Close Your Eyes
Iris Johansen & Roy Johansen, 2012
St. Martin's Press
368 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780312611613
Summary
Blind for the first twenty years of her life, Kendra Michaels honed her other senses to almost superhuman perfection—and unintentionally became a secret weapon for the FBI. Her uncanny ability to pick up the most subtle audio, olfactory, and tactile cues in the world around her made her a law-enforcement legend. Today, her expertise is called for once again.
When Kendra is approached by a dubious source about a serial murder investigation, her instincts tell her to steer clear. This time, however, the case is personal: The next name to turn up on the killer’s hit list is Kendra’s own ex-lover, an FBI agent who disappeared without a trace. Now it’s up to Kendra to pick up the trail—or close her eyes again…forever. (From the publisher.)
See the video.
Author Bio
Iris Johansen is the New York Times bestselling author of Eight Days to Live, Shadow Zone, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Silent Thunder (with Roy Johansen), Pandora’s Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On the Run, Countdown, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, No One to Trust, and more.
Johansen began writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success. She had seventeen consecutive New York Times bestsellers as of November 2006.
Johansen and her husband live near Atlanta, Georgia. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant. (From the author's website.)
Book Reviews
Bestseller Johansen and son’s gripping fourth collaborative effort (after 2010’s Shadow Zone) stars Dr. Kendra Michaels, a music therapist with some amazing talents. Born blind, Kendra developed her other senses to an extraordinary degree until her sight was restored at age 20. As a modern-day Sherlock Homes, Kendra is invaluable to the FBI, who pull her into the case of six fatal stabbings in the San Diego area in 45 days that was earlier investigated by her former lover, Jeff Stedler, who’s gone missing. All six victims had the same as yet unidentified substance in their bodies. Despite not being a team player and friction with her co-worker, Adam Lynch, Kendra picks up some almost invisible clues that put them on the right track. Now someone is determined to kill her. The authors combine idiosyncratic yet fully realized characters with dry wit and well-controlled suspense that builds to a satisfying conclusion.
Publishers Weekly
Mind-blowing…The scenes with Adam and Kendra ooze sexual tension, making this thriller a titillating delight.
Booklist
Johansen and her son, Roy, team up for their fourth collaborative effort (Shadow Zone, 2010, etc.). Dr. Kendra Michaels, a music therapist, doesn't seem like your average crime fighter, but Kendra's track record is impressive.... [W]hen someone starts killing random people, former FBI agent Adam Lynch, who is now investigative freelancing, ropes her into helping the feds find the killer.... The law enforcement agents are all either corrupt or inept, and the supposed heat that builds between Kendra and Adam is tepid and uninteresting. While the foray into music therapy is compelling, the writers strain credulity with the premise that any federal agency would put up with someone as unpleasant and rude as Kendra, much less let her call the shots. A not-so-thrilling thriller that leaves readers wishing that the bad guys were better shots.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:
• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)
We will add specific Discussion Questions when they are made available by the publisher.