TRUE COLORS – Joyce Lamb
The True Trilogy , Book 2
Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-24035-9
January 2011
Paranormal Romantic Suspense

Lake Avalon, Florida – Present Day

Photojournalist Alex Trudeau is happy living with her menagerie of rescued dogs and dreaming of hunky cop John Logan.  Recently, she almost died.  Well, technically she did die; they tried three times to revive her, and on the third attempt, she came back to life (TRUE VISION, June 2010).  But now, all she has to do is touch someone and she's thrown into a psychic trance where she feels the worst, most painful episode in that person's life.  Her sister, Charlie, says she is empathic.  Well, Alex doesn't much care what Charlie calls it, and that psychic lunatic, Anna Coreen, is not going to get the chance to pick Alex's mind!  All Alex wants right now is to run as far away from herself and her new life as she can, which brings her back home to hide inside her small house with her family of canines.

Detective John Logan came to Lake Avalon to put the past behind him.  Running from his memories and a killer, John only wants to start life over again in this small town where no one knows him.  He has a thing for the beautiful Alex Trudeau, and she's just the ticket to give him a new hope for his future.

Butch McGee loves a good kill.  He thrills when his knife slides through the flesh of his victims, and he has one important job to finish.  Bruce has searched for this guy, and now that he's found him, he'll exterminate everyone who is important to him first, then he'll finish off the best kill of his career...

TRUE COLORS was a very difficult book for me to read.  The author is a master at putting the reader into the heroine's head, which is normally a good thing.  However, I was uncomfortable sharing Alex's thoughts as she relived the horrific memories of the people she touched, who suffered rapes and beatings.  I just cannot put myself into the heroine's frame of mind when all she sees is the horror of other people's frightening experiences.

TRUE COLORS continues the saga begun in the first book, TRUE VISION, by bringing us the story of Alex Trudeau and John Logan.  Alex is plagued with the weird ability to see other people's worst nightmares, visions which leave her drained and semi-conscious.  And when the killer who is targeting her new love, John, abducts her, she fears her life is finally over.  The characters, pacing, and writing of TRUE COLORS are top notch, and it is an excellent sequel for fans of the series.

Diana Risso