Dreams of Justice

A Paranormal Mystery

Fiction - Paranormal
206 Pages
Reviewed on 07/22/2020
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Author Biography

Allison is a YA and mystery/suspense author, blogger, teacher, mom, wife, coffee and wine consumer, and owl enthusiast. Her blog includes humor posts, short stories, and posts on writing strategy, parenting, and teaching.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Steven Robson for Readers' Favorite

Dreams of Justice: A Paranormal Mystery by Allison Maruska is a fictional vision of two disparate lives, separated by thousands of miles and decades in time. Linked in mystery, Beth Arnold, a London teacher in 1981, and present-day Professor Sonia James of New York University become entangled in this gripping story of murder and investigation. As this entanglement grows in intensity, Sonia is inexorably drawn to London to find answers; some form of resolution that will end her nightmares and allow balance to return to her life. In a race against time, Sonia links up with Deputy Chief Inspector Lesley Green to unravel the mystery that haunts her. Just when Sonia’s time appears to be running out, a shocking turn sends her life and the lives of those helping her into not just a quest for answers, but a deadly struggle for survival.

Allison Maruska’s Dreams of Justice: A Paranormal Mystery is a superb adventure that was a pleasure to read. The language is very clear, precise, and structured to reflect different personalities and cultures with aplomb, ensuring the characters were remarkably true. I found Ray Arnold to be particularly on point, especially the psychopathic aspects of his overall personality, which elicited suitably strong feelings of repulsion. For me, there was also a perceived connection between Sonia and Beth that at first isn’t obvious; they are clearly separated by huge gulfs in time and distance, but I also felt they are separated by an equally huge gulf in happiness. The life Sonia has and her future is the life Beth so desperately yearned for, but could never achieve. Dreams of Justice is a dream read for those looking for a great mystery, adventure, and entertainment that you can’t put down until the last page turns.

Kayla Cook

Every night Sonia James dreams of her death. Every morning she wakes in agony from the fatal wounds inflicted in her dreams. Eventually, she starts to wonder if the dreams are more than they seem. Despite her skepticism, a friend convinces her to see a psychologist specializing in dreams, and from there, Sonia starts to entertain the idea that maybe the dreams are actually memories of a real murder. Desperate for the dreams to stop, Sonia lets them guide her from New York to London, where she discovers a forty-year-old cold case involving the same murder she suffers in her dreams. In order to satiate the newfound voice in her head that demands justice and end the nightmares, Sonia must track down the killer with help from unexpected sources. Will she find the culprit and survive, or will she meet the same fate she faces each night in her dreams? Dreams of Justice by Allison Maruska is a gripping paranormal mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Allison Maruska grabbed my attention early on in the story and didn’t let go until the end. Dreams of Justice starts out somewhat slowly, but because those beginning chapters were written well and were necessary for the development of the characters and the plot, I didn’t mind one bit. I got to know the main characters and became invested in their plight before the adventure really began, which gave me something to root for later. I loved how, despite having paranormal elements, the characters were limited in their knowledge of the killer, which kept me guessing and hoping. Allison Maruska hit the nail on the head when it comes to narcissistic abusers. All the characters jumped off the page, but Maruska’s antagonist was unnervingly realistic. Those who are sensitive to themes of domestic abuse may be disturbed by certain scenes, but I didn’t find this work to be too graphic. Allison Maruska's Dreams of Justice is a perfect blend of suspense and paranormal fiction that will enthrall fans of both genres.

Lit Amri

In Dreams of Justice by Allison Maruska, Sonia James is plagued by strange and horrific dreams in which she's stabbed over and over again until excruciating death claims her. The pain mysteriously manifests during the day, affecting her everyday life. Persuaded by her fiance to seek help, she goes through hypnosis sessions with a psychologist to find answers and receives crucial info that prompts her to go to London. There she meets Detective Lesley Green who worked on a certain murder case nearly four decades ago. Even though she's skeptical of the connection between the case and Sonia's dreams, Lesley keeps an open mind, hoping that the American can provide a clue that will solve the crime.

Allison Maruska's Dreams of Justice flawlessly alternates between the 1980's London and present-day New York to connect protagonist Sonia James with a woman from the past. The plot builds steadily as the truth about Sonia's dream unfolds bit by bit. At times she's confronted with new challenges that she hasn't prepared for. I gravitated towards Detective Inspector Lesley Green who gives the much-needed help for Sonia to end her nightmares once and for all. The depths of the characters’ inquisitiveness, bravery, and determination to find answers are balanced with frustration, skepticism, and fear. The elements of suspense are sufficiently placed to make a tense reading as danger looms over the protagonists' search for answers and justice. Engaging from start to finish, with a clever twist and a satisfying ending, Dreams of Justice is a solid paranormal mystery read.