Killer Dreams: A Novel

by Iris Johansen

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Countdown returns with a knock-out suspense thriller that pits a mother and son against a killer who's the stuff of nightmares.

If you close your eyes, he’ll get you. Sophie Dunston knows all too well how dreams can kill. As one of the nation’s top sleep therapists, she specializes in the life-threatening night terrors that her ten-year-old son, Michael, suffers from. But she is also an expert in another kind of terror–the kind that can turn a dream life into a living nightmare in the blink of an eye.

Someone is watching. He’s a shadowy figure from out of her darkest fears and he hasn’t forgotten her. In one shocking moment of violence, he’d shattered Sophie’s world forever and left her with only one thing to live for: her son. But the nightmare isn’t over for Sophie Dunston. It’s just begun. He’s been waiting. Sophie was supposed to die the first time around, but fate intervened. This time he’ll make sure that not even a miracle will save her.

It wasn’t a miracle that saved Jock Gavin, but it was pretty close. A semiretired hit man, commando, and jack-of-all-deadly-trades, he knows what Sophie is up against–and that she’ll need help. But the man he’s chosen for the job is as unpredictable as he is dangerous. Matt Royd is a wild card–hard, cool, merciless–and putting him into play changes the game completely. But to whose advantage?

Sophie will soon find out. She will have to trust Royd because she has no choices left. Because the bogeyman haunting her dreams is all too real and he’s on the hunt again. Because the nightmare he’s got planned for Sophie won’t end when she wakes up screaming. It won’t end. Ever.

Genres: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Fiction, Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery Thriller

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 30, 2006

About the author

Iris Johansen is a New York Times bestselling author. She began her 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 lives in Georgia and is married. Her son, Roy Johansen, is an Edgar Award-winning screenwriter and novelist. Her daughter, Tamara, serves as her research assistant.

IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of Night and Day, Hide Away, Shadow Play, Your Next Breath, The Perfect Witness, Live to See Tomorrow, Silencing Eve, Hunting Eve, Taking Eve, Sleep No More, What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, and more. And with her son, Roy Johansen, she has coauthored Night Watch, The Naked Eye, Sight Unseen, Close Your Eyes, Shadow Zone, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder.

http://www.irisjohansen.com

Reviews

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story starts with an interesting prologue but by chapter 2 or three - I began to feel something like this............ I started skimming ......and more skimming.............

The plot is a somewhat unbelievable.....I lost most of the plot before I got halfway!!!
But the most irritating thing about this book, was the heroine!!! Everyone around her is trying to help her and her son from some really bad bad guys.....and all she does is whine, moan..........and is beyond totally ungrateful! She drove me absolutely crazy!!!!

She's suppose to be this smart scientist but hell, she behaves more like a "banshee"!! In fact, I wanted to advise the hero to wring her neck and get on with his program!!!

Though we meet up with some of the characters from the Eve Duncan Series....Joe Quinn, Jane Maguire and others, it's not really part of the series and can be read as a standalone.......though I cannot in all honesty recommend this book.........if you don't read it...you won't miss out on anything exciting.

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Killer Dreams" by Iris Johansen...You know what? Screw it. I'm going to review this book like one of her men would review it.

This book was crap. I wanted to throw it in the garbage. I could do it, too. It would be easy. Maybe that's not what you wanted to hear, but that's the truth. I'm selfish, after all. Get used to it.

You don't want to read this book. You may say you do, but I know better. I can't help it; I'm a reader who appreciates quality literature. What did you expect?

Look, I can handle most books. I've lived my whole life reading books. I'm an expert at reading books. But Iris Johansen's books...they're different. They make me feel things. Things I thought I wasn't capable of feeling. Disgust. Self-righteousness. I thought I could never learn how to *hate* a book. But... *grimace* These books make me feel vulnerable. I don't like it.

Don't walk away from me. You're a smart reader. You must have known what you were getting into when you started to read this review.

You don't know Iris Johansen's books like I do. You can't imagine how many times one author can cram "stiffened" or "lips twisted" into a single book. I know you're one tough cookie, but you'd just get in my way. Don't like it? Tough. I'm not like your ex. I'm not sweet or civilized. Are you afraid? You should be.

Wasn't that the best review you've ever read? I need to know. I won't shut up until you say it was. And I won't stop until I know I've dissuaded you from reading this book.

I'm a reader. I can't help it.

[Arch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this book 3.5/5 stars. I haven't read a Iris Johansen books in year. She's a good writer. She knows how to write catchers.

She has pulled me in with that mind blowing prologue. The prologue introduce one word and that word is "What!"

This book is about a dream therapist name Sophie. She has a 10 year old son name Michael. He suffers from night terrors, because of something that happend 2 years earlier. See prologue! Michael wasn't the only one affected by something that happend two years earlier. So was Sophie. The aftermath left her in a psych ward.

The person responsible for the chaos is Sophie's ex-boss, Sanborne and his partner Boch. Sophie had developed a program, but Sanborne had took it and turned it bad. He wanted to control people.

Sophie wanted to kill him, but she wasn't the only one. Her good friend Jock was willing to kill Sanborne for her, but he wasn't the only man that was willing to kill Sanborne. The hero, Royd wanted to kill him, because Sanborne was responsible for his torturing. He's responsible for making Royd the person that he is. The bad portion of Royd.

Royd is a good guy, trying to overcome the bad he been through. He's a tortured hero. A humorous hero.

Sophie and Royd has sexual tension.

That's all I am going to say about Sophie and Royd. The man that has caught my attention in the story was Jock. He's dark, a mystery and although he's not the hero in this book, he sexiness showed and Mrs. Johansen didn't even write about him getting with anyone. All he wanted to do was make sure that Sophie and her son was taken care of. He was willing to kill Sanborne for Sophie. He's a loyal person. Trustworthy.

It's something about him that brings him through the mirror. He's a tortured hero as well. I have to find out if he has a book or will be getting a book.

I recommend this fast pace book to anyone that likes to read suspense stories and likes a book where there is humor.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wild exciting ride with some implausible events as Sophie Dunston tries to protect her son as she regains control of her research on sleep therapy which has been manipulated for evil use. Actually it is a pretty shallow plot—think of it as a comic book story with several super heroes. The sexual tension adds a dimension that I enjoyed. All in all a fun, light read.

[Ellenjsmellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

That's the second Iris Johansen book I read (the other was an Eve Duncan novel) and I think this might be my last.

[Afsana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book

Though there was certain formula parts of the book i.e the women in trouble, or needed to help and being forced to work/request help from a tough,
ex-seal and authorative guy and though at first they do not get along and resent each other they can't help but fall in love and want to be together

The idea of mind control and thus humans being used against their wills as weapons is a fascinating idea and so it made a good story

So the story is Sophie Duntston produces a medication that can be given to induce deeper sleep and nice dreams and get rid of night terrors and other sleeping issues, this is done by suggestions made during sleep.

What she finds out is that the company she works for are using this to make people commit murder and other acts unknowingly /unwillingly.

This is the fight between the big company who will stop at nothing and sell this as weapons to foreign arms dealers and the scientist and ex victims to see who will win

This is one of Iris Johansens' better books and worth a read

The sex does not get in the way and in this one is a side issue and not like in others where it takes over the plot

[Brenda · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a huge Iris Johansen fan and always devour her books! This book I found boring and predictable...like her heart wasn't into writing it and she was forced to put words down on paper just to satisfy her publisher. I hope this was just an aberration and not a sign of things to come.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK... I read about 150 pages in and gave up. Very lame book. Nothing happening in it and even when it should be exciting, it just isn't. It doesn't help that the whole idea of the book is ridiculous, but I do like Stephen King and he has written some good books from silly ideas.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several years ago, sleep therapist Sophie Dunston developed a program dealing with REM sleep that used suggestion to get rid of bad dreams and insomnia. Her wealthy, unscrupulous employer now uses this program for the wrong reasons. Sophie wants to kill him and assassin Matt Royd wants to help her.

There was a bit too much clandestine activity for me but I think this writing style is classic Iris Johansen. There are a number of ties to the Eve Duncan series with Jane, Jock, Joe, and MacDuff. The prologue was great. There's a lot of fast paced action in this thriller from 2006.

[joyce lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

i must have checked the wrong book onto my list. i AM reading this one, i'm just not LISTENING to it!

anyway, this one definitely grabbed me!! w/in a few pages of the prologue, as much as i hate how it takes me down, i was ALMOST wishing my body would crash w/ a flare-up so that i could just lay in bed and read til this book was done!!!

i can't, but ...

_______________________________________________________________

carried this blasted book around w/ me so that every time i had 2 inactive seconds, i could read another sentence or 2, hence me being able to finish it already, DESPITE my hectic day yesterday!

this was another great thriller, w/ lots of suspense. not one of her best that i've read, but still, good. a little too much like the last one maybe, plot-wise, which may be why i didn't like it quite as much as the others. it started off great, but didn't exactly keep the pace up that you anticipated from the opening "shot" (literally!) in the prologue.

again, if you're in the medical field, you'll probably appreciate this book more than most of her others, as you'll have a better understanding of what's going on.

all in all, tho, a GREAT read! i do NOT regret having read it!

i think, tho, that i've had enough of murder and mayhem, so, since i was able to track down the rest of one of the series i was in limbo w/, i'm going to switch back to that now, and give my poor heart a break for a while from Iris Johansen. to quote The Terminator, tho, "i will be back!"

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only thing I liked about this book was the prologue and just maybe a few of the first chapters. It seemed to go down hill from there. I skimmed through most of the book just to get to the end.

[Camila María · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es una novela escrita por Iris Johansen. La protagonista es Sophie Dunston, quien es doctora en medicina y en química que, a raíz de los terrores nocturnos que sufren su padre y su hijo, decide investigar cómo alterar esa fase del sueño que provoca dichos terrores. Entonces, para ello, comienza a trabajar en la empresa de un poderoso multimillonario, Sanborne. Pero ella pronto descubre que la intención de éste no es ayudar a los que padecen esas pesadillas, sino que tiene un propósito muy oscuro: lograr dominar las mentes a través de la alteración del sueño, y así hacer lo que quiera con esos pacientes, por ejemplo, mandarlos a asesinar a personas.
Entonces ella cuando descubre eso decide retirarse del proyecto, pero ahí es cuando se le empieza a complicar las cosas, poniendo en peligro su vida y la de su hijo. Además, entra en escena otro protagonista, Matt Royd, quien fue un paciente al que lo quisieron doblegar mediante la alteración del sueño. Los dos personajes, junto con otros más, intentan parar el proyecto, a la vez que dar caza a Sanborne y sus secuaces. Es una novela trepidante, con mucha intriga y suspenso, vale la pena leerla.

[David Veith · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25 Started off good, well OK I guess, but got worse as it went. The story got very choppy near the end and seemed to be skipping over things when before it had explained more than needed. Also I feel like this was a squeal as it had many things in the beginning that were written as if you should already know about it (they were later explained, sort of, but not very well). Just seems there was a lot missing with this book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

If we still had cable, I’d be able to watch a Lifetime movie instead of reading something like this. All the author’s standalone books are very cheesy and formulaic, but I like to keep one or two around for when I need to shut my brain off. This was not her best in terms of suspense, and also because the hero is referred to as Royd. Very, very poor choice: “Oh, Royd!”

[Jonathan Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boatloads of language, with most of it taking the Lords name in vain unfortunately. Tbh, I was kinda bored reading this book. It wasn’t really thrilling.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good suspense! Prologue hooked me in. Some of the plot didn't hold my interest. I liked the characters, otherwise, I may not have finished the book.

[Valeree · Rating 3 out of 5]

The details were hard to follow.

[Lisa Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sophia is a doctor that does sleep studies & trying to find a cure for night terrors but her formula gets in the wrong hands & puts her & her son in danger. A great read

[GothAuntie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't. Just don't. Put it down and walk away. It's not worth your time.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting story idea but the characters just aren't well written

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this powerful stand-alone thriller from Iris Johansen, this one would make you sleep with the lights on. Dr. Sophie Dunston is a sleep therapist who specialized in night terror--something her own ten-year-old Michael suffered from. She knew all about dreams that kill in the shape of nightmares. Someone was watching them, someone from her deepest fears who haven't forgotten about her. In a shocking world of violence, fate intervened to safe her life, while this monster wouldn't stop and try again. It was up to Jock Gavin, a semi-retired hit man, and Matt Royd, who save her from this nightmarish world she was now in. She had no choice but to trust Royd, because her worst nightmare had came to life and wouldn't stop until she screamed for her life.

[Cherry-Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. Fast paced..I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Not too many characters to make the story confusing, fun, sexy leads, and romantic scenes that leave a bit to your own imagination. Wonderful.

I was bit sceptical at first about wasting time with this book based on the poor reviews on Amazon but my gosh, what a turnabout. I loved this story unlike, unfortunately, Eve Duncan's stories by the same author. I'm always a bit perplexed though at author's rating of police forces - in this book Atlanta PDs are the bomb and in some representations, if they know how to tie their shoelaces the public should be blessed.

Anyway, loved the book and looking forward to reading more of Iris, despite negative reviews.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is graphic and rough. I almost marked it a 3-star because of how graphic it is. But Johansen always keeps you on the edge of your seat. Many of the characters can be found in her other books, but I do not believe her books to be a series.

This one is about the doctor who developed the drug used to brainwash the assassins. And the destruction of the men who financed and controlled the drug. Hmm... guess was a spoiler. Sorry. But I did not tell anything about how Dr.Sophia stays alive. So, you need to read the book. :)

[Sunni · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did the audio of this book and I will say the reader is great. But NOT the book. After a knock your socks off prologue it quickly dissolved into predictability and bad dialogue. The protagonist is annoying and naive, with dialogue that begins by parroting everything back to others and asking a lot of ridiculous "why" questions...you know the "why can't I go home?" or something like that, when being pursued by professional killers. She reminded me of a whiny kid.

[Stu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not much to say about this one. The Heroine was so obnoxious it was hard to even finish the book. If I had been the guys protecting her I think I would have left her at the side of the road and kept on going!

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another author I really enjoy reading as I never feel cheated or let down. Suspense level is good and characters are well developed. Plot concept is different and added a nice layer of complexity and intrigue.

[Jordan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never again. I got really sick of hearing "she moistens her lips" over and over again throughout the story. The storyline wasnt too bad but the details were very choppy.

[Donna Beard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense book! Loved the characters.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I acquired this book on a random eBay search one day and the description peaked my interest. The first thing I will say is now this author, Iris Johansen, is on my to-read list!!

So I am going to be frank and just tell you how this book starts out. We meet Sophie; married, one child, and loves her family. She is on a quick fishing trip with her parents which ends in her father killing her mother, attempting to kill herself and her son, and then turns the gun on himself and kills himself. What?

The book flashes to 2 years down the road where we find out she’s divorced and married to her work. She is a top sleep therapist and she specializes in life-threatening night terrors, which her son happens to suffer from. She is focused on her work and we learn she enjoys her work in the hospital setting and has no desire to go back to working for a pharmaceutical company.

The pharmaceutical company will take center stage in this story. Sophie was working on a special project in which started to get out of hand. Sophie left the company and left the man in charge wanting to persuade her to come back to finish the project…or kill her.

Sophie has been under the protection and watchful eye of a semi-retired hitman named Jock. He has been teaching her how to take care of herself and by that, I mean shoot a gun and kill someone. He helps her take care of her son and is looking to return to Scotland but is hesitant to until he knows Sophie will be safe.

Here is where the book takes off. The company is coming after Sophie, hard, and will kill her or anyone else in their way to get what they want. It becomes a worldwide adventure where we are introduced to Royd, who enters the picture by saving her life. The two become an unlikely pair and are bound and determined to take down the people coming after Sophie.

I could go on but then I would be giving too much of the book away. It is filled with lots of killing and action. It was fairly predictable, nothing that had me on the edge of my seat, but, I was flipping through the pages like crazy to see what would happen with Royd and Sophie. I loved the ending and was holding my breath for the entire last chapter. I am giving this a solid 4 out of 5 and if you happen to come across this book, read it!

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If you close your eyes, he’ll get you. Sophie Dunston knows all too well how dreams can kill. As one of the nation’s top sleep therapists, she specializes in the life-threatening night terrors that her ten-year-old son, Michael, suffers from. But she is also an expert in another kind of terror–the kind that can turn a dream life into a living nightmare in the blink of an eye.
Someone is watching. He’s a shadowy figure from out of her darkest fears and he hasn’t forgotten her. In one shocking moment of violence, he’d shattered Sophie’s world forever and left her with only one thing to live for: her son. But the nightmare isn’t over for Sophie Dunston. It’s just begun. He’s been waiting. Sophie was supposed to die the first time around, but fate intervened. This time he’ll make sure that not even a miracle will save her.
It wasn’t a miracle that saved Jock Gavin, but it was pretty close. A semiretired hit man, commando, and jack-of-all-deadly-trades, he knows what Sophie is up against–and that she’ll need help. But the man he’s chosen for the job is as unpredictable as he is dangerous. Matt Royd is a wild card–hard, cool, merciless–and putting him into play changes the game completely. But to whose advantage?
Sophie will soon find out. She will have to trust Royd because she has no choices left. Because the bogeyman haunting her dreams is all too real and he’s on the hunt again. Because the nightmare he’s got planned for Sophie won’t end when she wakes up screaming. It won’t end. Ever."

Another thriller that barely stopped from the first page until the end. I have noticed that Johansen needs to find better descriptors. "S/he moistened his/her lips" appears WAY too often--to the point of distraction. He chewed his lip, she licked her lip, he rubbed his lips together....I could go on and on. It's one thing if it's a character quirk, but it's not particular to any one character. Maybe it's a throwback from her romance novels.