Reviewed by Taylor
TITLE: Walk a Mile
SERIES: The Sixth Sense #2
AUTHOR: Sarah Madison
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 240 pages
BLURB:
Six months after starting their hunt for a serial killer who is still at large, FBI agents Jerry Lee Parker and John Flynn are partners in every sense. But Jerry has serious doubts about their relationship and whether they would even be together if not for the way Flynn changed after touching a mysterious artifact in a museum.
Flynn hates the extraordinary power bestowed on him by the artifact and wants nothing more than to have a normal life again. Jerry fears that without the unusual connection they forged, Flynn will no longer want or need him. Chasing after a similar artifact takes them back to Flynn’s old stomping grounds in Washington D.C., where his newfound abilities uncover long-buried secrets, the kind people would kill to protect. But they aren’t the only ones looking for these powerful relics, and what they discover will threaten their relationship—and their lives.
REVIEW:
So Walk a Mile is the sequel to Unspeakable Words, and features two FBI agents trying to solve The Grimm Fairy Tale murder. This is a continuation from the first book, and there are other items that continue over as well, and then additional *new* threads written. During Unspeakable Words, FBI Agent Jerry Lee Parker is assigned a new partner, FBI Agent John Flynn and during their search Flynn touches an artifact that now gives him the “gift” of telepathy. Along the way of adjustments and trying to search for the killer and how to reverse the process, the two agents realize they share a mutual attraction to each other, and they both need each other to make it through these crazy outcomes that arose.
Six months later, Walk a Mile picks up and the two agents are living together still trying to find the killer AND to reverse the telepathy. I can see where other reviewers may have problems with this second book, as nothing from the first book is resolved. Nothing about The Grimm Fairy Tale murder, nothing about the ancient artifact, BUT none of that really mattered to me, because I saw it all as a long story arc. I actually preferred that things weren’t tidied up in this book with that, because I think Flynn and Jerry were on uncertain ground with their relationship. Literally in the last book in the last chapter, they are just really starting to acknowledge their feelings and maybe what the future holds. This novel glosses over a lot of the initial parts of their relationship, clearly six months, but it hit on so many of those relationship insecurities and how a lack of communication can kill what you have between you and your partner.
I actually really enjoyed the side mystery, where we meet Flynn’s old high school classmates, finally meet his mother, and the hope that the death of his sister, Rachel, can ultimately be solved. The people in Flynn’s past shaped him and we can finally see why he might be hard to get a read on, why it’s frustrating for Jerry at times, not only with trying to ‘soundproof’ his thoughts from Flynn’s telepathy, but also just trying to read Flynn’s body language and interpret moods and words.
The author also introduced a twist…
At a museum where Flynn’s ex-girlfriend works, Flynn and Jerry come into contact with ANOTHER artifact that seems to be a companion to the first one. When the two grab for it, the power pulls a Freaking Friday on them and they switch bodies, and since Flynn’s body was telepathic, not only are they in different bodies, NOW Jerry is telepathic in Flynn’s body. It sounds confusing, I know. For the most part it really wasn’t, but I’m not sure the effect was used in the best way. Rather than have Jerry and Flynn actually discuss their fears and wants, the new switch allows Jerry to read Flynn’s mind now. But even that was frustrating because neither the reader, nor Jerry, really get anything from Flynn and the switch. Well…I shouldn’t say nothing. I think Jerry finally understood how awful telepathy was and how when he ‘soundproofed’ his thoughts it made Flynn feel completely shut out and scared, and angry. Also, it didn’t bother me, but there was some (IMO) weird attraction moments while they were switched and I couldn’t really figure out what the author was going for. Nothing bad, but I just didn’t…get it, I guess.
*END OF SPOILERS*
Then, there was the ending. That kind of ending usually annoys me, and yes, it’s been done before, but for whatever reason, I really enjoyed it this time. There’s something so damn endearing and awesome about these two men. They are sexy, but they have a lot of depth, and they are ultimately, at least in Flynn’s case, a mystery. Sequels with the same couple don’t always work for me, but there was enough tension between these two to keep me interested the entire time, and I am still very much looking forward to the future book!
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
I enjoyed both these books, I hope the next one is out sooner than this one was.