Storm (Paperback)

~ Boris Starling (Author) "I have just been informed that there is a bomb on board..." (more)
Key Phrases: pedestrian checks, tropidolaemus wagleri, frozen rodents, Petra Gallacher, Elizabeth Hart, Drew Blaikie (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Delving deeper into the mind of a serial killer than he did in his first novel, Messiah, Starling takes readers to the brink of madness with a character who is unrelentingly violent (he tortures his victims prior to killing them by forcing rats to gnaw through their stomachs) yet literate (his victims are chosen based on characters from Aeschylus's complex Greek myth, the Oresteia). The book's unlikely beginnings stem from a suspicious passenger-ferry sinking off the coast of Scotland. Among the survivors is Kate Beauchamp, a chief detective on Scotland's Grampian police force and a member of the Aberdeen Amateur Acting Company, with whom she's traveling. Upon returning to work, Kate is immediately confronted with the grisly murder and dismemberment of pretty Petra Gallacher. Two days later, elderly busybody Elizabeth Hart dies a similar death, and Kate vows to stop at nothing until the dangerous killerDnicknamed Blackadder, after the snake he leaves on each of his victim's bodiesDis apprehended. Starling expertly renders a strong heroine who uncovers no fewer than a half-dozen suspects who were either travelers on the doomed ferry or are somehow connected with its investigation, and he skillfully builds the suspense as he joins various plot lines to the main story and slowly reveals the killer's identity. (Nov. 7)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Praise for Messiah: 'Fast-paced, gritty... deserves nothing but praise' Esquire 'Grips from the first page and doesn't let go. It's a grimly, frighteningly good read' Val McDermid

The North Sea raging and the threat of a bomb on board ship demand attention for this, Starling's second thriller. A riveting opening is followed by a week of emotional upheaval for DCI Kate Beauchamp, a passenger on the busy RORO ferry. Kate is returning from a weekend in Norway with her amateur dramatic group but the cabins reserved for them are not available. This inconvience becomes a factor in their survival when the trauma of disaster at sea occurs. In the aftermath of this horrifying event a marine accident inquiry follows and the man in charge is Kate's estranged father, Frank. Kate returns to work the next day still chilled by her ordeal, but denying the signs of PTSD. Grampian police have a sadistic killer to catch and Kate is determined to prove herself in control at the grotesque crime scene, where a snake attached to the body adds another phobia which she must suppress. A new complication is Frank's re-entry into her life when he has to interview her about her experiences during the sinking of the ferry. Kate and Frank pursue separate lines of inquiry but soon their lives are at risk in this week of many deaths. Clues about the murderer emerge but Kate in her distress misreads the signs. Evil is evident in varying degrees among the characters interviewed in each of the investigations and communication between father and daughter becomes vital. Suspense and plot twists abound and propel one to the end of this dark thriller which contains some excellent but gory descriptions. (Kirkus UK) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Signet (November 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451201906
• ISBN-13: 978-0451201904
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #951,722 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's no "Messiah" but I still couldn't put it down..., November 29, 2000

By	Amy Battis (Beverly, MA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you haven't yet, do yourself a favor and go read Messiah first. And then pick up Storm. You won't be disappointed. (You might also want the background of Messiah that is referred to repeatedly in Storm.)

Boris Starling returns with his second novel. Again, he deals with a deranged serial killer who is quite elusive. This time around, Kate Beauchamp is our detective and Starling gets into her mind smartly. Here, Starling weaves a story with two tragedies, the sinking of a ferry Kate was on, and the serial murders. At first it seems crazy to follow the two so closely, but the many ties, beginning with Kate's father and friends, between the two produce a tightly woven tale. Starling also gets inside the head of this young woman, particularly with her mental and emotional reactions toward the sinking and the killings.

What I like about both this and Messiah is the thought and story behind the serial killers. They are not "run of the mill" psycho stories. Without giving much more away, I will say they are more than thought provoking. In addition, the stories themselves are so addictive that I found myself, like I did with Messiah, wondering which of the many characters the killer could be, and I was stuck with 150 pages left with nothing to do but sit down and hurry through it to find out. I was not disappointed, and absolutely surprised with the many twists this took.

With plot and decent character development like this, who needs much more in a good thriller?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, November 21, 2000

By	Kino Espo (Moscow, Russia) - See all my reviews

This was truly an excellent book. However, it was not as good as Messiah. If you have never read a Boris Starling book, I recommend you read Messiah first, then Storm. If you like good or should I say extremely captivating endings, then you'll love Boris Starling books. I can't wait for his next novel.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Super Thriller, November 7, 2000

By	Clint Hunter (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

A ferry filled with passengers sinks under mysterious circumstances leaving those who survive, including detective Kate Beauchamp, with nightmares that haunt their lives. A vicious serial killer slays and brutally mutilates his victims. A black adder becomes an enigmatic clue. A Greek myth plays itself out in real life. These disparate events converge to bring Kate and her estranged father, marine accident investigator Frank Beauchamp, together on the streets of Glasgow in an attempt to solve an eerie and baffling case.

Boris Starling has developed a strong and realistic protagonist in Kate Beauchamp and a bizarre, demented, and cunning murderer in the Black Adder. The puzzle of how and why the ferry "Amphitrite" was sunk and the frantic hunt for the identity of the Black Adder move along seemingly parallel paths. The revelation which ties the two together comes as a surprise and a shock. Both investigations are full of tension, suspense, and strange twists. This is a whiz bang thriller which will keep you guessing in anticipation right down to the final pages of the book.

I missed Starling's first book, "Messiah," but that book is going near the top of my must read list. If it has the impact of "Storm," I'm in for another good read.