Interesting. A horror story. I enjoyed it. ( )

My inspiration for the "Cain Characters" came in 1997. I was reading a book that detailed a special Marshal unit that was created and dissolved in the space of two years to deal with the sudden rise of serial killers in the late 1960's. The theory behind the unit was that US Marshals already chased fugitives, why not have them chase down unknown fugitives? The book ended with the author stating that unit was "a dismal failure."

After reading the book, I consider the idea that maybe what they needed was not "better" Marshals, but "crazier" Marshals. And so started the characters.

I knew that I needed at least one female, I love a good, strong female character. During the first novel, Aislinn was just smart without a personality disorder. It didn't work for me, she needed to be as damaged as the people she was chasing, if not more so. I bought about a million books on personality disorders which lead to Aislinn becoming a sociopath.

Another year of development and the cast was created from Lucas to Alejandro to a character that will show up later in the series.

"Tortured Dreams" is actually the 15th novel I have written with this cast. They have finally evolved into what I want them to be, so it is the first to be published. My friends have asked if I will publish any of the earlier Cain novels and the answer is "no." They have evolved beyond what they were and each novel will be "new" for them.

I rated it because they are my favorite cast of characters to work with. ( )

I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. I rated it 5 out of 5 Stars and a Recommended Read.

A fan of cozy mysteries, I don't usually read too many psychological thrillers, something that's definitely changing, at least when it comes to books by Hadena James. A gripping cross-mix of psychological mystery, light horror and action/adventure, Tortured Dreams, the first book in the Dreams and Reality series by Ms. James, grabbed my attention from the first page and never let go. Fascinating world building, well developed characters, good dialogue and just the right touch of emotional angst, make this a compelling read. So compelling in fact, I've already read it five times.

It's not every day a woman can say she's escaped death at the hands of a serial killer more than once, but that's exactly what Aislen "Ann" Cain's life is like. A survivor who recognizes her own mental issues, (she suffers from severe anxiety disorder and also acknowledges she has A-Typical Sociopathic Tendencies), Ann has a PHD in History, specializing in Medieval torture. When she manages to survive a third attack, this time by a serial rapist, Ann is offered the unique opportunity to join the US Marshals Serial Crimes Tracking Unit as a consultant. A job that will either make her or break her.

Ms. James does an excellent job developing Ann's character and introducing us to the people in her life. We are introduced to Nyleena Clachan, her cousin and best friend, a prosecuting attorney working in Kansas City, Missouri. We meet Malachi Blake, a psychopath who managed to get at job at the FBI and is Anne's other best friend, and we also meet the team members who make up the Serial Crimes Tracking Unit; men who will play a part in Ann's life. While there is no real romance in this story, there is an underlying attraction between Ann and Malachi, that's been ongoing for several years. An attraction they've never acted on because of their "unique" mental and social issues. There's also an interesting relationship developing between Ann and two members of her team, Lucas McMichaels and Xavier Reese.

When the team is assigned a serial killer using Medieval torture devices, Ann's role in the team takes center stage. Brilliant, with an almost photographic memory, Ann finds herself both fascinated and repelled by the scenes of horror they are forced to investigate. As the killer continues to leave clues, it soon becomes apparent that Ann, or someone in Ann's family, may be one of the intended victims. Will Ann and her team discover who the killer is before they strike again? And will Ann and the men who make up the Serial Crimes Tracking Unit become a real team? You'll have to read Tortured Dreams to find out. I loved it and can't wait to get my hands on Elysium Dreams, the next book in this series which is planned for release this July. ( )