Breathtaker [Paperback]

Alice Blanchard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 2005

Promise, Oklahoma is in the middle of the south central US, more commonly known as Tornado Alley. A deadly twister has left people dead and injured and caused 40 million dollars worth of damage. At first it seems as though the Pepper family are just four more statistics on the death roll, but Police Chief Charlie Grover soon realises that their bodies have been arranged to look like storm victims, while the cause of their deaths is by the hand of man, not an act of god. The post mortems confirm his suspicions, then another death during a tornado proves that there is a killer at large. He seeks help from meteorological experts at the local university, in particular Dr Willa Bellman, who knows all about the force and power of these storms and also knows the motley collection of people who follow the paths of every tornado. Both of them are convinced that amongst the storm-chasers is the killer, but more deaths - both natural and unnatural - are to occur before the killer is stopped in a truly breath-taking climax.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Blanchard's gripping second thriller follows a smalltown police chief's pursuit of a serial killer who strikes only during tornadoes, but the "Debris Killer" is only one of the highlights of this fast-moving shocker, which also features the keen characterizations and fine atmospherics of the author's first thriller, Darkness Peering. Charlie Grover, Blanchard's sympathetic hero, lives in Promise, Okla., deep in "Tornado Alley." Recently widowed, Charlie is the physically and emotionally scarred survivor of a childhood fire that killed his mother and sister, and the father of a sweet 16-year-old daughter enchanted by a teenage storm-chaser ("the kind of troubled youth who gave troubled youths a bad name"). After Promise is hit by a severe tornado, Charlie discovers three bodies in a house with only minor damage. Their deaths are particularly gruesome-mother, father and daughter have all been impaled by flying debris; the father is "stuck like a pin cushion"-and Charlie quickly realizes that this is not the work of a storm. The bodies display defensive wounds and, worse, the killer's "signature": each has had a tooth extracted and replaced with another tooth. Charlie seeks the help of spunky scientist Willa Bellman, who introduces him to the art of storm-chasing ("heroin for the heartland") and slowly reawakens his heart. As tornado season comes on, more victims are discovered, and Charlie begins to suspect someone very close to him, before the murderer leads him on a final terrifying chase that will have readers gasping. Blanchard makes a bold move by linking her villain to tornadoes-each such powerful forces of destruction and chaos-and while it's a little far-fetched, it pays off in this dark depiction of environmental and human turmoil.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Promise, Oklahoma, may not be much, but it is ground zero for storm chasers, an eccentric mix of meteorologists, amateur scientists, and plain-old crazies who stalk tornadoes like kids stalk ice-cream trucks. Police chief Charlie Grover is assessing the damage from a recent storm when he discovers the Pepper family. Husband, wife, and teenage daughter all killed--presumably storm victims, but Grover suspects a serial killer among the storm chasers. In the background is widower Grover's struggle with single parenthood and his new romance with a scientist fascinated by violent storms. The first two-thirds of the novel are excellent as Grover sifts through forensic evidence and desperately tries to profile a killer who hides among the chaos of tornados or may even have his killing rage released by the storms. The extended conclusion screams "big-budget movie" (rights have already been sold to a major studio) and runs counter to the moody thoughtfulness of the rest of the book. On balance, it's a well-crafted thriller, but it could have been better. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Time Warner Paperbacks (July 7, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0751535591
• ISBN-13: 978-0751535594
• Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 7 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,842,877 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Blanchard obliterates the sophomore jinx!, November 5, 2003

By 

jdoheny (Lowell, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Breathtaker (Today Show Book Club #19) (Hardcover)

After reading Alice Blanchard's maiden effort, "Darkness Peering" -- a haunting masterpiece of suspense -- I was wary of getting my hopes up for her next effort. All I can say is "Wow!" This book dazzles from start to finish. With its textured characters, nuanced prose, suprising plot twists and brilliant premise, this book is destined for the best seller lists. Ignore all the story rehashings in the reviews. Come to this book with fresh eyes and you will not be disappointed. And be sure to read it before Hollywood screws it up in a few years.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really great read!, December 23, 2003

By 

Mark (Arlington, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Breathtaker (Today Show Book Club #19) (Hardcover)

This was a great book. The plot is really excellent and all the characters I found to be interesting. Also, didn't figure out the villain and was totally surprised when the author reveals who it is. Good tech talk with the tornado chasers and it's the kind of book where you actually learn something while being entertained. I look forward to more books by this author.

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking!, December 14, 2003

By 

S. Gould "gouldpjaks" (Woodmere, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Breathtaker (Today Show Book Club #19) (Hardcover)

'The Breathtaker' by Alice Blanchard is so well written that I'm not sure whether I enjoyed the plot, the charachters or the descriptions of the town and the storms most. Together they create one of the most original mysteries I've read in many years.

Charlie Grover, recently widowed police chief in a small midwest town, is the victim of a childhood fire that left him scarred both physically and psychologically. He is doing his best to help his feisty teenage daughter after the recent death of his wife from cancer but his long hours at work are taking their toll on their relationship. When a devastating tornado sweeps through the town Charlie discovers that three murders have been committed under cover of the tornado. Additional research convinces Charlie that there are previous murders that have been committed by this dangerously derranged killer. He seeks the help of Willa Bellman, a tornado researcher and part of a group of local storm chasers, to whom he has had an attraction in the past. Together they must find the culprit before the next tornado hits and he finds his next victims.

This story succeds on many levels. It is informative, beautifully written, exciting and suspenseful. Along with 'Darkness Peering' it puts Blanchard at the top of my list of favorite mystery writers.