VORTEX

4 stars out of 5

FBI agents and married couple Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock are at it again in this, their 25th appearance. But this time out, they don't spend much time working together. In fact, there were so many other characters that the FBI couple almost didn't seem like the stars of the show.

But even if they don't work together, make no mistake; it's still a really good show. Seven years after now-journalist Mia Briscoe's good friend went missing in the midst of a fraternity rave never to be seen again, Mia sees an old photo from that night and her investigative senses kick in. Problem is, the main suspect is rich, powerful and a political heavyweight who has the money and friends who can shut her down fast - or worse.

Meantime, CIA operative Mia Hildebrandt returns from a mission in Iran that failed miserably; the man she and her team were trying to get out of harm's way doesn't make it - and Olivia herself is hospitalized. Her agent-friend Mike, who tried his best to save the guy, has gone missing, and the CIA powers-that-be insist he stole some critical information and has gone rogue.

It is at this point - 11% into the book if you're reading on a Kindle - that Savich and Sherlock make an appearance. For Savich, that means visiting with Olivia, who's still recuperating from her injuries. Despite working for a rival agency, he promises her he will find Mike, get to the bottom of why he's been hiding and, Lord willing and the creek don't rise, ferret out the CIA "mole" everyone believes led to the disastrous mission. Back home, Savich is unofficially trying to help a friend with solving a triple murder; the suspect is known, but proof is elusive (at least until Savich enters the scene).

These three plots - the Iran crisis, the missing girl and the whodunit - weave their way in and out of chapters (no, it's not difficult to follow along, although of course the scene changes just as one chapter reaches some sort of cliffhanger, which while understandable from a suspense perspective, can be a little annoying at times). While I'm on the subject of annoyances, I'll mention for readers who don't enjoy reading about such things that the story involves drugs and sexual molestation. That doesn't bother me, although seeing the words "roofied and raped" in what had to be dozens of places did get a bit tiring.

Eventually, all the cases work their way toward resolution, accompanied by some nail-biters and surprises. The big reveal, for better or worse, I'd guessed early on - but I have to say it's always satisfying when that happens and I'm right. Bottom line? Definitely another enjoyable reading experience.

Vortex by Catherine Coulter (William Morrow, August 2021); 395 pp.

DEADLOCK

3.5 stars out of 5


This series featuring really cool (and now married with a young son) FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock is in second place when it comes to books from this author - I absolutely love her "Brit in the FBI" series co-written with J.T. Ellison. That said, I was excited to start this book - the 24th in the series. But sadly, it just doesn't measure up to the others I've read. The writing doesn't rise to the usual standard, the plot just didn't grab me and one of the characters I hope to never "see" again.

There's more than one story going on here, the first of which centers around Marsia Gay, who is in a correctional treatment facility in Washington, D.C. - and Savich is responsible for putting her there, so she's out to get him. She's also out to get another prisoner - a woman who has agreed to testify against her in an upcoming trial. Meanwhile, Rebekah, the young wife of a powerful U.S. Senator, visits a female medium named Zoltan, who claims Rebekah's late grandfather wants her to reveal a "secret" he passed on to her before he died. And, Savich is puzzled when he gets a red box containing part of a jigsaw that shows an unidentified pier cluttered with dead birds.

As fate (and the plot) would have it, FBI agent Pippa Cinelli, a financial expert who has been sent on a temporary basis to help Savich and Sherlock and their team, spots the puzzle. And wonder of wonders, she recognizes the scene as a pier in her home town (wow, what are the chances?) So, she's sent back, at first to work as an undercover agent, to see if she can find out who sent the puzzle and why. Ultimately, she connects with the local police chief, and the two begin a more in-depth investigation that's rife with potential danger.

Almost from the moment Pippa appeared, I suspected she was being groomed for a spin-off series; that feeling intensified when she was given the lion's share of page time. Actually, I hoped that would be the case; she struck me as childish and borderline silly - so if she got her own series, I could simply ignore it. Now that I've finished this book, I doubt that she'll be setting off on her own, so I'm hoping she'll be taking a background spot (the farther back the better) in the future. That police chief, on the other hand, is a totally engaging character, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him.

Most of the main characters take turns at being the targets of the bad guys and gals, and there's a fair amount of action to hold readers' attention right up to the end as the pieces of all the puzzles come together. This certainly isn't my favorite of the series, but it's definitely worth reading. 

Deadlock by Catherine Coulter (Gallery Books, July 2020); 476 pp.

LABYRINTH

4 stars out of 5

I'm a big fan of this series, in particular the FBI duo (and married couple) Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock. Oh sure, they're always a little too "perfect," but I enjoy them, their interaction and respective talents - a lot. So it was that I looked forward to reading this, their 23rd adventure.
  
And I have to say that while I enjoyed it, the whole thing seemed just a bit, well, sappy compared with others I've read. Much of that, I think, is because early on, Sherlock is involved in an auto accident that results in substantial memory loss - primarily of people. Her skills seem to be intact, so Savich has no real qualms about involving her in whatever he's investigating; but he also spends a ton of time trying to convince her (and himself) that she'll get her memory back, and that part, to me, is a bit overdone.

After her car was hit, Sherlock's car spun out and, in turn, struck and wounded a man who they learn is a CIA agent being chased by a couple of (presumably) bad guys. Now, the goal is to find him and keep him safe - if in fact he's still alive. While all this is going on, another FBI teammate, Griffin Hammersmith, is grabbing some R&R in tiny Gaffer's Ridge, Virginia, when he "hears" distress cries from a damsel who's been kidnapped and stashed in a houxe he's passing by. When he rescues her, she says she heard her captor - whose family basically owns the town - admit to murdering three teenage girls who have gone missing recently. Needless to say, the man denies everything, putting Hammersmith and Dr. Carson DeSilva, the woman he saved, at serious odds with said powerful family.

The two plots overlap here and there, allowing interaction among Savich, Sherlock, Hammersmith and deSilva, the latter a much-accomplished journalist. Also on display are the special psychic talents of Sherlock and Hammersmith, who share those abilities with select other characters who use it in not-so-friendly ways.

All of this makes readers wonder: Who will win the war of the minds? How far up the CIA food chain does responsibility for Sherlock's accident reach? And will she ever remember the people she once loved, including Savich and their young son Sean?

All in all, it's another fun adventure that is, as always, well worth reading.

Labyrinth by Catherine Coulter (Gallery Books, July 2019); 512 pp.

THE LAST SECOND

5 stars out of 5


I've read two of this "Brit in the FBI" series and absolutely loved them both, so when I got the chance to wade into this one as an advance review copy, I was ecstatic. And guess what? The story is a bit more "out there" than the others, but it's yet another 5-star winner in my book.

The very likable characters, in particular special agents Nicholas Drummond and his sweetie, Michaela "Mike" Caine, are back. The two are staying with friends and other regular characters Grant and Kitsune Thornton, while Mike nurses a nearly healed broken ankle that happened during a previous adventure. Mike and Nicholas head the FBI Covert Eyes Team, while Grant runs a private security company that's been hired to protect Jean-Pierre Broussard, the founder of Galactus Industries.

In the prologue, readers learn that astronaut Dr. Nevaeh Patel was drummed out of the space program after a near-death experience during a spacewalking event, after which she claimed to have heard extraterrestrial voices called the Numen. No one believed her and most think she's gone bonkers - and thus unfit for another outer space mission. Insisting she's not crazy, Nevaeh quits the program, later hooking up with Broussard. He wants someone to take over that company while he searches the seas for the "Holy Grail" - a rock believed to have healing powers.

But Nevaeh has much more on her mind than running a company that puts small satellites in space at an affordable cost. Those voices never stopped calling, you see, and they're getting louder by the day - urging her to undertake a project that will disrupt the entire world and give them, and Nevaeh, total control. Once Mike and Nicholas learn what's going on, they have other ideas - but can they find a way to stop what she's about to make happen, even if it's at the last second?

A good bit of the almost nonstop action takes place at sea, with scenes reminiscent (to me, at least) of Clive Cussler's NUMA Files books. As the two intersecting plots on land and water begin to seriously converge, all the characters get involved in ultra-dangerous situations that call for super-human feats, and the ending is worthy of an Ian Fleming 007 novel. My verdict? Thank goodness for one of the most boring Super Bowl games ever (and I haven't missed a single one since the 1967 inaugural game) that allowed me to finish the final third of the book nonstop. And speaking of thanks, I'll send some to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review it. 

The Last Second by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison (Gallery Books, March 2019); 464 pp.

PARADOX

5 stars out of 5


Granted, I'm semi-retired - but finish a nearly 450-page book in two days? Certainly not a normal happenin' thing, but finish it I did. Yes, the story is engrossing and I love FBI agents Sherlock and Savich (this is the 22nd installment in the series). But I'll also credit the author's uncanny way of ending each chapter at such a tantalizing point that it's almost impossible to resist the "just one more" temptation. So strong is that pull, in fact, that at one point I realized I'd read eight chapters beyond the point at which I really, really needed to turn off my Kindle and do something else.

Also curious, BTW, is that almost all the female characters have what at first blush I'd assume are "male" names, among them Ty, Morgan, Marty and Gunny. Happenstance, or intention? And if the latter, why? Inquiring minds would love to know. But I digress.

The married agents have a young son named Sean, of whom, some would say, they're overprotective. That proves to be warranted, though, when in the middle of the night Savich is awakened by warning beeps - and runs to her son's room to find an intruder standing over the child's bed. The man, who was wielding a knife, manages to escape - but the incident forces Savich and Sherlock to acknowledge that their family is on the hit list of a very nasty person.

Around the same time, Willicot, Maryland, police chief Ty Christie is relaxing at her cottage on Lake Massey when to what do her wondering eyes doth appear than a frightening scene: One of two people out in a boat smacks the other and dumps the body overboard, an apparent murder. When said body is found by divers, it turns out to be a female federal prosecutor who's been dating Salo Porto, an FBI agent-friend of Savich, who in turn is called in to help.

But divers find not only that freshly killed body, but a rather large array of old bones and a unique belt buckle - raising suspicions of a serial killer. Most of the bones were collected not far from an abandoned mansion in which two entire families were murdered; since then, the property has been deemed "haunted" and has stood empty. When Savich and Sherlock go inside, they find nothing noteworthy except a single very tidy bedroom amid an otherwise decaying house. That is, until Savich has one of his "visions," leading him to the upper level and the discovery of his old friend Porto, who's been locked in a closet and left to die.

Turns out the killer is a relatively young man who recently escaped from a mental institution - a man with ties not only to the woman he just killed but to Savich, who was forced to kill the man's young girlfriend back when he was arrested. Evidence leads to the certainty that he was the man who attempted to kidnap (or perhaps murder) Savich and Sherlock's son.

But strong suspicion isn't proof (nor are Savich's visions), so the chase is on to gather evidence and track down the killer. The investigation efforts get a big boost from Christie and Palo, who join forces and become major characters in the rest of the book. Even though the killer is known, though, there's plenty of action and even more head games to carry the story through to the end (with a little left over for another book). In short, it's another winner - and once again I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with an advance review copy.

Paradox by Catherine Coulter (Gallery Books, July 2018); 448 pp.

THE SIXTH DAY

5 stars out of 5


Mix in a dash of Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, a splash of James Patterson's Private and a whole lot of originality from two very talented co-authors and what do you get? A page-turner of history-linked chills, thrills and intrigue that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end. In fact, I highly recommend the entire "Brit in the FBI" series (this one, I believe, is the fifth).

Primary characters and friends with benefits Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine are on the special Covert Eyes FBI team - one that plays well with the FBI's British counterpart (Nicholas is the first British agent to join the FBI). They've been called in amid what is thought to be assassinations of a couple of business and political bigwigs in London, with the hope that the team can  sort things out and, needless to say, catch the culprit(s). As readers learn early on, the killings may be linked to the Castle of Vlad Dracul III in 1448 and a mysterious Voynich Manuscript that involves cryptophasia (a.k.a., a language of twins); the occasional chapter flips to days of old to trace the manuscript's footprint throughout its elusive history.

The trail extends far and wide but seems to be tied to Roman Ardelean, the uber-wealthy owner of a cybersecurity firm that provides software to governments and businesses worldwide. Not insignificantly, he's also a descendant of Vlad the Impaler (often believed to be Dracula), and his twin brother, computer genius Radu, suffers from a particularly nasty and incurable form of hemophilia. The brothers are convinced that pages in the Voynich Manuscript - pages that have just turned up at a London historical museum after having been mysteriously "discovered" by Romanian expert Dr. Isabella Marin - spell out what Radu needs for a complete recovery.

In between are real and threatened attacks by a cadre of seriously high-tech drones and seemingly low-tech but deadly falcons; whether or not they're all connected to the Ardeleans and the manuscript will put to the test the considerable computer skills of Nicholas and his team-member friend Adam in what might be called a battle of the programmers. Non-techies needn't worry, though; everything is explain well enough that even an aging grandmother like me can understand it (well, enough that it all made sense, at least). 

Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review - which is that this is a very exciting, well-written story you don't want to miss. Another winner!

The Sixth Day by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison (Gallery Books, April 2018); 528 pp.

ENIGMA

5 stars out of 5

Fully a score of books in this series has preceded this one, and despite my good intentions - they've been on my want-to-read list for quite some time - up to this point I've read nary a single one. Big mistake, but one I certainly won't make again. Ms. Coulter earned a spot on my list of favorite authors with The Devil's Triangle, her "A Brit in the FBI" series, and this one ensures that she won't be moving off anytime soon. Or, to put it another way, wow!

That the characters weren't familiar to me going in wasn't an issue; early on, I got the drift, and at no time did I feel lost (although I'll advise, as I always do, that it's best to start a series as close to the beginning as possible if only to see how the characters change and who comes and goes over time). Here, the most important people to know are FBI agents named Savich (Dillon), Wittier (Cam), Cabot (Jack) and Sherlock (if she has a second name, it slipped past me). There are a couple of plots going on at the same time, but even though they don't overlap much, I never got confused as to who's who and what's what.

The first story begins with Savich in the home of a very pregnant woman named Kara, who's being threatened by a man who's ranting about people out to get him and insisting he's an "enigma." Savich nails the guy, who then falls into a coma and is taken to a hospital. Kara soon follows - and gives birth to baby Alex. Then comes the unthinkable; the baby is kidnapped from the hospital right under the noses of the doctors and nurses. Further investigation turns up bizzare links between the still unidentified comotose guy, Kara and her baby - and leads Savich, Sherlock and their team to a grandiose scheme involving drugs of a very different sort.

While this is going on, a psychopathic bank robber somehow escapes just as he's arriving at his future home - a federal penitentiary. Whittier and Cabot get the case, following the convict and the people who helped him escape into the wilds of the Daniel Boone National Forest. Apparently, the convict, dubbed "Manta Ray," stole and hid some kind of safe deposit box before he was captured. Could it be that his new companions have an ulterior motive of their own for springing him?

The two investigations lead from U.S.-sanctioned Russian bankers (could that topic be more timely?) to the inner workings of a pharmaceutical firm to the highest echelons of the U.S. government. There's plenty of intrigue to go round, and the action rarely takes a break. This one's a don't-miss - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Enigma by Catherine Coulter (Gallery Books, September 2017); 496 pp.

THE DEVIL'S TRIANGLE

5 stars out of 5

Woo hoo - it's The DaVinci Code meets Indiana Jones - what a doozy of a book! Now that I've finished, seems to me it would make a great movie as well (hint, hint). Should that ever happen, though, my advice, as always, is to read the book first.

Actually, this is the fourth in the authors' "A Brit in the FBI" series. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit apprehensive about how much I'd enjoy it for that reason; would I be lost because I hadn't read the first three? No doubt I missed a few nuances because of my unfamiliarity, but I needn't have worried: the book and I got along famously - to the point that I nearly cheered when heavy duty winds blew out our cable TV, Internet and landline phone service for a few hours, giving me the perfect excuse to finish the last few chapters with no interruptions.

And did I mention it's a doozy? It's got everything I could ask for: almost nonstop action, likable characters and borderline impossible technology that threatens the planet's very existence. Although this book is way better, at times I was reminded of James Patterson's Private series (most of which I've enjoyed as well). That, I think, comes from the similar focus on a team and banter among the various members, all of whom enormously like and respect one another.

The characters here form the Covert Eyes team - a group of FBI special agents that includes Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine. They get a surprise call asking for help from an elusive thief known as the Fox (real name, Kitsune, and I gather she appeared in a previous book or books and isn't exactly a friend of Nick or Mike). After she stole an artifact that has ties to the Ark of the Covenant from an Istanbul museum, she explains, the client who hired her is trying to kill her and she's hiding out in Venice. Moreover, she claims to have overheard a conversation suggesting that a recent and very deadly Gobi Desert sandstorm didn't happen by accident.

Intrigued in large part by the notion that someone out there may be controlling the weather rather than saving Kitsune's hide, Nick and Mike and the team convince their supervisors of the need to find out what's really going on. Right from the start, what they find is danger; apparently, Kitsune didn't exaggerate - someone really is out to get her, and they'll be quite happy to take down Nick and Mike in the process. Clues lead from New York to Venice to the Gobi Desert to the Bermuda Triangle, passing too close for comfort to some very unsavory characters including a particularly nasty set of twins.

All told, it's an exciting journey loaded with near super-human efforts, espionage, a touch of what some might call the supernatural and, of course, that weather control thing. Already, I'm all ready for the next installment! A huge thank you to the publisher (via NetGalley) for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of this one in exchange for an honest review.

The Devil's Triangle by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison (Gallery Books, March 2017); 512 pp.