The Breathtaker

Rating:
Summary: Tornado Alley...
Review: I waited to buy this book for about a year because of the price. I finally found a used copy.

One of the things I liked was that Charlie wasn't the "devastating super hero" that are in so many books. He was older, not particularly good looking and his hair was thinning. He was physically and emotionally scarred. He wasn't an overly brave guy yet was willing to find incredible courage when it came to protecting his loved ones.

He had a tragic life; an abusive dad, losing his mom and sister in a devastating fire, the death of his wife from cancer.

The main priority in his life was his teenage daughter, who was a bit of a brat and didn't have a lot of common sense.

Granted the plot was a pretty far stretch but this is still a book worth the read.


Rating:
Summary: Totally Implausible.
Review: This was one of the silliest books I've ever read. A completely implausible plot with dull characters. I had the murderer pegged the moment he entered the story. And what is with these female authors who portray teenage girls like they're complete morons. I can't tell you the number of books I've read with a teenage girl who is essentially good at heart, but doesn't she just have to fall for the "bad boy" her usually single/widowed parent doesn't like? And while we're at it let's have her have sex with him (yawn). Also, I cannot figure out the presence of Willa in this story. Other than being a somewhat boring love interest, she served absolutely no purpose. I think I should learn to avoid these TV "Book Club" books. More often than not they're complete disappointments.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Page-Turner!
Review: The chief of police in this tornado-hit town realizes right away that the family in the old farmhouse was not killed by flying debris. The tornado went very close to the house, but a killer went closer. The chief has his own demons to fight in bad memories of all the loved ones he has lost in his life. He still has his daughter and his own father to watch over. Will he realize who the killer is before the next tornado strikes?

This was a great thriller. I started reading the first pages at the book store, but then I had to buy it because I could not put it down. I finished it in one day.

I like the side stories about the chief of police. He is a strong, but likeable character. I recommend this for a quick summer read.

Rating:
Summary: BLEW ME AWAY!
Review: I LOVED this book! It was scary, intriguing, complex, mysterious, gripping and extremely well-written. I especially loved Charlie's relationship with his daughter - a very realistically-written teenage girl going through an inner battle with her hormones. The science of it all is well-described and interesting. You come away from this book learning a few cool things about tornado chasing. I would love to read more by this author. 5*****