In this dark and dangerous Texas small town, Annie Lakes’ nightmares come alive when a cold case from her past reveals family secrets that put her life in jeopardy. Annie Lakes has had the same recurring nightmare for years. Her heart pounding in her chest. A panicked voice, begging her to run faster. Her own bloodcurdling scream. But now Annie is starting to realize it’s more than just a bad … it’s more than just a bad dream. She’s starting to remember things about the night her cousin Jenny disappeared all those years ago. Things that make her believe her family was involved–and what they’re hiding is much worse than she ever imagined. But she can’t unravel this alone. She needs someone she can trust, someone like sexy Detective Mark Sutton …. Mark has seen enough–too much–to assume that Annie’s story is a dead end. It turns out that her family is hiding some killer secrets. A long time ago, Annie was just an innocent little girl who saw something she shouldn’t. Now she’s a target, and Mark’s running out of time to protect the woman he’s starting to fall for. But how does Mark face off against a murderer who just may be someone Annie loves?
time to protect the woman he’s starting to fall for. But how does Mark face off against a murderer who just may be someone Annie loves?time to protect the woman he’s starting to fall for. But how does Mark face off against a murderer who just may be someone Annie loves?time to protect the woman he’s starting to fall for. But how does Mark face off against a murderer who just may be someone Annie loves?more
Don’t Close Your Eyes by Christie Craig is book One in the Texas Justice Series. This is the story of Annie Lakes. Annie has always seem to have bad dreams that she has lived with. When a family member on her mother side passes she ends up going to the funeral. There she meets a cousin who tells her things and about someone that seems to bring her dreams to life. Going forward Annie thinks to go the police with leads her to Mark Sutton a Detective. Mark and a few others have been sent to the Cold Case Department. Mark is attracted to Annie but he knows that her story might be something to look into which leads them to working together and him wanting to protect her.
This was a mysterious romance drama.
Repressed memories keep Annie up with nightmares. She’s lost jobs, feared for her sanity, and is 5 months into a job teaching at a junior college. Annie’s mom demands she attend a relatives funeral and after that, her life becomes one frantic search of the missing memories.
Mark Sutton, Connor and Juan are cops working cold cases. Right now it’s the Talbot case of a little girl found in a barrel. Who dud did it, the dad or someone else? And then Annie asks Mark to look into a little missing girl from her past, Jenny. Is Jenny dead, missing, hiding?
From there you are hooked on finding Jenny, and soon after also looking for Fran, another cousin of Annies. Lots of chemistry between Mark and Annie and humor. Then there is Isabella, Annie’s best friend and confident…the author does an excellent job of portraying their lives and connections.
Annie’s mom is really hard to like or understand. Hints are given throughout the book about the hard drinking family she left when she married. But now she is back with her siblings, lying to Annie about the past, and lying now even though it puts Annie in danger. First the phone calls, then trashing her car and it builds as do the questions about Fran, Jenny, and her relationship with Mark.
A great mystery, dealing with past memories, families with major dysfunctions, and learning how to trust again. Chemistry abounds between Annie and Mark, Fred, Isabella, Adam as a small town sheriff and more. Funniest scenes and some of scariest hapoen when Adam meets Annie’s family…..shotguns, drinking, threats and women ready to get him drunk or jump his old bones. The humor is important throughout to heighten the tension before and after events.
Can’t wait to read another of her books!
I can not wait until book 2 comes out to continue the story.
A new to me author. I saw the second book on display at the library and thought I’d grab the first one too. I love a good crime mystery romance. The cold case part of this was interesting. There were some steamy scenes. I enjoyed getting to know the team and look forward to the next book.
A well written Book 1 Mystery, in the series Texas Justice! An Engaging, good read to the end!
This is a very exciting fast paced book. There are so many possibles that could have been guilty of the crime. But come to find out there are crimes on top of crimes. This is a great book. Thanks for writing it for us!
Annie Lake has nightmares, they have her waking with a scream and pounding heart. The way it ends also leaves the impression there’s more to it. Her parents have told her it’s only a dream and the scar on her knee was from a fall off her bicycle, not a fall in the woods. When at her Uncle’s funeral she sees her cousin Fran and suddenly memories start flooding back. Now she needs to know the truth, and there’s only one person she can think of to help with that.
Detective Mark Sutton works cold cases with two others on the force. They have gained a reputation for closing these cases. Annie sees the handsome detective every day as he picks up his coffee and usually buys for another person on the line, calling it his good deed for the day.
Annie summons the courage to report her suspicions. However, she only recounts her dream and the reaction she had with her cousin Fran. She doesn’t mention the problems she’s had that relate to those dreams.
When Mark pretty much dismisses her as ‘crazy’ she decides it was a mistake and leaves.
Taking on this case becomes so much more when Mark starts a relationship with Annie.
Lot of twists and turns, dysfunctional family, threats and so much more make this a page turning read.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
Really good Romantic Suspense…great balance of romance with suspense so neither takes over the story.
I enjoyed reading “Don’t Close Your Eyes” by Christie Craig. The characters are well defined and likable. It’s a fast read but one you don’t want to miss.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.
This author has been a favorite of mine for laugh-out-loud funny romantic comedy so I was eager to read an early copy of this book since it was something different than I was used to reading from her. The suspense and mystery gave the book a more somber tone, but the romance was still captivating and emotional, with her trademark humor peeking through.
Mark Sutton is a detective who has been demoted to the cold case unit due to unprofessional behavior. With each case, especially those involving children, he loses another small piece of his soul. His routine is work, take his dog for a run, work, grab coffee at the local coffee shop, and more work. After a family gathering shakes more details of her recurring nightmare loose, Annie Lakes walks into Mark’s office to discuss a possible murder from over two decades ago, and Mark realizes she’s the beautiful woman he sees regularly at his coffee shop. As Mark begins to investigate, the attraction between them grows and their lives become tangled together.
From the first page, Craig’s talent for crafting a story quickly drew me in and kept me glued to the page. These characters were so authentic and humanly flawed that they easily made a place for themselves in my heart. Their struggle, pain and uncertainty were realistic and genuine, and I felt every emotion along with them.
After a tragic personal event Mark feels like he doesn’t deserve happiness, and his colorless days are spent trying to make up for one mistake. Annie has brought her life back from complete devastation and finally found her footing, only to realize her mother has been lying to Annie her entire life. Feeling betrayed and alone, she’s drawn to Mark’s strength. Annie’s kindness, goodness pure heart bring light to Mark’s darkness, give his heart new life and help his soul mend.
If you like romantic suspense with a riveting storyline, a little heat and humor, and a story full of heart, you’ll love this book by this masterful storyteller.
For years Annie has been haunted by a reoccurring dream, that leads her to believe something about her family isn’t quite right, she is certain she witnessed something as a child that she shouldn’t have, but every time she brings it up to her family and friends they totally disregard her claims. When she reunites with her mother’s family at her uncles funeral, and shares an interesting conversation with her cousin, memories start to flood her, and she instantly knows that it’s time to go to the cops. But she is afraid when she shows up at the station that they will laugh in her face like everyone else has, but lucky for her she meets Mark Sutton, a very dedicated and determined detective, who goes above and beyond to help her find the truth!
Mark Sutton has found himself on the losing end of a couple of cases, and landed himself in time-out, also known as the cold case division, and it doesn’t set well with him at all, especially when a case that has haunted him for years lands on his desk. He has always wondered who took the life of one of his littlest victims, and now he might just have the chance to find out, with fresh eyes on the case, and armed with new information he is ready to solve this mystery. But before he can get to work on it, a stunning beauty wanders into his life and turns it upside down, she has a long hidden family mystery for him to solve, and needs his protection… now he finds himself doing double duty to solve two cases, and keep his own demons at bay while doing it!
From the very first page Don’t Close Your Eyes draws you in and lures you to the edge of your seat, it’s downright riveting!! I thoroughly enjoyed settling down with this first time read, it had a good mix of everything I look for in a read; it was engaging, steamy, suspenseful, and had a impeccably crafted plot. There was so much going on in this one, two mysteries being solved at once, lots of family drama to be sorted out, a brewing forbidden romance, and a backstory being developed for the other detectives in the cold case division…hold on tight cause it’s an action packed ride! I have to say this was quite an impressive first read, I loved meeting these characters and look forward to revisiting them very soon!! Highly recommend this one, it will take you on a thrilling literary ride!!
I requested an advanced copy of this title, and I am leaving my honest opinion.
What do you do when your lifelong nightmares turn out to be real ? Annie, has dreams but thinks that’s all they are till she attends a funeral and reconnects with a family member who asks her if she remembers. She talks to the police who don’t believe her it was over 20 years ago she was a child. Her family tells her she’s crazy, they avoid her, she doubts herself. One officer Mark cold case specialist, a man she has admired from far every morning at the local coffee shop, tries hard to believe her but…it’s hard when all evidence is against her. What unfolds is a real nightmare.
I liked this thriller, the pacing was perfect. I hated the family, and Annies passiveness with them. Her own mother ! UUUUUUGGGG ! I wish I could tell you it was so irritating. I didn’t love the characters, but I will give book 2 a try to see if they grow on me.