. Thinking she can finally settle down, Rae begins to relax and discovers she has a sharing interest with both Bruce and the town's sheriff Nathan. Then a dead body is found in the same hotel Rae is staying at. When more deaths are being discovered and cannot be explained, the three end up working together to find out who and what is behind the murders.

I thought this book gave an interesting look into the drug industry. The reader learns a lot about how drugs are made, marketed and sold unsuspectingly. One has to be careful about the samples they eat. It was interesting that all the clues and suspects were right there, and no one picks up on it. However, I didn't like how the book ended rather abruptly. While we find out who the killer is, there seems to be a bigger story behind that which we find next to nothing about. If there is going to be a sequel, great. I just felt rather unsatisfied with the ending. I also didn't feel Rae having any chemistry with either of the two men. She seems like the type of woman that can take of herself and doesn't need anyone. I'll read the next book, if there is one, but I'd recommend Henderson's O'Malley series to new readers.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Frustrating Puzzle, January 15, 2007

By	Kelli Standish "Editor, FocusonFiction.net" (Corpus Christi, TX, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dee Henderson books have always excelled in several areas. First, her character dialogue moves well. Second, she's great with the whole: protective male rescues (and rescues, and re-rescues) smart but vulnerable female plot line.

This book is very different.

For one thing, Before I Wake has about ten times the layering, twists, and density of her past stories. Henderson does a great job making us wonder 'whodoneit' with this book, and offers some intriguing glimpses into the lives of coroners, crime-scene clean-up crews, private detectives, and designer drug "cooks".

The book surprises with an unexpected twist toward the end, and it presents real character struggles with God, faith, and life in an un-canned, un-preachy way.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that what first seems like a slow build in the character dynamics department becomes fizzling potential that never ignites.

Henderson's characters--Nathan, Rae, and Bruce--never seem to progress at all in their relationships. Everything's great and platonic, there's no jealousy, Rae likes them both just as well. The men are both perfect Christian gentlemen. No fire. No sparks. No conflict.

I found myself disgusted with Rae (never a good emotion to feel about a heroine). She dates both men, knowing that these men are good friends with each other, and that they're both interested in her. She's never even honest with herself about what she's doing with their emotions. Tacky.

I was equally frustrated when, by the end of the book, very few of the major plot points had been resolved. If this is a series, then I applaud the cliffhanger, but want to know WHY the book was not marketed as a series, either in print or on Henderson's web site.

If this is not a series then I don't know what to think. There is precious little satisfaction or closure by the last page. The bad guy is still at large, the romantic triangle (if you can even call it that) is not resolved, and we've just read through 381 pages with very little payoff.

Other issues include an infestation of speaker attributions--on many pages characters address each other by name every other line--a number of spelling/grammar errors, and, other than the front cover image and a brief description of Rae's eyes, no real idea what any of the major characters look like. Readers will also note that Rae's eyes are a different color in the book than on the book's cover.

Despite all this, Henderson does a great job making the town of Justice come alive through the story. And the characters have potential. Especially the grandfather who barrels through Justice in his fancy sports car, no matter how many tickets he receives. Now that's an interesting character.

So although the book is a mixed bag, I believe Dee Henderson fans will still find a lot to enjoy.

As for me? I'm waiting for a sequel. One that will answer all that's unresolved, and send Nathan and Bruce real women who will wake them up.