INSIGHT by Polly Iyer

Psychologist Abigael Gallant, left blind by her husband's bullet after he killed their daughter and subsequently himself, has worked hard to get her life back on track. Abigael makes an effort to live as normal a life as possible and is becoming well-respected as a psychologist who specializes in treating the newly disabled. When Detective Luke McCallister steps into her office, Abigael hopes to help him deal with his recent deafness while trying to ignore the chemistry between the two of them. Luke, who is adept at lip reading, ignores Abby's admonitions against a romantic relationship while refusing to acknowledge his condition will permanently affect his job and lifestyle. When Abigael is threatened and subsequently attacked then kidnapped, Luke steps into the role of cop and is determined to protect her but more times than not finds his deafness a problem in keeping the woman he loves alive. Luke realizes he must find a way to deal with his handicap while using the instincts and skills that made him a good cop. Although this sort of mystery has been done before (i.e., threatened woman, heroic cop), Polly Iyer adds a unique flavor by pairing a blind woman and deaf man and making it work. The plot moves at a quick pace and Abigael and Luke are likeable characters. Iyer relays the world of the blind and the deaf in a realistic way, allowing their frustrations with their inabilities to shine through while showing their world can be very close to normal.