Book Review: In The Blink of an Eye by Julie Miller

In the Blink of an Eye by Julie Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Back Cover: Crime-scene Investigator Mac Taylor is known for his intellect, his dry humor, and his dogged persistence in finding out the truth. Blinded in an explosion at the lab that also killed his protégé, Mac has his legendary control tested by his new handicap and his newly-hired live-in nurse—Julia Dalton. Jules is the freckled-face, braces-wearing tomboy-next-door all grown-up—stubborn and sassy, and to Mac’s frustrated perception—surprisingly sexy.

I can’t find my copy of this book in the series so I’m going to have to go on memory. I picked it and book 4 of the series “Rookie” up at a yard sale a friend dragged me to and I’m not exactly sure when I read this the first time but it was sometime between 2004 and 2007. I know this because it was after CSI: New York premiered in 2004 and the first book of Julie Miller’s I bought at a store was “Nine-Month Protector” from The Precinct: Vice Squad Series and that released in September 2007.

I bring up CSI: New York because if you watch that show, you know the lead character is also a crime-scene investigator/forensic scientist named Mac Taylor. Even though Ms. Miller’s book was released in 2002, her description of her Mac Taylor as “known for his intellect, his dry humor, and his dogged persistence in finding out the truth” fits the Mac Taylor played by actor Gary Sinise perfectly. In fact, I remember spending most of my time while reading this book picturing Gary Sinise in this role as well. My admiration for the actor may have biased my judgment of this book but overall I feel it was an extremely well executed suspense plot and romance.

One night while working late, Mac uncovers some illegal activities taking place at this crime lab, but before he can pursue it, an explosion plunges him into a world of darkness and kills one of his staff. Circumstantial evidence casts suspicion on him being at fault and covering up something more serious. But in his current condition, there’s nothing he can do to solve the actual crime and clear his name.

Julia Dalton is an old family friend recruited by Mac’s mother to help him adjust to his disability. This is where I had some problems with the specifics of his blindness. I worked for 7 years at a disability services/independent living center with people who had all types of disabilities but most specifically a gentleman who was blinded in a car accident 30+ years earlier. While he could get around and adapt almost as easily as a sighted person, it took him many years after his accident to adjust. In this story we’re supposed to believe Mac lived on his own just six weeks or so after the explosion and went from a virtual hermit to a determined, adjusted individual shortly after Julia’s arrival. That takes a little suspension of belief. So if you are expecting a totally accurate portrayal of a person with a disability, you won’t get it here. Even so, the storyline is close enough that it presents a fairly adequate image of some of the difficulties a newly blind individual would go through.

From what I remember the actual case took somewhat of a backseat to the developing romance between Julia and Mac. She had some body image issues or something, I don’t remember exactly what it was but the lack of sight played a part in improving her self-image helping her see herself as a desirable woman. I went through something similar with my now husband when we were dating. (Still do sometimes, wondering how a great guy like him would be attracted to me but, like Mac, my husband saw something inside that he found attractive and the rest built from there.
Without giving away too much about the ending, I have to say the imagery used in the climatic fight scene was awesome. Yes, Ms. Miller actually had the blind guy fight the bad guy and the physical struggle, the mental confusion of trying to adjust to what he couldn’t see, etc. was just superb.

Overall, well worth the read, which I plan on doing again...as soon as I find out where I put the book.


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