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FBI Thriller #4
The Edge
FBI agent Ford "Mac" MacDougal is recovering from injuries he received in a terrorist car bombing when his sister, Jilly, a medical researcher, drives her Porsche off an Oregon cliff - on purpose, it seems. Curiously, even though he was in a hospital bed on the other side of the country, Mac feels as if he were in the car with her as she sails towards the sea.
By the time Mac arrives in Portland, Jilly has come out of the coma she's been in for four days. But after only a few hours with her brother, she vanishes without a trace. In searching for her, Mac hears a different story from everyone he encounters. When the local sheriff enlist his aid in the puzzling murder of an elderly resident, Mac doesn't suspect that the case connects to his sister's disappearance. FBI agents Lace Sherlock and Dillon Savich (last seen in The Target) join Mac to ride shotgun. Not knowing whom to trust and whom to suspect, they must escape relentless pursuers before unearthing the tentacles of evil undermining The Edge.
By the time Mac arrives in Portland, Jilly has come out of the coma she's been in for four days. But after only a few hours with her brother, she vanishes without a trace. In searching for her, Mac hears a different story from everyone he encounters. When the local sheriff enlist his aid in the puzzling murder of an elderly resident, Mac doesn't suspect that the case connects to his sister's disappearance. FBI agents Lace Sherlock and Dillon Savich (last seen in The Target) join Mac to ride shotgun. Not knowing whom to trust and whom to suspect, they must escape relentless pursuers before unearthing the tentacles of evil undermining The Edge.
341 pages, Paperback
First published August 2, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 475 reviews
September 19, 2017
This is the first book I have ever read from Catherine Coulter. It is #4 in a series. I never read any of the previous book of this series but it was very easy to understand. I really liked this book, loved the characters, the action and the suspense. A very good mystery book for anyone who is a fan of mysteries.
September 9, 2012
This novel began with intrigue but it didn't take long for only the hope of maybe somehow getting a somewhat satisfactory resolution kept me reading. The author gets us to a small town with apparently some deep secrets. We wander (and wonder) for the remainder of the book; only to have many things never explained or resolved and a quick wrap-up to end the main part of the story.
The characters aren't even sure who they are. The hero was seriously injured before the story began but manages to do all this physical stuff. The author did remember this at times, so occasionally the hero is tired or his side hurts. This is usually after he's done a bunch of physical things from which to get tired without any injury.
The motivation for the "crime" seems to keep changing and it is rarely clear why anyone (good or bad) is doing anything.
The "good" guys getting captured and then getting away from the "bad" guys was so contrived - especially when they did it the same way twice. We spent so much time in the rainforest I began to hope one of the creatures would just end it for us all.
The adult situations are pointless and only add to the shallow makings of the characters.
The characters aren't even sure who they are. The hero was seriously injured before the story began but manages to do all this physical stuff. The author did remember this at times, so occasionally the hero is tired or his side hurts. This is usually after he's done a bunch of physical things from which to get tired without any injury.
The motivation for the "crime" seems to keep changing and it is rarely clear why anyone (good or bad) is doing anything.
The "good" guys getting captured and then getting away from the "bad" guys was so contrived - especially when they did it the same way twice. We spent so much time in the rainforest I began to hope one of the creatures would just end it for us all.
The adult situations are pointless and only add to the shallow makings of the characters.
February 5, 2012
I love Catherine Coulter and the 1st three books in this series were excellent. But I was disappointed with this one. The character development was poor. I didn't really feel any connection to any of the characters, except Sherlock and Savich who are repeating characters in the series.
The romance was flat and just all of a sudden, it was there. Also, I found the fact that as soon as Mac started the romance, he seemed to forget about his sister, who was missing.
The mystery thriller aspect started off great, but then it became rather boring and totally unrealistic.
It's getting a two star rating because it was a fast read, and just ok.
I would suggest to someone who hasn't read Coulter before to give her another chance. This one is definitely not one of her best. The Cove is the first book in the series and excellent. The Maze is even better.
The romance was flat and just all of a sudden, it was there. Also, I found the fact that as soon as Mac started the romance, he seemed to forget about his sister, who was missing.
The mystery thriller aspect started off great, but then it became rather boring and totally unrealistic.
It's getting a two star rating because it was a fast read, and just ok.
I would suggest to someone who hasn't read Coulter before to give her another chance. This one is definitely not one of her best. The Cove is the first book in the series and excellent. The Maze is even better.
dnf-too-early-to-mark-it-read
November 13, 2025Nah
This is book 4 of the series so I'm very familiar with this series and this author's brand of mad chaos.
But there's 'Loki wants to have fun' chaos and then there's 'throwing pasta sauce at the wall' chaos.
One is unhinged fun, the other is just messy.
This one was too messy for me.
DNF'd at 38%
This is book 4 of the series so I'm very familiar with this series and this author's brand of mad chaos.
But there's 'Loki wants to have fun' chaos and then there's 'throwing pasta sauce at the wall' chaos.
One is unhinged fun, the other is just messy.
This one was too messy for me.
DNF'd at 38%
March 30, 2021
Two-haiku review:
His sis drove off cliff
She lives but then disappears
He investigates
Didn't love this one
Too much not believable
Still, like the series
His sis drove off cliff
She lives but then disappears
He investigates
Didn't love this one
Too much not believable
Still, like the series
October 11, 2010
This book is #4 in the FBI series. I wasn’t feeling too well yesterday, and also had trouble sleeping, so I read it all in one day. I think so far this was the worst book in the series, but it was still a good book. Sure, the main guy is a little bit slutty but I think that's realistic, especially after he's been in the hospital for a few weeks (he could try using some protection though!!). The story was a little muddled, but maybe that was my state of mind. If you like the series, youll want to read this one, just because it's in the series. If youre only going to read one or a couple of them, maybe read a different one. The book is about a guy who is recovering in the hospital and dreams that his sister's car has gone over a cliff. Turns out it's real, and she's in a coma, and he goes there to figure out what happened. Then lots of weird stuff happens, kind of like the whole thing is one big strange dream.
July 25, 2017
My second C.C. read (listen) and it was not disappointing. I must say that in some areas the storyline dragged a bit but did spin out of it into other twists and turns. If I had a complaint, which I truly don't, it would be a little less romance and a spot more action. However, the characters are rich and there is the usual blood (mostly the bad guy's) and one does move around via auto, planes and even via boats. I really liked the protagonist, Ford McDougal, not quite a 'Reacher' type with the military pedigree but a bad ass nonetheless.
Looking forward to others in the FBI Thriller Series. The audio is available on youtube as well.....soooooo...enjoy!
Looking forward to others in the FBI Thriller Series. The audio is available on youtube as well.....soooooo...enjoy!
November 6, 2011
Ford "Mac" MacDougal is recovering at Bethesda Naval Hospital from injuries sustained following a car bombing when he is awakened from his realistic dream involving his sister. He calls her the next morning and finds she was involved in an car accident and is in a coma in Edgerton, Oregon. Two days later, Mac is on his way to see his sister and find out what happened.
I had such high hopes for this story after The Maze and The Target but it was not to be. This story had a good, solid start with lots of interesting, quirky characters in a town that had lots of shadows and secrets. The paranormal possibilities were also there with Mac's odd connection with his sister, Jilly. Somewhere around halfway into the book, the story just lost itself. It was even more confusing to have two characters using first person narrative. It was often tough knowing who was delivering the dialogue, which was awkward at times. I got immersed in the extremely interesting events as they unfolded as we learned that something was amiss in the town and settled back to enjoy a compelling mystery. Instead of a build up to an exciting conclusion, the characters became mired in a puzzling abduction and the story culminates abruptly without a clear resolution. The epilogue seemed to be tacked on to attempt to wrap up some of the details but it was sorely lacking. I'm not sure I'd recommend this book because of the weak ending.
On the bright side, I found Mac to be an interesting guy who I hope will appear again in this series, along with his love interest, who I won't name because that would be a spoiler. And, Lacy and Dillon Savitch are back, which is a good thing.
I like this series and plan to continue. My hope is that the next book is back on track.
I had such high hopes for this story after The Maze and The Target but it was not to be. This story had a good, solid start with lots of interesting, quirky characters in a town that had lots of shadows and secrets. The paranormal possibilities were also there with Mac's odd connection with his sister, Jilly. Somewhere around halfway into the book, the story just lost itself. It was even more confusing to have two characters using first person narrative. It was often tough knowing who was delivering the dialogue, which was awkward at times. I got immersed in the extremely interesting events as they unfolded as we learned that something was amiss in the town and settled back to enjoy a compelling mystery. Instead of a build up to an exciting conclusion, the characters became mired in a puzzling abduction and the story culminates abruptly without a clear resolution. The epilogue seemed to be tacked on to attempt to wrap up some of the details but it was sorely lacking. I'm not sure I'd recommend this book because of the weak ending.
On the bright side, I found Mac to be an interesting guy who I hope will appear again in this series, along with his love interest, who I won't name because that would be a spoiler. And, Lacy and Dillon Savitch are back, which is a good thing.
I like this series and plan to continue. My hope is that the next book is back on track.
November 18, 2020
I loved the first 3 in the series. The books were well written, the characters well developed and all plot lines resolved.
This was not the case here. In romance, the heroine needs to be clearly defined and it took a few chapters before Laura actually showed up. You didn't even know who he liked in the beginning and he sleeps with another character after meeting the heroine.
All the bad guys were not caught. Justice was not served. Really wasn't happy about the book or its ending. We don't even know whether Laura leaves the DEA.
Quite disappointed.
This was not the case here. In romance, the heroine needs to be clearly defined and it took a few chapters before Laura actually showed up. You didn't even know who he liked in the beginning and he sleeps with another character after meeting the heroine.
All the bad guys were not caught. Justice was not served. Really wasn't happy about the book or its ending. We don't even know whether Laura leaves the DEA.
Quite disappointed.
February 15, 2014
I know that an author cannot "hit a home run" with every book, but rarely have I been so dissatisfied with a "series" book.
This book tries to involve multiple plotlines, and becomes so implausible as to be unbelievable. The characters are, for the most part, one-dimensional. This makes the reader indifferent to what happens, and renders the fancy plot twists laughable.
It feels more like Coulter was following an outline on "How to write a thriller" than using her own original style. It made me feel as if this should be the first book in her FBI Thriller series, rather than the fourth.
My recommendation would be to leave the book on a shelf, and read it only if you feel the need to read the whole Savich-Sherlock series.
This book tries to involve multiple plotlines, and becomes so implausible as to be unbelievable. The characters are, for the most part, one-dimensional. This makes the reader indifferent to what happens, and renders the fancy plot twists laughable.
It feels more like Coulter was following an outline on "How to write a thriller" than using her own original style. It made me feel as if this should be the first book in her FBI Thriller series, rather than the fourth.
My recommendation would be to leave the book on a shelf, and read it only if you feel the need to read the whole Savich-Sherlock series.
June 15, 2015
It was very bad. Too much unaesthetic nudity and sex. It seems to me that Catherine Coulter writes more about sex and characters getting married than about the crime. Her main characters meet, have sex, and the next minute they plan to get married. Who does that? The love and relationship never develops. There is nothing romantic about the characters. As for The Edge, it had a potential but it was a pain to read to the end. Mac being hard all the time and his desires to have sex is not interesting. Sorry, Catherine, you failed this time. It is my sixth book of hers - pure disappointment.
Sorry about my English. I am not native as you have already guessed :)
Sorry about my English. I am not native as you have already guessed :)
March 15, 2021
Stop it. Worst book I’ve read lately, but of course I plowed through it regardless. Ridiculous run-on conversations, weird incidental characters and superfluous relationships, many it seemed to simply fill up space. These included a completely inappropriate sexual encounter that required a slick explanation later on and was laughed off by the new love interest - huh? How is this author repeatedly published?
March 5, 2020
Catherine Coulter's FBI series is a guilty pleasure like the Stuart Woods' series with a certain formula that holds up through the series...Dillan, Savich and another character and that character's love interest are drawn into some thrilling mystery...In this one, FBI Agent Ford “Mac” McDougal, while hospitalized, experiences his sister driving her Porsche off a cliff into the ocean in a dream and, after his release, he flies across country to be with his sister. There, he finds an ugly truth about the accident and an uglier truth about what is happening in the small village where his sister lives...Soon, Ford calls for Dillan and Savich's help and finds the love of his life...Guilty Pleasure!!!
March 3, 2024
Great book in Coulter's FBI Series.
August 7, 2019
Re-reading. Well, this was dark and bizarre. The best part was Savich's and Sherlock's eventual appearance. But, their characters are, hands down, my favorite characters in this series anyway.
3.5
3.5
July 16, 2021
I just finished reading this book and cannot say i enjoyed it much. In the beginning I was worried it was going to be a weird telepathy book which isn’t a genre I enjoy. I though the relationship between Mac and Laura was ridiculous. Despite him wanting to dislike her based off his sister saying she was betrayed, he basically decided he wanted her which i thought was weird considering how devoted of a bother he was. They decided to get married after a couple days. I know books are meant to be intriguing and fantasy but this was very far fetched.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2012
This book was so terrible, that I couldn't finish it. And there are very few books I haven't finished reading. First of all, the voice for the characters was not good. Didn't do a decent female voice at all. The male main character was a slut. The women offered themselves to him like he was a god. Mac's overall behavior overshadowed the plot of the book.
This is the third book I have read by Ms Coulter. I enjoyed 2 of the 3, so I may give her series another chance.
This is the third book I have read by Ms Coulter. I enjoyed 2 of the 3, so I may give her series another chance.
March 8, 2022
Instant love. In town less than a week. He had sex with one girl as soon on day two. Then in the middle of this mess he has decided he is in love with another girl. He is promising that they will get married as soon as they get out of the mess they are in. The book is just a hot mess! I actually had to look at the cover to see if it was one of the FBI series by Catherine Coulter.
May 20, 2024
I have enjoyed many coulters books, but this one was torture to listen to. I wasn’t even able to finish.
I found the reader to be difficult to listen to, and really couldn’t connect either any of the characters.
My motto is “Life is too short to read bad books,” so I gave up and moved on to something better.
I found the reader to be difficult to listen to, and really couldn’t connect either any of the characters.
My motto is “Life is too short to read bad books,” so I gave up and moved on to something better.
Read
August 11, 2009I have been reading the FBI Thrillers and I am not a fan of this book. Usually by the the second chapter I know if I am hooked on the book or not. This book took me over a week to read because I could not get into the book.
November 24, 2014
Just when you think this piece of utter dreck can't get any worse, she manages to take it down a few notches and drive it off a cliff. Reading this book is like watching a Pia Zadora movie without drugs.
May 21, 2018
Just awful. I’m really glad I’ve read other CC books (which I enjoy). This seems like it was written by a different author. If I had read it first I’d never read another book by her. The characters do things completely illogical...gods, it was just bad.
November 2, 2025
Oh wow I never thought I'd rate a Coulter book with 1 star, but this was god awful. I think it offended me more than books with worse writing because I normally enjoy her books so much. If this had been the first book in a series I wouldn't even consider picking up another book. There was absolutely nothing redeemable about this book other than the fact that I still like Sherlock and Savich and wish they hadn't been forced into this novel especially since Sherlock essentially ends up mentally tortured.
The whole premise of this book was ridiculous. A drug that somehow both affects traumatic memories, but also makes your sex drive completely crazy, and yet said drug never seems to have the same effects from moment to moment. Oh and wait let's bring in drug dealers interested in said drug, but yet it has no conceivable market value that they would be interested in. Add in a couple that makes absolutely no sense. Mac and Laura have no chemistry, are in love with each other after one chance meeting, know nothing about each other, oh yeah and Mac can still sleep with some other chick after meeting Laura, but it's ok since they hadn't admitted they liked each other yet.
This whole book was just one big NOPE from the start. The first person POV didn't help either as often it was confusing what was happening, time jumps would happen with no transition and it'd take me a good paragraph to figure out what the hell had happened.
This was bad writing, bad structure, and is made all the worse because this writer is normally a very good one.
The whole premise of this book was ridiculous. A drug that somehow both affects traumatic memories, but also makes your sex drive completely crazy, and yet said drug never seems to have the same effects from moment to moment. Oh and wait let's bring in drug dealers interested in said drug, but yet it has no conceivable market value that they would be interested in. Add in a couple that makes absolutely no sense. Mac and Laura have no chemistry, are in love with each other after one chance meeting, know nothing about each other, oh yeah and Mac can still sleep with some other chick after meeting Laura, but it's ok since they hadn't admitted they liked each other yet.
This whole book was just one big NOPE from the start. The first person POV didn't help either as often it was confusing what was happening, time jumps would happen with no transition and it'd take me a good paragraph to figure out what the hell had happened.
This was bad writing, bad structure, and is made all the worse because this writer is normally a very good one.
October 5, 2020
Another revisit to this series in audio form. Ford is in the hospital after sustaining injuries after a bombing and has a nightmare about his sister Jilly driving her Porsche off a cliff. After calling he finds out his dream is true and she is in a coma. As soon as he is able he leaves the hospital and travels cross country to be at her side only to find more questions than answers. There is something going on in this small town and Jilly and her husband are involved...but who else? This one was good with lots of twists and turns.
August 28, 2024
What a ride.....
The Edge
FBI Series, Book 4
Catherine Coulter, author
The saga continues with Savich and Sherlock. This time it's on their own time. They offer to help another agent, Ford MacDougal find his sister Jilly. She suddenly is missing from her hospital bed after her automobile accident. The three of them, along with DEA agent Laura become entangled in a huge drug operation. Will they all return from this alive? Read this exciting novel to find out.
Another well crafted novel by the amazing Coulter. I highly recommend this novel.
The Edge
FBI Series, Book 4
Catherine Coulter, author
The saga continues with Savich and Sherlock. This time it's on their own time. They offer to help another agent, Ford MacDougal find his sister Jilly. She suddenly is missing from her hospital bed after her automobile accident. The three of them, along with DEA agent Laura become entangled in a huge drug operation. Will they all return from this alive? Read this exciting novel to find out.
Another well crafted novel by the amazing Coulter. I highly recommend this novel.
June 23, 2018
Laura is a tough woman that was refreshing in this genre. Savage & Sherlock were major players and used in the best way. Mac is good enough for Laura's character. The mystery was at times interesting but always fun. For me it got better after we left the small town folks. The jungle scenes were well written even if the story got knotted and messy.
July 7, 2022
This is 4th in the FBI Thriller series, but it's not my favorite. The psychic link between the FBI agent and his sister seemed a bit hard to believe. Still it wasn't a terrible book, just suffered in comparison with earlier volumes in the series.
January 27, 2020
3.5 Stars
rounded up to 4 Stars. Too many dangling and unanswered loose ends especially concerning the town of Edgerton.
April 15, 2024
Disappointed.
June 21, 2025
War am Anfang bisschen schwer rein zu kommen, aber dann
😍😍😍
Ich meine der Plotwist war echt gut und das „Ereignis“ am Ende war auch total unvorhersehbar!
Megaaaaaa Buch
😍😍😍
Ich meine der Plotwist war echt gut und das „Ereignis“ am Ende war auch total unvorhersehbar!
Megaaaaaa Buch
Displaying 1 - 30 of 475 reviews