steph1rothwell's review against another edition
4.0
With thanks to the author for the copy received.I often hear about life changing injuries on the news but prosopagnosia was a condition I had never heard of. And I can’t imagine how devastating it would be to suddenly not recognise loved ones. Or be able to do your job. And Ray being able to recognise people was essential.
His emotions, guilt and frustrations were shown brilliantly. They were just as important to the storyline and the murder case that involved organ trafficking.
He was a character I warmed to as I read. I wished he could open up to his friends, colleagues and loved ones more and explain to them how it made him feel. But I understood the reasoning behind it. The loneliness it caused him and the feeling that he would lose the job he loved.
Whilst most of the novel concerns Ray there was a case to solve. His team was upset with the events that happened early on in the novel, and at Ray’s remoteness.
The case is important but my favourite part of the novel was Ray trying to accept that his life had changed. And him knowing that he had open up to people. It made me think about all the ones you hear of who have invisible illnesses, and how they cope with it.
A very interesting standalone novel that is different to everything else I have read recently.
damppebbles's review against another edition
4.0
I recently had the pleasure of reading Fighting Monsters, the third book in the DI Hannah Robbins series written by ex-police detective turned author, Rebecca Bradley. I said in my review of Fighting Monsters how it was the first full novel by Bradley which I had read. I also said that I was keen to go back and read books one and two in that series, which (you’ve guessed it!) I haven’t done. But, in an effort to redeem myself, I have just completed Dead Blind, a brand new standalone from Bradley with a fascinating lead character in DI Ray Patrick.
‘Why so fascinating?’, you may be asking. DI Patrick was involved in a traumatic car accident whilst in pursuit of a killer. The accident resulted in several badly broken bones, a colleague who is scarred for life (which he feels 100% responsible for) and a knock to the head. Not just any old run-of-the-mill knock to the head though. Prosopagnosia. I obviously need to work on my knowledge of medical conditions as I had never heard of prosopagnosia. Even in layman’s terms, I was a bit unsure what ‘face blindness’ actually meant for the sufferer. Oh, the things I have learnt from reading this book.
At times my heart broke for Ray, the way he had to deal with situations that for the majority of us don’t require any real thought, things we take for granted; such as seeing your children, your partner, your friends and colleagues. I couldn’t help but put myself in Ray’s shoes as he approached situations which he knew were going to cause him problems. For example, any time he meets his long-term girlfriend. He knows it’s her because of her voice, her perfume, the smell of her shampoo, he recognises her clothes but when he looks at her face….nothing. There is no connection there. And imagine how difficult life would be if you were a senior police officer trying to catch a cold-blooded killer. Someone only you’ve seen, someone who killed a young man in front of you and someone you now have to pick out of an identity parade. This is the first time I have met a character with prosopagnosia and I thoroughly enjoyed what Bradley has done with him!
I liked Ray. I wanted to thump him at times though. I could see his reasons for wanting to keep his condition secret, and the story wouldn’t have had quite the same edge to it but flipping heck, man! I would be terrified to tell my employer something like that too (although my employer is my children, and they’d probably just shrug and carry on squabbling over whose turn it was to choose a television programme!). Sharing is caring, or something like that anyway! What I did love was the bubbling, will they/won’t they between Ray and his ex-wife, Helen. From Helen’s point of view, it seemed to be a fairly certain ‘they really won’t’ but I was never 100% sure, I *think* she could be tempted to rekindle her love affair with Ray, just for old times sake. I’m not a fan of any kind of romantic liaison in my crime reads but this one could be interesting…
The investigation Ray and his team were carrying out was an interesting one. This book is so much more about the characters rather the investigation, which was a rather pleasing change. After all, we know whodunit fairly early on. It’s just whether Ray can get his identifiers lined up in time to catch the killer, and exactly how long he can keep his condition a secret for…
Would I recommend this book? I would. I really enjoyed it and hope (fingers crossed) that Bradley has lots more adventures in store for Ray and his team. I want to read more about these characters; they intrigue me. I will be sad if my path doesn’t cross with DI Ray Patrick’s again. If you’re a fan of a character-driven police procedural then make sure you pick up a copy of Dead Blind. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, with Rebecca Bradley at the helm you get a certain amount of realism that others fail to achieve. Her experience as a police detective adds so much to the detail of the story. Slick, absolutely fascinating and very readable. Great stuff.
Four out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an eARC of Dead Blind. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
‘Why so fascinating?’, you may be asking. DI Patrick was involved in a traumatic car accident whilst in pursuit of a killer. The accident resulted in several badly broken bones, a colleague who is scarred for life (which he feels 100% responsible for) and a knock to the head. Not just any old run-of-the-mill knock to the head though. Prosopagnosia. I obviously need to work on my knowledge of medical conditions as I had never heard of prosopagnosia. Even in layman’s terms, I was a bit unsure what ‘face blindness’ actually meant for the sufferer. Oh, the things I have learnt from reading this book.
At times my heart broke for Ray, the way he had to deal with situations that for the majority of us don’t require any real thought, things we take for granted; such as seeing your children, your partner, your friends and colleagues. I couldn’t help but put myself in Ray’s shoes as he approached situations which he knew were going to cause him problems. For example, any time he meets his long-term girlfriend. He knows it’s her because of her voice, her perfume, the smell of her shampoo, he recognises her clothes but when he looks at her face….nothing. There is no connection there. And imagine how difficult life would be if you were a senior police officer trying to catch a cold-blooded killer. Someone only you’ve seen, someone who killed a young man in front of you and someone you now have to pick out of an identity parade. This is the first time I have met a character with prosopagnosia and I thoroughly enjoyed what Bradley has done with him!
I liked Ray. I wanted to thump him at times though. I could see his reasons for wanting to keep his condition secret, and the story wouldn’t have had quite the same edge to it but flipping heck, man! I would be terrified to tell my employer something like that too (although my employer is my children, and they’d probably just shrug and carry on squabbling over whose turn it was to choose a television programme!). Sharing is caring, or something like that anyway! What I did love was the bubbling, will they/won’t they between Ray and his ex-wife, Helen. From Helen’s point of view, it seemed to be a fairly certain ‘they really won’t’ but I was never 100% sure, I *think* she could be tempted to rekindle her love affair with Ray, just for old times sake. I’m not a fan of any kind of romantic liaison in my crime reads but this one could be interesting…
The investigation Ray and his team were carrying out was an interesting one. This book is so much more about the characters rather the investigation, which was a rather pleasing change. After all, we know whodunit fairly early on. It’s just whether Ray can get his identifiers lined up in time to catch the killer, and exactly how long he can keep his condition a secret for…
Would I recommend this book? I would. I really enjoyed it and hope (fingers crossed) that Bradley has lots more adventures in store for Ray and his team. I want to read more about these characters; they intrigue me. I will be sad if my path doesn’t cross with DI Ray Patrick’s again. If you’re a fan of a character-driven police procedural then make sure you pick up a copy of Dead Blind. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, with Rebecca Bradley at the helm you get a certain amount of realism that others fail to achieve. Her experience as a police detective adds so much to the detail of the story. Slick, absolutely fascinating and very readable. Great stuff.
Four out of five stars.
I chose to read and review an eARC of Dead Blind. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
bibliophilebookclub's review
4.0
Dead Blind is a really interesting read, with a premise that I hadn’t heard of. Prosopagnosia is essentially face-blindness, the inability to recognise a person’s face, and that’s what Detective Inspector Ray Patrick is suffering from in the aftermath of an accident while on duty.
This disorder has a huge impact on Ray’s life, and when he is put on an operation to catch the people responsible for illegal organ trading, it has the potential to ruin the entire investigation for him and his team.
I really enjoyed Dead Blind. Ray Patrick is a good character, and it is hard not to feel some sympathy towards him because of his condition. But on the other hand, I wanted to shout at him more than once because in not divulging his prosopagnosia, he puts so many people in danger.
I read this book with mounting frustration. Not in a bad way, just that the reader can see what is happening but Ray is so stubborn that he ends up with more and more hassle because he is hiding something big. It did add to the tension though, and I found myself willing him and the team on during the investigation.
Illegal organ trading is a tough subject, and I think it was dealt with quite well here. The story is well though out, and I liked the characters too. It was definitely a tense read, and I was eager to get to the end to see how it would all be tied up.
An interesting premise, with a real human dilemma at its core, Dead Blind was an intriguing and dark read.
Recommended for sure!
This disorder has a huge impact on Ray’s life, and when he is put on an operation to catch the people responsible for illegal organ trading, it has the potential to ruin the entire investigation for him and his team.
I really enjoyed Dead Blind. Ray Patrick is a good character, and it is hard not to feel some sympathy towards him because of his condition. But on the other hand, I wanted to shout at him more than once because in not divulging his prosopagnosia, he puts so many people in danger.
I read this book with mounting frustration. Not in a bad way, just that the reader can see what is happening but Ray is so stubborn that he ends up with more and more hassle because he is hiding something big. It did add to the tension though, and I found myself willing him and the team on during the investigation.
Illegal organ trading is a tough subject, and I think it was dealt with quite well here. The story is well though out, and I liked the characters too. It was definitely a tense read, and I was eager to get to the end to see how it would all be tied up.
An interesting premise, with a real human dilemma at its core, Dead Blind was an intriguing and dark read.
Recommended for sure!
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