Review: Split Second by Catherine Coulter

Split Second by Catherine Coulter

G.P. Putnam Sons

July 2011

Format: Hardcover, 419 pages

First line: Nonfat milk, Fritos, and bananas, Savich repeated to himself as he pulled into the parking lot of Mr. Patil’s Shop ‘n Go.

From the inside cover: The number-one New York Times-bestselling
author returns with another pulse-pounding thriller featuring
FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, and introducing Speical
Agents Lucy Carlyle and Cooper McKnight.

A serial
killer is on the loose, and it’s up to FBI agents Dillon Savich and
Lacey Sherlock to bring him down. They soon discover that the killer has
blood ties to an infamous and now long-dead monster. Savich and
Sherlock are joined by agents Lucy Carlyle and Cooper McKnight, and the
chase is on.

At the same time, Agent Carlyle learns from her
dying father that her grandfather didn’t simply walk away from his
family twenty-two years ago: he was, in fact, murdered by his wife,
Lucy’s grandmother. Determined to find the truth, Lucy moves into her
grandmother’s Chevy Chase mansion. What she finds, however, is a
nightmare. Not only does she discover the truth of what happened all
those years ago, but she faces a new mystery, one that has been passed
down from mother to daughter for generations.

As the hunt for the
serial killer escalates, Savich realizes he’s become the killer’s
focus, and perhaps the next victim. It’s up to Lucy to stop this madness
before it’s too late.

My thoughts: This is the 15th book in Catherine Coulter’s FBI Thriller series and I am almost caught up! I started the year having read the first 11 and needed to read 5 to catch up. After this one, I have the newest one, Back Fire to read and than I am up-to-date on this series.

Split Second was a quick-paced, suspense-filled story with a bit of paranormal (once again) thrown in. There are two story-lines going on and Savich and Sherlock are involved in both. The first involves a serial killer running rampant and from early on we find out that this killer has ties to Ted Bundy. Now, I will be honest and say I don’t know much about the real Ted Bundy other than that he was a serial killer. I couldn’t tell you if the details about him that are included in the book are real and to be honest, it wasn’t important to me either way. The other story involves the discovery of a body – a body that turns out to be Lucy Carlyle’s grandfather, who was thought to have just walked away from his family. This discovery comes along with some strange happenings with Lucy’s family as well as some secrets that come out and this is where the bit of paranormal comes into play. Of course, the two story-lines intersect at one point – and just in the nick of time, too.

As with all the FBI Thriller books, this is filled with mystery, suspense and lots of action. I enjoyed getting to know Lucy and Cooper and hope we have not seen the last of them. I’m looking forward to reading the next and newest installment of this series, Back Fire, and am curious to see what Catherine Coulter has in store for us next. I just hope the paranormal aspect doesn’t continue to be such a main part of solving these cases – I’m not really a fan. I like my thrillers to be full of action without all the hocus-pocus. I’m still not ready to give up on these books just yet, but am not sure how much more I’m willing to take. Has this happened to you? An author starts taking a new direction in a series that turns you off a bit? Do you continue reading or do you abandon the series?

(I borrowed this book from the library.)

Books in the series:

  1. The Cove                            9.  Blowout
  2. The Maze                         10.  Point Blank
  3. The Target                       11.  Double Take
  4. The Edge                          12.  Tailspin
  5. Riptide                              13.  Knockout
  6. Hemlock Bay                   14.  Whiplash
  7. Eleventh Hour                15.  Split Second
  8. Blindside                           16.  Back Fire

 

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1 Comment

  1. Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer
    September 9, 2012 / 4:44 am

    Great review..i have read a few of these..awesome that you are working your way through these.