Parish deputy sheriff Mark French begins to investigate the case, trying to locate Womack, who has apparently disappeared into the woods and swamps that surround the Institute and the dead couple’s son, Boudron, who has been deformed since birth and lived the life of a hermit. While French doubts that Boudron could have been responsible for the strangulation because he only has one arm, but still looks to him for answers, or perhaps as a witness.

Mark and his officers turn to Kelly Dalton, a psychiatrist who is familiar with the woods and swamps and more importantly, the local lore, for some insight on the crimes and the instate. As Mark tracks Womack through the swamps and investigates the activities of the sleep institute, he must fight his own memories of a case that weighs heavily on his mind. Voodoo and local superstitions continue to arise, making Mark unsure what is real and what has been created.

Deep Sleep is a taut, well-written thriller that will cause many sleepless nights. The gothic world of Louisiana that Charles Wilson has created is a very appropriate setting for brainwashing and dream controlling. He has created a wide range of characters from naïve locals, to gullible, unhappy clients, searching for happiness, to the Sheriff’s department and psychologists. Readers unfamiliar with voodoo practices will be surprised to learn that many people, even educated people, still hold fast to the old traditions and practices. Some readers may be unconvinced that so many past sins and sins of parents can control present and future events, but in an area steeped in tradition and superstition, some events are self-fulfilling prophecies.

Deep Sleep, like Wilson’s previous novels, (Game Plan, The Cassandra Prophecy, et al.) will appeal to a wide audience, as it incorporates elements from several genres from medical thrillers to gothic romances.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry