In Between Dreams

Toby, was only a child when his father was murdered, not a day goes by where the image isn’t burned into his head. Toby, continuously has vivid dark dreams, he learns most of his dreams aren’t dreams at all, but visions of people being slaughtered.

Toby, has no choice, but to try and find the person behind these murderous dreams, and stop them from committing any more heinous murders, even if he finds out he's the killer himself.

*May Contain Spoilers*

In Between Dreams by Eugene Knight is a psychological crime thriller that connects a serial killer with a young man who is the son of his first victim. Toby often suffers from terrifying nightmares where he witnesses torture and murder. When his therapist, Dr. Louis, comes up with an unbelievable explanation, Toby wonders if the killer he sees in his dreams is real. When the victim toll rises drastically, Toby begins to understand that his dreams aren't dreams at all, but visions. 

Ten years after the murder of his father, Toby is a twenty-two year old young man who has a beautiful girlfriend and a mother that is still struggling to regain her life since her husband died. Toby is a caring son and dutiful boyfriend. He takes care of his mother while also offering help, in the form of odd jobs, to the surrounding community. He spends a lot of time with his best friend, Brian, acting like a teenager. Riding bicycles, dirt bikes, and digging through dumpsters to find valuable things that have been thrown away. Some of his actions are a bit on the childish side, but he also knows when to act like an adult. This isn't surprising for a character in his early twenties with no job, currently, and no real responsibilities. Though, Toby's character is really put to the test with this serial killer on the loose. Especially since he becomes the main suspect early on by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The sense that heroism has been pushed onto a regular young man will connect readers to Toby, as they fear for his life and the life of his loved ones. 

The plot of this novel is fearfully exciting. It is definitely on the edge of the horror genre because a lot of the chapters have a gruesome details that set the tone of the book. The story line revolves around Toby and his visions of the murderer. He meets a Dr. Niles, who studies psychic connections between siblings, specifically in twins, and pushes Toby to wonder if he has a brother. If so, then Dr. Niles thinks that his brother is the one who is committing the murders. In a race against the killer, Toby must do all he can to find the truth. The pressure is added when the detective on the case happens to be the same one who had investigated his father's murder and did a shoddy job of it. The novel as a whole is very intriguing and has a good plot development. Though the version of the book that I read had quite a few errors in regard to word choice, spelling, and sentence structure, looking past that allows for the book to be an interesting read. The pace of the novel gets faster and faster as the killer's ultimate goal becomes glaringly obvious and it threatens to destroy Toby's life. I think readers who enjoy crime thrillers, psychological twists, and surprise endings will enjoy this book. Though a second edition with more editing would make it a bit stronger. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups