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FBI Thriller #12
TailSpin
From the #1 bestselling author, a stunning new novel of secrets, mayhem, and murder.
FBI Special Agent Jackson Crowne is flying his Cessna over the Appalachians, with a very important passenger: renowned psychiatrist Dr. Timothy MacLean; their destination is Washington, D.C. Upon their arrival, the FBI will protect the doctor - and ascertain just who wants him dead.
But they don't make it.
In San Francisco, married FBI Special Agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock take an early morning phone call from their supervisor, Jimmy Maitland. Maitland received a Mayday from Jackson in the mountains near Parlow, Kentucky, and sends Savich and Sherlock to see what's happened.
Agent Crowne is able to bring his plane down in a narrow valley and haul the unconscious Dr. MacLean from the burning wreckage before it explodes. Their crash is witnessed by Rachael Abbott, a young woman on the run after the mysterious death of her father. When Savich and Sherlock arrive on the scene, they find Jackson and Rachael in the Parlow clinic and Dr. MacLean comatose in the local hospital, prognosis unknown. What they do know frightens them: Dr. MacLean was recently diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia, and in the months prior to the crash his behavior had become erratic and alarmingly uninhibited, his ability to maintain doctor-patient confidentiality badly compromised. With a patient list made up of Washington movers and shakers, MacLean's role as a keeper of secrets is jeopardized as well. Is there someone out there so desperate that they'd kill the doctor for what he knows? It is up to Jackson, Savich, and Sherlock to find out - no matter the cost.
FBI Special Agent Jackson Crowne is flying his Cessna over the Appalachians, with a very important passenger: renowned psychiatrist Dr. Timothy MacLean; their destination is Washington, D.C. Upon their arrival, the FBI will protect the doctor - and ascertain just who wants him dead.
But they don't make it.
In San Francisco, married FBI Special Agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock take an early morning phone call from their supervisor, Jimmy Maitland. Maitland received a Mayday from Jackson in the mountains near Parlow, Kentucky, and sends Savich and Sherlock to see what's happened.
Agent Crowne is able to bring his plane down in a narrow valley and haul the unconscious Dr. MacLean from the burning wreckage before it explodes. Their crash is witnessed by Rachael Abbott, a young woman on the run after the mysterious death of her father. When Savich and Sherlock arrive on the scene, they find Jackson and Rachael in the Parlow clinic and Dr. MacLean comatose in the local hospital, prognosis unknown. What they do know frightens them: Dr. MacLean was recently diagnosed with frontal lobe dementia, and in the months prior to the crash his behavior had become erratic and alarmingly uninhibited, his ability to maintain doctor-patient confidentiality badly compromised. With a patient list made up of Washington movers and shakers, MacLean's role as a keeper of secrets is jeopardized as well. Is there someone out there so desperate that they'd kill the doctor for what he knows? It is up to Jackson, Savich, and Sherlock to find out - no matter the cost.
403 pages, Hardcover
First published June 24, 2008
1053 people are currently reading
3612 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 580 reviews
May 25, 2023
In this Catherine Coulter FBI thriller, we have two narratives going on at once, with two people having multiple murder attempts against them. One, a therapist for big-wigs in Washington, has a deteriorating mental condition and is no longer always able to maintain patient confidentiality. Another, a young woman who is the secret daughter of an important man. Savich and Sherlock must protect them both while trying to uncover the motives of the killers.
April 13, 2009
I want you to read this book.
No, seriously. Read this book.
And whenever they refer to Rachael's braid, hear my voice saying, "What the fuck is UP with the stupid braid?!" They mention it so much that I wonder if that is actually a signal to men that you're attractive. Is that what a braid does? Because all I remember about Rachael is that she has a stupid braid that EVERYONE looks at.
Supposedly it's sexy. I'm trying to figure out what the hell a sexy braid looks like and how a male character, when looking her over, will let his gaze LINGER over her braid, as though that is what's drawing him to her. Not her attractiveness or her impressive personality (of which she doesn't seem to have).
Dear god. I'm tempted to strangle myself with a freaking braid right now.
The worst part? I kept thinking how much better the story would have been if Elizabeth Lowell had written it. I kept thinking how much more interesting a husband and wife team is written by JD Robb.
There's no chemistry between the characters, none of the chemistry that is needed. They talk about Jack as an honourable man, one that's rough and sexy but a true gentleman.
I don't see it.
And Elizabeth Lowell did it better in Midnight in Ruby Bayou with Walker.
If you want to read this book, remember my voice. Otherwise, if you want a good suspense romance book, I would suggest you read Elizabeth Lowell or JD Robb instead. Ooooh, or Karen Rose.
Yes, definitely those three.
No, seriously. Read this book.
And whenever they refer to Rachael's braid, hear my voice saying, "What the fuck is UP with the stupid braid?!" They mention it so much that I wonder if that is actually a signal to men that you're attractive. Is that what a braid does? Because all I remember about Rachael is that she has a stupid braid that EVERYONE looks at.
Supposedly it's sexy. I'm trying to figure out what the hell a sexy braid looks like and how a male character, when looking her over, will let his gaze LINGER over her braid, as though that is what's drawing him to her. Not her attractiveness or her impressive personality (of which she doesn't seem to have).
Dear god. I'm tempted to strangle myself with a freaking braid right now.
The worst part? I kept thinking how much better the story would have been if Elizabeth Lowell had written it. I kept thinking how much more interesting a husband and wife team is written by JD Robb.
There's no chemistry between the characters, none of the chemistry that is needed. They talk about Jack as an honourable man, one that's rough and sexy but a true gentleman.
I don't see it.
And Elizabeth Lowell did it better in Midnight in Ruby Bayou with Walker.
If you want to read this book, remember my voice. Otherwise, if you want a good suspense romance book, I would suggest you read Elizabeth Lowell or JD Robb instead. Ooooh, or Karen Rose.
Yes, definitely those three.
July 29, 2008
More of a romance then a mystery - very cliched, since I bought it (the premise was very interesting), I thought I had better read it but had to force myself to do it. The entire plot was unbelievable once I started reading it! Very disappointing!
June 26, 2008
An intense and gritty story of pride and downfall. The latest in Catherine Coulter's FBI series, "TailSpin" is two stories told at once. A shrink to the 'Washington movers and shakers' is struck with an illness that results in him blurting out his clients secrets. Apparently one of them has decided the doctor's death is the best solution. Special Agent Jackson Crowne is flying the doctor to safety when their small plane goes down in a remote area of Kentucky. Their female savior is a woman running for her life. It's only been three days since she saved herself from a watery grave and all she's looking for is safety...a place to hide until she can bring down the powerful clan that wants her dead. Between Jackson and Rachel, and Savich and Sherlock, we are dizzily led from place to place, suspect to suspect, and clue to clue. The pace is brutally quick and the mysteries are shrewdly complex. There's not much romance, but there is non-stop action and if you haven't read Dodd's FBI series, you just don't know what you're missing!!
February 23, 2009
I started this book but just couldn't get into it. I really don't like the way Coulter writes. The dialogue just doesn't flow, and the characters say absurb things.
July 29, 2008
Catherine Coulter’s TailSpin brings back Special Agents Savich and Sherlock, regulars in Coutler’s FBI Thriller series. This time, they are investigating two crimes. Dr. MacLean is a well-known psychiatrist; Rachael Abbott is a former senator’s lovechild. Both are being targeted by assassins, though apparently not the same ones.
I’ve enjoyed Coulter’s series in the past, and I love an occasional brainless read. This time, though, I was not wrapped up in the story. Instead, I was constantly irritated by little details. For example, the book takes place in the D.C. area, yet the characters constantly eat Mexican food. Has Coulter, who lives in California, ever eaten Mexican food on the East Coast?
More importantly, I was turned off by the main characters’ apparent lack of humanity. When the senator discovers Rachael is his lovechild, he is thrilled, calls her the “daughter of his heart.” Yet, he has two other daughters he raised. No one questions his instant adoration for Rachael or wonders how his other children might feel.
Similarly, the senator has a dark secret, a crime he committed. All the characters want the secret to remain, well, a secret. They don’t want to tarnish the senator’s reputation. But no one ever thinks about the people he harmed. Wouldn’t they want the closure of knowing who committed the crime?
Okay, enough complaining. The real problem with this thriller is that it is less than thrilling. Coulter misses out on opportunities to create fear and tension. I never really believed anyone is in danger, and I wouldn’t really mind if they were.
I’ve enjoyed Coulter’s series in the past, and I love an occasional brainless read. This time, though, I was not wrapped up in the story. Instead, I was constantly irritated by little details. For example, the book takes place in the D.C. area, yet the characters constantly eat Mexican food. Has Coulter, who lives in California, ever eaten Mexican food on the East Coast?
More importantly, I was turned off by the main characters’ apparent lack of humanity. When the senator discovers Rachael is his lovechild, he is thrilled, calls her the “daughter of his heart.” Yet, he has two other daughters he raised. No one questions his instant adoration for Rachael or wonders how his other children might feel.
Similarly, the senator has a dark secret, a crime he committed. All the characters want the secret to remain, well, a secret. They don’t want to tarnish the senator’s reputation. But no one ever thinks about the people he harmed. Wouldn’t they want the closure of knowing who committed the crime?
Okay, enough complaining. The real problem with this thriller is that it is less than thrilling. Coulter misses out on opportunities to create fear and tension. I never really believed anyone is in danger, and I wouldn’t really mind if they were.
October 1, 2008
Was definitely disappointed in this one. I've always enjoyed her books in the past, and especially the characters of Sherlock and Savich, but this one...the story wasn't very good and dragged out a lot. It almost seemed like she had a 400 page requirement she had to reach? I did finish it, primarily because I wanted to see what happened, but the ending wasn't very good, the characters didn't draw me in and the overall story wasn't very good.
Not sure I'll be reading more of hers...
Not sure I'll be reading more of hers...
December 1, 2008
I used to love her books, but I thought this was just horrible. I had to keep rereading certain paragraphs because she just threw thoughts in that made no sense to the storyline.
June 29, 2009
Although I thoroughly enjoyed the first in Coulter's FBI series, they seem to have a more and more "phoned in" feel. The dialogue isn't very natural, and most characters talk the same way. I had some serious issues with the authenticity - I was not sold on FBI procedures. However, the kicker for me was that so much of the premise of the book revolved around a character's death being declared a drunk driving accident -- yet nowhere could I find a reference to a blood alcohol level or an autopsy. Smelling alcohol does NOT count! The characters seemed flat as well. It was billed as a 'thriller' yet it didn't come close to the definition of a thriller, which implies some disaster of worldwide proportions that must be averted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2022
Re-read.
Fabulous re-read! Just as good as the first time. :)
Fabulous re-read! Just as good as the first time. :)
January 14, 2009
Despite the excellent (though occassionally over-emoted reading by the male reader) multi-voice reading that was nearly seamless in its production, the absurd plot dragged it down. I read The Maze, book 1 in this series, many years ago. Liked it but didn't feel the need to continue. Nevertheless, I remembered Agents Sherlock and Savich and it was nice to read about them again. That was the only redeeming quality of the book. It wasn't that Rachel and Jack were a bad pair, it's just that they didn't make sense. Oh well.
October 28, 2024
1/5/18 thoughts while re-reading:
It is ODD to read this book in lieu of current events. And to realize how unbelievable and inconceivable our current administration would have been to that 2008 reader. So far she's referred to D. Trump and his hair disparagingly several times. (Remember this was 2007-8 before his running for President was even remotely considered by anyone!)
Then, on page 194, she has Dillon Savich's boss and FBI Director Mueller tell Savich (and I quote) "Take care of it, Savich. Quickly. The president is very concerned."
Needless to say, that threw me!
1st) Can you imagine Trump saying something actually presidential like that? I can't.
2nd). FBI Director MUELLER name-checked in a fictional novel???!
I had to jump over to Wikipedia to check the dates. Yes, FYI, Robert Mueller was actually the FBI Director at the time, and Bush was president. I can totally believe Bush would say something presidential like that in his role as chief law enforcement officer of the US.
And I SO totally can't fathom our current one doing so. Sad! Back in 2008 no one would have expected this very minor detail to be so jarringly anachronistic. In fact even a little over a year ago, this would have been unfathomable! Strange how times change.
I'm fairly apolitical, so no haters please. I'm addressing a book detail and my readerly reaction to it so take this review as it was intended.
I just have to say that I'd really like to hear what Coulter would say about current events! And, I wonder if this FBI series is going to be able to continue written as is. Personally, I think it'd be hard to handle the plots without addressing or at least referencing current events and their affect on public perception of the FBI! *
This is a pretty long series, but I'm not ready to end reading it, no matter how wacky the plots may be at times or how formulaic they can be. Some series I do quit before they end, but I still enjoy Coulter's. She has my best wishes (and kudos) if she can figure out a way to carry her FBI characters forward into the future, as reality becomes even stranger than fiction!
* Anyone know more about that and want to comment?? Feel free.
It is ODD to read this book in lieu of current events. And to realize how unbelievable and inconceivable our current administration would have been to that 2008 reader. So far she's referred to D. Trump and his hair disparagingly several times. (Remember this was 2007-8 before his running for President was even remotely considered by anyone!)
Then, on page 194, she has Dillon Savich's boss and FBI Director Mueller tell Savich (and I quote) "Take care of it, Savich. Quickly. The president is very concerned."
Needless to say, that threw me!
1st) Can you imagine Trump saying something actually presidential like that? I can't.
2nd). FBI Director MUELLER name-checked in a fictional novel???!
I had to jump over to Wikipedia to check the dates. Yes, FYI, Robert Mueller was actually the FBI Director at the time, and Bush was president. I can totally believe Bush would say something presidential like that in his role as chief law enforcement officer of the US.
And I SO totally can't fathom our current one doing so. Sad! Back in 2008 no one would have expected this very minor detail to be so jarringly anachronistic. In fact even a little over a year ago, this would have been unfathomable! Strange how times change.
I'm fairly apolitical, so no haters please. I'm addressing a book detail and my readerly reaction to it so take this review as it was intended.
I just have to say that I'd really like to hear what Coulter would say about current events! And, I wonder if this FBI series is going to be able to continue written as is. Personally, I think it'd be hard to handle the plots without addressing or at least referencing current events and their affect on public perception of the FBI! *
This is a pretty long series, but I'm not ready to end reading it, no matter how wacky the plots may be at times or how formulaic they can be. Some series I do quit before they end, but I still enjoy Coulter's. She has my best wishes (and kudos) if she can figure out a way to carry her FBI characters forward into the future, as reality becomes even stranger than fiction!
* Anyone know more about that and want to comment?? Feel free.
July 30, 2008
It was an okay read. Her story lines are good, the characters are good, but the dialogue isn't natural and some of her details are incorporated into the story in an awkward fashion at times. Her storytelling process could be smoother and more natural. (It's hard to explain.)
July 29, 2008
This author is a more recent favorite of mine. Her novels are fast-paced and very absorbing. This is only the second or third that I've read of hers, and I really like the characters. I'm looking forward to reading the other 9 or 10 in this series, and hopefully they're all as good!
October 26, 2019
While flying a family friend, Dr. Timothy McClain, back to Chicago, Agent Jack Crowne's plane is shot down in the Appalachian mountains. He's rescued by Rachel Abbott, who is herself, running from people who would kill her. Jack's (and his passenger's) trouble attract Savich and Sherlock who start investigating the crash (and the multiple attempts on Timothy's life). Once the manage to get Rachel to admit who she is and what she's running from, they start investigating the multiple attempts on her life too. For Timothy's troubles - they look into the fact that he has a type of dementia that causes him to blurt out thing she wouldn't and to break patient confidentiality...which he did. This provided at least 3 people with some pretty strong motive. For Rachel, she's pretty sure she was murdered by her long-lost father's siblings, Laurel and Quincy. He was a pretty important Senator, she the long-lost bastard daughter and the Senator was ready to spill the beans on something he'd done years before...but was murdered before he could do it. So, Rachel thinks his beneficiaries are responsible for his death. Lots of investigation, but they finally find out who done it for both people.
On the whole, this ended with my thinking, "that was somewhat enjoyable." It's interesting and pretty suspenseful - you're kind sure who's trying to kill Rachel, but not in the least sure who's trying to kill Timothy. My opinion, Timothy's suspense plot was a bit more interesting than Rachel's... For the most part, it's two things that sort decrease the quality of this story. First is the whole investigation stuff - investigators here are either hella stupid or make wild leaps and assumptions. For one part, they find blood after the attempted killers have left and they apparently use it to identify him through is DNA. Sorry, but even I've seen enough CSI to know it doesn't work that way. We don't exactly have banks of DNA evidence that we can peruse in order to find a suspect...not like fingerprints (not to mention this apparently took less than a day to do). On top of that, the investigators find the guy and then more or less force him to confess by threatening to call him a child molester when he goes to jail. I'm pretty sure any lawyer would tear that one up and call it a confession under duress. And Savich seemed unreasonably angry with the guy. Then there's the 16-year-old hooker in juvie that Savich and Sherlock arrange to set loose. They even think about the fact that in the lock-up she gets counseling and she's safe...yet the arrange to set her loose back on to the streets where she can keep selling herself for money. WTF?
And that ties into what I think of as the values of some of these people...which I have problems. I remember in a previous story when Sherlock was girl-crushing on a woman/suspect who had an affair with a married man and actually admired her. That just seemed weird. Here we have a Senator who slept with a woman and then disappeared and his bastard daughter who shows up suddenly - fortunately he's happy to meet her, but there's no comment on how he loved and left her mother. Now 18-months earlier, the Senator did a hit and run, killing a little girl. He was all set to admit to everything before he died. Rachel and the other investigators agree to keep the crime under wraps so as not to tarnish the reputation of the Senator and all his good works, but apparently care nothing for the parents of the girl who was killed and whether they might want to know. I don't imagine Savich or Sherlock being happy with not knowing if the same thing had happened to Sean. It felt selfish and presumptuous and made me respect these people less. Another revealing moment was when Timothy's wife, who supposedly loved him more than life itself and stood by him in a marriage with strong foundations, suddenly admits that Timothy apparently had know that she slept with Timothy's best friend several years earlier. Now this is huge information that would have cracked my belief in the foundation of marriage, but NO ONE reacts to this information at all. Nobody seems to care or question what this says about the character of these people (that a wife would sleep with her husband's best friend or that apparently this didn't affect their marriage (or the husband's friendship with the guy) at all. Who the fuck are these people? Is this normal in this author's life that nobody raises an eyebrow? That Jack (who is apparently a good friend of the family) isn't surprised to find this marriage so wonky? There are other examples of weird morals and what not, but those stuck out to me. I won't stop reading this series because I. must. finish. it. and the stories aren't so bad that I can't plug through them. So we'll keep going...but I wonder about these people....
On the whole, this ended with my thinking, "that was somewhat enjoyable." It's interesting and pretty suspenseful - you're kind sure who's trying to kill Rachel, but not in the least sure who's trying to kill Timothy. My opinion, Timothy's suspense plot was a bit more interesting than Rachel's... For the most part, it's two things that sort decrease the quality of this story. First is the whole investigation stuff - investigators here are either hella stupid or make wild leaps and assumptions. For one part, they find blood after the attempted killers have left and they apparently use it to identify him through is DNA. Sorry, but even I've seen enough CSI to know it doesn't work that way. We don't exactly have banks of DNA evidence that we can peruse in order to find a suspect...not like fingerprints (not to mention this apparently took less than a day to do). On top of that, the investigators find the guy and then more or less force him to confess by threatening to call him a child molester when he goes to jail. I'm pretty sure any lawyer would tear that one up and call it a confession under duress. And Savich seemed unreasonably angry with the guy. Then there's the 16-year-old hooker in juvie that Savich and Sherlock arrange to set loose. They even think about the fact that in the lock-up she gets counseling and she's safe...yet the arrange to set her loose back on to the streets where she can keep selling herself for money. WTF?
And that ties into what I think of as the values of some of these people...which I have problems. I remember in a previous story when Sherlock was girl-crushing on a woman/suspect who had an affair with a married man and actually admired her. That just seemed weird. Here we have a Senator who slept with a woman and then disappeared and his bastard daughter who shows up suddenly - fortunately he's happy to meet her, but there's no comment on how he loved and left her mother. Now 18-months earlier, the Senator did a hit and run, killing a little girl. He was all set to admit to everything before he died. Rachel and the other investigators agree to keep the crime under wraps so as not to tarnish the reputation of the Senator and all his good works, but apparently care nothing for the parents of the girl who was killed and whether they might want to know. I don't imagine Savich or Sherlock being happy with not knowing if the same thing had happened to Sean. It felt selfish and presumptuous and made me respect these people less. Another revealing moment was when Timothy's wife, who supposedly loved him more than life itself and stood by him in a marriage with strong foundations, suddenly admits that Timothy apparently had know that she slept with Timothy's best friend several years earlier. Now this is huge information that would have cracked my belief in the foundation of marriage, but NO ONE reacts to this information at all. Nobody seems to care or question what this says about the character of these people (that a wife would sleep with her husband's best friend or that apparently this didn't affect their marriage (or the husband's friendship with the guy) at all. Who the fuck are these people? Is this normal in this author's life that nobody raises an eyebrow? That Jack (who is apparently a good friend of the family) isn't surprised to find this marriage so wonky? There are other examples of weird morals and what not, but those stuck out to me. I won't stop reading this series because I. must. finish. it. and the stories aren't so bad that I can't plug through them. So we'll keep going...but I wonder about these people....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 30, 2018I came by this book in an odd way. I was leaving Sams club in WV and pushing my cart into the rack and happened to glance down into the trash can there. Someone had thrown away three grocery sacks full of books. Being a book lover, I just couldn't leave those there, so like the trash digger that I am, I pulled them out and drove them back to Kentucky with me, intending to put them in a Little Free Library. I'm also always a little seduced by fate, so I felt the need to read one of the books at random (maybe there would be a couple thousand dollars tucked between the pages)...and that's how I ended up reading Tailspin.
This is not a good book. The characters are one-dimensional, the story is boring, and the writing is bad. The only thing I really noticed about the heroine is that she had a super-awesome braid. I know this because every other person in the book was obsessed with it. I just kept trying to imagine that braid, and how it could be so amazing that every man was drawn to it, and it overshadowed her entire personality and everything else about her looks. I want a braid like that, but unfortunately, there was no detail given, other than that it was really sexy.
I've considered driving back to Sams and putting this one back in the trash can, but I'm sure there is someone, somewhere (maybe someone who has never read a book before), who will think it is great, so I'll put in the LFL with the rest of my trash-can haul.
This is not a good book. The characters are one-dimensional, the story is boring, and the writing is bad. The only thing I really noticed about the heroine is that she had a super-awesome braid. I know this because every other person in the book was obsessed with it. I just kept trying to imagine that braid, and how it could be so amazing that every man was drawn to it, and it overshadowed her entire personality and everything else about her looks. I want a braid like that, but unfortunately, there was no detail given, other than that it was really sexy.
I've considered driving back to Sams and putting this one back in the trash can, but I'm sure there is someone, somewhere (maybe someone who has never read a book before), who will think it is great, so I'll put in the LFL with the rest of my trash-can haul.
July 30, 2021
The Goodreads summary describes one of the two major story lines of Tail Spin. The other revolves around the woman who watched Jackson's plane go down. Rachel had been drugged, weighted down, and tossed into a lake by persons unknown. She newly discovered she was the illegitimate daughter of a well-known Senator who, all too soon, died in an auto - accident or murder? As Sherlock draws out the facts of her story and Jackson acts as her body guard, the four of them (Savitch naturally included) become involved in increasingly complicated and confusing events involving high ranking politicians and monied D.C. elites.
June 12, 2022
A good story with some great moments. Sherlock and Savich have a few scares and moments to shine. Sean is a hoot. Two new characters are the main focus and they have an interesting dynamic and both have a case that is odd occurring. Jack is helping a family friend who is in a horrible position and Rachael is on the run for her life from a very influential family. Her uncle was the coolest character and I found the ending not surprising, but entertaining.
April 12, 2022
The trouble with this series is that very often the scenes just aren't realistic. I find the writing amateurish and even when I manage to get through a feq chapters, i inevitably smack into an eye-rolling scene.
March 13, 2022
Excellent book in this series. I am ready to start the next book in this series!
June 26, 2023
Coulter mailed this one in. I think she used every trite saying and worn out dialog line she could find. Story was not believable and the characters were as artificial as their cliche filled dialogue.
June 19, 2012
I received a free copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
Oddly enough I liked this book somewhat despite its faults. And it's got a lot of faults. The story line is full of holes, the characters are 2-dimensional, the book has a crime novel plot with romance novel interludes...but at least I didn't see any misspelled words.
The book starts off with a splash when the main character is tossed into a lake in a murder attempt. She manages to survive, pulls herself out of the water, apparently in the middle of nowhere---and in 15 minutes walks to a diner. I knew at that point that there were going to be problems with consistency. You can't walk far when you're drugged and half-drowned---or at least that would be my guess---so this diner much have miraculously appeared out of nowhere. Oh, and this hidden lake is minutes away from DC.
From what I understand from other reviews, two of the characters, Savich and Sherlock, are the mainstays of this series and are well drawn and interesting. Well, not in this particular book. Here they're ridiculous caricatures of hoodlums. Certainly not officers of the law!
If you're a fan of Coulter, read another book in her FBI series---it has to be better than this one. Yet I can see why she would have fans because even as bad as I found many elements of this book---I kinda liked it in a way. But I feel very guilty about it!!
I still can't get over the obsession about the hair braid or that "hidden" house in the woods---5 miles from town that the locals never knew existed. Or why the plane crash landed when the bomb never went off. Or why Rachel's outlandish story was instantly believed.
Oddly enough I liked this book somewhat despite its faults. And it's got a lot of faults. The story line is full of holes, the characters are 2-dimensional, the book has a crime novel plot with romance novel interludes...but at least I didn't see any misspelled words.
The book starts off with a splash when the main character is tossed into a lake in a murder attempt. She manages to survive, pulls herself out of the water, apparently in the middle of nowhere---and in 15 minutes walks to a diner. I knew at that point that there were going to be problems with consistency. You can't walk far when you're drugged and half-drowned---or at least that would be my guess---so this diner much have miraculously appeared out of nowhere. Oh, and this hidden lake is minutes away from DC.
From what I understand from other reviews, two of the characters, Savich and Sherlock, are the mainstays of this series and are well drawn and interesting. Well, not in this particular book. Here they're ridiculous caricatures of hoodlums. Certainly not officers of the law!
If you're a fan of Coulter, read another book in her FBI series---it has to be better than this one. Yet I can see why she would have fans because even as bad as I found many elements of this book---I kinda liked it in a way. But I feel very guilty about it!!
I still can't get over the obsession about the hair braid or that "hidden" house in the woods---5 miles from town that the locals never knew existed. Or why the plane crash landed when the bomb never went off. Or why Rachel's outlandish story was instantly believed.
books-i-lost-interest-in
April 25, 2009Sorry, I couldn't finish. It was too annoying. The plot was as holey as Swiss cheese.
I usually like Catherine Coulter's Savage/Sherlock series, but I couldn't stand the heroine Rachel. She came across to me as a hick yokel.
She finds out her father is a senator and he dies 6 weeks later. Suddenly, he's left her his estate (and not given it to his 2 other daughters?). She's an expert on her father after knowing him for 6 weeks, "My father wouldn't have committed suicide--he would never do that."
Her reasoning for her father's death? Her father accidentally ran over a kid and was going to come clean, so his siblings murdered him to protect their reputation. Yeah, right. Sounds logical to me!
Savage and Sherlock are talking about the cases they're investigating in front of Rachel. Rachel's qualifications? She's an interior designer. The FBI must be really desperate.
Then there's another guy who sent his son to a therapist because the son revealed national secrets that ended up getting 2 people killed. The therapist says he can't help the son, in fact, he may have to tell the authorities. The son dies in a fishing accident and the parents blame the therapist for the son's death. Huh?
Avoid. Avoid.
I usually like Catherine Coulter's Savage/Sherlock series, but I couldn't stand the heroine Rachel. She came across to me as a hick yokel.
She finds out her father is a senator and he dies 6 weeks later. Suddenly, he's left her his estate (and not given it to his 2 other daughters?). She's an expert on her father after knowing him for 6 weeks, "My father wouldn't have committed suicide--he would never do that."
Her reasoning for her father's death? Her father accidentally ran over a kid and was going to come clean, so his siblings murdered him to protect their reputation. Yeah, right. Sounds logical to me!
Savage and Sherlock are talking about the cases they're investigating in front of Rachel. Rachel's qualifications? She's an interior designer. The FBI must be really desperate.
Then there's another guy who sent his son to a therapist because the son revealed national secrets that ended up getting 2 people killed. The therapist says he can't help the son, in fact, he may have to tell the authorities. The son dies in a fishing accident and the parents blame the therapist for the son's death. Huh?
Avoid. Avoid.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 24, 2022
I rated this book 1 star because 0 stars was not an option. I listened to it on CD.
Apologies to all who love this series, but between: the corny writing and dialogue (what brawny FBI Agent would threaten to "beat the spit" out of someone); the annoying characters (precocious kid, Astro the wonder Dog, sweet little Rachel); and implausible storylines, I just can't believe the author has kept these going for over 20 books. I found nothing likable about Savich and Sherlock., and don't get me started on their names.
My opinion of FBI agents has certainly been tainted by this book: both males only will eat Cheerios for Breakfast while Sherlock favors Gluten free and vegetarian options. I think the author is trying too hard to be relevant and "hip".
I would have pulled the bookmark if I had been actually reading this, but I stuck it out to the end hoping it would get better as I was adaptive audience in my car while running errands.
Apologies to all who love this series, but between: the corny writing and dialogue (what brawny FBI Agent would threaten to "beat the spit" out of someone); the annoying characters (precocious kid, Astro the wonder Dog, sweet little Rachel); and implausible storylines, I just can't believe the author has kept these going for over 20 books. I found nothing likable about Savich and Sherlock., and don't get me started on their names.
My opinion of FBI agents has certainly been tainted by this book: both males only will eat Cheerios for Breakfast while Sherlock favors Gluten free and vegetarian options. I think the author is trying too hard to be relevant and "hip".
I would have pulled the bookmark if I had been actually reading this, but I stuck it out to the end hoping it would get better as I was adaptive audience in my car while running errands.
July 3, 2008
Absolutely solid 4.5 star Coulter book! Her last 2 outings in this series have left me somewhat flat. This one was great!
I love Sherlock and Savich and so it was awesome to have them be really involved in this book. This was very light on the romance side of things (the build up to 'love' between Jackson and Rachael was somewhat sporadic), but I never missed it (amazing for me as I usually HAVE to have romance in a book). This was a fast paced story that had me glued to the pages. The whole premise of the book was different and highly entertaining. I read it in 1 sitting and now am looking forward to the next (as long as it is the same class as this one).
Recommended to all who love a good solid suspense with a little bit of romance thrown in (not to mention the great sexual innuendo's with Savich and Sherlock ) :)
I love Sherlock and Savich and so it was awesome to have them be really involved in this book. This was very light on the romance side of things (the build up to 'love' between Jackson and Rachael was somewhat sporadic), but I never missed it (amazing for me as I usually HAVE to have romance in a book). This was a fast paced story that had me glued to the pages. The whole premise of the book was different and highly entertaining. I read it in 1 sitting and now am looking forward to the next (as long as it is the same class as this one).
Recommended to all who love a good solid suspense with a little bit of romance thrown in (not to mention the great sexual innuendo's with Savich and Sherlock ) :)
August 31, 2008
Authors like Catherine Coulter are the reason why some people believe there's nothing worthwhile on the bestsellers list. Why anyone who had read one of her books would ever bother picking up another is beyond me. The plot appeared interesting and the first chapter was an attention grabber, but it didn't just go down hill from there, it jumped off a cliff without a rope. The author appears to rely heavily on dialouge to advance her plot, and I suppose if the dialouge was well written that wouldn't be a problem. However, since the dialouge is often juvenile and repettative, it quickly becomes a tiresome device. I suspect I would have to comb through 5-10 chapters be able to string together a page worth of text that wasn't dialouge, and even that would be mostly tag lines.
September 23, 2008
This actually would get about two and a half stars if possible. It's by far my least favorite of the FBI Thrillers. It seemed rushed and choppy, the story lines wrapped up much too neatly, and the dialogue seemed unnatural and stilted in places. The only reason I continued reading was because I like the long-standing characters (Savitch and Sherlock), but there wasn't really even any development there.
A disappointment over all. I hope the next one is back to Coulter's usual good standards, or I may just leave these behind.
A disappointment over all. I hope the next one is back to Coulter's usual good standards, or I may just leave these behind.
July 4, 2010
More than a brainless read. I was put off by much of the dialogue between characters. It did not appear to be the way intelligent people would be talking to each other. I have enjoyed the characters of Savich and Sherlock in Coulter's previous books but Tailspin left me wondering about the author's ability to write for an adult audience. I can say that if this had been the first Sherlock and Savich book I read, I would be disinclined to read any more. Hopefully Coulter had a very tight deadline for Tailspin and her next offering will be more appealing.
January 21, 2012
FBI Thriller series #12 wow we're getting up there. a woman running for her life because she's a dead senator's illegitamate daughter. fbi trying to protect her and also a famous psychologist who has been struck down with a type of dementia. the usual stuff. good story, nothing earth shattering or relating to any back stories happening in this book though. i enjoyed it and as always, look forward to the next.
January 14, 2014
I just can't read her anymore. Back when Coulter was writing historical romance, the stilted dialog worked fine; who the hell knows how a medieval Italian lord would translate to modern American English, right? Suspension of disbelief was a given. But her contemporary characters are written with such a wooden ear, I can't read a whole conversation without being distracted. Add in the increasingly contrived plots, and all I want is to get off the ride. Buh-bye.
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