Rating: 
Summary: LOST IN THE STORM
Review: "Storm" is a rather disappointing follow-up to the excellent "Messiah." Starling brings back his heroine, Kate Beauchamp, and also a brief portion with the fascinating Red Metcalfe. But, how many years have passed since the "Silver Tongue" case? All of a sudden, Kate has a son who is in school, and we have no real idea of how long Metcalfe has been in the slammer. That's a pretty big "hole" in the opening of this rather plodding thriller.The serial killer in this one has a sad history of extreme child abuse from both his father and mother, and the mother's lover. Starling has a keen sense of characterization in this regard, but once you get into the book, the killer's identity is pretty obvious. Although the corresponding storyline of Kate's surviving a ferry disaster is original, it seems to take up too much of the time that should have spent on the murders. They are graphic, but not as graphic as in "Messiah," and the motivation/pattern is not as interesting as the Silver Tongue's agenda. This book doesn't move as well as its predecessor, and doesn't have the visceral impact. However, it is a book that holds your attention, if at times you find yourself disliking Kate's whining and stubbornness. She's not the most ideal heroine in the world, but her flaws and imperfections aren't as extensive as Red Metcalfe. I hope Starling continues the series, though; they have been enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: LOST IN THE STORM
Review: "Storm" is a rather disappointing follow-up to the excellent "Messiah." Starling brings back his heroine, Kate Beauchamp, and also a brief portion with the fascinating Red Metcalfe. But, how many years have passed since the "Silver Tongue" case? All of a sudden, Kate has a son who is in school, and we have no real idea of how long Metcalfe has been in the slammer. That's a pretty big "hole" in the opening of this rather plodding thriller. The serial killer in this one has a sad history of extreme child abuse from both his father and mother, and the mother's lover. Starling has a keen sense of characterization in this regard, but once you get into the book, the killer's identity is pretty obvious. Although the corresponding storyline of Kate's surviving a ferry disaster is original, it seems to take up too much of the time that should have spent on the murders. They are graphic, but not as graphic as in "Messiah," and the motivation/pattern is not as interesting as the Silver Tongue's agenda. This book doesn't move as well as its predecessor, and doesn't have the visceral impact. However, it is a book that holds your attention, if at times you find yourself disliking Kate's whining and stubbornness. She's not the most ideal heroine in the world, but her flaws and imperfections aren't as extensive as Red Metcalfe. I hope Starling continues the series, though; they have been enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: LOST IN THE STORM
Review: "Storm" is a rather disappointing follow-up to the excellent "Messiah." Starling brings back his heroine, Kate Beauchamp, and also a brief portion with the fascinating Red Metcalfe. But, how many years have passed since the "Silver Tongue" case? All of a sudden, Kate has a son who is in school, and we have no real idea of how long Metcalfe has been in the slammer. That's a pretty big "hole" in the opening of this rather plodding thriller. The serial killer in this one has a sad history of extreme child abuse from both his father and mother, and the mother's lover. Starling has a keen sense of characterization in this regard, but once you get into the book, the killer's identity is pretty obvious. Although the corresponding storyline of Kate's surviving a ferry disaster is original, it seems to take up too much of the time that should have spent on the murders. They are graphic, but not as graphic as in "Messiah," and the motivation/pattern is not as interesting as the Silver Tongue's agenda. This book doesn't move as well as its predecessor, and doesn't have the visceral impact. However, it is a book that holds your attention, if at times you find yourself disliking Kate's whining and stubbornness. She's not the most ideal heroine in the world, but her flaws and imperfections aren't as extensive as Red Metcalfe. I hope Starling continues the series, though; they have been enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely no comparison to Messiah
Review: A faulted hero always seems more human and believable, such as Red Metcalfe in "Messiah". Kate Beauchamp in "Storm", however, is untolerably winny and tedius. The storyline with the ferry accident is original but seems lengthy and weakens the story rather than strengthens it. It's still a good read compared to most books out there. Guess it's hard to follow "Messiah".
Rating: 
Summary: A Super Thriller
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Starling's Storm Is Absolutely Superb!
Review: After Boris Starling's wonderful masterpiece of a novel, "Messiah," I was greatly awaiting the release of "Storm." Kate Beauchamp, a police detective of Scotland, and Red Metcalfe are back, and they are on the case of the Blackadder. He is a serial killer that kills his victims using the ritual of greek mythology. It starts out when Kate is on a large ferry coming back with her acting team of friends from putting on a production. The captain of the ferry receives a bomb warning from an anonymous source saying that there is a bomb in one of the Transit vans down where all the cars are stored. The captain and his crew dump the van into the water, hopefully, extinguishing the bomb. Well, the captain doesn't close the port doors or the ruters (I am not well educated with all the nautical expressions) accidently, and he turns into a STORM and water leaks into the boat and with the strong force of the STORM, the boat sinks. Passengers jump out, but many don't make it. 327 die. Later, after Kate gets over her distress, she is on the case of the Blackadder. He has killed two women. He cuts their hands and legs off and leaves an adder (a snake) around their necks. As Kate investigates the murders, she discovers a link between them and the attempted bombing of the ferry. Boris Starling takes readers on a suspenseful trip around the United Kingdom, which is fulfilling and enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: Loved it in North Carolina!
Review: Boris Starling, why had I not heard of you? Buying Storm along with other books this past weekend, simply by reading the back jackets, I had no idea of the talent of this writer. I read this book in 2 days but tried to stay up all night to finish it. I won't bother you with the story line since others who reviewed it have given that, just to tell you that he has a wonderful voice and Storm is a welcome addition to this genre. Although I guessed the identity of the killer early on, it was fun to read along checking to see if I had guessed correctly! Red Medcalfe is a fascinating character and I can't wait to read Messiah to learn more about him. And I enjoyed Mr. Starling's metaphors, although we say the expressions a little differently here in the States! Keep writing! I'm going out now to see if I can find Messiah!!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent second book!
Review: I think Boris is going to be a household name before long here in America. His first book Messiah was amazing and he doesn't dissapoint in his second outing.
This book is just as page turning as his last and has even more twists. I read this book in one sitting and although I thought some of the things Kate does (especially at the end) wasn't that realistic (my ONLY complaint) I found no other faults with the book and was completely intrigued from start to finish. The book starts off fast paced and doesn't let up. The ship sinking at the beggining was written so well, I felt like I was there. I can't recommend this book and Messiah enough.
Rating: 
Summary: After reading Messiah, Storm is quite a Disappointment
Review: I waited patiently for Boris Starling's next novel, after reading Messiah. Messiah is probably the best novel of this genre that I have ever read. Storm on the other hand is somewhat unfocused and realy does not make a clear connection between the two main plotlines. The novel drags on and on trying to give us some insight into the mindset of DCI Beauchamp and is quite boring at times. Furthermore, the re-introduction of Redfern Metcalfe, the hero of Messiah, seems like a cheap take on the Hannibal Lecter character, except that the reader is never really given an insight into his situation other than the fact that at the end of Messiah, he decides that he has crossed over the line between good and evil. By giving Metcalfe a larger portion of this story, Storm could have been a much better book.
Rating:
Summary: It's no "Messiah" but I still couldn't put it down...
Review: 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?
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