Blind Rage

Bernadette Saint Claire #2

by Terri Persons

A string of troubled, young women committing suicide haunts the Twin Cities. But FBI Agent Bernadette St. Clare has a hunch that these women didn't die by their own hand but were killed by a fetishistic serial killer.It's a big leap to take and Bernadette's going to need some serious evidence to back it up. There is the English professor who teaches a course on Suicide in Literature who has got uncomfortably close to one of the victims. And then there is the uncooperative psychiatrist who treated two of the dead girls. Both of them know more than they are saying. Saint Clare is going to have to use unorthodox methods to unlock their secrets. With a cast of characters including a partner who's no longer among the living and a handsome boss who's available, this is the most unique psychological thriller you're bound to read all year.In her second novel featuring Agent Bernadette Saint Clare, Terri Persons delivers a thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the last page

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Paranormal, Fiction, Suspense, Paranormal Mystery

354 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Aka Theresa Monsour

A first time author, Terri Persons delivers detail with the adept touch of big name authors who have been doing this for years. She was a reporter and freelance magazine writer, and lives in the Midwest with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[JadeShea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blind Rage has Bernadette in a spin trying to find the killer and connecting a case that no one else wants to connect. Her boss is also looking at her differently, and she may end up making a huge mistake.

This book was another good one in this series, although I wish there was a little bit more to Bernadette's gift. Other than that, I enjoyed the mystery and I liked how it turned out.

[hugo van der wildt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een aanslag vergelijkbaar met 9/11. Het gaat over de aanslag, de slachtoffers en de verwerking van de aanslag door de overlevende. Toch vragen: Wie pleegde aanslag? Wie overleeft de aanslag van een kleine groep mensen, namelijk de brandweermannen?
Mooie beschrijving van sommige figuren en karakters. Ook bepaalde opvattingen in onze samenleving worden mooi weergegeven. Hier kan de lezer toch bij stilstaan en over nadenken.
Spannend vanaf het begin.
Het resultaat van de aanslag: Duizenden dromen vernietigd, duizenden harten gebroken, duizenden levens verwoest.
Toch een boek dat mach gelezen worden.

[Ruth Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one.

[Lisa Geyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read and entertaining. Not overly thoughtful.

[Majanka · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Blind Rage, young girls are killing themselves. First by jumping from a bridge into the Missisippi River, then by drowning themselves in a bathtub. Everywhere she looks, detective Bernadette St. Clare sees a connection between these suicides and water. But are they truly suicides, or is something more sinister going on? With her second sight and her abilities to see ghosts, Bernadette St. Clare is the ideal person to solve this mystery. But the suspects are plenty, including a young psychiatrist and his brother. Can she find out who the real culprit is in time before someone else gets hurt? Solving this mystery means digging into the past, and not everyone is keen on her finding out their secrets…

I haven’t read the first one in this series, Blind Spot, but it appears to be unnecessary. I could follow the plot of this book well enough. First, we’re introduced to our main character, Bernadette St. Claire who’s a police officer and who sees ghosts. Awesome combination, but it does cause a lot of tension Bernadette probably doesn’t want. Bernadette has a strange relationship with her boss, Tony Garcia, the other main character. At times, there’s a lot of romantic tension between them, but sometimes they also push each other away in a cat and mouse game that reminded me of the relationship between Temperance Brennan and Seeley Booth in the TV Series Bones. I loved the underlying romantic tension and the developing relationship. It was very well done and believable. I also felt like I could relate to Bernadette from the start, although we have practically nothing in common. She’s a bit of a loner, hides her ability to see ghosts, and isn’t all that talkative, but she’s a great detective and willing to fight to find out the truth, which I admired a lot.

Apart from the intriguing characters, Blind Rage has a pretty straight-foward plot. Alleged suicides on college girls with mental problems turn out to be murders after all. It’s up to Bernatte and her boss to find out what’s happening, and most importantly, who’s behind it. While there are a handful of suspects, I was a bit disappointed I could pick out the culprit early on in the novel. The mystery and the reason why the murders happened is well thought-through and original. It may’ve been used before – isn’t every idea used at some point in some form or other? – but I haven’t read a lot of thrillers that focus on this particular event in the character’s history to explain why they turn out as a murderer. So while the concept behind it was definitely intriguing, the lack of complexity in solving the mystery was a disappointment. I hate it when I can pinpoint the culprit before the final pages, and unfortunately I knew early on in this book. Not enough suspects to choose from, and not enough twist and turns to keep me guessing.

I did enjoy the book though, and read it in one setting. Parts of it were dark and disturbing, and I think I loved those the most. To be able to take a quick look in how the antagonist is thinking was a revelation as well, as was the reason behind the killing. Bernadette St. Clare makes an intriguing main character, especially with her ability to see ghosts. The writing was solid and kept me turning the pages. I even lost track of time while reading and nearly missed my bus stop.

I recommend Blind Rage to all fans of thrillers and suspense novels. It may not be the best book out there, but it’s definitely a great way to spend a rainy afternoon. If I get the chance to, I’ll definitely read Blind Spot, another book by this author.

[barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read - great story

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to do a review of this book today for bestsellersworld.com. I really enjoyed the book. The first book of the series was Blind Spot and I have it ordered.

Blind Rage – 5 Paws
Terri Persons
Doubleday, 2008, 352 pages
ISBN No. 978-0-385-51875-8


Suicides or murder? That is the question to be answered in Blind Rage. Troubled young women have fallen to their death in the Mississippi River. The deaths have been listed as suicides but Agent Bernadette Saint Clare of the FBI is not buying that theory. Her boss Tony Garcia has faith in Bernadette’s abilities and is willing to cooperate with her in the investigation. Bernadette has a special sight and sometimes can connect with a killer.

Now the most recent murder has taken place in a bathtub. The police are looking at it as a possible suicide but Bernadette still feels there is a connection and that it is murder. All of the victims have been students and all of the victims have had some mental problems.

Bernadette searches for connections between the girls with the help of her partner Creed. Creed gives her a lot of help but since Creed is a ghost Bernadette is the only one who can see him. Bernadette is convinced that these deaths are the result of a water fetish by some deranged individual. Creed is checking out that part of the investigation on the internet. Sounds rather strange for a ghost but he is very good at searching for information. Can they find that individual before more girls become victims?

A professor, a psychiatrist and the doctor’s brother all are suspects. Bernadette and Garcia are hoping that Bernadette’s special gift will help them zero in on the murderer.

Blind Rage is a very exciting book that I would highly recommend the book. Blind Spot is the first book in the series and I very much want to read that book. It is not necessary to read Blind Spot in order to enjoy Blind Rage.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the follow-up to Persons’s Blind Spot, FBI Agent Bernadette Saint Clare is called to assist on what appears to be a rash of coed suicides. Each of the girls has emotional/psychological issues and has displayed suicidal tendencies. There’s something fishy going on, though, and Bernadette isn’t completely convinced that these girls were responsible for their own deaths. When the latest vic turns up dead in her bathtub, Bernadette gets her chance to take a closer look and hopes that her unique talent will come in handy. See, Bernadette has the power to touch an item and see through a killer’s eyes, and her current boss is the first one to support her and her gift.
Of course, it’s not an exact science and Bernadette still has to use regular investigative skills as well, and that’s what makes this a stand out series. Bernadette even occasionally gets some help from beyond the grave, but must do everything she can to keep her ability under wraps in order to be taken seriously. Sadly, Bernadette’s mysterious landlord is absent from this installment (no spoilers there). Persons’s second novel holds up to the expectations set by Blind Spot and I can’t wait to see what happens next for Bernadette.

[Simone Sinna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up in the hotel library of books left by residents and read it while Ayer’s Rock (Uluru) was sitting in front of me. It’s the second in a series, with FBI agent Bernadette St Clair, set in Minneapolis. I enjoyed the university setting because I had stayed and studied there for two stints and recognized some of the places. The writing engages and the pace fast, keeping us interested. It becomes apparent that Bernadette has a gift of a second sight which is overplayed and the level of magic I quite like. When one of her colleagues turns out to be a ghost this was a little too much, but after I accepted this, it isn’t overplayed either and didn’t get in the way. The plot about troubled university students dying implicates their lecturer, psychiatrist and the psychiatrist’s brother and all makes sense and for plenty more action as Bernadette and her boss Tony (who she fancies; this could have been played up) draw closer to working out who did it and to try and save the latest victim.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on a kick where I'm reading books based in the Twin Cities (or Minnesota) by Minnesota authors. This is another one.

Don't let the goofy futuristic cover scare you off - this is kinda like Charlaine Harris' Harper Connelly. Harper is just as warped and self-torturing and they have different powers, but Harris is a better writer.

Young co-eds from the Twin Cities metro region are committing suicide. Or are they? Psychic FBI agent Bernadette St. Clair senses something is not right. She tracks down two brothers, one a therapist to the dead girls, and the other a creepy wastrel. The brothers have committed crimes, a major one in fact, but they are not murdering these girls. Who is?

Don't read this one late at night as you walk along the St. Anthony bridge. It's disturbing.

[Shiela · Rating 2 out of 5]

CONTAINS SPOILERS: A typical murder mystery using some atypical investigative methods. Although this one was edgier than the first, I think I enjoyed "Blind Spot" more. The author fails to further develop the main characters which I found disappointing. The supernatural elements were well handled but the culprit was predictable. Needs more plot twists! Things also heat up between the two main characters and this storyline is left hanging for the next one in the series. We'll see what happens in the third book.

[Leya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book. I read the previous book, Blind Spot, which I loved. I found it fresh and addictive. But not so much in this one. I found it sluggish and missing what had drown me in the last book. Her visions. I loved them, but in this one they were rare. Although I enjoyed her banter with her partner, I wanted the ewww factor. Don’t get me wrong the crime here is just as disturbing, but it wasn’t as emotional. It just didn’t make me as angry as in the previous.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rash of college women committing suicide is haunting Minneapolis, but FBI Agent Bernadette St. Clare thinks that they may have been murdered and uses her psychic abilities to help solve the case.

Second in a series featuring psychic FBI agent Bernadette St. Clair with an interesting and original cast of characters including the ghost of Bernadette's dead partner. Recommend the series.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this local crime thriller. It is fun to imagine places that I have been, yet with a dark side. The best character is a ghost, and it seems to be a likeable sidekick judging from the reviews of Ms Person's book. I look forward to the next in the Blind series.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wieder ein hervorragender Krimi/Thriller rund um die FBI Agentin Bernadette Saint Claire, die in diesem Teil mit ihren ungewöhnlichen Fähigkeiten (und der Hilfe des Geists ihres kürzlich tödlich verunglückten Kollegen) Selbstmorde/Morde untersucht.
Spannend bis zur letzten Seite!

[Leslea · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent detective story with the main character being able to "see" through the killers eyes if she holds onto something that the killer has touched. This makes for a great cat and mouse type story and keeps the reader turning the pages.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has it all suspense, romance, a mystery and more! Also, there are not only live FBI agents investigating the crime, but a dead one, as well!

[Karen Desmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

5

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as interesting as the first one, although I was not feeling well when I read it, so may not have done it justice. Am going to start the 3rd one next week, it looks brilliant.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

fascinating - I am ready to read the 3rd book in the series and disappointed there aren't more!

[Susan]

Interesting but leans toward the mystical. Again, more murders in the twin cities. Can anyone be left alive in Minnesota?

[Jeffie Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far so good!