Welcome to the land of danger and intrigue, where individuals are legion and non-conformity is the norm. Join me as I explore the many facets of humanity and meet the scum of the earth and its angels incarnate.

That said, on to the review!

The world of dreams is beyond a person's ability to control...or is it? The South Louisiana Sleep Disorders Institute provides its patients with the skills and techniques to take control of their dreams and nightmares. But when one of the patients and two local residents turn up dead, it's up to Deputy Mark French to investigate and get to the bottom of the murders. With the institute director being so helpful and all clues pointing clearly to a missing patient, it seems like an open and shut case. Somehow, though, things don't add up. What is the secret behind the missing patient's disappearance? What does the institute director's past have to do with the present? What does the mysterious young woman going by the name of Cassandra Hagler have to do with the murders? And what role does the alligator named Fred play in this psychological, horror-laced thriller?

With so many scientists now analyzing and categorizing plants and other natural compounds for medical breakthroughs--or "returning to nature," as it were--the mixture of voodoo paraphernalia with modern science does not turn Deep Sleep into a contradictory novel, as one might expect from crossing magic with medicine. Instead, it almost vindicates the faith so many individuals place on natural herbal remedies...certainly no one is going to deny that before the advent of formalized medicine, people stayed healthy because wiser heads recognized the healing (not to mention killing) properties of various plants and items found in nature. Twining voodoo and science, therefore, makes a great deal of sense.

Possibly the one thing I found to be disappointing was the lack of plot development with relation to the voodoo aspects. I can understand how the mixture of science and technology with magic and mystery would be a stronger part of the text, but with so many characters involved with voodoo in some way, I wanted to know a little more about it. For example, more information on terms like "loa" and "mambo" and "petro" would have been much appreciated. On the other hand, it gives me something to think about, and when the compulsion to know more finally becomes too overwhelming, I will definitely go around researching it.

Deep Sleep has all the elements I could ask for in a mainstream fiction book: a good blending of genre elements, excellent and believable characters, an author whose writing I always enjoy, and a definite lack of overwhelming medical and scientific jargon that anyone will appreciate. Now if there were just a bit more about voodoo...

By the way, if you like Charles Wilson's writing as much as I do, then you'll be glad to know that his novel, Game Plan, available in hardcover since January 2000, is now available in paperback format. Also, one of his older novels, The Cassandra Prophecy, will be enjoying a paperback re-release in March 2001.

Buy this book in hardcover or visit the Cosmic Tomes Bazaar for other titles.

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