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The Breathtaker
A tornado rips through an Oklahoma town, leaving three mutilated corpses inside a ravaged farmhouse. The police chief is certain the victims were impaled by flying debris—until he realizes he is wrong.
391 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
812 people are currently reading
1086 people want to read
About the author
Alice Blanchard
11 books752 followersAlice Blanchard is an award-winning author of psychological thrillers, mysteries, crime thrillers and dark fantasy.
Her bestselling thriller, “The Breathtaker,” was an official selection of NBC’s Today Show Book Club, and her debut mystery, “Darkness Peering,” was a New York Times’ Notable Book. "Trace of Evil” was selected as an Amazon Best Mystery and an Indie Next Pick.
Her story collection won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Short Fiction, and she has received a PEN Fiction Award, a Centrum Artists award and a New Letters Literary Award, among other honors for her writing. Her books have been published in 16 countries.
Alice's Amazon Page: amazon.com/author/alice-blanchard
Website: www.aliceblanchard.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aliceblanchard.author/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alicebooks33...
Twitter: twitter.com/AliceBooks333
Her bestselling thriller, “The Breathtaker,” was an official selection of NBC’s Today Show Book Club, and her debut mystery, “Darkness Peering,” was a New York Times’ Notable Book. "Trace of Evil” was selected as an Amazon Best Mystery and an Indie Next Pick.
Her story collection won the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Short Fiction, and she has received a PEN Fiction Award, a Centrum Artists award and a New Letters Literary Award, among other honors for her writing. Her books have been published in 16 countries.
Alice's Amazon Page: amazon.com/author/alice-blanchard
Website: www.aliceblanchard.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/aliceblanchard.author/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alicebooks33...
Twitter: twitter.com/AliceBooks333
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
October 17, 2012
A Surpisingly Terrifying Thriller! I'm not sure what I expected with this book, but it truly surprised me. It is very well-written, and the character development is well crafted. I usually don't expect these two components in a thriller, so this book was a pleasant surprise. The book is extremely well-plotted too and the tension builds up and builds up throughout the book. It literally left me on the edge of my seat throughout. Not only that, but I got a lot of information about storms and particularly tornados. The book is terrfiying, both with the tremendous storms and the damage they cause and also because of the totally fascinating and chilling killer that stalks the country during tornado season. This depraved individual wreaks havoc on families who have already had to deal with enormous loss inflicted by a catastrophic tornado. Charlie Grover is the police chief in small little Promise, Alabama. Charlie can't believe what he discovers in the wake of this murderer. This is a killer unlike any other he has ever dealt with, and he finds his family and himself personally in imminent danger as he tracks him all across Tornado Alley. A different premise for a thriller, but this is one exciting book.
June 16, 2012
It was a wild ride reading this book (literally) with storm chasers chasing tornados all over Oklahoma and Texas and the growing realization that a killer is using the storms to an even more terrifying purpose. I admit to a fascination with tornados -- from a large distance away. I do not understand the adrenaline rush or compulsion to get up close and personal with this kind of storm power. Alice Blanchard takes you right into the vortex of the storms and into the emotions and motivations of the storm chasers. I felt that I was right them with them in the midst of chaos. Highly recommend, it was hard to put this one down.
June 27, 2014
This book literally sent chills down my spine...it was almost hard to read, yet you can't put it down. It's one of those books that terrifies you but you have to keep reading to find out what happens. It's been several years since I actually read this book, but it still stands out in my mind and I can remember very vivid details from the story. Not exactly for the faint of heart, but if you are looking for a good thrill, this one's for you.
July 25, 2012
This was an awesome read - I really enjoyed reading this book - the author really drew you in to the story and made you feel as though you were in the middle of tornadoes. As far as the murder mystery goes, everyone was a suspect in this book and the ending was very surprising. I stayed up late at night reading this one. I'm giving it five stars.
September 8, 2013
Just got done reading this awesome novel, and what a ride. Likeable yet deeply flawed protagonist, fleshed-out secondary characters, and a serial-murder plot that kept me guessing until the end. I'm not much into tornadoes, but this book presented the world of storm-chasing in a way I'd never encountered before, almost enough to make me want to chase them myself!
January 17, 2019
Definitely kept me turning the page!
July 8, 2007
Oh, the shallowness of my methods for this pick! The Breathtaker appealled to me because it has a really neat cover and I am interested in tornados. I mean, look it at, that barn on the cover is doomed!
You see, if Ms. Blanchard spent half as much time writing this book as she did commissioning and artist for the cover and hawking it on the today show, maybe it would be a worthwhile read. And if "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we would all have a Merry Christmas. I am sad to say that Christmas did not come in July for me, and that this book proved to be quite frustrating.
I can look past the scientific and meteorological inconsistencies for a good thrill. I am not opposed to an author taking license with reality in order to further a plot. Geographical errors, however, are my pet peeve and this novel is replete with them.
First of all, the novel is set in Oklahoma. The town is fictional, which is perfectly fine. However, the author places it north of El Reno (which is west of Oklahoma City), close to Interstate 10 (which is some 350 miles south in Texas), near "East Texas", even though it is mentioned that Lawton is a quick drive south (Lawton is near the Texas panhandle, which is West Texas). Also, the main character makes a drive from Promise, OK to Wink, Texas in one hour! Assuming that Promise (fictional town) is somewhere near Lawton, the drive to Wink (a real town in Winkler County, Texas) is some 9 hours. Also, the author makes a clear mistake by stating that Ponca City is in Kansas, when in reality it is in Oklahoma. There are countless other geographical fumbles, and it made this novel infuriating to read.
The plot is a bit over the top. A killer chases tornados and commits his crimes in their path at the moment they pass by the victims' dwellings. Even the best meteorologists are unable to predict tornadogenesis formation and touchdown points.
It seems like Ms. Blanchard, who is from the East Coast, decided to one day write a book about tornados and murder. She then asked herself where do tornados occur, and "Oklahoma" was the first state to come to mind. If she had spend some time looking at a map, maybe the details in geography would have been worked out. As it stands, this book reads as one involving tornados and the Great Plains written by someone who has never seen one nor been to that region of the country.
As my loving girlfriend says, "Write what you know."
You see, if Ms. Blanchard spent half as much time writing this book as she did commissioning and artist for the cover and hawking it on the today show, maybe it would be a worthwhile read. And if "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we would all have a Merry Christmas. I am sad to say that Christmas did not come in July for me, and that this book proved to be quite frustrating.
I can look past the scientific and meteorological inconsistencies for a good thrill. I am not opposed to an author taking license with reality in order to further a plot. Geographical errors, however, are my pet peeve and this novel is replete with them.
First of all, the novel is set in Oklahoma. The town is fictional, which is perfectly fine. However, the author places it north of El Reno (which is west of Oklahoma City), close to Interstate 10 (which is some 350 miles south in Texas), near "East Texas", even though it is mentioned that Lawton is a quick drive south (Lawton is near the Texas panhandle, which is West Texas). Also, the main character makes a drive from Promise, OK to Wink, Texas in one hour! Assuming that Promise (fictional town) is somewhere near Lawton, the drive to Wink (a real town in Winkler County, Texas) is some 9 hours. Also, the author makes a clear mistake by stating that Ponca City is in Kansas, when in reality it is in Oklahoma. There are countless other geographical fumbles, and it made this novel infuriating to read.
The plot is a bit over the top. A killer chases tornados and commits his crimes in their path at the moment they pass by the victims' dwellings. Even the best meteorologists are unable to predict tornadogenesis formation and touchdown points.
It seems like Ms. Blanchard, who is from the East Coast, decided to one day write a book about tornados and murder. She then asked herself where do tornados occur, and "Oklahoma" was the first state to come to mind. If she had spend some time looking at a map, maybe the details in geography would have been worked out. As it stands, this book reads as one involving tornados and the Great Plains written by someone who has never seen one nor been to that region of the country.
As my loving girlfriend says, "Write what you know."
February 1, 2019
Fast paced book - pun intended.
Charlie Grover is the chief of police of Promise, Oklahoma. Tornado chasing is a hobby by many people there. When a particularly violent twister tears the town apart, several people die. The deaths of a local family arouse suspicions however. Could they have been murdered during the storm? How exactly would a killer know when and where a tornado was going to touchdown? Charlie is bound to find out and there are several storm chasers who are potential suspects. When his 16 year old daughter disappears and leaves the vague note that she's gone storm chasing, Charlie knows he's in a race against not only the clock, but a twister on a storm path all of its own!
This was the perfect mash up of a murder mystery and the movie Twister. The murders are pretty interesting. There is a disturbing element (signature) that occurs each time that leaves the reader begging for an explanation. Furthermore, Blanchard does a great job creating several plausible suspects, so the reader is not quite sure who the murderer is. The book is filled with quite a bit of storm details. If you are interested in tornadoes, you'll probably be fascinated by all of it. If not, then the amount of detail might start to wear you down. I thought it was great though. The ending was a great chase scene that literally had me biting my nails.
I would recommend this book to others!
Charlie Grover is the chief of police of Promise, Oklahoma. Tornado chasing is a hobby by many people there. When a particularly violent twister tears the town apart, several people die. The deaths of a local family arouse suspicions however. Could they have been murdered during the storm? How exactly would a killer know when and where a tornado was going to touchdown? Charlie is bound to find out and there are several storm chasers who are potential suspects. When his 16 year old daughter disappears and leaves the vague note that she's gone storm chasing, Charlie knows he's in a race against not only the clock, but a twister on a storm path all of its own!
This was the perfect mash up of a murder mystery and the movie Twister. The murders are pretty interesting. There is a disturbing element (signature) that occurs each time that leaves the reader begging for an explanation. Furthermore, Blanchard does a great job creating several plausible suspects, so the reader is not quite sure who the murderer is. The book is filled with quite a bit of storm details. If you are interested in tornadoes, you'll probably be fascinated by all of it. If not, then the amount of detail might start to wear you down. I thought it was great though. The ending was a great chase scene that literally had me biting my nails.
I would recommend this book to others!
April 25, 2013
I love a good murder mystery and this one fit the bill. There’s nothing like a determined small town Sheriff uncovering the truth about terrible crimes. If you're of the faint of heart kind then this one may not be for you. In this story the Sheriff not only doggedly hunts down a murderer in the Tornado Alley section of Oklahoma and Texas but finally learns the truth about his own terrible childhood and its ugly secrets.
He’s fighting several different fires at one time and each of them interesting, demanding, terrifying and horribly sad. I highly recommend it; it’s a quick read and once you start you won’t be able to put it down. I love it when a persistent Law Enforcement type of any kind never gives up, tirelessly working the case bringing bad guys to justice. Non-fiction is more to my liking but a good fiction is just as fun if it’s written well and this story was.
He’s fighting several different fires at one time and each of them interesting, demanding, terrifying and horribly sad. I highly recommend it; it’s a quick read and once you start you won’t be able to put it down. I love it when a persistent Law Enforcement type of any kind never gives up, tirelessly working the case bringing bad guys to justice. Non-fiction is more to my liking but a good fiction is just as fun if it’s written well and this story was.
October 29, 2012
I really enjoyed the premise of this murder mystery (a mash-up of a standard serial killer story and the drama of the movie Twister). Blanchard’s plot was well drawn-out with plenty of suspense and tension - and even the killer’s identity surprised me! Blanchard included some pretty intense gore and rather grotesque images, but it worked well within the framework of violence from both nature and man. I liked this melding story a lot - and I was intrigued enough to buy one of her other mysteries, Darkness Peering. I am curious to see how it will be!
April 6, 2019
This thriller has an intriguing premise: a serial killer who's staging his gruesome crime scenes within the destructive paths of tornados. Wow! This story gives a high-velocity ride as the bodies of victims and murder suspects start piling up. I enjoyed all of the weather details and the plot twists. The ending was high-stakes, intense, and unexpected. The author did a great job of keeping me guessing to the final moment. Since I don't read a lot in this genre, I wasn't sure I'd like it, but this book was an excellent read.
October 5, 2010
This was a good mystery story about a murderer that plans his killings along the path of a good sized tornadoe to disguise his devious deeds. A sharp Oklahoma police chief begins to attempt to solve the crimes once the killer, along with a large tornadoe, strikes his town. I like that the author came up with an original idea for this story and the final storm chase can be breathtaking along with a page turner. I qualify this one as Goodreads.
August 8, 2018
Wouldn't recommend reading this during a bad storm. When a tornado hits in Oklahoma, there is going to be a murder. Cheif Charlie Grover finds 3 mutilated bodies after a tornado hits his small town. He can't figure out how the killer can predict where the tornado is going to hit. He gets help from The Environmental Sciences Laboratory. Will the killer hit close to home before he finds the killer? Happy Reading 😀
December 20, 2020
Alice Blanchard is amazing. A great writer and storyteller. I've read 2 of her books now and they are must reads! Suspenseful, haunting mysteries.
May 27, 2013
This story is what I call a tour de force! I picked it up in CVS about eight years ago, and I'm glad I did! That's all I'm going to say!
June 17, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. Its twister meets murder mystery. I adored it
July 12, 2024
Not what I was expecting at all but I loved it. I’m starting to really love mysteries that make my jaw drop.
September 21, 2018
A very exciting serial killer story
Chasing tornadoes is a daring adrenaline-charged sport for many. While some would not want to be anywhere near such terrifyingly weather phenomena, for others it is hugely stimulating. Hail damage incurred to vehicles is a minor bi-product, as far as they are concerned. Vans are equipped with the latest technology to persue tornadoes right near to the thin funnel spiralling up from the ground, having flung cars, people, animals, debris, houses or barns for miles. Why anyone would choose to live in such fear-inducing circumstances is a complete mystery! Perhaps growing up there leads to acceptance and resiliance.This story is centred in this dusty dramatic area, but while drawing readers into the drama of these weather-induced gambles with their livelihoods, it cleverly embraces the widowed Chief of Police's budding romance with one such crazy storm-chaser, his innocent, grieving, lonely but rebellious teenage daughter, and a sociopath, predictably abused in childhood, who uses such desperate times to enter homes of strangers to rob them, to terrify, torture, kill and mutilate them. His father trained him well. The sick hard-to-believe slant on this one involves removing a tooth of each victim and replacing it with another one. This becomes the "tell" for those who documejt evidence of each horrific murder and staged presentation of the corpses. It borders on a grisly sick fascination with the macabre. Several sentences were contrived, such as, "a stranger’s hiccup reminding you of your baby sister’s
laughter—and the bounce would leak right out of your step again." I found they diminished the novel, putting it into a cheap thrill category. However it was also an exciting read, my reservations aside.
Chasing tornadoes is a daring adrenaline-charged sport for many. While some would not want to be anywhere near such terrifyingly weather phenomena, for others it is hugely stimulating. Hail damage incurred to vehicles is a minor bi-product, as far as they are concerned. Vans are equipped with the latest technology to persue tornadoes right near to the thin funnel spiralling up from the ground, having flung cars, people, animals, debris, houses or barns for miles. Why anyone would choose to live in such fear-inducing circumstances is a complete mystery! Perhaps growing up there leads to acceptance and resiliance.This story is centred in this dusty dramatic area, but while drawing readers into the drama of these weather-induced gambles with their livelihoods, it cleverly embraces the widowed Chief of Police's budding romance with one such crazy storm-chaser, his innocent, grieving, lonely but rebellious teenage daughter, and a sociopath, predictably abused in childhood, who uses such desperate times to enter homes of strangers to rob them, to terrify, torture, kill and mutilate them. His father trained him well. The sick hard-to-believe slant on this one involves removing a tooth of each victim and replacing it with another one. This becomes the "tell" for those who documejt evidence of each horrific murder and staged presentation of the corpses. It borders on a grisly sick fascination with the macabre. Several sentences were contrived, such as, "a stranger’s hiccup reminding you of your baby sister’s
laughter—and the bounce would leak right out of your step again." I found they diminished the novel, putting it into a cheap thrill category. However it was also an exciting read, my reservations aside.
December 14, 2018
Spine Tingling Thriller
A spine tingling thriller set in tornado alley. Sensational descriptions with larger than life characters and a seriously twisted plot. A small town cop vs a serial killer who has been hiding his kills in the horrific damage caused by mother nature's tornadoes
A spine tingling thriller set in tornado alley. Sensational descriptions with larger than life characters and a seriously twisted plot. A small town cop vs a serial killer who has been hiding his kills in the horrific damage caused by mother nature's tornadoes
September 15, 2018
Riveting read!
This is not my normal type of genre to read but it seemed to pull me in from the description alone. I would highly recommend this book! Amazingly descriptive and intense!
This is not my normal type of genre to read but it seemed to pull me in from the description alone. I would highly recommend this book! Amazingly descriptive and intense!
October 18, 2018
worth reading
Ms Blanchard keeps you turning the pages to see what comes next. i will continue to read this author's books.
Ms Blanchard keeps you turning the pages to see what comes next. i will continue to read this author's books.
December 17, 2018
Plenty of Excitement
This book is especially good in that it introduces a vast array of murder suspects, and slowly narrows the field down to one. I really didn't see that one coming. Good read.
This book is especially good in that it introduces a vast array of murder suspects, and slowly narrows the field down to one. I really didn't see that one coming. Good read.
December 18, 2018
Hard to put down
Great story and impossible to put down. I got really annoyed if anyone interrupted my reading. Loved this amazing book.
Great story and impossible to put down. I got really annoyed if anyone interrupted my reading. Loved this amazing book.
September 23, 2018
This was my first book from Alice Blanchard and I loved it. Last 100 pages ..I couldnt stay calm so I stick the book in the freezer for a day :D I really enjoyed the book...but I Wouldn't recommend reading this during a bad storm.
December 8, 2018
Very intense
This well written book grabs you from the first page. There are so many different things happening you can't put it down until the end. I learned a lot about Tornados and don't want to ever be in one. Would recommend this for anyone who loves a great thriller.
This well written book grabs you from the first page. There are so many different things happening you can't put it down until the end. I learned a lot about Tornados and don't want to ever be in one. Would recommend this for anyone who loves a great thriller.
December 10, 2018
Truly terrifying and engrossing!
First book I've read by the author but it won't be the last. I could not put it down. Characters are human and flawed and trying hard to do the right thing and we root for them to very end. Well done!
First book I've read by the author but it won't be the last. I could not put it down. Characters are human and flawed and trying hard to do the right thing and we root for them to very end. Well done!
January 7, 2019
Wow!! This book exceeded my expectations. Wasn't sure it would be something I would like, I loved it!
If you enjoy thrilling mysteries this is a great one. This takes storm chasing and serial killing to new levels. I didn't want it to end, and was kinda hoping for a cliff hanger ending so the story would continue. This is the kind of book you want to read all the time. Has you on the edge and loving it!
If you enjoy thrilling mysteries this is a great one. This takes storm chasing and serial killing to new levels. I didn't want it to end, and was kinda hoping for a cliff hanger ending so the story would continue. This is the kind of book you want to read all the time. Has you on the edge and loving it!
September 7, 2022
I never really thought much about tornadoes before, where my family lived in South Texas we had to deal with hurricanes, wind damage and the flooding they caused.
However there was one year after I grew up and got married that a tornado did touch down in the town where my parents still lived.
It did some damage here and there at both my parents home as well as my sister-in-laws house.
Reading this intense, graphically descriptive tale has been both illuminating and terrifying for me.
Gives me a greater appreciation for the fact our family doesn’t live in, or near, Tornado Alley.
However there was one year after I grew up and got married that a tornado did touch down in the town where my parents still lived.
It did some damage here and there at both my parents home as well as my sister-in-laws house.
Reading this intense, graphically descriptive tale has been both illuminating and terrifying for me.
Gives me a greater appreciation for the fact our family doesn’t live in, or near, Tornado Alley.
September 17, 2018
Harrowing
Enjoyed this harrowing murder mystery. It amazes me the capacity for human brutality and this book portrays this in chilling detail . The characters are well defined and realistic.
Enjoyed this harrowing murder mystery. It amazes me the capacity for human brutality and this book portrays this in chilling detail . The characters are well defined and realistic.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews