I'm not a professional reviewer, nor am I especially talented at reviewing books, however, as is often quoted, I know what I like to read. I, literally dropped the book I was in the middle of, stopped to take a peek at L.L. Bartlett's "Bound by Suggestion", and was made aware of the time that had passed by my husband asking about dinner, "Well, Dear. It is 11P.M. Should we have sandwiches?" There is something compulsive in the writing of Ms. Bartlett that draws me inside her literary tale of suspense and drama. I do not understand why the big publishing houses have not discovered her but, I have and I treasure each and every book of this remarkable murder mystery series.Jeff Resnick is a sympathetic, not very willing, amateur sleuth. He has been a victim of a mugging and now finds himself with a 'curse' of being empathic and able to help find persons and solve crimes with his brother, Richard, whom is also very unhappy with this situation.Richard, a talented doctor, asks Jeff to aid a patient at the community clinic. Jeff feels he 'must' as Richard has done so much for him. A body is discovered and now Jeff has been partially exposed and finds himself, a victim and perhaps a perpetrator of a crime as well.Meanwhile, Jeff is also betrayed in his personal relationships and just doesn't know whom to trust. Can he trust anyone is the question, even himself.This novel is the 4th and best so far of this well-crafted series. The book held many twists and curves worthy of a fine 'Hitchcock' film. The series is available on Kindle, mass paperback editions, and if you are a good collector, you may find hardback and audio versions as well. I cannot urge you enough to discover L.L. Bartlett soon and order in dinner! The first chapter of Bound by Suggestion was previously released as a short story named Cold Case. While doing a favor for Richard, his older half-brother, Jeff first meets Dr. Krista Marsh who seems to regard his and his physic powers with disdain. She is stunned when Jeff solves an 8-month old case of a missing child and later approaches him with a request to assist her in drawing out the suppressed emotions of one of her patients. In return, she promises to cure his debilitating headaches with hypnosis and biofeedback. Jeff is reluctant but agrees and meets Grace. Confined to a wheel chair due to injuries received in a car crash that also killed her father, Grace has suffered abuse at the hands of those hired to care for her and she has all but shut down. Krista explains that by sharing Grace's feeling, Jeff can help to draw Grace out and, eventually help her to live a normal life. Jeff quickly finds that he is having trouble telling where Grace's emotions end and his begin and his inability to remember what happened in the sessions leaves him feeling numb and lost. He feels manipulated by both Grace and Krista and can't seem to find a way to connect to the real world. Especially since he has lost his soul mate and anchor to the real world, Maggie, to her former finance. At the same time, Richard is competing hard for the chairmanship of the fundraising board at the hospital, which is causing some friction between him and his wife, Brenda, who is pregnant again and hoping for a much better outcome this time. The current board chairman, Wes Timberly, has always been resentful of Richard but seems to be even more caustic than usual. When Richard hears from more than one source that he better watch his back around Timberly, he starts to take the rumors of Timberly's involvement in behind the scenes manipulations that led to the downfall of others that Timberley thought had crossed him. Meanwhile, Jeff and Richard continue to have difficulty in bridging the gap between them and forging the relationship that Richard wants and Jeff needs so badly. These seeming separate storylines come together in an explosive ride to the end. The main characters are so very well drawn that I have really felt invested in them throughout this series and continue to look forward to more in this series.
What do You think about Bound By Suggestion (2011)?
I love these books...........I love the characters. Can't wait till the next one.
—bernadine23
I liked it. It's hot a guns and action type of mystery, more a thriller.
—Stephanie
I particularly enjoyed this story and even found it emotional in places.
—mileena13
Actually, there is a Kindle edition and it's the one I own.
—f103g
Was a great book. Wish I had another one to read.
—Susan
