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The Anniversary
"Three women reach the edge of terror as the secret past they all share is unearthed and turned against them… It's been five years since the execution of Steven Gage, a devious, charming psychopath who took the lives of more than a hundred women. In those five years, three women connected with his case have moved on. His attorney has rid herself of the stigma of defending Gage. A true crime writer has gone on to new projects after her bestseller about his rampage. And Steven's ex-girlfriend has made a new life for herself - one where she won't be reminded that she once shared her home with a monster. But someone hasn't moved on. On the fifth anniversary of Gage's execution, each of the women gets a private note... a chilling message that lets all three women know they haven't been forgotten, and that in someone's dark imagination Gage's legacy of terror lives on. At the time of his sentencing, Gage issued a terrifying edict that all three women hoped was meaningless. As threats against them turn deadly, the past explodes into the present. And one woman is in the fight of her life to uncover who is really responsible - a killer who is determined to start up the string of murders right where they stopped. THE ANNIVERSARY is another smart, razor-sharp thriller from a writer whose work has been hailed as ""addictive"" (People), ""marvelous"" (Jeffery Deaver) and ""keep[ing] us guessing until the very end"" (Redbook). "
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
8 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
About the author
Amy Gutman
7 books10 followersBy Caitlyn Smylie (SHS)
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Amy Gutman spent her growing up years in Indianapolis, Indiana. From there, she went to Boston, Massachusetts to attend Harvard. Her degree in journalism was put to use soon after she graduated magna cum laude when she moved to Washington D.C. and took a job with the Wilson Quarterly. After just a year there, she moved her talent to Nashville’s Tennessean, where she spent two years before going to Mississippi. While in Mississippi, Gutman first worked in Greenwood, and then Jackson, where she became Capitol Correspondent for a number of Mississippi papers.
She was persuaded to take a break from journalism to work in Mississippi’s educational system by the state's higher education commissioner. She became the founding director of the Mississippi Teacher Corps, which is a nationally-acclaimed program that recruits outstanding college graduates to teach in rural Mississippi schools. Following her three successful years in the state of Mississippi, Gutman decided to return to Harvard to obtain a law degree. After passing the bar, she worked at two law firms in Manhattan before quitting in order to make time to write ("Industry Interview: Amy Gutman"). That decision turned out to be a wise choice. Now Amy divides her time between Massachusetts and New York City, where she is a member of the Bar Association’s Lawyers in Transition Committee.Amy Gutman
Gutman had previously tried her hand at writing but gave up, dissatisfied with the results. Once she left the law practice, however, she forced herself to utilize her experience in journalism and forced herself to write. The result was her first novel, Equivocal Death, which is about Harvard Law School grad Kate Paine, who works at the Manhattan offices of Samson & Mills, the nation's most powerful law firm. The novel received wonderful reviews and was soon followed by The Anniversary, another work which has been well received.. A fairly-new writer on the scene, Gutman’s work is eliciting predictions of a great future in the business.
Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Amy Gutman spent her growing up years in Indianapolis, Indiana. From there, she went to Boston, Massachusetts to attend Harvard. Her degree in journalism was put to use soon after she graduated magna cum laude when she moved to Washington D.C. and took a job with the Wilson Quarterly. After just a year there, she moved her talent to Nashville’s Tennessean, where she spent two years before going to Mississippi. While in Mississippi, Gutman first worked in Greenwood, and then Jackson, where she became Capitol Correspondent for a number of Mississippi papers.
She was persuaded to take a break from journalism to work in Mississippi’s educational system by the state's higher education commissioner. She became the founding director of the Mississippi Teacher Corps, which is a nationally-acclaimed program that recruits outstanding college graduates to teach in rural Mississippi schools. Following her three successful years in the state of Mississippi, Gutman decided to return to Harvard to obtain a law degree. After passing the bar, she worked at two law firms in Manhattan before quitting in order to make time to write ("Industry Interview: Amy Gutman"). That decision turned out to be a wise choice. Now Amy divides her time between Massachusetts and New York City, where she is a member of the Bar Association’s Lawyers in Transition Committee.Amy Gutman
Gutman had previously tried her hand at writing but gave up, dissatisfied with the results. Once she left the law practice, however, she forced herself to utilize her experience in journalism and forced herself to write. The result was her first novel, Equivocal Death, which is about Harvard Law School grad Kate Paine, who works at the Manhattan offices of Samson & Mills, the nation's most powerful law firm. The novel received wonderful reviews and was soon followed by The Anniversary, another work which has been well received.. A fairly-new writer on the scene, Gutman’s work is eliciting predictions of a great future in the business.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
April 21, 2015
Before I go on a semi-rant, I should probably let you know that I don't dislike this book. For what it is, a typical thriller, it's well written and I really do enjoy the characters. There was nothing about it that surprised me, but it kept me entertained enough to finish reading it. Who knows, I may even reread it at some point in time.
After reading this book, and comparing it to the various thrillers I've read over the years, I think I'm finally figuring out the problem I tend to have with them. When I say "them", I'm really talking about the books that feature a female protagonist, who just happens to have a deep dark secret in her past. They all seem to use a particular plot point, and it's getting rather old.
I'm trying to figure out why, when the female protagonist starts to have their lives fall apart, they start to suspect their boyfriend/husband. Whether it involves people around them getting killed, harassing phone calls/letters, or odd occurrences, the suspicion ends up falling on the man in their lives. Normally the man tends to be a second husband, or the first serious boyfriend after whatever traumatic event happened in the past. I will have to admit that the suspicion seems to come naturally to the women, normally because it was at the hands of a previous relationship that the bad thing happened to them. But that doesn't excuse the laziness of the author, and I do think it's lazy.
I think plot points that are as predictable as rainfall during a hurricane hurt a book. Is there really no other red herring you can throw in there? It rarely ends up being that the new bad guy is the new man in the protagonist's live. In these books, the new guy is really just a stooge thrown into the book to divert the woman's attention away from the real threat. Just once, I would like to read a book where the new guys is a fully drawn character, integral to the woman's life, and never comes under suspicion. I'm not going to be holding my breath, cause I think I would suffocate before it ever happens, but a guy can dream.
After reading this book, and comparing it to the various thrillers I've read over the years, I think I'm finally figuring out the problem I tend to have with them. When I say "them", I'm really talking about the books that feature a female protagonist, who just happens to have a deep dark secret in her past. They all seem to use a particular plot point, and it's getting rather old.
I'm trying to figure out why, when the female protagonist starts to have their lives fall apart, they start to suspect their boyfriend/husband. Whether it involves people around them getting killed, harassing phone calls/letters, or odd occurrences, the suspicion ends up falling on the man in their lives. Normally the man tends to be a second husband, or the first serious boyfriend after whatever traumatic event happened in the past. I will have to admit that the suspicion seems to come naturally to the women, normally because it was at the hands of a previous relationship that the bad thing happened to them. But that doesn't excuse the laziness of the author, and I do think it's lazy.
I think plot points that are as predictable as rainfall during a hurricane hurt a book. Is there really no other red herring you can throw in there? It rarely ends up being that the new bad guy is the new man in the protagonist's live. In these books, the new guy is really just a stooge thrown into the book to divert the woman's attention away from the real threat. Just once, I would like to read a book where the new guys is a fully drawn character, integral to the woman's life, and never comes under suspicion. I'm not going to be holding my breath, cause I think I would suffocate before it ever happens, but a guy can dream.
November 3, 2008
Three women. Three notes. One fear…
On the fifth anniversary of the trial and execution of infamous serial killer Steven Gage, three women separately involved in the Gasey case – Callie Thayer, Melanie White, and Diane Massey – each receive an ominous missive that they haven’t been forgotten. But almost as quickly as the women can digest the full meaning of the message, the threats leap from the printed page and into reality. Determined to no longer be a passive victim, Callie Thayer commences the battle of her life to expose the personified evil force responsible for so much terror and violence. Nothing prepares her for the entangling web of guilt, suspicion and untruths she will ultimately uncover.
Talented author, Amy Gutman, weaves this gripping psychological courtroom thriller with stunning skill and white-knuckle suspense. Riveting, intense and most definitely addictive, I was feverishly impelled to finish The Anniversary in one sitting…and on the edge of my seat the entire time!
- reviewed for Time Warner books
On the fifth anniversary of the trial and execution of infamous serial killer Steven Gage, three women separately involved in the Gasey case – Callie Thayer, Melanie White, and Diane Massey – each receive an ominous missive that they haven’t been forgotten. But almost as quickly as the women can digest the full meaning of the message, the threats leap from the printed page and into reality. Determined to no longer be a passive victim, Callie Thayer commences the battle of her life to expose the personified evil force responsible for so much terror and violence. Nothing prepares her for the entangling web of guilt, suspicion and untruths she will ultimately uncover.
Talented author, Amy Gutman, weaves this gripping psychological courtroom thriller with stunning skill and white-knuckle suspense. Riveting, intense and most definitely addictive, I was feverishly impelled to finish The Anniversary in one sitting…and on the edge of my seat the entire time!
- reviewed for Time Warner books
July 8, 2014
This books tries hard to be terrifying, but slightly misses the mark. It's a bit scary, but not on the level of other thrillers. Someone is threatening the three women involved in the murder conviction and execution of a serial killer. We hear the tale from all three women, one of whom is killed early in the book. It's a story about secrets, guilt and being frozen in the past, unable to move forward. There's also an undercurrent of romance novel, but not enough to be off-putting. My biggest gripe with the writing is that Gutman, at times, treats readers as if we've never read a crime thriller before, unnecessarily explaining terms that even a third grader probably knows (UNSUB - really?). The book, however, did manage to capture my attention, particularly because the "whodunit" wasn't glaringly obvious. There are a few plot twists, but nothing too startling. It sort of reminded me of a sophisticated Agatha Chrisie novel. I'll probably check out other books by Gutman, but will have lower expectations.
May 7, 2008
Years after a serial killer is put to death, women involved in his case receive a "happy anniversary" message. Good opening, and the unfolding story was not bad either. A few twists and red herrings...somewhat predictable but not so much as for the ending still surprised. But the characters...to me, they were all steeped in one dysfunction or another, handled them poorly, and I just couldn't muster much empathy for any of them. I'm not sure what the author was trying to prove with all the flaws but it just irritated me. I found myself yelling at the characters to stop being so stupid, stop living in denial and DEAL WITH IT!
May 1, 2016
I'm writing this 2 weeks after finishing the book. I had to go back and read the description to remember what is was about. That's not saying much about how great it was. I do remember it had a good twist at the end. The author leads the reader to believe exactly who the killer is near the end, then ~ wrong! Good twist in those last pages. I would try another future novel from this author.
April 15, 2020
I'll begin by what I liked - excellent plot, never guessed it until the end. Plenty of suspense. Story was a bit unrealistic viewed overall - most real people are too self-centered with short attention spans to allow for carrying a grudge for 10 plus years. This is definitely not the age of the Hatfields and the McCoys type of people. Also, a couple of the clues didn't tie in and were never really explained.
I thought the book was light on character development and did not assign enough to each one early enough so that you could recognize them when next they "spoke". I kept having to go back to answer the question "Who is this again?", until they finally became recognizable. And about those characters--I have never, in real life or in a book, met so many whimpering, indecisive, weak, unable to keep her train of thought on the tracks and "it's all about me" group of women. If these losers were real, they wouldn't last 6 months. Can you imagine a professional female lawyer doing criminal appeal work and about to become a partner of a prestigious NYC law, firm with the personality and character of Melanie? HA! And she was probably the best of the three. These women have way too many issues to make them even slightly interesting; they just made me tired.
Due to an error in my book list, I read this book first. Not sure whether I will read the other one or not--maybe just out of curiosity.
I thought the book was light on character development and did not assign enough to each one early enough so that you could recognize them when next they "spoke". I kept having to go back to answer the question "Who is this again?", until they finally became recognizable. And about those characters--I have never, in real life or in a book, met so many whimpering, indecisive, weak, unable to keep her train of thought on the tracks and "it's all about me" group of women. If these losers were real, they wouldn't last 6 months. Can you imagine a professional female lawyer doing criminal appeal work and about to become a partner of a prestigious NYC law, firm with the personality and character of Melanie? HA! And she was probably the best of the three. These women have way too many issues to make them even slightly interesting; they just made me tired.
Due to an error in my book list, I read this book first. Not sure whether I will read the other one or not--maybe just out of curiosity.
November 19, 2025
Possible spoilers but I mean if you’re reading this in 2025+ then you should probably expect to find spoilers in reviews for books in the early 2000s or older. With that being said, this is an older book so beepers, landlines, and cellphones that aren’t used as they are today, are in this book. I’ve read some of the other reviews for this book and a few had said that Amy tried to make this scary… I’m not sure if those who said that know what scary is in terms of books but well, I do and this was just your everyday thriller nothing more or less. We have multiple POV but multiple in the science of a handful at a time. The story itself is actually really good in my opinion, 3 women are apart of the reason Steven Gage is dead. 1 is his lawyer, 1 an author for a book about his killings, and 1 that was his girlfriend. 1 is dead, 1 is attacked and the other is trying to protect herself and solve who it is. We have roughly over 300 pages of story and like all books, we don’t need it all but it was still nice to have. I will say I guessed from the beginning it was a partner and I’m actually so glad to have been wrong. The killer was indeed a shock, out of left field for sure but I was right about tree house hunter. Anyways, will I reread this book? No but I enjoyed it nonetheless!
May 30, 2021
I got this book at a thrift store because I’m on a murder mystery kick and I liked the cover but it was honestly so much better than I expected!! I had a 6 hour flight, which thank god because I was able to pretty much read the whole thing in one go and didn’t want to put it down. It had some good twists which at first I thought I saw coming but it wasn’t until the end of the book when I was like omg wow I absolutely did not see that coming. It didn’t feel as much as a twist as other books I’ve read - it didn’t pack as much of a punch - but still worth the read if you’re feeling a quick murder story!!
February 18, 2018
The synopsis leaves you with a captivating, mysterious and terrifying premise, and that's how it is maintained throughout the book...
August 12, 2018
Better than I expected. Purchased it at a used book sale and had never heard of the author. It was suspenseful and kept me reading. Nice surprise for a random purchase
August 8, 2020
Loved it!
January 29, 2021
Suspenseful and action packed. Legal and psychological elements.
July 21, 2021
Crude language and sex.
March 30, 2012
SUPERB THRILLER!!! Kept me guessing until the killer was revealed...about 5 pages from the end of the book.
Good story about a woman who had been the girlfriend of a serial killer....but she didn't realize he was, right away. She starts putting 2 and 2 together, and becomes the star witness for the prosecution. Killer-boyfriend is convicted, and executed. She moves to a different State, and begins a new life, with a new name. That's where the book begins.
Then, things start to get scarey. Notes, flowers, and other things begin arriving....and someone who was connected to the trial is killed, and another is attacked. Who's the stalker now? Was the serial-killer really put to death, or not? Or, is this killer/stalker someon else? The escaped ex-con , the cop-boyfriend, the neighbor, the ex-FBI profiler, the nerdy college student....who???
Good story about a woman who had been the girlfriend of a serial killer....but she didn't realize he was, right away. She starts putting 2 and 2 together, and becomes the star witness for the prosecution. Killer-boyfriend is convicted, and executed. She moves to a different State, and begins a new life, with a new name. That's where the book begins.
Then, things start to get scarey. Notes, flowers, and other things begin arriving....and someone who was connected to the trial is killed, and another is attacked. Who's the stalker now? Was the serial-killer really put to death, or not? Or, is this killer/stalker someon else? The escaped ex-con , the cop-boyfriend, the neighbor, the ex-FBI profiler, the nerdy college student....who???
July 6, 2009
This book is a spine tingling thriller that involves a serial killer and 3 women who were involved with him in one way or another. As you read, you find yourself caught up in the lives of these people and what is going to happen next. I had a hard time putting the book down mostly because I was worried about the characters in the story.
If you enjoy a well written story with a little creepiness you may want to try this book.
Warning: there are some instances of strong language,(4-5) which is surprising because there is very little language in the book. They come out as being unusually strong and out of place. Also there is a short sex scene and some graphic descriptions of the murder scenes.
If you enjoy a well written story with a little creepiness you may want to try this book.
Warning: there are some instances of strong language,(4-5) which is surprising because there is very little language in the book. They come out as being unusually strong and out of place. Also there is a short sex scene and some graphic descriptions of the murder scenes.
June 26, 2011
The Anniversary is a thriller heading in so many different directions that the reader just can't put it down. That is what The Anniversary did for me in any case, what a great book!!
Five years ago a serial killer was executed after he murdered one woman and tried to kill 2 others. Now these women are being stalked by someone who seems very closely tied to this serial killer but who is it? The Author makes you think you know who did it but wait until the end, because you really do not know until then. An excellent suspenseful read that is very well written and keeps your interest until the very last word.
Five years ago a serial killer was executed after he murdered one woman and tried to kill 2 others. Now these women are being stalked by someone who seems very closely tied to this serial killer but who is it? The Author makes you think you know who did it but wait until the end, because you really do not know until then. An excellent suspenseful read that is very well written and keeps your interest until the very last word.
February 20, 2011
I couldn't believe it when Amy Gutman threw me for a loop! I am usually so good at predicting who is the who in the whodunit. Boy was I wrong in this case! The author did an amazing job jumping from person to person without confusing the reader and still connecting the three women involved. The writing made me nervous, it made me anxious, and it made me afraid of what was coming next. Amy Gutman did an excellent job drawing me into the story and making me feel for the main character. And trust me, the ending is not what you expect it to be!
-recommended
-recommended
October 29, 2013
Interesting murder mystery about three women who are targeted on the anniversary of a serial killer's execution date. Gutman's aim is to convince the readers that the killer is either the serial killer (who was executed 11 years ago... or not...) or an escapee from the same correction facilities.
I enjoyed any book where the killer isn't obvious and I'm left running through a list a potential suspects, but without being certain of who it really is until near the end.
I enjoyed any book where the killer isn't obvious and I'm left running through a list a potential suspects, but without being certain of who it really is until near the end.
June 3, 2008
Three women involved in the prosecution of a serial killer get a "happy anniversary" note five years after his execution. Fast-paced thrills, keeps you guessing. A real page-turner. Highly recommend.
December 7, 2010
I liked this book. The lady was really scared enough to send her child away. She really liked Rick and I felt she would be making a mistake by sending him away. Glad he showed how he could be trusted.
Good book for those of you trying to figure out whodunnit.
Good book for those of you trying to figure out whodunnit.
August 20, 2012
It took a little while for me to get into the book, but about a third of the way in, a few of the fragments came together and it became a pretty quick read. I never suspected who the killer was until it was revealed at the end.
January 24, 2008
Nice little throwaway thriller. Nothing too exciting, and I was able to predict the killer.
March 15, 2010
Good story with lots of nail-biting suspense. The identity of the villain was a surprise that had me guessing all the way to the end. I will be looking for more titles by this author.
March 15, 2010
A good story, I read the condensed version. not quite a mary higgins clark, but a good story line.
May 3, 2010
Not a bad read but cliche and trifling characters abound. It had a little bit of valid suspense in there.
Read
November 19, 2010Good 'who done it'.
June 19, 2012
Remember reading this and Really liking it
March 31, 2013
Sujuvasti etenevä, mutta muuten melkoisen perusjännäri.
May 21, 2012
The Anniversary kept me guessing until the end. There were plenty of good suspects in this
"girlie" thriller.
"girlie" thriller.
April 27, 2012
I really liked this. Now I want to read her other book. Kept you interested and lots of twists. I had a hard time putting this book down.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews