Before I Wake

FBI agent, Rae Gabriella, needs a career change. Her last undercover investigation ended disastrously, shaking her confidence in herself and in God. Moving to small-town Illinois, Rae joins her ex-boyfriend, Bruce, in his business as a private investigator, hoping the slower pace of life will provide the shelter and healing she needs. However, a major strike at the town's tile plant and the murder of an out-of-town reporter give Rae, Bruce and Sheriff Nathan Justice a more dangerous and perplexing challenge than any of them expect.

This is a great plot. It started a little slow, but I was hooked by chapter two, and shortly thereafter the suspense kept the book glued to my hands. I couldn't wait to know what clues (or bodies) would turn show more up next. Dee Henderson also opened my eyes to the politics of labour negotiations, the cutthroat business of illicit drugs, and the thankless job of fighting crime. I was a fascinated student from beginning to end.

They say conflict keeps a story moving, but it was Rae, Bruce and Nathan's gentle friendships, with relaxed dialogue and realistically-paced personal growth, that drew me in. Dee fashioned the characters as normal people with challenging relationships, troubled pasts, and tough questions about God, making the story reminiscent of real life without feeling mundane.

Some of the book's spiritual questions are left open, allowing readers to pursue their own answers about God's sovereignty in the midst of tragic circumstances. Some questions are too complex to ask and answer in a single book, and I'm grateful when Christian fiction acknowledges this.

The only point on which I'm left wanting is the romantic tension between Rae and the two men. Attraction is clearly alluded to throughout the novel, but the characters seem slightly too passive and the story-telling feels too ambiguous on this dimension. I also wonder why Nathan's parents aren't more involved in the conflict between him and his grandfather, but that's a minor point. Overall, I felt inspired by the characters' relationships.

Note: This review is not part of a blog review program. show less

Before I Wake hurtles the reader into the realm of major criminal activity taking place in a small town. Rae Gabriella is looking for a place to decompress after leaving a harrowing job with the FBI. What she finds however, is a job as a private investigator, a former boyfriend, a overburdened sherrif, a strike that threatens to turn violent, and a string of murdered women. Rae's first case as a P.I. is anything but routine.

The writing in Before I Wake didn't seem as fluid as in Henderson's earlier novels. Portions of dialogue came off sounding stiff and stilted. This, added to the typographical errors, was somewhat irritating. The plot is good though, and the characters are likable, if somewhat predictable. The actual suspense is show more somewhat moderate, focusing mostly on the uncertainty of Rae's future and the tenuous hold on peace in the town of Justice. If you're looking for Henderson's best work, I would reccommend her O'Malley Series (The Negotiator is the first book), but in all, Before I Wake is still an enjoyable read. show less

This was a good book that moved pretty fast. Two young women are found dead in their hotel room beds in the small town of Justice just as Rae begins her work with old friend, Bruce. What is going on? The coroner rules their deaths natural causes because he can't find anything. Will Rae become another victim?
It was gripping at times but I had already figured out that the delivery method of the dangerous new drug was by chocolate! There were too many clues that gave that away. Good read anyway.

This is my second foray into Christian (or “inspirational”) fiction in the last couple of months, which is unusual for me. In this case, I liked the story, a lot. There’s some lack of resolution at the end, so I expect this will turn into a series. I liked all three main characters, and I thought the mystery was interesting and complex enough to keep you guessing. But, I found the preaching to be a little heavy in this. It’s certainly not offensive to me, but I found myself tuning out during a few protracted conversations about God and religion. And after I while I missed the character conflict that usually comes along with a suspense story... Everyone was just so nice to each other. So, while I liked the story, I think I’ll show more be steering clear of this genre for a while. show less

A good mystery which really kept you guessing. The friendship between the main characters and the development there of as well as the reliance on God makes for a realistic story with questions we all ask

I could not wait to be finished with this book! While the basic storyline was suspenseful and pretty good I was put off by the unrealistic relationships between the three main characters. Also, bugged to DEATH by all the grammatical and typo-graphical errors! This book is definitely suitable for young adults whose parents would like to push Christian values (everyone is always reading or quoting the Bible, praying or "planning" to go to church, although nobody ever seems to actually make it to church). I will not be reading another book by this author.

And again with the horrible writing! I blinked in surprise to get to the end and have nothing resolved and then decided that I didn't care too much. It's such a shame when a pretty good author goes bad but my pocketbook will be happy not to shell out money for this series!