If She Wakes

Twenty-two-old Tara Beckley is a graduating senior at Hammel College in Maine. She has been assigned to chauffeur a visiting professor, Dr. Amandi Oltamu, to the campus, where he is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at a conference. When Tara's passenger begins to act strangely, she feels uneasy. As matters unfold, her qualms prove to be well-founded. She will soon become a pawn in a struggle to obtain an electronic device in which explosive secrets are stored.

Michael Koryta's "If She Wakes" is suspenseful, intriguing, and fast-paced. Wily and independent contractors are hired to obtain the aforementioned prize, and they have no qualms about eliminating innocent people in order to achieve their goals. The police are not involved, show more for reasons that are not particularly credible. The only ones who stand in the way of the bad guys are Abby Kaplan, a former race-car driver who is now an insurance investigator; Shannon Beckley, Tara's devoted sister; and Tara herself who, after suffering a severe head injury, is unable to move or speak. Each of the colorful and well-delineated characters has an engrossing backstory, and we gradually learn what motivates them.

Some of Koryta's villains are all the more menacing because they do not look the part. One in particular, Dax Blackwell, is a professional executioner who dresses like the teenager he probably is. He wears jeans, hoodies, tennis shoes, and a baseball cap. His unprepossessing demeanor belies his vicious personality. He is a strategic planner, "empty and cold," and has no compunction about murdering men and women in return for a paycheck. This viper has a huge advantage over his victims, who are initially fooled by his youthful appearance and calm demeanor. We come to admire Tara's remarkable courage and her older sister, Shannon, is Tara's champion and unwavering supporter. In addition, we understand, even if we do not entirely sympathize with, the guilt that Abby feels as a result of a tragic mistake she made while driving an automobile at excessive speed. The tension steadily escalates, the body count rises, and Koryta wraps things up with several unanticipated twists and turns. "If She Wakes" is entertaining thriller with a lively plot. Michael Koryta captures our imagination and keeps us invested in what turns out to be an exciting and deadly game of cat and mouse. show less

I'm very picky about which thrillers to read as I've found so many of them don't live up to the hype. This one sounded intriguing and I looked at Michael Koryta's backlist and reviews and thought it would be good. Well the book is more than good. It is a wonderful thriller that keeps you going right from the very first page. Abby Kaplan, the ex-race card driver, ex-stunt driver, is back home in Maine after a horrific accident that she was in in California - an accident that claimed the life of her then boyfriend, Luke. Abby seems to have lost her nerve for driving, and is working as an insurance investigator for an old friend of her father's. They catch a case to look at an accident where a man was killed and a woman was sent flying show more into the river after she hit her head on a bridge. Tara Beckley is a student at the local college and she was asked to drive a visiting professor to a speaking engagement at her college. Right from the beginning, the assignment did not go well, and it ended up with her in a coma, and in a locked-in state. Tara's fight for survival, and Abby's courage work together to try to decipher what happened on a rainy night near a footbridge in Maine. What Abby uncovers causes some people to lose their lives, and to cause her to be in grave danger as well from a psychopathic hit man, who looks more like a boy than a man. The tension remained throughout the book, and the pace was relentless. This is an edge--of-your seat thriller that will keep you up at night as you try to finish the book and unravel the story. show less

If She Wakes by Michael Koryta is a very highly recommended, fast-paced thriller.

Tara Beckley, a senior at Hammel College in Maine, is the contact person to drive visiting lecturer Amandi Oltamu to the venue where he will give a presentation related to his work on batteries and solar panels. Tara, following Oltamu's request, has parked the car by a walking bridge when a van hits them, killing Oltamu and leaves Tara in a vegetative state. After the driver of the vehicle who hit them confesses, everyone assumes it was an accident, but Abby Kaplan, an insurance investigator, doesn't believe that is the case. As a former racer and stunt driver, Abby knows how cars behave at high speeds.

As Abby continues her investigation she gets Oltamu's show more phone which she hopes hold clues. Tara regains consciousness, but is a victim of locked-in syndrome, which means she's fully alert but unable to move or communicate. To further complicate matters a young killer, Dax Blackwell, has been hired to make sure Tara can never say what happened, silence Abby, and get Oltamu's phone.

This is an tension-filled, exciting, fast-paced thriller that will hold your attention from beginning to end. A high level of suspense is sustained throughout the novel and the cold, malevolent calculating actions of Dax increase the fear and make the dread palpable. The quality of the writing is excellent and the plot moves quickly as each chapter alternates between the points-of-view of different characters. The various plot threads all begin to weave together, which makes the suspense created by the complicated, dangerous plot even more heart-stopping.

All of the characters are well-developed and you will fiercely care about what happens to them. Koryta gives all of these these characters a backstory, making them realistic with their own fears and motivations. These are not unreliable characters. They feel as real as a close friend, so the situation they are in is heartbreaking and heart-stopping. Even with plot twists, that also feel believable, these characters continue to experience growth - even through the fear.

If I had one bit of doubt, it was Tara experiencing the locked-in syndrome and medical professionals not realizing it sooner. On the other hand, I am not a medical professional, so perhaps it is possible. A strong 4.5 rounded up.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Little, Brown and Company.
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3.5 stars

I was a big fan of this author’s Lincoln Perry series but it’s been a while so I was happy to get my hands on his latest stand alone. For me this was very much a book of 2 halves. I see you squinting at me so I’ll try to explain but first, the 411.

“Nineteen minutes before her brain and body parted ways, Tara Beckley’s concern was the cold.”

Got your attention? That’s the opening line & you may wonder if it might be a good idea not to get too attached to poor Tara. No worries. After a car crash, she’s still alive albeit trapped in her own body with locked in syndrome. Her passenger, a professor she was driving to a conference, didn’t fare as well.

Meanwhile a woman named Lisa Boone is wondering what happened to show more her latest client. She’s in the Detroit airport waiting for a professor who had one more lecture to give before she whisks him away. All she can do is ponder his last text: ASK THE GIRL.

As Tara lies in a coma, family gathers at her bedside to consider the options. It’s probably a good thing they don’t know she’s listening as they discuss when to turn off the machines & let her go. Luckily she has someone in her corner. Her sister Shannon has always had her back & refuses to believe Tara is already gone.

Then we meet Abby Kaplan, a claims investigator hired by Tara’s college to look into the accident. They sponsored the conference & want to nail down any potential legal liability stemming from the professor’s death. Fatal accidents are something Abby knows a bit about. She recently returned to Maine after surviving a crash that killed her boyfriend. It’s obvious Abby is still traumatized but she needs this job. So maybe she’ll have a couple of drinks before tackling the crime scene.

There’s a lot of history & more characters to introduce before the story can really take off. This is what I meant in the intro. The first half sets up various sub plots & establishes the cast but you soon realize Tara & Abby will be the main narrators. I enjoyed Tara’s side. Making one of your MC’s a person who never leaves her bed is an interesting choice. I fared less well with Abby. First, I have a thing about drinking & driving. That’s just a personal tic. But it was mostly the frequent references to the accident in California that sent her running back to Maine.

Her boyfriend was a well known actor so in addition to her personal grief, Abby had to deal with being excoriated in the press. It’s a horrific experience that would leave anyone reeling & we better understand her behaviour after the initial reveal. However, she (and the reader) delves into it over & over again including long passages of conversations she had with her boyfriend. Not only does it slow the pace & yank you out of the present, it doesn’t add anything to the story. We already know she’s suffering & I confess I found myself skimming these sections to get back to the current situation which was much more compelling.

Thankfully, this happens less often in the second half. The plot is intricate & things really get interesting when we spend time with a creepy young killer hell bent on making sure no one digs into the circumstances around Tara’s accident. It becomes a fast paced read with several nice twists that keep you turning the pages.

So with 3 stars for the first half & 4 for the second, I’ll split the difference. show less

If suspense, mystery, non stop action and a factor of 10 for unputdownabilty sounds good to you, then you're going to want to pick up Michael Koryta's latest book, If She Wakes.

University student Tara is chauffeuring a visiting lecturer to his next talk when they are involved in a terrible accident. The lecturer is killed and Tara is grievously injured and left in a brain dead state - or so it appears. Abby is a insurance adjuster battling her own demons. But she is certain that the crash was not an accident. Her investigation starts a horrifying chain of events.

Could there be anything more frightening than locked in syndrome? Able to hear what's going on around you, but unable to respond and let the world know you are still here. The show more reader is privy to Tara's thoughts and shares the frustration of not being able to communicate.

Koryta has created a wonderful lead character in Abby. Her background is completely different - former stunt car driver. The reasons for her change of career make her more 'real'. That background figures into much of the action in the book and is really well done.

And you know there's a 'bad' guy lurking in the shadows right? Well, this is one of the best antagonists I've read in a long time. I had chills whenever he appeared. The supporting players are also given detailed characterizations, such as Tara's sister Shannon and bit players like Salvage Sam.

The plot is inventive and unpredictable. There's are some plot turns that require a few grains of salt, but just go with it. And resist the temptation to peek ahead a few chapters. If She Wakes is action packed, guaranteeing a frantic 'just one more chapter' read. Pure escapist reading. show less

It's the human element...the stories of two young women trying to reclaim their lives, that makes the story so compelling and keeps the pages turning. The insurance investigator has a difficult time getting anyone to take her seriously when she says it was NOT an accident. Her experience as a stunt car driver should have helped her cause but she still had a struggle on her hands and a fight that almost cost her life. The characters are interesting...unique... and yes...flawed...but in the most ingenious ways. Allowing them to adapt and grow as the situations grow more and more intense is one of this author’s greatest talents. Don’t be in a rush to get to the finish, just enjoy a remarkable story.

If She Wakes is a psychological thriller of the creepiest kind. Abbie, a college student, was in an accident with a visiting professor. This accident is possibly not accidental at all. The professor is dead. Abbie is in a coma. She's physically unable to do anything, but she's mentally aware of everything. This freaked me out. It's like the worst claustrophobic situation imaginable. Just stuck. Knowing you are trapped but can't possibly escape. Ahhh!!! I'm major claustrophobic, and this was hard to read, but it's way too fascinating to put down. What a conundrum! An investigator is hired to examine the accident, and she gets the impression that something might be off here. And, a villain, Dax, is present in the story. He's just straight show more up creepy, like if you see him walking down the street, just turn and go in any other direction. It's a twisted chaotic mess. What is the big picture? Abbie knows her life is in danger, but what can she do to help herself? The investigator has the pieces but can't make them fit. Dax will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Why are these things happening?The writing is sharp and taut with suspense, full of twists you won't see coming. The characters are written with life, and it's easy to become invested in their outcomes. Basically, if you like a solid thrill ride, don't miss this one. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review. show less