#Review: Vision of Darkness by Tonya Burrows - 3.5 Wine Glasses

Title: Vision of Darkness 
Series: D.I.E. Squadron #1
Author: Tonya Burrows 
Format: Paperback, 1, 400 pages
Published: December 1st 2014 by Tonya Burrows
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Reviewer: Crystal
Source: Publicist
Rating: 3.5/5

A beacon of light...

Undercover DEA agent Alex Brennan doesn’t believe in the paranormal, despite the exhausting nightmares that reveal things he shouldn’t know. When sleep deprivation causes him to make a horrible mistake on the job, he is driven to find answers. Dreams guide him to a lighthouse in Three Churches, Maine, where he finds an inexplicable and comforting familiarity in the arms of the lighthouse’s beautiful keeper, Pru Maddox.

A whisper of memory…

Deadly misfortune has long plagued Pru’s family, the result of a curse “The Green Lady” placed on the lighthouse. Skeptical, Alex searches for less ghostly explanations, though he can’t deny that the town has had more than its fair share of disappearances, suicides, and accidents. As their passion simmers, Alex digs deeper, and his dreams turn violent, frightening, and very real. 

A vision of darkness...

To keep Pru safe, Alex must embrace his abilities and unravel the lighthouse’s mystery. Except someone—or something—wants the past to stay buried...and will do anything to keep it that way.

Crystal's Thoughts:
Vision of Darkness made an interesting and unique romantic suspense with paranormal elements. 

Burnt out and guilt ridden, undercover DEA agent Alex Brennan is on a leave of absence but has no direction. Driving across country he finds himself in a small town in Maine and at their local diner. Everything is familiar, including the beautiful waitress in the diner, yet this is his first time in the town. Alex knows he should keep moving, his life is in no place to start a romantic relationship with anyone, no matter how hot the sparks are between him and Pru. But he can't seem to make himself leave. Something's not right in the town of Three Churches and Alex doesn't believe it has anything to do with the light house's ghost stories he keeps hearing...

Pru Maddox is restoring their small town's light house, which has been in her family for generations, into a quaint bed and breakfast. But someone seems to determined not to let that happen. Freak accidents and even deaths have slowed down the restoration process and Pru can't believe anyone from her small town is to blame. It has to be the light house's resident ghost, The Green Lady. When Alex arrives in town, Pru can't help but feel a connection to him and welcomes him to stay at the light house. But The Green Lady intrudes every time things begin to get heavy between them. Can Pru convince Alex that ghosts are real before someone else gets hurt? When the past comes back to haunt them though, Pru learns that the residents of Three Churches aren't the only ones keeping secrets...

I have read and adored every one of Tonya Burrows' books, she is a talented and captivating romantic suspense author. Vision of Darkness is her first self published title and in the author's true fashion, was a suspense filled story with an unusual setting and characters that stood out. The plot was complex with surprises woven in throughout. The world-building was superb and the writing imaginative. I even found myself having nightmares after reading late into the night about ghosts coming to get me. However, I just didn't love Vision of Darkness. The story moved at a very slow pace and some of the twists were dragged out so long they lost their 'AH!' factor. I'm not sure if the slow pacing was due to the series build up and character introductions or just a lag in the author's writing. There was also some stumbles in the point of view changes that were sometimes confusing though I did enjoy getting an insight into some of the smaller characters. 

All in all, Vision of Darkness was not a bad read but I was hoping for more from this author. The book had an interesting premise with a haunted lighthouse, ghosts, murders and disappearances, and other unexplained occurrences.  I was definitely intrigued by the characters and the concept of the D.I.E. Squadron and plan on continuing the series and reading Tonya Burrows future releases. ☺