Blowout (An FBI Thriller Book 9)

This book could have arrived as "brand new" and I would never have known if it were used or not. It was in perfect shape, exactly as the description said it was. It was a great read, and the book still looks like it's brand new.

Many years ago an English professor told a class I attended that we needed to read some really bad books; otherwise, we'd never be able appreciate the good ones. I found that strange at the time and didn't quite subscribe to it. But I realize now that it's valid. And this novel certainly qualifies as a bad book, if only for the sake of comparison with a good thriller, "Day of the Jackal," for example.

To begin with, the plot of "Blowout" is preposterous. Both plots, actually, and they never mesh--the ghost of a murdered woman in the Poconos and the murdered justice of the Supreme Court along with his staff. I didn't believe in either one of the plots--especially the ghost of the murdered woman and the "explanation" for her. There's no point in going into all the wearisome details, except to say that both killers give unbelievable explanations and confessions when a simplr denial would have sufficed.

The writing is clumsy, uniformly bad--malaprops, dangling participles, cliches, etc. I can only wonder at the editors who blue penciled this--or didn't bother. They should have cleaned up some of the mess, albeit a Herculean task. The dialogue is stiff and silly, and it's not always certain who is talking--or that it matters. The characters are shallow, posturing, standard issue for this sort of work. Even the justices are bed hopping. There's no real atmosphere. Both solutions are letdowns. I could cite specific examples of all these criticisms, but it's just not worth it.

Other reviewers have pointed out that some of the author's other books are better. I do hope so. This is the first book I've read by Ms. Coulter. It is also my last.

I read many police procedurals and although I paid 25 cents at Goodwill for this one, I felt cheated. I got about 50 pages in and wanted to gag. The premise of married FBI agents being partners in about as laughable as the slut wear female agents wear on various TV programs. I was a lady cop for years and my uniform shirts had zippers under the buttons to prevent even a glimpse of cleavage. The plot sounded interesting, but was completely undeveloped in favor of cuteness. One star was too much.

This is the most poorly written professionally printed book I have ever encountered: no character development, dismal plot, completely disconnected subplot, poorly researched.....and hands down the worst dialogue in the history of mankind. To call this book sophomoric is to insult every barely literate, socially promoted high school sophomore in our country. I read Robert Crais, Dennis Lehane, Michael Connelly, Tony Hillerman, James Lee Burke, Lee Child.....so I am not some literary snob. I even read cereal boxes if there is nothing else. The fact that I finished this book makes me ashamed and leaves me wondering if I need a mystery-thriller 12 step program. Sort of like the alcoholic who finally drinks the bottle of Elvis wine over the mantle in the playroom. This is the bottom.

FBI agent Dillon Savich is driving down an isolated stretch of road on the way to meet his wife, Lacey Sherlock, and their son, Sean, for a much-needed vacation. Suddenly, a woman jumps into his car's path and causes a near accident. He chases her to a large estate home. She is obsessed with a man inside who is trying to kill her. When Savich tries to help her, she flees in terror. Savich's call for help with the local Sheriff gets sympathy but no definitive action. According to Sheriff Doozer Harms, the Barrister house on Clayton Road has been abandoned and vacant. The young woman Savich described with excellent detail was Samantha Barrister, murdered thirty years earlier.
The following morning, his getaway grinds to a halt when a phone call summons both him and his agent wife back to Washington, D.C. Supreme Court Justice Stewart Califano is dead, murdered in the Supreme Court Library. The Saviches are in charge of the federal investigation and will work with local detective Ben Raven. Califano's death is brutal; he was garroted by a thin wire. The murderer is a professional. To complicate matters, Justice Califano's stepdaughter, Callie Markham, is a crack journalist on the Washington newspaper's staff. Raven accepts her help with family information when she becomes a willing sidekick after taking a leave of absence from her job.
Eight previous well-received FBI thrillers give author Catherine Coulter credibility in BLOWOUT, a fast-moving but logical mystery. The right amount of leakage makes the reader lean one way toward the crime's solution, then veer in another when clues lead in a different direction. Savich's encounter with the "dead woman" on the moonlit road in rural Pennsylvania is a nagging unfinished piece to a complicated puzzle.
The murdered Justice leaves a trail of questionable companions, his three legal assistants at the top of the list. When two of them come up dead, the FBI struggles to keep the third, Elaine LaFleurette, alive. Meanwhile, clues lead to the murderer, a contract killer who has been silent for more than a decade. Savich stays a step ahead of Gunter Grass, the suspected killer, when he hides LaFleurette in his home. But rapid-fire events compromise their safety.
The Justice's widow has a close-knit circle of four long-time friends: Janette Weaverton, Anna Clifford, Juliette Trevor and Bitsy St. Pierre. During the course of the investigation, the four are a formidable group, protecting Margaret Califano from intrusions into her past and present personal life. Their smothering protectorate stifles the agents' forward progress. Markham finds her loyalty to her stepfather's reputation and her love for his memory at odds when confronted by the realities in the case. And she has become more than a sidekick to Ben Raven when their friendship takes a personal turn.
Loose ends keep both cases in turmoil until the final interviews conclude. The results are acceptable but not necessarily neat. Coulter writes with vigor, yet is sympathetic to her characters' feelings. For her empathy, she can be allowed to exit with cases solved but not totally resolved. She is a prolific writer, and BLOWOUT leaves a thirst for the next Savich and Sherlock story to unfold from her computer.
--- Reviewed by Judy Gigstad

"Blow Out" is, without a doubt, the worst murder mystery I've ever read.

I genuinely thought it was the work product of a non-"in-group" 16 year old girl trying unsuccessfully to seem hip.

Two separate, distinct & out-of-balance plots: (1) 60 page plot where ghost of murdered young mother appears to Savich & induces him to investigate her 30 year old murder, which is solved when culprit is tricked into confessing, not realizing he is being recorded [stale plot, zero believeability]; and (2) 295 page plot involving murder of current Supreme Court Justice & subsequent murder of 2 court clerks; the hands-on murderer has no credible motive, and we never know for sure whether some woman friend of the widow put him up to it to punish the Justice & his lover for their affair. Zero connection between the 2 plots (except that Savich is working on both of them). Author shows almost no understanding of how the courts and FBI actually operate. The dialog is so trite & junior-high-schoolish that it's embarassing ("I'll tell you I love you if you'll say it at the same time.")

Yuck! Get me outta here.

Very disappointing. I was looking forward to this book because I buy all of her books. It took me a minute to get into the book, and besides that I was very easily interrupted. It did not capture my imagination. I could not believe that they brought a person who is on a hit list into their home even though they have a son they love so much. The book was all over the place. All of a sudden, MAX came up with the name of the murderer, just like that. It was just so out there. I liked the Samantha Barrister secondary plot line better than the main plot. Maybe that should have been the main plot. It was hard to believe that the judge was having an affair. The way everyone described him as being private and waiting patiently to marry his wife, does not jibe with him being an adulterer. Instead of paying your hard earned money, I would go to the library and check it out.

I have read all of the books in Catherine Coulter's FBI series and really enjoy them. They have everything I like for an entertaining read: suspense, mystery, fun/comedy, romance! I love it when Ms. Coulter brings back Savich and Sherlock and also has two new characters who will also get romantically involved. "Blowout" is a good story on both plot lines, an older unsolved murder and the new present-day murder with a little other-worldliness thrown in.

The story begins in the Poconos where FBI agent Dillon Savich is on his way back to the cabin where he, Sherlock and their son Sean are staying for a brief vacation. He is on an icy and snowy road when his tire blows out. After he calls Sherlock to let her know he is delayed and changes the tire, a young woman dressed in a light summer dress comes running out of the woods on the side of the road hysterically screaming that Savich needs to go with her and that someone is going to kill her. Savich gets her in his car and under her direction drives to a nearby side road and down the road a bit to a beautiful mansion on a hill. The lights are all on in the house and a cozy fire burning in the living room. There doesn't appear to be anyone there but Savich takes no chances and has his gun out. He searches downstairs but doesn't find anything or hear anything. The woman is still terrified and crying while sitting on the couch. They hear footesteps -- very loud -- above them. Savich goes upstairs and still can't find anyone although he sees a young boy's room with a sports poster from 1972. Then he hears a loud thump above and he find the attic and goes up the ladder when something whooshes out and knocks him off onto his back. When he gets up and goes back downstairs, the woman is gone. He calls Sherlock and they agree to meet at the Sheriff's office. They ride back out to the house with the Sheriff who has been Sheriff over 30 years in the small town. The Sheriff told them the place was deserted and the owners long moved out. He speculates also and tells them of the young Mrs. Samantha Barrister who was murdered there in 1972. All in all not very satisfying for Savich who cannot sleep well that night.

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., at the Supreme Court Building, another mysterious murder is taking place that same Friday evening around midnight. Supreme Court Justice Stewart Califano is garrotted while in the building's library.

The next morning, Savich and Sherlock are called back from vacation to head the investigation so the mysterious woman or ghost? is put on hold. They are glad to work again with their friend from the Metro Police, Det. Ben Raven. None of them are happy that Justice Califano's stepdaughter, Callie Markham who is an investigative report, also insists on helping.

To not be a spoiler, I will not say more on the plot except there are more murders and very scary times on the Justice murder investigation and Sherlock works to get information to ease Savich's mind and help resolve the mystery of the murdered Samantha Barrister and why she appeared to him. I think Ms. Coulter has a great imagination as she manages to find totally new villains, plot twists and situations for each of her FBI thrillers. I look forward to reading the next one soon! If you are NOT a Coulter fan, then this may be too light of reading for you!

I love the Sherlock/Savich series, but I had problems with this one. First of all, I felt that a psychic experience was out of place. Sherlock and Savich are professionals; the ghost story line didn't fit in. Secondly, there were a lot of contradictions in the book. For example, I didn't buy that the judge married Callie's mother to get to her. It didn't jive. Callie respected the judge and was intuitive enough to know if he was interested in her or not. There was no evidence that he was.
I, especially, disliked the way things were tied up at the end. The last quarter of the book didn't fit with the first three.
So many of my favorite authors are cranking books out due to publisher induced deadlines. They suffer as a result.

This book was pretty good, but with a little more work, it could have been a lot better. The premises of both of the plots, one involving a ghost and another involving the murder of a Supreme Court justice, were quite intriguing. Unfortunately, Coulter resolves both plots with deus ex machina type villains that simply don't ring true. Thrillers are so much more interesting when the villain is right under the reader's nose, instead of thrown in at the end as a hackneyed plot contrivance. Yes, it would have taken a lot more work to make the killer someone that all the characters knew, but that would have made the book excellent, instead of merely passable.

That said, this book is an improvement over "Blind Side," the last Coulter book I read. But I think that the real problem is that the author needs to find entirely new protagonists, because she's milked Savich and Sherlock for as much as she can get out of them, and while the earlier books in this series were stellar, the concept has simply run out of steam.

You will not be disappointed. Again, two mysteries with some supernatural aspect to the story. A little extra twist near the end. And of course, the obligatory couple falling in love under very difficult circumstances.

Catherine Coulter never disappoints. Her character s are so believable. After you have read a few FBI books in her series, you feel like Sherlock, Dillion and Sean are family. The pace moves right along and I loved the ending. I won' t even give a hint and don't look ahead, enjoy and let the suspense build.

The title of the novel refers to the strange experience familiar character Dillon Savich has on a lonely, snowy road one dark night. Alas, it is hardly developed at all in the book until the last 40 pages or so, and I really can't see, hard as the author tried, how it is linked up with the supposed hero and heroine of this book, Ben Raven and the daughter of a murdered supreme court justice. The motive for the murders as the body pile mounts up is absolutely absurd, and the twist at the end totally falls flat. I felt really cheated by this book. It was nice to see Sherlock and Dillon and their little boy, but the whole relationship between Ben and his lady love is a wet squib and the macho posturing in the living room of Savich's home is just absurd. A real let down. Neither romantic, nor suspenseful.

Even though I love the Savich/Sherlock series--this one was terrible. The romance/flirting between the 2 sub-characters was so lame. The dailogue was cheesy. And the plot left you wishing there had been one. The sub plot was hardly mentioned throughout the horribly long interviewing of suspects and then when it did come up again in the end, it was wrapped up quickly and with no substance. The main plot was a huge let down.

This is a typical Catherine Coulter book featuring Sherlock & Savich. It follows the usual outline, with the two murders to be solved introduced in the first 2-3 chapters. The two new characters who will eventually fall into bed and then marry are also introduced within the first few chapters. Ms. Coulter is a good writer, but the pattern is getting tiring. Glad I downloaded it as a library book and did not buy.

ELEVENTH HOUR by Catherine Coulter was the subject of the third review that I wrote for the store (8/28/02), and while my five star rating might be a little generous by my current standards I enjoyed the book immensely. Despite mixed reviews, its bestseller status indicated that many other readers shared my opinion. It made me want to learn more about the adventures of (Dillon) Savich and (Lacey) Sherlock, the husband and wife team who are the two main characters in Coulter?s ?FBI Thriller Series?. I was especially intrigued by the ?two for one? aspect of the story; there were two mysteries to be solved that were cleverly woven together as an integral element of the plot. Therefore, I eagerly awaited the next entry in the series, BLINDSIDE (review 7/28/03); unfortunately, while it bore superficial resemblance to the earlier book, the storytelling and the editing were very disappointing and the second mystery was seemingly included as an afterthought. Much to my disappointment, BLOW OUT, the latest installment in the series is even more poorly written and edited. It appears that the author and her publisher have decided that Sherlock and Savich have such a loyal fan club that a peremptory effort at telling a story and the continuation of the two-for-one mystery format will be sufficient inducement for her loyal readers. Well, I am officially going on strike with regard to the purchase of future books in this series until I read some glowing reviews by reviewers whose judgment I trust. I will instead content myself by reading some of Coulter?s much more highly praised earlier stories.

As my review title indicates, my greatest disappointment with regard to this story is that with a little additional effort and a lot better job of editing this could have been a first rate book. For some reason, perhaps to grab the reader?s interest, the book opens with a riveting action sequence which turns out to part of an interesting but totally peripheral plot. Savich encounters an apparition and gets involved in an unsolved murder that occurred thirty years ago. It almost seems that perhaps this story began as the author?s primary interest but she wasn?t sure that she could turn it into a believable full length novel so threw it in as a twofer that provides some interesting asides and gives us readers more for our money. Suddenly, the action switches to DC, where the brutal murder of a Supreme Court Justice inexplicably occurs within the library of the Court itself despite the incredibly tight security that prevails. When additional murders occur, it appears that a very bold and fiendishly clever murderer has an agenda to fulfill. Additional characters are introduced including Ben Raven, the liaison from the DC Metro Police, and Callie Markham, the stepdaughter of the murdered Justice, who in a totally unbelievable fashion is teamed with Ben in order to utilize her unique insights into the case and her analytical skills honed as an investigative reporter for THE WASHINGTON POST. And for fans of the series, MAX, Dillon?s computer sidekick, provides invaluable help before the chase is over. Unfortunately, much of the dialog is totally inappropriate and becomes almost laughable at times. Furthermore, the paragraph breaks often make it unintelligible who is actually speaking. There are on occasion paragraph breaks in the middle of comments by the same speaker; at times, the narrative perspective seems to suddenly change. Finally, the romantic subplot is so predictable it lacks any interest at all.

In summary, a potentially interesting villain and a plot with great potential have been sacrificed to the apparent desire to keep to a publishing schedule of a book each summer. I only generously rounded my rating up because there are two aspects of the book which certain readers will enjoy. First, there is some minimal further character development for the truly devoted fans of Savich and Sherlock; the true series addicts will probably enjoy this element. Second, the plot?s potential is interesting although unrealized. Very surprisingly, the distribution of the ratings of this book by the seventeen previous reviewers exhibits a wide dispersion of opinion. The average of three stars to date derives from an entirely level distribution ? three readers each rated it one, three or five stars, four readers each rated it two or four stars. I believe that this difference of opinion reflects how different types of readers relate to the various factors that I mention in this review. Someone who is perhaps a speed reader and primarily interested in a plot (or two) with some interesting twists might easily overlook many of the features that I consider to be very significant flaws. Much of my interest in reading derives from the subtleties of character development, the intricate details which clever writers weave into the fabric of their stories, and the careful construction of the narrative and a wonderful use of language. By definition, any subjective rating system incorporates how an individual reader balances all these diverse factors when deciding which books provide a pleasurable and worthwhile experience. The strengths of this book no where near compensated me for the severe weaknesses with regard to any of those factors.

Tucker Andersen

The title of the novel refers to the strange experience familiar character Dillon Savich has on a lonely, snowy road one dark night. Alas, it is hardly developed at all in the book until the last 40 pages or so, and I really can't see, hard as the author tried, how it is linked up with the supposed hero and heroine of this book, Ben Raven and the daughter of a murdered supreme court justice. The motive for the murders as the body pile mounts up is absolutely absurd, and the twist at the end totally falls flat. I felt really cheated by this book. It was nice to see Sherlock and Dillon and their little boy, but the whole relationship between Ben and his lady love is a wet squib and the macho posturing in the living room of Savich's home is just absurd. A real let down. Neither romantic, nor suspenseful.

Even though I love the Savich/Sherlock series--this one was terrible. The romance/flirting between the 2 sub-characters was so lame. The dailogue was cheesy. And the plot left you wishing there had been one. The sub plot was hardly mentioned throughout the horribly long interviewing of suspects and then when it did come up again in the end, it was wrapped up quickly and with no substance. The main plot was a huge let down.

Savich, Sherlock and their son, Sean, are spending some family time at a cabin in the Poconos. On his way back from the market, Savich's SUV blows a tire. Just as he's done changing it, a woman comes running out of nowhere, not suitably dressed for the weather, screaming about a man in her house. His cell phone all of a sudden not working and unable to call for back-up, Savich goes with the woman back to her house. Making her wait in the living room, he searches the house, and other than a small incident, there's no one there. Exactly no one, for even the woman has disappeared. The house now seems abandoned, as if it had been that way for years. Had Savich actually been talking to a ghost?

And just when he tries to convince the local sheriff of what happened, Savich and Sherlock are called back to D.C. to head up the investigation of a murdered supreme court justice, Stewart Califano. He'd been murdered right in the Supreme Court Library, and all they have to go on is the guard who'd been knocked out.

Metro detective Ben Raven is helping Sherlock and Savich with the case, the appointed liason between the FBI and Metro police. They met the now widow, Margaret Califano, as well as her daughter, Callie Markham, an investigative reporter for The Washington Post. Taking a leave of absense, she's determined to help the FBI find her stepfather's killer. And now Ben is stuck with her. And that's just the beginning of a spark.

Everyone is interviewed, from the other justices, the clerks, family and friends. Then one of Califano's clerks is murdered, the same M.O. With the help of MAX, the computer finds the M.O. matches the M.O. of a killer who hasn't killed in over 20 years. How can that be? Is no one safe and who could be next?

**Could have been better. All those interviews and no clues from them. And the more the interviews, the more I started to get bored. They kept revisiting the same information. A few events in the book make you sit up and take notice, just for it to go back to more interviews. And then finally, you get face to face with the killer, and it made no sense - there was no connection between this person and his victims. And just when you're thinking "You've got to be kidding me," you read the barest of connections, a rather neat twist, and yet you still don't know much about the killer or who it really was he associated with. Callie finds out by mishap, but doesn't tell, not even Ben.

Savich and Sherlock were their usual selves, and I really like them as characters, as man and wife, as mom and dad. We see them more with Sean in this one and I liked that aspect. Callie - I liked her personality; no nonsense, she pushes to get her way. Ben - I liked him as well. Even when he's not happy of being saddled with Callie, he makes the best of it. I liked the banter between them, but that spark you feel at the beginning, stayed just like that. A spark - one. That's it. After that, I felt a camaraderie between them and nothing more.

Then there's that twist, and you're thinking "Holy Cow!", but it stays there. You still don't know who the killer was associated with. While I have an idea, it's not confirmed, and that bothered me.

Meanwhile, there's a second, smaller investigation, for the ghost of Samantha Barrister won't leave Savich alone. They do find her son, in a most unusual way, and even solve her murder. I actually enjoyed that part more than the main investigation, and I believe that more could have been added to it and made its own book, I think.

While it was good, the book could have been better.

This is a typical Catherine Coulter book featuring Sherlock & Savich. It follows the usual outline, with the two murders to be solved introduced in the first 2-3 chapters. The two new characters who will eventually fall into bed and then marry are also introduced within the first few chapters. Ms. Coulter is a good writer, but the pattern is getting tiring. Glad I downloaded it as a library book and did not buy.

ELEVENTH HOUR by Catherine Coulter was the subject of the third review that I wrote for the store (8/28/02), and while my five star rating might be a little generous by my current standards I enjoyed the book immensely. Despite mixed reviews, its bestseller status indicated that many other readers shared my opinion. It made me want to learn more about the adventures of (Dillon) Savich and (Lacey) Sherlock, the husband and wife team who are the two main characters in Coulter?s ?FBI Thriller Series?. I was especially intrigued by the ?two for one? aspect of the story; there were two mysteries to be solved that were cleverly woven together as an integral element of the plot. Therefore, I eagerly awaited the next entry in the series, BLINDSIDE (review 7/28/03); unfortunately, while it bore superficial resemblance to the earlier book, the storytelling and the editing were very disappointing and the second mystery was seemingly included as an afterthought. Much to my disappointment, BLOW OUT, the latest installment in the series is even more poorly written and edited. It appears that the author and her publisher have decided that Sherlock and Savich have such a loyal fan club that a peremptory effort at telling a story and the continuation of the two-for-one mystery format will be sufficient inducement for her loyal readers. Well, I am officially going on strike with regard to the purchase of future books in this series until I read some glowing reviews by reviewers whose judgment I trust. I will instead content myself by reading some of Coulter?s much more highly praised earlier stories.

As my review title indicates, my greatest disappointment with regard to this story is that with a little additional effort and a lot better job of editing this could have been a first rate book. For some reason, perhaps to grab the reader?s interest, the book opens with a riveting action sequence which turns out to part of an interesting but totally peripheral plot. Savich encounters an apparition and gets involved in an unsolved murder that occurred thirty years ago. It almost seems that perhaps this story began as the author?s primary interest but she wasn?t sure that she could turn it into a believable full length novel so threw it in as a twofer that provides some interesting asides and gives us readers more for our money. Suddenly, the action switches to DC, where the brutal murder of a Supreme Court Justice inexplicably occurs within the library of the Court itself despite the incredibly tight security that prevails. When additional murders occur, it appears that a very bold and fiendishly clever murderer has an agenda to fulfill. Additional characters are introduced including Ben Raven, the liaison from the DC Metro Police, and Callie Markham, the stepdaughter of the murdered Justice, who in a totally unbelievable fashion is teamed with Ben in order to utilize her unique insights into the case and her analytical skills honed as an investigative reporter for THE WASHINGTON POST. And for fans of the series, MAX, Dillon?s computer sidekick, provides invaluable help before the chase is over. Unfortunately, much of the dialog is totally inappropriate and becomes almost laughable at times. Furthermore, the paragraph breaks often make it unintelligible who is actually speaking. There are on occasion paragraph breaks in the middle of comments by the same speaker; at times, the narrative perspective seems to suddenly change. Finally, the romantic subplot is so predictable it lacks any interest at all.

In summary, a potentially interesting villain and a plot with great potential have been sacrificed to the apparent desire to keep to a publishing schedule of a book each summer. I only generously rounded my rating up because there are two aspects of the book which certain readers will enjoy. First, there is some minimal further character development for the truly devoted fans of Savich and Sherlock; the true series addicts will probably enjoy this element. Second, the plot?s potential is interesting although unrealized. Very surprisingly, the distribution of the ratings of this book by the seventeen previous reviewers exhibits a wide dispersion of opinion. The average of three stars to date derives from an entirely level distribution ? three readers each rated it one, three or five stars, four readers each rated it two or four stars. I believe that this difference of opinion reflects how different types of readers relate to the various factors that I mention in this review. Someone who is perhaps a speed reader and primarily interested in a plot (or two) with some interesting twists might easily overlook many of the features that I consider to be very significant flaws. Much of my interest in reading derives from the subtleties of character development, the intricate details which clever writers weave into the fabric of their stories, and the careful construction of the narrative and a wonderful use of language. By definition, any subjective rating system incorporates how an individual reader balances all these diverse factors when deciding which books provide a pleasurable and worthwhile experience. The strengths of this book no where near compensated me for the severe weaknesses with regard to any of those factors.

Tucker Andersen

Not sure how this author can write about police procedures when she knows so little about them. Even watching an episode or two of Law and Order should have taught her that police don't discuss the manner of a victim's death with his or her family. This is my first Coulter book and the only reason I read it is that someone gave it to me. I would certainly not buy another of her novels.

I told myself if someone "fanned their hands in front of themselves" one more time, I would quit. This happened 3 times by page 57. The plot is dumb, I couldn't stay focused; the dialogue is terrible; I don't know that I will ever try another by this author. (Don't think that I am a literary snob, I read nearly everyone: Hillerman, Connelly, Cornwell, Woods, Patterson, Coben, etc.)

I have (begun to) read some bad books in my life, and I have read some good books. I know the difference.... I certainly don't recommend this one.

FBI agents Dillon Savitch and his wife Sherlock along with their son Sean enjoy a vacation in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains when a ghost asks him for help. The incident spooks Dillon but before he can do anything for the spirit of Samantha Barrister he and Sherlock return to Washington, D.C. because Supreme Court Justice Stewart Quinn Califano was murdered in the courthouse library. Someone bypassed the security guards and technological safety devices to perform an apparently professional hit.
Savitch and Sherlock find no clues that could lead them to a suspect. The victim was a moderate judge with no known enemies and never stirred up any controversy. The only wrong doing they can find is that he is having an affair with Eliza one of his legal aides. His other aides Danny and Fleurette thought their boss walked on water. When the culprit kills Danny and Eliza, the Feds use Fleurette to flush him out but that plan fails almost killing Fleurette, Savitch, Sherlock and Sean. While they try again to capture the killer, Savitch knows that when their ordeal is over, he has a ghost to put to rest.
Catherine Coulter can always be counted on to write an exciting romantic thriller. Her protagonists, Savitch and Sherlock are as deeply in love as they were in the first book in this series and their love for their son is a beautiful thing to behold. There is a lot of action and chase scenes in BLOW OUT but the author also concentrates on her characters and how they act and react to certain dangerous situations. This book is sure to make the New York Times Bestseller List.

I shudder when I think of why this alleged "author" even wrote this pile of C***.

What a premise! Murder at the Supreme Court; one Justice killed, his legal clerks are getting bumped off.... ahhhh! how a real who-dunit writer could have developed such a great idea.

But what we have here is saccharine-sweet garbage, badly edited at that. No idea about police work, FBI agents crying like babies, and a ridiculouds construct as an end...

Don't even read it from the public library; it ain't worth it.

I had to give it one star because the store would not have accepted it otherwise; also, because Coulter abstained from graphic descriptions of sex, as it seems to be mandated now for woman writers.

Otherwise....Gahhhh!

I have read many of Catherine Couleter's FBI books and enjoyed them thoroughly along with the characters of Savich and Sherlock. But this book had a silly unrealistic plot. The main premise what that a Supreme Court Justice could be murdered by someone clubbing a Federal Guard, changing clothes with him, and gee, going back into the building to commit the murder. I guess the building was just open to anyone. The characters were one dementional and even in very stressful times the dialogue was "very cute" and supposedly witty. The final resolution was as unrealistic as the plot and character development. Honestly, I would have to say that this book was written by someone else who just took the name of Catherine Coulter. I regret the money I paid for the book and it was so poorly written than anything in excess of five minutes a page would have been too much. Instead of finding an old friend who gave me a few hours of wonderful reading, I found an imposter. I don't believe the Catherine Coulter I have read previously would have even sent this out as a first draft for review.

Talk about a huge waste of time. There are basically two separate plots in the book: one involving a ghost haunting an FBI agent and another where the same FBI agent is investigating the death of a Supreme Court Justice. The only connecting thread between the two loosely woven plots was that the same FBI agent was working on both cases. That's it. The title of the book has no bearing whatsover on the main focus of the book - the Justice's murder. The "blow out" refers to the ghostly plot, which in fact, is miniscule both in scale and importance to the entire book. The respective endings of both plots were so unbelievably anti-climatic, I kept turning pages just to see if there really was "more." There wasn't. This is the first and last book I'll ever read by this author. Although it was a very quick read, I still feel like it was a waste of an afternoon.

Catherine, thank you for listening and not filling the pages with g.........d and f......... words. I will NOT read those books.

As far as Blowout, I found it to be a book that held my attention and I anticipated what would happen next. There was only one part that I would like to have seen changed. The end where the four friends are together with Callie. Held responsible for ones actions comes to mind here not hiding the fact.

I look forward to the next FBI series. Thanks for writing these thrilling books.