Author: Catherine Coulter
Publication: Putnam Adult (July 19, 2011)
Description: The number-one New York Times-bestselling author returns with another pulse-pounding thriller.
A serial killer is on the loose, and it's up to FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock to bring him down. They soon discover that the killer has blood ties to the infamous and now long-dead monster Ted Bundy. Savich and Sherlock are joined by agents Lucy Carlyle and Cooper McKnight, and the chase is on.
At the same time, Agent Carlyle learns from her dying father that her grandfather didn't simply walk away from his family twenty-two years ago: he was, in fact, murdered by his wife, Lucy's grandmother. Determined to find the truth, Lucy moves into her grandmother's Chevy Chase mansion. What she finds, however, is a nightmare. Not only does she discover the truth of what happened all those years ago, but she faces a new mystery as well, a strange ring that holds powers beyond her ken.
As the hunt for the serial killer escalates, Savich realizes he's become the killer's focus, and perhaps the next victim. It's up to Lucy to stop this madness before it's too late.
My Thoughts: The story begins with Savich breaking up a murder/robbery attempt at his nearby convenience store. And the action ramps up from there. The story is like real life. The characters don't just face one crime at a time. While Savich, Sherlock, Lucy and Coop are busy tracking down the Black Beret killer who turns out to be Ted Bundy's daughter, Lucy is also investigating a mystery closer to her home.
Lucy loses her father to a sudden heart attack. But before he dies he relives out loud a memory of seeing his mother kill his father. Lucy moves back to the family home to investigate and discovers her grandfather's body in a trunk in the attic. This rocks her world because she can't imagine her beloved father keeping that sort of thing a secret. She has no idea why her grandmother would kill her grandfather until she gets a letter that her grandfather has placed with his lawyer for delivery to her after her father's death. She learns that her grandmother was obsessed with an ancient ring that had some magical powers. The grandfather has taken the ring from her and set it aside for Lucy to have after her father's death. Lucy is surprised to learn that the wearer of the ring can turn back time. She can go back 8 seconds and redo the past.
Lucy doesn't know what to do. She isn't telling anyone about the ring even though she is a lousy liar and all of her colleagues know that she is keeping something from them. Also she and Coop are becoming close. She had kept away from him because she believed that he was a playboy type. Now that they are working together on the Black Beret killer case, she is learning that her image of him was wrong.
The action is fierce in this thriller but for me something is missing to make it a memorable read. I liked the story but I didn't get emotionally involved in it. It was a story I read with my mind as I tried to figure out how our heroes would capture the killer. But it wasn't a story that got to my heart or emotions. It was a cotton candy sort of story for me -- tasty while it lasts but with no staying power. I would recommend this one if you are looking for a great summer beach kind of read. If you want a story that lives in your memory, you will have to look elsewhere. (Of course, I seldom want a story of a serial killer to live in my memory.)
Favorite Quote:
She was crying silently when her father suddenly yelled, "Mom, what did you do? Why did you stab dad? Oh my God, he's not moving. There's so much blood. Why, mom?"I received this book for review from Putnam. You can get your copy here at Amazon.
