Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Book CoverVeena’s review of Night Watch (Kendra Michaels, Book 4) by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen
Romantic Thriller published by St. Martin’s Press 25 Oct 16

Night Watch is an exciting fast-paced thriller that should come with a warning label; but then again if you’re a fan, you already know that once you pick it up you wont be able to stop until you’ve reached the very end.

Kendra Michaels is grateful to Dr. Charles Waldridge and the Night Watch program for restoring her sight after a lifetime of being blind. In fact, her feelings for Dr Waldridge are a combination of love, admiration, and hero worship.  So when he disappears under mysterious circumstances the night after having dinner with her, it’s inevitable that she’s going to pull out all the stops in figuring out what happened.

Kendra is unique in her extraordinary abilities to find clues most crime scene investigators miss, which has made her much sought after as a consultant for the FBI, even as her abrasive and even sometime arrogant approach nets her as many enemies as admirers.  Adam Lynch has long been an admirer. Their relationship has been an interesting mix of advance and retreat so far, but the authors have finally deemed it time to fulfill the promise of their relationship by bringing their feelings for each other out in the open.

The authors do a great job of taking the readers back into the past and for the first time sharing the story of how Kendra got to participate in the experimental program.  I chuckled as Kendra preempts the doctors plans to take off her bandages by taking herself to central London and removing her own bandages to experience the beautiful sight of first the lights of Piccadilly Circus and then love on the tear-stained face of her happy mother as her next sight.

Given this prologue it’s inevitable that Kendra would throw herself 100% into the search for Charles Waldridge and that she would pull out all stops and leverage all her connections to help in her search, including Adam Lynch.  In my mind, Adam’s feelings are displayed through the large portrait he has of her on his living room wall and news that his erstwhile girlfriend is now an ex and living in Europe.  If that wasn’t enough of a clue, then his moving into her apartment to play guard dog should definitely have clued her in.  I really enjoyed the developing romance between the two.

Meanwhile, Adam and Kendra have to find Dr. Waldridge and, unfortunately, the body count is rising.  Adam’s friend in London seems to have stumbled upon a science experiment that seems like something out of a science fiction novel. Kendra’s old memories seem to be surfacing, which calls for a visit to an old friend to whom she gives a new lease on life as he creates a true-to-life sketch of a person who may offer some clues. Meanwhile, we have a new character that I’m sure we’ll see more of in future books who works closely with Kendra and Adam in their search.

I really enjoyed the story and can go on and on, but don’t want to take away from you reading this book on your own in the authors’ words.  Another keeper for my shelf.

Grade: A

Summary:

Sometimes, what you can’t see will kill you…
Kendra is surprised when she is visited by Dr. Charles Waldridge, the researcher who gave her sight through a revolutionary medical procedure developed by England’s Night Watch Project. All is not well with the brilliant surgeon; he’s troubled by something he can’t discuss with Kendra. When Waldridge disappears the very night he visits her, Kendra is on the case, recruiting government agent-for-hire Adam Lynch to join her on a trail that leads to the snow-packed California mountains. There they make a gruesome discovery: the corpse of one of Dr. Waldridge’s associates. But it’s only the first casualty in a white-knuckle confrontation with a deadly enemy who will push Kendra to the limits of her abilities. Soon she must fight for her very survival as she tries to stop the killing…and unearth the shocking secret of Night Watch.

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series:
Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover