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The Breathtaker (2005)

The Breathtaker (2005)

Book Info

Rating
3.45 of 5 Votes: 1
Your rating
ISBN
0446531391 (ISBN13: 9780446531399)
Language
English
Publisher
warner books

About book The Breathtaker (2005)

RATING: 3.25There are certain parts of the central and midwestern United States that are subject to exceptionally volatile weather. Just as other areas of the country have spring, summer, winter and fall, these sections have tornado season. Watching a tornado is an exciting experience, and there is a cadre of people who track them and chase them. These storm chasers spend hours determining which storms to chase and put themselves in danger while pursuing their quest.Charlie Grove is the police chief of the small town of Promise, Oklahoma. This part of the country, as well as northern Texas, spawns a lot of storms during tornado season. At times, the stronger storms have caused human deaths in addition to the catastrophic destruction of property. When Charlie checks into the deaths of the Peppers family, he makes a horrifying discovery—they have not been killed by the tornado but by a person who has used the tornado to cover the murders. As Charlie investigates further, he finds other prior deaths which have been attributed to a twister but have actually been homicides, each with its own grisly calling card of a tooth removed and replaced with another person's tooth. What kind of person would be able to time and track a tornado and cover his tracks in such a way? There are many possible suspects, including Charlie's own father, a man who abused him horribly as a child and set a fire to his home that scarred Charlie for life. Charlie is still emotionally scarred, and he sometimes neglects his own child, Sophie, although he loves her. He's even opened himself up to a new relationship with Dr. Willa Bellman, a tornado-chasing scientist.The book certainly had its exciting moments, although I found some of the storm-related terminology daunting. There were more red herrings in this book than a fish factory, and the resolution was a bit far-fetched and melodramatic. I felt that the author tried to manipulate the reader emotionally, particularly when describing Charlie being abused as a child, Willa's poverty-stricken childhood and his own benign neglect of his daughter. I just didn’t connect with any of the characters, other than possibly Sophie.DARKNESS PEERING was the first book by Alice Blanchard, and one which I felt was extraordinary with rich characterization, poetic descriptions and a well-developed plot. As a result, I anxiously awaited her sophomore effort, hoping that the ample talent that she demonstrated in the first book would continue to flourish. However, I was disappointed to find that THE BREATHTAKER didn't come close to matching the accomplishments of the earlier book. DARKNESS PEERING was a work that had strong emotional resonance. In BREATHTAKER, Blanchard aims to achieve that but misses, as demonstrated in a revelatory scene about Charlie's youth that should have come to an emotional climax but instead played out curiously flat and unconvincing.If you're a fan of thrillers, then you should enjoy this book. My disappointment stems from the fact that I expected it to be something more, based on my enjoyment of DARKNESS PEERING.

Award-winning author Alice Blanchard delivers the must-read literary thriller of the year-a twister of a tale about a detective trying to outwit a killer-andMother Nature-in Tornado Alley. In the small town of Promise, Oklahoma, Chief of Police Charlie Grover has trouble on his hands. Located in the heart ofTornado Alley, Promise has just been hit by a major twister, leaving behind 40 million dollars worth of damage- and one grisly murder scene. Though thedeaths of the Pepper family appear to be the result of flying debris, Charlie has a hunch they are victims of foul play. Autopsies quickly confirm hisworst suspicions, and reveal that the killer has left behind a particularly twisted calling card. Charlie seeks help from Dr.Willa Bellman, an expert onkiller storms. Together, they must track the path of a cunning killer who knows how to outwit science and technology-before the next storm hits.I gave this book the rating I did because I didn't like many of the characters overall. None of them appealed to me, and although the mystery was OK, it didn't really grab me either. It was an OK read, but nothing spectacular which is a shame, as it had a lot of potential.

Do You like book The Breathtaker (2005)?

“The Breathtaker” is about a small town Police Chief in Oklahoma who suspects fowl play after examining the damage brought on by a tornado. When Police Chief Charlie Grover, finds three mutilated bodies in a ravaged farmhouse his first thought is that the victims were killed by flying debris. However upon closer examination his instincts, as an experienced cop, tells him something different. As he continues to investigate other tornado related deaths he discovers that the killer has a gruesome calling card. With the help of a tornado chasing scientist, he uncovers a killer who defies nature to commit horrific crimes. I liked this story because in addition to murder, Charlie is dealing with his difficult past, his abusive father, and his difficult teenager daughter. All this, while he becomes involved with high tech storm chasers, one of which is stalking him and his very vulnerable daughter. This book is a fast pace, a page turner, that you can’t put down. It keeps you guessing who the killer is and how could he predict where and when the tornado will hit.
—Maria

I can't resist fiction that has to do with natural disasters, probably a holdover when I was a kid obsessed with tornadoes, earthquakes, and volcanoes (I was a weird child). Anyway, a massive tornado appears to be the cause of three deaths...except that it might be murder, and the murderer used the giant storm as a cover up. With the aid of a local tornado expert, police chief Charlie Grover sets out to solve this swirling mystery. -Tracy M.Click here to find the book at the Prince William County Public Library System.
—Prince William Public Library System

It was a wild ride reading this book (literally) with storm chasers chasing tornados all over Oklahoma and Texas and the growing realization that a killer is using the storms to an even more terrifying purpose. I admit to a fascination with tornados -- from a large distance away. I do not understand the adrenaline rush or compulsion to get up close and personal with this kind of storm power. Alice Blanchard takes you right into the vortex of the storms and into the emotions and motivations of the storm chasers. I felt that I was right them with them in the midst of chaos. Highly recommend, it was hard to put this one down. (view spoiler)[ The ending was fitting and a non stop wild event, the tornado was the focal point we had been heading to all along but I couldn't help but wonder a bit about the aftermath of the storm and Rick's death. Were there other revelations about his crimes and motives? What had he planned to do with Sophie. How did he expect to get away with this assumed muddier? What set him off against Charlie, Charlie's mutual growing attraction with Willa? I thought it was a good thing that Charlie and his Dad had somewhat reconciled before Isaac will killed by Rick's booby trap and a huge shame that they couldn't have had more time together, especially with Sophie. The point I took away from this book was that Rick and Charlie had both endured a brutal childhood of abuse but both turned out so differently, one in law enforcement as Police Chief and one a seemingly normal man with a highly scientific mind and obsessive feelings about storms masking an evil serial killer of an especially depraved nature. Both men struggled with their demons. I was glad to see Charlie triumph and save Sophie in the end.Charlie's abuse as a child at the hands of his drunken father seemed a terrible thing and a bit surprising that Charlie stayed in touch with Isaac at all. All those years his father never showed Charlie how much he cared and how he had grieved for his boy's injuries from the fire set by his mother -- never revealing his mothers culpability and letting Charlie think the worse of his dad. Why would he do that? To preserve the image of his mother as an innocent victim? (hide spoiler)]
—Ann

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