Dark Eye

A Novel of Suspense

De: William Bernhardt

Narrado por: Kathe Mazur

Sometimes her eyes seduce. Sometimes they stare straight at the kind of sights most people turn away from. But in the blazing neon and searing sun of Las Vegas, she can’t see the man who is watching her and thinking to himself: She is the one. . . .

From the mountain views beyond the Strip to the dingy dens of forbidden pleasure, Susan Pulaski loves Las Vegas. A woman who wears a gun at her side and her heart on a sleeve, Pulaski is the perfect fit for her city and her job: unraveling the minds of deviant personalities. Until a killer begins decorating Sin City with the horribly disfigured bodies of once beautiful young women. . . . and Pulaski’s own demons go on a binge.

Eight months after her cop husband’s death, her life is spinning out of control–just as her detective colleagues start searching for a serial killer who methodically stalks his female victims and plunges them into an orgy of terror. When a violent incident earns Pulaski a pink slip from the LVPD and a trip to detox, she’s out of the hunt altogether, so she begins to desperately try to regain her job, her reputation, and custody of the niece she’s been raising on her own. It seems hopeless–until Pulaski meets the one person who can lead her into the mind of a madman no one else can understand. Darcy O’Bannon is a twenty-five-year-old autistic savant whose relationship with the world around him is so unusual that it forces Pulaski to view the crimes from a bizarre–but ultimately insightful–perspective.

White-knuckling her way to the center of the case, she becomes the key player in a desperate hunt for a killer who believes he has found divine inspiration in the works of Edgar Allan Poe. But even with the assistance of Darcy’s astonishing skills, Pulaski is in even more danger than she knows. For the man she seeks is watching her, seduced by her frailties and strengths, her beauty and boldness. To finish his masterwork of horror, he needs her.

In a blistering novel that brings together glitz and goth, human weakness and human genius, and a murderous psychopath who is all too chillingly real, master storyteller William Bernhardt has created an unparalleled literary Las Vegas thrill ride that will leave readers breathless until the final, stunning page.©2005 William Bernhardt; (P)2005 Books on Tape, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Advance praise for Dark Eye

“Murder in Sin City, as investigated by a tough woman cop and her incomparably gifted young associate–Bernhardt and Las Vegas go together like fire and gasoline.”
–STEPHEN COONTS, author of Liars and Thieves

“Showcasing William Bernhardt at the height of his storytelling powers, Dark Eye is a Silence of the Lambs meets Rain Man thriller that will chill you while its two unique and endearing protagonists steal your heart.”
–LISA SCOTTOLINE, author of Killer Smile

Interesting and different

Loved Susan and her fight with alcoholism and coming to terms with her life. Granted she was not very likeable at first, as I came to know her I started pulling for her. Darcy was also well done. Edgar was standard whacked-out bad-guy. And don't those cops in Las Vegas have any sort of mobile communication devices - cell phones, radios? But I'll look for additional books by this author.

Awesome!

This is one of the best books I have listen to in over a year. This author grabs your attention and doesn't let go. The characters are people you can relate to. This book is just awesome.

Hard to Rate

Ok - the main character is a bomb - the author uses the typical self destructive actions and unfocused anger to convey/cover her sorrow and grief. How she still has any friends is completely a mystery - why people are attracted to her is a mystery.

But I give this book a high rating for the protrayal of a high functioning autistic man - the son of the boss. The narrator does an excellent job conveying the strange speech patterns of an autistic person. And the author does a good job of using an autistic's different way of thinking/seeing the world to help with the investigation. My seven year old son has high functioning autism and I see the limitations and extraordinary abilities first hand everyday. One fault on this character - while I think my son would love the riddles - and no he can not solve problems like the ones in this novel - he could never visit these crime scenes without having a meltdown and subsequent nightmares / anxiety.

Great, riveting story...

This book is reminiscent of "The Silence of the Lambs" in that it deals with a Psychotic persona... while "Edgar" isn't as likable as Hannibal Lecter, he's certainly, uh, creative. The Susan and Darcy dynamic is heartwarming and a welcome change from some of the darkness in the story line. I found no slow moments of this book, which is rare. Kathe M is a phenomenal reader, voicing Darcy so well that I felt like I was really listening to him. It's a little bit creepy, no doubt, but you know, that's fun sometimes.

sex, sadism, shock

It's hard to completely love this awesome book, because as expressed by others, the "heroine" is so unlikable through at least 3/4 of the book. I know the alcoholism was integral to the entire story, but it got old real fast and I wanted to scream and shake her everytime Susan told us...and herself... that she could beat it. How ridiculous, given that she makes almost no attempt to do so. The rationalization was infuriating. Having said that, though, this was truly one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. I'd put it right up there with many of Stephen King's best. The last three hours were so grueling and intense that I could only listen in short time periods! As the grandparent of a precious autistic young man, I was impressed with the author's description of typical autistic characteristics. The reader was good, but could've been a more animated at times. Her reading of Darcy was exceptional, "Edgar", very good; but as Susan, I found her whiney. I almost dismissed this reading after the first hour---fortunately, I stuck it out and got the chill of my life! I'll probably read the hard copy now.