By Kevin Bunn
Guest Reviewer

Are dreams reliable predictors of our future reality?

Does the battle of good and evil use time and circumstance to influence our perception of how much is at stake in our quest for eternity?

These questions and many more are woven into the story of Elena Burroughs, considered a foremost authority on dreams. A global bestseller book she authored, titled The Book of Dreams, catapulted her into the status of a star, worthy of global adulation – lectures, televised events, sold-out public appearances and more.

But underneath all the adoration lay a vacuum, a tragic event now five years in the past and still clawing at her heart. A practicing clinical psychologist by trade, Elena maintains a prestigious position providing help to clients whose very souls seek her wisdom and experience to help them. Her practice is now exclusive to the point that she no longer accepts new patients. Until one pivotal day….

Set among the historic scenery and buildings of Oxford, England, this latest offering from Davis Bunn incorporates seemingly detached vignettes of several characters whose dreams are impacting their lives in very real, very disturbing ways.

Beginning in New York City, the story opens with Teddy Wainwright, a Wall Street success story whose life has reached a pivotal moment. How is it possible that he could know what is about to happen? And, in the opening scenes of the story, articulate that he was “expecting” someone to violently arrive?

The circumstances of Terry Wainwright will impact Elena in ways for which she is seemingly unprepared. A patient comes into her office under the cover of secrecy, and once inside Elena’s office, reveals a dream so disturbing that even Elena cannot comprehend the meaning.

From this notable appointment comes mystery, intrigue, traveling to other countries, invitations to meet with persons of high authority, global financiers and threats upon her very life. Elena’s aged mentor, Miriam, will provide insight and safety for a time, but her life will feel out of control despite the reassurances Elena receives.

Our clinical psychologist is thrust into a story which turns her life upside down in many ways. Her past experience of trauma, loss and heartbreak are overtaken by challenges that seem to have no connection to each other until a certain, ancient book is placed into her care. This book, carefully passed from one caretaker to another, will reveal a message so powerful that even Elena will wrestle with the impact it conveys onto her own life.

Book of Dreams grips the reader by setting a pace of fast-moving events, carefully scripted characters, heart-warming turns of redemption and new-found relationships. Those who choose to delve into the pages of this novel will find it hard to put it down, even harder to put it away.

About Kevin Bunn (no relation to Davis Bunn): From early childhood I have been associated with the Christian faith. I have always been an avid reader, starting before kindergarten reading the newspaper and anything else I could get my hands on. I remember reading the Bible during church services, especially the Old Testament stories, mostly because when I was young, the sermons were “over my head” in terms of subject matter and theology.

Over the years I absorbed the Biblical history and learned how important these stories are to our ongoing battle with sin, as well as the thread of God’s plan for our salvation.

This understanding has helped me as a Bible class teacher, study and home group leader and from time to time, a speaker delivering the message of our faith. More importantly, as a father and husband, I learned how to help my children develop their faith in God and Christ, as well as supporting my wife during her journey to become a Marriage and Family Therapist and Bereavement Counselor.

I am presently a businessman in the construction industry, searching out and developing a focused, niche business to recycle construction debris into marketable product.

By Kathryn Eriksen
Guest Reviewer

Have you ever read a book of fiction and felt like the author was deciphering current events in a clear and concise manner that made you sit up and say, “Of course – that’s why that happened!”

When the story is told by a master wordsmith, the book becomes more than thought provoking… it almost becomes an explanation of why events occurred and the motivation of the individuals and institutions involved.

Book of Dreams by Davis Bunn is such a work of fiction.

Part mystery, part mystical, the characters come alive at the deft touch of Bunn’s hand. The heroine,  Dr. Elena Burroughs, faces a troubling choice in her life that is only resolved when she relies on her faith and intuition to guide her. Because she is a psychologist with an international reputation of being an expert on dream interpretation, Elena is drawn into a troubling crisis that tests her fortitude, resolve and morals.

The underlying theme is one of good v. evil. Or more accurately, greed v. God.

Elena must choose which voice to listen to, and it is her guidance and insight that resolves the conflict. By sharing her faith in an open and direct manner, Elena inspires the other characters (and the reader) to “look within” for direction. Knowing that she is loved by God, Elena stares down her adversaries and remains undaunted in the face of even the most dramatic of challenges.

Christians will cheer as they read this book, for it reinforces our belief that God always prevails. Non-Christians will still be intrigued by the plot and factual details concerning the greed that created the current financial downturn. And perhaps, if enough readers caught the message of Book of Dreams, the economic climate that the world faces would shift away from greed and limitation to abundance and joy.

One can only hope for such a result from Book of Dreams.

Kathryn Eriksen is an attorney who discovered a passion for writing later in life.  The author of two books, “Walk With the Master,” a Christian children’s book about Jesus’ life, told from a unique perspective, and “Images in America – Waxahachie.” Eriksen is a teacher, speaker and writer about developing and growing in your personal relationship with Jesus and God.

This review was originally published at Kathryn’s blog, http://kathryneriksen.wordpress.com/tag/book-of-dreams/. Reprinted with permission from the author.

By Pam Nelson
Guest Reviewer

I have read quite a few Davis Bunn books by now and all of them are highly enjoyable.  However, I think I can say without a doubt that Book of Dreams is my favorite so far.  The book grabbed my attention from page 1 and didn’t let go until the very end.  In fact, I was greatly disappointed at the end…not by how it ended, but because there was no more to read!  It was truly a masterpiece!

Dr. Elena Burroughs is the main character, a psychologist and dream interpreter in Oxford, England, with the inability to completely deal with a personal tragedy in her own life.  She is soon joined by an interesting new patient who is experiencing frightening dreams on a regular basis.

When Elena is given an ancient book that she is required to decipher, things take a very interesting turn.  The book, which is fascinating in and of itself, has been in the possession of her very good friend for a number of years and has yet to be understood.  But when Elena takes possession, interesting things begin to happen and her life takes a dramatic turn.

Very soon after the opening chapters, the main character shifts from Elena, to a small group of people working as one unit (of which she remains the unofficial leader).  These other characters include Antonio d’Alba of Rome and financial advisor to the Vatican and Lawrence Harwood, the American Ambassador to England.  The character development is rich and you soon feel connected to each character for different reasons.

This book is not only about an ancient artifact, but is in reality about letting the Holy Spirit guide you and stepping out into unknown territory with the confidence that God is with you and will guide you.  The story sounds like one out of today’s headlines, with the added bonus of the ancient thrown in.

If you are interested in international intrigue, this book is for you.  If you like romance, you will love this book.  If you enjoy a good mystery, look no further.  If biblical history is your forte, this is the book for you.

I would highly recommend this book.  It is one I plan to read again and again.

Pam Nelson has 3 married kids, 2 grandsons & 1 granddaughter (ages 8, 5 & 1 respectively). She also is the Women’s Ministry Director for her church as well as Secretary/Treasurer for the corporation (church). Seven years ago, God blessed Pam with a brand-new heart via transplant, and she says every day is precious.

By Joy DeKok
Guest Reviewer

Dreams. Most of us have them and excuse them – we ate too much pizza too late or watched something upsetting on television.

In Davis Bunn’s new novel, Book of Dreams, Dr. Elena Burroughs can’t ignore hers or those of the others coming into her life. When an ancient manuscript is placed in her possession, her training as a psychologist shifts and she realizes her gift of interpretation has a purpose far greater than she could imagine. She and her new friends must confront an evil that jeopardizes the world economy.

If you feel me holding back on this review – I am. I don’t want to give a single detail away that will ruin the adventure that reading this book is. Each word has been carefully chosen because I want you to discover each clue, nuance, and character for yourself.

Most of you know, I’m a Davis Bunn fan and will read every book he writes. If you ask me which one is my favorite, I can’t give you a straight answer. It’s the one I’m reading currently, the one I just read, or the one I just re-read – he cannot write them fast enough for me.

However, this time, he took me somewhere I did not want to go.

Dreams. Those nebulous, barely remembered in the morning, sometimes bizarre things that weigh heavy on my mind. Mine are in living color, scare me badly, and sometimes cause me to wake up crying out. (Dr. Elena Burroughs would have a heyday with them!) I can remember a vivid few from when I was a child that still frighten me a bit when I think of them.

Interpretation isn’t likely to go beyond the pizza thing I mentioned earlier because trusting someone else with translating them would be weird. Or if anyone found out, they’d think I was weird. Maybe even a weirdo.

So, I keep them safely tucked inside myself. It’s just safer that way.

And yet . . . for all my discomfort in the real world, I felt none of that reading this book.

I applaud Davis Bunn for the way he took a spiritually difficult (even radical in some circles) subject and made it entertaining. On every page I felt a gentleness I can’t explain even though the book is full of energy, murder, financial espionage, and action.

The author dealt with the interpretation of dreams and the book of dreams, in a way that was mysterious, but not superstitious. While it didn’t get overly religious, it is one of the most faith-filled books I’ve read in awhile.

I will visit the pages of this story again at least twice. When it comes out in the audio version, I will buy it for date nights – those evenings when Jon and I have coffee together and listen to strangers read us stories and again on my Kindle when I decide to visit the good doctor and her friends again.

Joy DeKok is an author, speaker, and author coach. One of Joy’s favorite things to do is reading fiction curled up in a comfy chair in the winter and outside in her gazebo the rest of the year. She and her husband Jon live on 35 acres of woods and field in rural Minnesota.  They find great pleasure riding their John Deere Gator to their bog where they can listen to the bull frog choir, watch the birds, drink hot coffee, and hold hands. Visit Joy at Author Infusion.

By Mary A. Hake
Guest Reviewer

I have long been a fan of Davis Bunn’s books and enjoy the variety of subjects and the complexity they contain in story and plot. So I was willing to stick with Book of Dreams when it initially progressed slowly, gradually weaving its web like a spider poised to catch the reader.

Soon I was caught up in the drama of terrorizing nightmares, international finance intrigue, an ancient book with seemingly spiritual power, and the characters inhabiting this tale—with their fears and vulnerabilities, their losses and triumphs.

Psychologist Elena Burroughs, who practices at Oxford, has studied dreams and authored a bestseller on the subject. When a secretive client comes, accompanied by bodyguards, Elena embarks on a journey of exploration she’s not certain she wants to pursue.

Her faith is stretched as she surrenders her profession and her entire life to God’s work. He is calling her to something far beyond her “dreams,” yet intertwined with strange dreams and real danger. As a priest told her early on, “The Lord clarifies.” She and the rest of the international cast find this to be true.

This novel offers thrills of both suspense and spiritual nuggets of truth. I marked a number of pages containing treasures for future reference.

The possibility of the story’s potential financial disaster actually occurring in modern times is unsettling.

The probability of learning to trust God no matter what happens is reassuring.

Thanks, Davis, for another provocative read that gives me much to chew on mentally.

Mary A. Hake is a freelance writer and editor, with hundreds of published pieces in periodicals and books, including a Creation curriculum for children. She also frequently reviews new books. Mary serves as president of Oregon Christian Writers and has helped with OCW conferences for many years. In addition, she chairs her local Library Advisory Board. Her website is maryhake.com.