Well, this is a reissue that I passed up the first time around. I’m sorry I missed it when it was first released but in 1995 I was strictly an historical reader. This book is a real winner, a keeper extraordinaire, and a book that kept me on my toes from first word to last. Linda Howard is a new author to me, I only recently read her MacKenzie books and all I can say is, “If I could reach my behind, I’d give myself a good swift kick!” By the way, that’s an almost direct quote from Dane Hollister, the hero of Dream Man, and too good a line not to use myself. Thanks, Linda Howard, for such great lines!

Take one stalking, serial killer, one hard-nose detective, and one psychic, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for a romantic thriller that will keep you on your toes from first word to last. I was truly sorry to see this book end, but my fingernails are not. I pride myself on the fact that I quit biting my nails 15 years ago, however, if you could see the stubs of my nails at this moment, you’d never believe that I haven’t had them in my mouth all these years. Yes, the book is that good!

Marlie Keen is a psychic who’s only desire is to lead a quiet, unassuming life. She’s been a psychic from a young age, but a traumatic experience forced her to lose her abilities for the last six years. It’s a relief for her not to have this second sight. Suddenly, without any warning at all, her skills come back in full force and are terrifyingly ugly. In her mind, she is witness to a murder so brutal, so evil, it’s almost beyond comprehension. He’s a stalker, a serial killer, and he’s convinced he’ll never be caught.

Meet Dane Hollister, a detective for the Orlando Police Department. Dane is hard-nosed and the last person on earth willing to believe that Marlie Keen is anything but the prime, number-one suspect in these murders. He’s a cop, a good cop, and the last thing he needs is some nut-case telling him about a serial killer in his jurisdiction. Whether Dane Hollister wants this weirdo in his life or not, she’s in it, and he can’t deny that he’s attracted to her. If he had half the sense God gave him, he’d run like hell, but he’s not that smart and Marlie is already calling to his body to come on home.

Linda Howard weaves a tale of murder, intrigue, and romance like nobody I’ve ever read. She has somehow come up with the right balance of these factors to write a book so fascinating, so compelling, that you don’t even care that you already know who the killer is. This wasn’t a book where you’re taken by surprise when you find out who the killer is – it’s much more than that. It’s two people trying to put enough clues and information together to catch a killer, when there are absolutely no clues to be had at the murder scene.

I don’t want to give away anymore of this tale. You have to take my word on the fact that this is a book that should never have been missed in the first place. Dane Hollister, while being one hard cop, is an endearing hero whom you love almost from the beginning. Marlie Keen is a heroine who needs a strong, loving, compassionate hero to come into her life, and take it over, and Dane does this in his very best, forceful, “I want to be there for you” method.

If you missed this book the first time around, don’t miss it this time. This is my second Linda Howard romantic intrigue, and I can hardly bear to wait for the next one. Her books may be an automatic pick ups for me from now on – the ones I’ve read so far are real keepers.