THE BREATHTAKER

In Blanchard's second suspense novel a serial killer chases tornadoes in Oklahoma and Texas because it provides him with the perfect cover to commit murder. The killer is tracked by a police chief who soon has his own personal reason to discover the truth--the kidnapping of his daughter. Peter Coyote reads with controlled power. With the addition of gripping yet unobtrusive sound effects throughout, the production possesses a narrative drive that never slows, nor does an obligatory romance or tangential back story interfere with the force of the telling. Like a tornado, the story moves with relentless pacing toward a breathtaking conclusion, aided by fine writing and rare originality. If you liked the movie TWISTER, here it is on steroids, and with better research. Coyote is believable as small-town cop Charlie Grover and would be perfect to play him in the movie. This fact aids the imagination required by this outstanding "audio" movie. J.L. 2005 Audie Award Finalist (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 04]