Psychologist Claire Norris’s new client is a victim of a
savage assault and murder at a rest stop. Rafe is brutally
slaughtered, and an unidentified woman is left catatonic when the
attacker tries to take the baby from her womb. Claire has had
trouble moving on from a previous case, and things don't look to
improve when the two cases become intertwined thanks to the
involvement of Detective Langdon Stone.

Detective Stone holds a serious grudge against Claire, who he
blames for the death of his sister Melody. Melody was murdered by
one of Claire's patients, Heywood Marsden III, and the paranoid
schizophrenic attacked Claire as well. Claire, who witnessed the
attack and was nearly a casualty herself, also pins the blame on
her own failures. The two team up into an unlikely pair as they
search for a resolution to the case of the unidentified woman and
the rest stop attack, tracking down a psychopath whose behaviors
lead him to pregnant women.

Nancy Bush unleashes a thriller that lunges headlong at a near
unrelenting pace. When the book focuses on the investigation and
the animosity between Claire and Langdon, the pages fly by in an
energetic frenzy. It does slow down in a few spots, but it’s
nothing that isn't easily overcome by the rest of the story --- or
simply by Claire herself. Claire is a great central character who
is always willing to push the envelope in order to aid her
patients, even to the point of potentially losing her job. The
murder of Melody Stone and the assault on her by her own patient
has been harrowing on multiple levels, and it is nice to see her
struggling with that as she also seeks to help a new patient. She
is a tenacious soul who doesn't back down in pursuit of
answers.

The animosity fired her way by Langdon is right on, as you would
expect for a family member who feels his sister was let down. He
doesn't give Claire any wiggle room or the benefit of the doubt.
Well, until he does, and until he falls for her. Only in that
development does the book seem to jar out of reason. When the two
are quarreling and digging jabs at each other, their scenes are
really striking and fresh. Once they get romantic, it just seems to
lose some steam and plausibility.

All told, BLIND SPOT is a highly entertaining read. It has some
strong mystery and a snappy pace, not to mention a shocking twist
late in the game, all of which more than make up for any of the
niggling little quirks along the way.