By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Dale Mayer

What she doesn’t want…
is exactly what he needs.

Shunned and ridiculed all her life for something she can’t control, Samantha Blair hides her psychic abilities and lives on the fringes of society. Against her will, however, she’s tapped into a killer–or rather, his victims. Each woman’s murder, blow-by-blow, ravages her mind until their death releases her back to her body. Sam knows she must go to the authorities, but will the rugged, no-nonsense detective in charge of tracking down the killer believe her?

Detective Brandt Sutherland only trusts hard evidence, yet Sam’s visions offer clues he needs to catch a killer. The more he learns about her incredible abilities, however, the clearer it becomes that Sam’s visions have put her in the killer’s line of fire. Now Brandt must save her from something he cannot see or understand…and risk losing his heart in the process.

As danger and desire collide, passion raises the stakes in a game Sam and Brandt don’t dare lose.

This book was a special on the author’s website a while ago and I couldn’t resist. I had started this series at the end instead of the beginning, so now I am starting the first three books in a bundle.

Samantha Blair has unusual vision, she actually manifests the injuries of the victim. This book opens with one such vision and I truly felt sorry for her. In the thrall of the vision she sees a ring, one she has seen before and now does her best to commit the details of it to memory. In spite of previous interactions with the police being very stressful and frightening she was determined to bring this information. The ring was important and although not admissible the energy of the assailant was the same. She really isn’t surprised when the outcome of her meeting was much the same, doubt and suspicion. In a rush to leave she runs into a man, apologizes and continues on her way.

Brandt Sutherland is the detective she ran into. A visiting detective trying to find the evidence to create a serial killer task force. He has several murders he’s convinced are the same killer and would like to put these cases to rest. When he inquires about her identity from Kevin Bresson he isn’t surprised that Kevin has dismissed her as crazy. He doesn’t judge so quickly being friends with a renowned psychic Stefan Kronos. It’s when Kevin mentions a ring, he knows this woman is a valid psychic and she’s witnessed his nemesis kill again. After reading Kevin’s notes and then the scene that was reported, Brandt goes to see Samantha with questions of his own.

Samantha has another vision, and in spite of the fact it’s a car crash she senses the presence of the same energy as the murders. Now since I’ve read the later Psychic Vision books I knew right away who the man she saw in her vision was, however, she believes it was a loved one come to escort her to the other side. She documents the vision and after much consideration calls Brandt.

After Brandt validates her information about the crash and visits her again.

This is a favorite scene.

“Do you want a cup of tea?”

He’d rather have a coffee, yet with no coffeemaker in sight, there didn’t appear to be much choice. And her offer could be deemed a definite step forward in the social game. Even for a prickly female like her.

“Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”

He watched as she pulled out a teapot and teabags from the cupboard. She never made idle chitchat or unnecessary movements. Economical all the way. She fascinated him. He couldn’t think of another person like her. He walked over and sat on the same sofa as last time. “This is a nice place.”

“I like it.”

“Have you been here long?”

She shot him a suspicious look. “You mean you don’t know already?”

His lips quirked. “I’d like you to tell me.”

Samantha shrugged. “I’ve been here close to six months now.”

“And before that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Before that, I was somewhere else.”

“Of course you were,” he murmured. Her full history had been on his desk half an hour after he’d learned the details of the car accident she’d ‘seen.’ It hadn’t taken long as there’d been little to add to what he already knew. Today’s accident had opened doors for him. He wanted to learn the extent she was willing to fill in the missing details.

“Did you sabotage her car?”

She froze in the act of pouring water into the teapot. Her back went rigid. Fury visibly radiated through her bunched shoulders, rage-like waves he could almost touch. Ever so slowly, she finished filling the pot and replaced the kettle on the stove. Just as slowly, she turned around.

Brandt prepared to be blasted and found himself stunned at the pain evident in her eyes. Anger, yes, but he’d also hurt her. He grimaced. Damn, he’d judged that badly. He couldn’t figure her out and had automatically tried to shock her out of her silence. Instead, it appeared he’d locked her deeper inside.

“I’m sorry. I had to ask.”

She stared down at the kitchen floor, the muscles in her jaw twitching. She walked to the small fridge and pulled out a carton of milk. After a long moment, she shuddered once before answering, “When I have these visions, I’m not on the outside looking in. I’m inside these people staring out.” She shot him a look. “Believe me, it would be much easier if it were the other way around.”

That was understandable. If what she said were true, she must experience what they experience. He didn’t think that included the pain – no one could stand that. Still, being inside must forge a personal connection. And how hard would that be given the eventual outcome?

He waited until she’d brought his tea. “Can you do this at will?”

“No.” Did that make it better or worse? Brandt stayed silent. She didn’t offer any more information. “What about controlling it?”

“I wish.”

“So, what can you do?”

“Endure.” She bit her lip afterward, but it was too late. The word had slipped out.

God. Brandt paused, cup midway to the table. So softly spoken, the word said so much. He stared at her. She didn’t like her gift. She hadn’t learned to live with it yet. Or to control it. It controlled her. A rush of sympathy washed through him. Gifts like these, if real, were very unforgiving.

Few people had strong psychic abilities. Of those, some went insane. Some survived – barely, and a select few learned to control them and lived quite well. From what he’d seen, she could be one of the stronger ones. Except without the control, she was dangerous. Very dangerous.

Stefan had often extolled the dangers of psychic power without training. Brandt narrowed his eyes. Maybe Stefan could help her. If she’d accept any help. He stared at her in consideration.

Uncontrollable power was a disaster waiting to happen.

He should get the hell out and not come back. Even as he thought it, he knew he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. He needed to learn more about her. To understand her. After confirming the details of this morning’s accident, he was willing to buy into her story as a psychic. But his personal interest bothered him. Especially when his better judgment told him to leave her alone.

She sipped her tea, apparently comfortable under the intensity of his gaze. She didn’t fidget, move around, or make artificial conversation.

“Well,” she asked. “Did you make up your mind?”

He lowered his cup. “About what?”

“Whether to believe me or not.”

“I’m willing to believe up to this point. Your information checked out on the car accident and until I find out otherwise, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“Gee, thanks.” She peered over the rim of her teacup, derision in her voice.

Exasperated, he said, “You can’t expect me to jump for joy over all of this. I’m a cop. I like things to be cut, dried, and clear. I also know that it rarely happens. So if there is information that can help, then I will listen and say thank you.”

She stared at him, a frown between her brows.

He had no idea what she was thinking. Samantha had the odd distinction of being the only person to throw him off balance every one last question. “Is there any particular trigger for the visions?”

That caught her off guard. She stared at him, her eyes flat. “Yes.”

“And that is?” he asked.

“Violence.”
Dale Mayer. Psychic Visions Books 1–3 (Kindle Locations 904-956). Dale Mayer.

With that visit he leaves her with Stefan’s phone number, hoping she’ll contact him. The uncontrolled visions could be dangerous to her. He doesn’t know why he can’t get her out of his mind, knowing he should distance himself.

A lot happens in this book as we follow Samantha, as she travels through her days. Her work at the veternarian’s office is soothing to her as is her dog Moses and home in the middle of nowhere. She acquires a second dog the vet considers dangerous, but she has managed to build a bit of a rapport with him. The vet wanted to put him down, but she wasn’t going to give up on him. The visions keep happening and are changing. This frightens her but also gives her hope of this killer being caught.

Brandt in spite of being a bit skeptical, is drawn to her and arranges a meeting with her and Stefan. He’s definitely worried about her. There’s also some stuff going on at the police station that is causing chaos within.

I couldn’t put this book down, every page has clues and I love the way this relationship develops. Quite the unusual relationship but one that really makes perfect sense.

5 Contented Purrs for Dale!

Dale Mayer

Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It’s a Dog’s Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).

She honors the stories that come to her – and some of them are crazy and break all the rules and cross multiple genres!

To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in print and ebook format.