Book Review: Sleep with the Lights On by Maggie Shayne

Sleep with the Lights On
Author: Maggie Shayne
Series: A Brown and De Luca Novel
Publication: Harlequin MIRA (September 24, 2013)

Description: Through the eyes of a killer… 

Rachel de Luca has found incredible success writing self-help books. But her own blindness and the fact that her troubled brother has gone missing have convinced her that positive thinking is nothing but bull.

Her cynicism wavers when a cornea transplant restores her sight. The new eyes seem to give her new life, until they prove too good to be true and she starts seeing terrifying visions of brutal murders—crimes she soon learns are all too real.

Detective Mason Brown's own brother recently died, leaving behind a horrific secret. In atonement, Mason donated his brother's organs, though he's kept the fact quiet. Now he wants to help Rachel find her brother, but when he discovers the shocking connection between her visions and his own brother, he suddenly has to do everything in his power to save her from a predator who is somehow still hunting from beyond the grave.

My Thoughts: This romantic suspense title was heavier on the suspense than the romance. Rachel de Luca lost her sight when she was twelve and now makes her living as an author of self-help books with a positive message. Rachel is really a positive person herself. She is sharp-tongued and rather cranky. When she gets a chance to have a cornea transplant to restore her sight, she is first hesitant. Previous operations had not been successful. This one works remarkably well. At least it does until she starts have dreams and visions of murder and starts to believe that she is seeing through the eyes of a serial killer.

Mason Brown is a police detective. His brother has recently committed suicide and left notes and evidence that he was the serial killer who caused the disappearance of thirteen young men - among them Rachel's brother. Mason decides to cover up his brother's confession to protect his brother's wife who is expecting a baby and his two young sons. Mason decides to donate his brother's organs in some attempt to make up for his brother's crimes and to ease his own conscience. Rachel is one of the recipients.

Rachel and Mason meet when she goes to the police station to put pressure on them to keep investigating her brother's disappearance. Still blind, she steps out into traffic and Mason hits her with his car.

I had some trouble with this story because of the large number of coincidences. I mean, cop's brother is serial killer; heroine's brother is one of his victims; heroine gets tissue from killer and starts having visions. Mason is put in charge of the investigation to track down the serial killer. Mason knows who the killer was but things change when the killings start again. He doesn't believe that she is seeing things when she first tells him but gradually becomes convinced.

My favorite character in the book is Rachel's newly-adopted, blind, elderly bulldog. I loved it each time Myrtle appeared in the story. I loved how much of a softy Rachel became around Myrtle. I could just see her with her car goggles and yellow scarf around her neck sitting in the passenger seat while Rachel drove her classic yellow Thunderbird.

While I could believe that they were attracted to each other, I had more difficulty believing that they could overcome the obstacles to any sort of relationship. Neither one of them seemed ready to begin a new relationship. Since this is the first book in a series, I am eager to see how their relationship plays out.

Favorite Quote:

I felt like an idiot, like a stereotypical helpless female calling on a man for help over the nightmare. But I knew—way down deep, where you know the things you don't really know you know—I knew this was not just a nightmare. I knew, somehow, that what I'd seen had been real. 

I got this book for review through Amazon Vine. You can buy your copy here.