Another Review at MyShelf.Com

Publisher: Time Warner AudioBooks
Release Date: May 2004
ISBN: 1-58621-696-1
Awards:  
Format Reviewed: Audio Cassettes
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Genre:   Mystery/Suspense
Reviewed: 2004
Reviewer: Carisa Weeaks
Reviewer Notes:  
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The Breathtaker
By Alice Blanchard
Read by Peter Coyote

      In Promise, Oklahoma, excitement is not seen very often. This tradition changes, though, when a tornado howls its way through. Crops are destroyed and lifetimes of memories are taken, but nothing touched by the destructive hand of the storm can prepare Police Chief Charlie Grover for the bloody massacre he confronts in one of the few houses left standing. A family of three is savagely mutilated by flying debris, or so it’s supposed to seem. When he and the coroner make discoveries that literally chill them to the bone, Charlie realizes that he’s dealing with someone who has done this kind of ritualistic bloodshed before. This discovery soon leads to even more chaos in his already rushed life.

       When he’s not still dealing with his attempts at dating again or his ever-mood-changing teenage daughter, Sophie, he’s having to deal with his twenty-four-hour, seven-day-a-week job, and the endless amount of small-town politics that comes with it. To him, nothing could make the situation worse...right? Wrong. Charlie could have never guessed that his gifts of investigation would bring him onto a path more dangerous than the tornadoes that are plaguing the Oklahoma and Texas landscapes...the path of a maniacal killer who is willing to do anything to carry out his twisted plan.

       I LOVE THIS AUDIO BOOK! And not just because it is based in Oklahoma, although, I have to admit, that was one of the things that got me to take it off the other reviewers’ hands in the first place. The storyline is incredible! It’ll keep you glued to your seat and twist your senses until you don’t know which way to run. Charlie Grover is the best protagonist out of every murder mystery/suspense novel I’ve ever read. His relationships with his daughter and his scientist friend/budding love interest, Dr. Willa Bellman, are priceless—not to mention the run-ins he has with his emotionally constipated father. The plot is numbing and the kind of gory that will make anyone freeze, out of both shock and curiosity. I recommend this audio book to anyone who loves murder and mayhem, with a little normal chaotic Oklahoma weather thrown in. An absolutely heart-halting read.

      Actor and author Peter Coyote, whose résumé includes “A Walk to Remember,” “Erin Brockovich,” and “E.T.,” uses his gift of acting to enhance the individuality of the characters. Each character has their own voice and mannerisms. It truly makes one wonder at times if it really is just Coyote reading it alone. This talent helps the plot thicken and twist even more, allowing readers to get the full feel of what it’s like to be at the center of a “Breath Taker.”