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When one thinks of William Bernhardt, one almost immediately thinks of Ben Kincaid, Bernhardt's Tulsa, Oklahoma attorney who does a poor job of running a law firm but is a vociferous and forceful advocate. Kincaid has been Bernhardt's primary focus for the past several years, and as a result, his readership might be forgiven for forgetting that Bernhardt has written a number of stand-alone novels as well. DARK EYE, his latest novel, is one of these --- though it may well be the beginning of a new series, and his best work to date.
DARK EYE introduces Susan Pulaski, a Las Vegas police psychologist who is reeling from the sudden death of her husband. Pulaski is self-medicating with alcohol, a process that results in a fateful action and leads to her losing literally everything she holds dear, not the least of which is her job. When a brutal murder takes place, however, police chief Robert O'Bannon reluctantly retains Pulaski as an independent consultant due to her superior talent as a behaviorist.
Things take a dramatic and interesting turn when O'Bannon's son Darcy becomes involved in the case. Darcy, in his mid-20s, is afflicted with autism, and while he is socially awkward, he touches a chord with Susan on a personal and professional level. Darcy's unexpected talents include eidetic memory, incredible math skills, and an uncanny ability to solve puzzles. As the brilliant but brutal and disturbed murderer strikes again and again, Darcy and Susan become Sin City's only hope of stopping his reign of terror --- one that he plans to bring to an apocalyptic climax with a terrible act of destruction.
DARK EYE reads as if Bernhardt wrote it while typing with one hand and holding a stopwatch in the other. The novel's point of view changes regularly back and forth between Pulaski and the murderer, with occasional, manic commentary from Darcy. This technique would have resulted in confusion in the hands of a lesser writer; Bernhardt, however, skillfully delineates his characterizations so that such confusion is non-existent and the narrative flows move forward, and together, at a rapid rate.
Though DARK EYE would seem a daunting read at almost 500 pages, it moves along more smoothly and quickly than many books half its length. The contrasts between Pulaski and Darby accentuate their common ground, and Bernhardt (bless him) seems to leave the possibility open for another professional collaboration between them in the future. Bernhardt, who already has a winning protagonist going with Kincaid, has hit the bull's-eye once again. Highly recommended.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
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