Official Review: Dreaming Wide Awake by Charles R Hinckley
Posted: 06 Feb 2021, 15:51
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Dreaming Wide Awake" by Charles R Hinckley.]
August (Gus) Chase is a detective; however, he is not just any detective—he possesses psychic abilities. Ordinarily, his dreams involve things that will happen or have already occurred, like murders or accidental deaths. Although it is horrifying for him to see those vivid and disturbing images, actually witnessing the crimes sometimes helps with his cases. Recently, his dreams have involved rectangles and lines, which have been very unusual.
Gus was hired by Sherry Hart, who was desperate to obtain evidence to prove that her brother, Billy Littlefield, didn’t murder Connie Wells. With his computer-knowledgeable best friend, Millar (Mill) Milner, Gus promised to look into the case. The more Gus investigated the murder, the more he wondered if Billy had been set up, possibly to cover up something even worse.
Shortly after starting the investigation, Gus noticed he was being followed. A mysterious stranger, Porter Grossman, asked him to help destroy the Orenda Reach Program. This was a secretive project with the goal of taking control of world leader’s minds through paranormal powers. Grossman claimed responsibility for the odd dreams of rectangles and lines; he was verifying that Gus was, indeed, psychic. Gus declined to help. However, Grossman doesn’t want to take no for an answer.
Dreaming Wide Awake by Charles R. Hinckley is the second book in the August Chase series. The author said his inspiration for this series came from a precognitive experience he had in which a crime was committed. The first novel was a standalone story. In the current tale, although the questions having to do with the current investigation are answered, a major unresolved issue will continue over into the next book. However, it can still be enjoyed on its own. After reading the first novel, Dream State, I found the author’s impressive writing imaginative and thrilling and looked forward to his next story. Therefore, after seeing this one, I seized the chance to read it and wasn’t disappointed in the least.
Written from the first-person point of view, this 339-page crime drama/mystery was thrilling. The tale started with action as Gus witnessed a murder in his dream. Then, as Gus investigated the murder and dealt with Grossman, the twists and turns kept the novel mesmerizing and intense and had me wondering what would come next.
I love books with unique characters. Each character here has their own distinctive personality. Gus and Mill are both believable and likable with obvious strengths and flaws. Gus hates his paranormal gift. Not only does it cause many sleepless nights, but it has cost him his girlfriend. He takes dangerous chances, and Mill does not hesitate to point that out. Mill is a tech-savvy genius with a love for muscle cars, who sold his company for a fortune. He represents a true friend, who is there through thick and thin. Their friendship and witty banter lightened the story and frequently made me smile. It was hard to know who to trust at the beginning of the novel. Therefore, not wanting to provide a spoiler, the villains will not be identified, but they are sufficiently creepy and will make one’s skin crawl.
There was absolutely nothing about this book that I didn’t enjoy. Therefore, I enthusiastically award it a rating of four out of four stars. Readers who enjoy thrillers, crime dramas, mysteries, and paranormal stories will appreciate this novel. Sensitive readers need to be aware there are violence and profanities in the book.
******
Dreaming Wide Awake
View: on Bookshelves
August (Gus) Chase is a detective; however, he is not just any detective—he possesses psychic abilities. Ordinarily, his dreams involve things that will happen or have already occurred, like murders or accidental deaths. Although it is horrifying for him to see those vivid and disturbing images, actually witnessing the crimes sometimes helps with his cases. Recently, his dreams have involved rectangles and lines, which have been very unusual.
Gus was hired by Sherry Hart, who was desperate to obtain evidence to prove that her brother, Billy Littlefield, didn’t murder Connie Wells. With his computer-knowledgeable best friend, Millar (Mill) Milner, Gus promised to look into the case. The more Gus investigated the murder, the more he wondered if Billy had been set up, possibly to cover up something even worse.
Shortly after starting the investigation, Gus noticed he was being followed. A mysterious stranger, Porter Grossman, asked him to help destroy the Orenda Reach Program. This was a secretive project with the goal of taking control of world leader’s minds through paranormal powers. Grossman claimed responsibility for the odd dreams of rectangles and lines; he was verifying that Gus was, indeed, psychic. Gus declined to help. However, Grossman doesn’t want to take no for an answer.
Dreaming Wide Awake by Charles R. Hinckley is the second book in the August Chase series. The author said his inspiration for this series came from a precognitive experience he had in which a crime was committed. The first novel was a standalone story. In the current tale, although the questions having to do with the current investigation are answered, a major unresolved issue will continue over into the next book. However, it can still be enjoyed on its own. After reading the first novel, Dream State, I found the author’s impressive writing imaginative and thrilling and looked forward to his next story. Therefore, after seeing this one, I seized the chance to read it and wasn’t disappointed in the least.
Written from the first-person point of view, this 339-page crime drama/mystery was thrilling. The tale started with action as Gus witnessed a murder in his dream. Then, as Gus investigated the murder and dealt with Grossman, the twists and turns kept the novel mesmerizing and intense and had me wondering what would come next.
I love books with unique characters. Each character here has their own distinctive personality. Gus and Mill are both believable and likable with obvious strengths and flaws. Gus hates his paranormal gift. Not only does it cause many sleepless nights, but it has cost him his girlfriend. He takes dangerous chances, and Mill does not hesitate to point that out. Mill is a tech-savvy genius with a love for muscle cars, who sold his company for a fortune. He represents a true friend, who is there through thick and thin. Their friendship and witty banter lightened the story and frequently made me smile. It was hard to know who to trust at the beginning of the novel. Therefore, not wanting to provide a spoiler, the villains will not be identified, but they are sufficiently creepy and will make one’s skin crawl.
There was absolutely nothing about this book that I didn’t enjoy. Therefore, I enthusiastically award it a rating of four out of four stars. Readers who enjoy thrillers, crime dramas, mysteries, and paranormal stories will appreciate this novel. Sensitive readers need to be aware there are violence and profanities in the book.
******
Dreaming Wide Awake
View: on Bookshelves
