The Anniversary: A Novel [Hardcover]

Amy Gutman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2003

Laura Seton has put her past behind her. Several years earlier, her former boyfriend was put to death after being linked to the murder of more than 100 young women. On the fifth anniversary of his death, a chilling note is left at her door-a note that might have come from her dead lover. Unbeknownst to her, two other women receive identical notes-someone is forcing them all to confront a past they've tried to forget. Steven Gage was a charming and elusive psychopathic serial killer. Five years after his capture and execution, his ex-girlfriend, the lawyer who defended him on Death Row, and the writer who turned his story into a bestselling true crime book reach the edge of terror as they are hunted by a shape-shifting shadow from the past. The anniversary is an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller that will keep hearts pounding until the last shocking twist.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a chilling courtroom prologue, Gutman introduces serial killer Steven Gage: "There was something broken and evil in him that could never be repaired." Unfortunately, the rest of the book never quite equals the impact of the opening pages. The reader quickly realizes that even though Steven is condemned to death and executed, he will somehow rise from the grave to continue his murderous ways. The author's debut novel, Equivocal Death, featured a woman lawyer in peril. This time, Gutman has upped the ante: three women and a child are all targets of a Nietzsche-spouting madman who may be out to avenge Gage's death. An anonymous message ("Happy anniversary. I haven't forgotten you") is received by three different women-Diane Massy, who wrote a bestselling true-crime book about Gage and is presently living on a remote island in Maine; Melanie White, one of Gage's lawyers and now a high-powered attorney; and Gage's ex-girlfriend Callie Thayer, who lives a quiet life under an assumed name in a small town with her 10-year-old daughter, Anna. Each initially discounts the message and its connection to the serial killer until very bad things begin to happen. The question for the three women (and the reader) is: who has taken up where Steven Gage left off? Gutman writes competently and keeps the plot moving, but the suspect list includes almost every male character in the book except 10-year-old Henry, Anna's friend who lives across the street. Experienced thriller readers will know that a profusion of possibilities and an overabundance of red herrings leads straight to that disappointing old standby: the Least Likely Person. Bingo.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Amy Gutman, author of the widely acclaimed suspense novel Equivocal Death, has worked as a newspaper reporter in Tennessee and Mississippi and was the founding director of the Mississippi Teacher Corps. An honors graduate of the Harvard Law School, Amy practiced law in Manhattan for several years before deciding to write full-time. She divides her time between New York City and western Massachusetts.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown; 1st edition (June 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316381209
• ISBN-13: 978-0316381208
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,911,683 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining thrill ride., June 21, 2003

By 

Nick G - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Anniversary: A Novel (Hardcover)

It's been five years since the execution of Stephen Gage, a psychopath who killed more than a hundred women.

Three women involved the Gage case have taken the five years to move on: the true-crime writer who scored an instant bestseller with Gage's story has started a new book, Gage's ex-girlfriend has started a new life for herself, and his attorney Callie Thayer has changed her name put away any guilt of defending the monster.

While these three women have moved on, someone has not and on the anniversary of Gage's execution special messages will be sent warning of the up-coming chaos.

Someone has decided to continue the murders started by Gage, and they won't stop until each woman pays the ultimate price.

Callie Thayer must fight for her life, and in the process unmask a killer hell-bent on finishing what Stephen Gage started.

`The Anniversary' is a twisting, shocking, and totally entertaining thriller. From page one the reader is catapulted on a roller coaster ride of suspense filled with masterful plot twists, and well drawn characters. Amy Gutman has taken a great plot and filled it with thrills and chills. Smooth writing and razor-sharp suspense will keep readers turning the pages.

Nick Gonnella

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A chilling book about a madman bent on revenge., July 12, 2003

By 

E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Anniversary: A Novel (Hardcover)

Steven Gage is a handsome man who has a way with the ladies. Unfortunately, he is also a psychopath who kills over one hundred women before he is arrested and ultimately executed. Gage leaves behind broken families and vulnerable survivors who must find a way to put the past behind them and get on with their lives. In Amy Gutman's new thriller, "The Anniversary," three of the women who had crossed the killer's path receive threatening notes on the anniversary of the execution.

Gutman's heroines are striking characters. One is a high-powered lawyer who worked on Gage's last appeal and lost. The failed appeal upset her greatly and almost ruined her career. Another woman was Steven Gage's girlfriend for years and it was her testimony that convicted Gage. She feels guilty for not seeing the signs of her boyfriend's criminal activities and putting a stop to his killing spree.

Amy Gutman has written a tense and suspenseful novel with plenty of red herrings to keep the reader off balance. Although it is slightly weakened by some unrealistic touches, "The Anniversary" is still a frightening and thoroughly engrossing thriller that will keep you guessing until the end.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gutman Strikes Again with a Killer Psychological Thriller, June 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Anniversary: A Novel (Hardcover)

The Anniversary is Hollywood movie material. I strongly recommend it to people who love mystery novels and to those who are new to the genre. This novel manages to live on a variety of levels. There are plots, subplots and a number of complex themes. On its most basic level, the Anniversary is about 3 women who all had a connection to a serial killer. The narrative begins when each receive a letter from him on the 5 anniversary of his execution. Don't want to say more.