Double
Blind by Iris and Roy Johansen is a heart stopping story.
This series has a very original premise and this novel, in
particular, has a killer that is unique. Blind from birth,
the main character, Kendra Michaels, regained her sight at
the age of twenty. Now she is able to use her extensively
distinct senses and acute analytical skills to help the FBI
thwart bad guys.
The Johansens created a classic detective “with powers
of observation and deduction, seeing some things no one else
could see. But we want to make sure Kendra does not have super
powers. She can see, hear, and smell things, which anyone
else can if they were paying attention. What makes her special
is how she trained herself to pay attention. There was a lot
of time spent on making sure she was different; yet, maintains
the classic detective traits. Like most blind people she grew
up fine tuning her other senses to compensate. Now that she
has her sight, thanks to a rare, successful stem cell surgery,
she is able to pick up sounds and smells that most others
do not even pay attention to. She soaks up the world around
her, including her sight.”
As with many of those who cannot see, Kendra enhanced her
other senses to compensate. Although no longer blind, she
still has a great power of deduction and incredible critical
thinking abilities. The FBI has requested her on this case
because of her capacity to quickly notice the smallest of
details. Shrugging it off, she has been known to say that
her powers were nothing any other person could deduce if they
concentrated on listening, observing, and watching.
This case literally came to her after a woman is found dead
with an envelope having Kendra’s name on it. It contains
a memory stick of a wedding video. What soon becomes apparent
is that the wedding party has been targeted by a serial killer
who strives to get the maximum number of victims by inflicting
emotional and physical pain. Through the investigative process,
Kendra and company realize that the killer is connected to
a mercenary organization.
The supporting cast includes former FBI agent Adam Lynch,
now a contractor who works by himself; Olivia, a friend of
Kendra’s from childhood who became blind in an accident;
Jessie, a private investigator after retiring from the army,
and a group of FBI agents. Lynch is almost always at Kendra’s
side and has her back. This new case brings Lynch and Kendra
closer, but there is still the tug of war between them. Each
is strong, smart, brave, and honest; although in their private
lives Kendra and her peers have many secrets.
The authors wrote Kendra “as complicated, brisk, cautious,
loyal, and impatient. She has difficulty with those who she
considers lazy in doing their job. She has a colorful history
from those wild days after she was given her sight. Kendra
always speaks her mind, especially with her FBI counterparts.
Her counterpart, Lynch, is learning to work and play well
with others through Kendra. He is very much his own man with
a steely confidence. His hated nickname is ‘Puppetmaster,’
because one of his talents is having people bend to his will.
He can be very persuasive, a master of manipulation.”
This mother/son collaboration make a great team, able to write
edge-of-your seat suspenseful stories with compelling characters.
The twists in Double Blind can blind-sided readers
so be forewarned.
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