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Life is on the upswing for Kristin Burns. It seems like all of the nightmares from her past are finally behind her. The up-and-coming young photographer is under consideration by a leading gallery, and she’s in love with a wonderful man. But there’s just one little problem—and her name is Penley.
Penley Turnbull is Kristin’s boss. She’s the cold, uncaring stepmother of Dakota and Sean—the two adorable children for whom Kristin nannies. Penley is also married to the man of Kristin’s dreams—or at least she is for now.
Just when everything seems to be playing right into Kristin’s hand, though, the nightmares begin. In her dream, Kristin walks by the ritzy Fálcon Hotel as four gurneys are wheeled out, carrying four body bags. Four dead bodies. But as she stands there and watches, one of them begins to move.
Kristin wakes up screaming, with a strange tune stuck in her head. Eventually, she pulls herself together and heads to work, only to watch the same scene play out in front of her as she walks past the Fálcon. As the nightmare continues to haunt her, other nightmares from her past start coming back, too. And Kristin finds that she’s being followed—both by a detective who seems to think she’s involved in the deaths and by a mysterious pony-tailed man who’s trying to scare her away from something.
You’ve Been Warned is unlike any Patterson book I’ve ever read. While you may expect a straight crime thriller from the author of the Alex Cross books and the Women’s Murder Club series, You’ve Been Warned (which was co-written with Howard Roughan) has a strong paranormal side. The main character is haunted by a dream that may or may not have come true—and she finds herself running into old acquaintances who have been dead for years. It’s both psychological and supernatural, and it makes for one suspenseful read—one that gets stranger and more suspenseful as the pages fly by.
At the same time, though, this unexpected story may take a little getting used to for Patterson fans. The characters aren’t especially solid—and some of the dialogue (and some of Kristin’s inner monologue) just doesn’t feel natural. Kristin isn’t exactly a likeable character, either. And, for that reason, it takes a while to really get into the story. Fortunately, though, when it comes to Patterson, some things never change. The pace is as fast as ever, and once you get used to the unusual story—and once you start putting the pieces together—you’ll have a hard time setting You’ve Been Warned aside. While it’s far from Patterson’s best, it is, nonetheless, a fast-paced, high-energy thriller with an ending that will leave you breathless and shaken.
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