What do you think?
Rate this book
Storm
Kate Beauchamp, police detective on leave, isn't planning anything more strenuous than a meal and a kip in the ferry lounge. Until it turns into everyone's worst nightmare: a ferry disaster that claims almost all lives on board.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
7 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Boris Starling
57 books142 followersBoris Starling's writing career began at the age of eight, when his English teacher spotted that his short story was (a) unusually good for a child his age (b) copied verbatim from Tintin's 'Prisoners Of The Sun.' (That was also the first time he learnt the word 'verbatim', not to mention the term 'copyright violation'.)
All his work since then has been strictly his own. He has written eight novels, including Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers. Five appear under his own name (Messiah, Storm, Vodka, Visibility and, in a daring breakout from one-word titles, The Stay-Behind Cave) and three as Daniel Blake (Soul Murder (UK)/Thou Shalt Kill (US), City Of Sins (UK)/City Of The Dead (US) and White Death). Every one of these books features someone dying horribly somewhere along the way. Sometimes they even deserve it.
Boris also created the 'Messiah' franchise which ran for seven years on BBC1, and has written screenplays for productions in the UK and US.
He has inherited his grandfather's male pattern baldness, but sadly not his prodigious height. He is a keen sportsman, though he has now reached the age where enthusiasm and experience are beginning to trump sheer skill. He lives in Dorset, England, with his wife, children, greyhounds, and however many chickens manage to keep clear of marauding foxes.
All his work since then has been strictly his own. He has written eight novels, including Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers. Five appear under his own name (Messiah, Storm, Vodka, Visibility and, in a daring breakout from one-word titles, The Stay-Behind Cave) and three as Daniel Blake (Soul Murder (UK)/Thou Shalt Kill (US), City Of Sins (UK)/City Of The Dead (US) and White Death). Every one of these books features someone dying horribly somewhere along the way. Sometimes they even deserve it.
Boris also created the 'Messiah' franchise which ran for seven years on BBC1, and has written screenplays for productions in the UK and US.
He has inherited his grandfather's male pattern baldness, but sadly not his prodigious height. He is a keen sportsman, though he has now reached the age where enthusiasm and experience are beginning to trump sheer skill. He lives in Dorset, England, with his wife, children, greyhounds, and however many chickens manage to keep clear of marauding foxes.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 4, 2018
O aquecimento global ofertou à humanidade um rol de fenómenos meteorológicos que brincam com a sobrevivência da nossa espécie. Destes, as tempestades destacam-se não só pela sua globalidade - ocorrem em climas mais secos e noutros mais húmidos - mas também pela junção de dois elementos tão antagónicos como a água e o fogo - se as trombas de água podem alargar terrenos e fazer desabar estruturas, o calor que se sente no centro de um raio assemelha-se ao do âmago do Sol. Da poção mágica orquestrada nasce uma mistura explosiva que poderá cremar e dissipar qualquer culpa ou pecado, num acto de contrição natural.
Baseado nestas ideias, Boris Starling iniciou a sua segunda obra num clima que faz lembrar o Titanic: a detective Kate Beauchamp, que ajudou Red Metcalfe na sublime aventura anterior (contra o Língua de Prata, mais que recomendado) e depois pediu transferência para outra esquadra como forma de esquecer tais peripécias, regressa a bordo de um navio em inundação, durante um tempestade em pleno Mar do Norte. Numa luta pela vida, com imensos abalrroamentos pelo caminho, Kate acaba por conseguir escapar sã e salva a esta prova de fogo. Experimenta, no entanto, o fel sabor do stress pós-traumático e para o esquecer, ao invés de descansar e aproveitar o tempo com a sua família, decide aceitar um caso de assassinato, com contornos macabros: extremidades decepadas, lesões estranhas no abdomén e uma Víbora Negra a rodear a vítima, atada a uma árvore, numa via pública. Poderá Kate suplantar o seu sofrimento recente e conseguir desvendar um mistério que teima em entrelaçar-se com os pilares que suportam a sua vida?
O autor habituou-nos a uma escrita imersiva, com um enredo sublime e um mistério bem construído, em "Messias". Neste livro, o modus operandi não resulta de uma adaptação das mortes dos discípulos por um mentor que se assume o novo Cristo. É, em contrapartida, uma reinterpretação de um mito grego, que relaciona as Eríneas (e não Fúrias, as suas "irmãs romanas" como escrito tantas vezes) com o matrícidio. Apesar da grande paixão pela cultura grega e das reverberações que pairam na minha mente desde a leitura anterior, "Tempestade" acabou por não convencer por vários motivos. Primeiro, a exploração excessiva dos sentimentos de culpa - advindos da superação da tarefa hercúlea de sobreviver à catástrofe naútica - coloca o enrendo criminal em segundo plano, deixando o leitor sem eira nem beira para compreender sobre o que realmente se prentende retratar. Claro que a maioria das pontas acaba por se enlaçar em nós simples (nada de nós de marinheiros) mas o enredo só se torna mais claro nas 100 páginas finais, quando as cenas descritas exigem uma leitura num ritmo desenfreado (mas até lá quase se acompanha uma travessia do deserto). Por último, são demais os erros ortográficos, as incogruências mitológicas já mencioandas e os erros anatómicos descritos.
A melhor forma de ultrapssar uma tempestade, de forma incólume, será acocorar-se, evitando movimentos bruscos e um contacto directo com objectos metálicos e reluzentes. Creio que foi isso que Boris Starling acabou por retratar nesta segunda obra: deu aos seus leitores um enredo insípido, no início, mas sufocante, no final, exigindo uma apneia curta que acaba num suspiro fácil (enfadonho?). "Tempestade" acaba, assim, por escapar entre os pingos da chuva a uma avaliação mais negativa, sem evitar, no entanto, um embate com a onda feroz criada pelo peso pesado, que é "Messias".
Baseado nestas ideias, Boris Starling iniciou a sua segunda obra num clima que faz lembrar o Titanic: a detective Kate Beauchamp, que ajudou Red Metcalfe na sublime aventura anterior (contra o Língua de Prata, mais que recomendado) e depois pediu transferência para outra esquadra como forma de esquecer tais peripécias, regressa a bordo de um navio em inundação, durante um tempestade em pleno Mar do Norte. Numa luta pela vida, com imensos abalrroamentos pelo caminho, Kate acaba por conseguir escapar sã e salva a esta prova de fogo. Experimenta, no entanto, o fel sabor do stress pós-traumático e para o esquecer, ao invés de descansar e aproveitar o tempo com a sua família, decide aceitar um caso de assassinato, com contornos macabros: extremidades decepadas, lesões estranhas no abdomén e uma Víbora Negra a rodear a vítima, atada a uma árvore, numa via pública. Poderá Kate suplantar o seu sofrimento recente e conseguir desvendar um mistério que teima em entrelaçar-se com os pilares que suportam a sua vida?
O autor habituou-nos a uma escrita imersiva, com um enredo sublime e um mistério bem construído, em "Messias". Neste livro, o modus operandi não resulta de uma adaptação das mortes dos discípulos por um mentor que se assume o novo Cristo. É, em contrapartida, uma reinterpretação de um mito grego, que relaciona as Eríneas (e não Fúrias, as suas "irmãs romanas" como escrito tantas vezes) com o matrícidio. Apesar da grande paixão pela cultura grega e das reverberações que pairam na minha mente desde a leitura anterior, "Tempestade" acabou por não convencer por vários motivos. Primeiro, a exploração excessiva dos sentimentos de culpa - advindos da superação da tarefa hercúlea de sobreviver à catástrofe naútica - coloca o enrendo criminal em segundo plano, deixando o leitor sem eira nem beira para compreender sobre o que realmente se prentende retratar. Claro que a maioria das pontas acaba por se enlaçar em nós simples (nada de nós de marinheiros) mas o enredo só se torna mais claro nas 100 páginas finais, quando as cenas descritas exigem uma leitura num ritmo desenfreado (mas até lá quase se acompanha uma travessia do deserto). Por último, são demais os erros ortográficos, as incogruências mitológicas já mencioandas e os erros anatómicos descritos.
A melhor forma de ultrapssar uma tempestade, de forma incólume, será acocorar-se, evitando movimentos bruscos e um contacto directo com objectos metálicos e reluzentes. Creio que foi isso que Boris Starling acabou por retratar nesta segunda obra: deu aos seus leitores um enredo insípido, no início, mas sufocante, no final, exigindo uma apneia curta que acaba num suspiro fácil (enfadonho?). "Tempestade" acaba, assim, por escapar entre os pingos da chuva a uma avaliação mais negativa, sem evitar, no entanto, um embate com a onda feroz criada pelo peso pesado, que é "Messias".
January 3, 2013
Gostei do livro!! ^_^
O inicio foi, pronto... ok... mas assim que as coisas começaram a mexer fui gostando mais.
Gostei ainda mais quando o Red apareceu com o seu obscuro dom, ai conseguiu prender-me.
E que belas reviravoltas no final. :)
Mas apesar disto tudo, não chega para alcançar o fenómeno que é o "Messias", porque esse livro... UAUUUU!!!!
O inicio foi, pronto... ok... mas assim que as coisas começaram a mexer fui gostando mais.
Gostei ainda mais quando o Red apareceu com o seu obscuro dom, ai conseguiu prender-me.
E que belas reviravoltas no final. :)
Mas apesar disto tudo, não chega para alcançar o fenómeno que é o "Messias", porque esse livro... UAUUUU!!!!
February 23, 2015
Not the worst serial killer suspense story I've read but far from the best.
***SPOILER***
Firstly, know that this is the second book and there is an ongoing storyline from the first novel that would make some sense if I'd read that first book (Messiah). However, the blurb read like this was an independent story so I didn't think reading the author's other book was important. Not that it's vital to the story, it's just that the characters seem so shallow and predictable in Storm and I guess one of the reasons might be that they were introduced in more detail in the first book.
Secondly, the predictability of this story tested my patience. I usually like to have a guess at who the bad guy is, like everyone who reads these books I guess, but early on it was obvious who the serial killer was, who was behind the "bomb" on the ferry, who had kidnapped the children, and who was behind the letter bomb, and it frustrated me that the characters, who knew everything the reader knew, still couldn't see it. I was starting to lose patience with every wrong arrest protagonist Kate Beauchamp made.
Finally, there were little things in the story that were added and never resolved. Again, some of these may have been carry-overs from the first book. Kate's kid, Leo, crying every time he was taken to her workplace. He was obviously scared of something, and I thought it might come out that he'd seen or heard something that would implicate the guilty party. Nothing ever came of it but (author) Boris Starling must have been pointing to something. (I can't remember which writer it was who said, a knife is not to be introduced into a story unless you intend to use it. Ie. everything in a story is there for a reason). Maybe this was just the author's way of justifying how little time Kate spends with her son through the story, but this is only something I came to in hindsight. It definitely didn't read like that at the time.
Kate's father disappears from the story once his character has served his purpose. Kate's complete overreaction to Alex seeing a counselor and her insistence they talk only to each other about their experience on the ferry - What was that about?
As I said, not the best suspense book I've read. Good as a quick read as long as you don't expect too much.
Having said that, I would read Starling's first novel, Messiah. What I picked up from this book makes it sound like it would be a much better story.
***SPOILER***
Firstly, know that this is the second book and there is an ongoing storyline from the first novel that would make some sense if I'd read that first book (Messiah). However, the blurb read like this was an independent story so I didn't think reading the author's other book was important. Not that it's vital to the story, it's just that the characters seem so shallow and predictable in Storm and I guess one of the reasons might be that they were introduced in more detail in the first book.
Secondly, the predictability of this story tested my patience. I usually like to have a guess at who the bad guy is, like everyone who reads these books I guess, but early on it was obvious who the serial killer was, who was behind the "bomb" on the ferry, who had kidnapped the children, and who was behind the letter bomb, and it frustrated me that the characters, who knew everything the reader knew, still couldn't see it. I was starting to lose patience with every wrong arrest protagonist Kate Beauchamp made.
Finally, there were little things in the story that were added and never resolved. Again, some of these may have been carry-overs from the first book. Kate's kid, Leo, crying every time he was taken to her workplace. He was obviously scared of something, and I thought it might come out that he'd seen or heard something that would implicate the guilty party. Nothing ever came of it but (author) Boris Starling must have been pointing to something. (I can't remember which writer it was who said, a knife is not to be introduced into a story unless you intend to use it. Ie. everything in a story is there for a reason). Maybe this was just the author's way of justifying how little time Kate spends with her son through the story, but this is only something I came to in hindsight. It definitely didn't read like that at the time.
Kate's father disappears from the story once his character has served his purpose. Kate's complete overreaction to Alex seeing a counselor and her insistence they talk only to each other about their experience on the ferry - What was that about?
As I said, not the best suspense book I've read. Good as a quick read as long as you don't expect too much.
Having said that, I would read Starling's first novel, Messiah. What I picked up from this book makes it sound like it would be a much better story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2008
I got through 68 pages of this book when I decided I just couldn't take any more. I feel bad, but I had absolutely no interest in what was going on. I thought this was a book about a serial killer, so when I suffered through about 50 pages of a ferry ship sinking I kinda wondered what the hell is the point of all this? By the time I got to an actual murder victim, I just didn't care anymore, and moved on to another book. :S
October 8, 2022
... Surpreendido pela positiva com esta "Tempestade", um livro que se lê em crescendo e termina de forma deliciosamente torturante, o Carter tirou algumas ideias nestes capítulos finais certamente!!
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Às páginas tantas dei por mim a agarrado ao "Messias" a ler as últimas páginas para me lembrar do Red!!
Ecxelente livro!!
25ª leitura de 2022 (objectivo conseguido 😁)
Boas Leituras 📚 📙 📖
#ricardocapinha #livrodoraio
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Às páginas tantas dei por mim a agarrado ao "Messias" a ler as últimas páginas para me lembrar do Red!!
Ecxelente livro!!
25ª leitura de 2022 (objectivo conseguido 😁)
Boas Leituras 📚 📙 📖
#ricardocapinha #livrodoraio
July 18, 2016
Read Messiah first. And then pick up Storm. You won't be disappointed. (You might also want the background of Messiah that is referred to repeatedly in Storm.)
He deals with a deranged serial killer who is quite elusive. This time around, Kate Beauchamp is our detective and Starling gets into her mind smartly. Here, Starling weaves a story with two tragedies, the sinking of a ferry Kate was on, and the serial murders. At first it seems crazy to follow the two so closely, but the many ties, beginning with Kate's father and friends, between the two produce a tightly woven tale. Starling also gets inside the head of this young woman, particularly with her mental and emotional reactions toward the sinking and the killings.
What I like about both this and Messiah is the thought and story behind the serial killers. They are not "run of the mill" psycho stories. Without giving much more away, I will say they are more than thought provoking. In addition, the stories themselves are so addictive that I found myself, like I did with Messiah, wondering which of the many characters the killer could be. With plot and decent character development like this, who needs much more in a good thriller?
June 6, 2014
Boris Starling é um grande escritor e pouco mais há a dizer...
Embora tenha achado este livro um pouco enfadonho nas primeiras 60 páginas, pois centra-se demasiado no naufrágio e no stress pós-traumático dos seus ssobreviventes, com o desenrolar da história percebemos que tudo o que ficou para trás faz todo o sentido para que nos consigamos embrenhar profundamente no desenrolar dos acontecimentos.
Um livro envolvente, com um final deveras surpreendente, com momentos arrepiantes e com pistas e mais pistas que nos fazem querer armar em detectives, mas que não nos conseguem ajudar a perceber quem é o verdadeiro culpado, para isso temos mesmo que ir até ao final, o que não é sacrifício algum, pois o livro consegue mesmo agarrar-nos e viciar-nos.
A entrada de Red Metcalfe nas investigações, que já conhecemos do livro "Messias" vem conferir um sabor delicioso e excitante à história.
Autor 5 estrelas, livro 5 estrelas, leitura altamente recomendável!!!
Embora tenha achado este livro um pouco enfadonho nas primeiras 60 páginas, pois centra-se demasiado no naufrágio e no stress pós-traumático dos seus ssobreviventes, com o desenrolar da história percebemos que tudo o que ficou para trás faz todo o sentido para que nos consigamos embrenhar profundamente no desenrolar dos acontecimentos.
Um livro envolvente, com um final deveras surpreendente, com momentos arrepiantes e com pistas e mais pistas que nos fazem querer armar em detectives, mas que não nos conseguem ajudar a perceber quem é o verdadeiro culpado, para isso temos mesmo que ir até ao final, o que não é sacrifício algum, pois o livro consegue mesmo agarrar-nos e viciar-nos.
A entrada de Red Metcalfe nas investigações, que já conhecemos do livro "Messias" vem conferir um sabor delicioso e excitante à história.
Autor 5 estrelas, livro 5 estrelas, leitura altamente recomendável!!!
August 8, 2018
This has been on my to be read pile for three years; picked up as a punt for a bit of research into something I later decided was unnecessary. So I was late to appreciate the solidity of the writing, the breathtaking impact of the opening scenes and the masterfully-handled, increasingly-knotted strands of thereafter. The characterisation is superb and the drama of the ending considerable.
May 13, 2020
I started reading Storm sometime last year and still haven't got past the 100 page mark given the sloppy plot and the predictability of the whole situation. Gravely disappointed that this is the same author who wrote something as mesmerizing as Messiah.
February 11, 2011
Adorei, fabuloso!
June 10, 2013
Elemental rage, bloody Greek myth, man's capacity for cruelty, the insane imaginings of a killer, all intermingle in Storm to create a novel of stunning ferocity.
November 29, 2015
well paced Brit thriller.
October 6, 2025
DCI Kate Beauchamp is on board the Amphitrite.
The ferry sinks and Kate is one of the lucky survivors.
To assuage her guilt and try to get over the incident she throws herself into her work, she is leading the hunt for a crazed killer who is mutilating his victims and leaving a snake on their chests.
Meanwhile she crosses paths with her estranged father Frank who is also investigating.
As the danger ramps up unbeknown to Kate she is in the killer's sights and is set to be the next victim...
Very twisty, keeps you guessing a great read.
Now want to read the back story to Red Metcalfe in the other novel, Messiah.
The ferry sinks and Kate is one of the lucky survivors.
To assuage her guilt and try to get over the incident she throws herself into her work, she is leading the hunt for a crazed killer who is mutilating his victims and leaving a snake on their chests.
Meanwhile she crosses paths with her estranged father Frank who is also investigating.
As the danger ramps up unbeknown to Kate she is in the killer's sights and is set to be the next victim...
Very twisty, keeps you guessing a great read.
Now want to read the back story to Red Metcalfe in the other novel, Messiah.
September 9, 2023
Re-read after years, due to being a fan of the Messiah TV adaptation. I find myself thinking much the same as I did of the Messiah novel. above average serial killer thriller, killer too obvious, over-the-top ending that's so extreme as to undermine what comes before. Starling's reverence for Thomas Harris is obvious and too much: too much Will Graham in the character of Red, too much referencing The Silence of the Lambs as if it's a police reference book. Overall good but not great.
July 30, 2024
The usual gaps in logic and credibility stretches peculiar to the genre are here (oh that ending...) but Starling's ability to juggle his separate plot lines----a detective with PTSD, a serial killer, the mysterious sinking of a ferry, a soured father-daughter relationship-----before bringing them all together for the final curtain is commendable. A good summer vacation novel.
August 30, 2025
Readable, but with the usual clichés; the diabolical serial killer, the brilliant detective who does the job despite all the problems in their personal life.
When it comes to cop based thrillers Ian Rankin and Michael Connelly stand apart.
When it comes to cop based thrillers Ian Rankin and Michael Connelly stand apart.
August 3, 2018
Starts off with a terrifying description of a sinking ferry - the murders that follow have a hard time beating that! But a fascinating story and a great read.
October 10, 2020
Medíocre.
Previsível.
A intervenção de Red soa-me um pouco forçada e aleatória, não? Meh!
Previsível.
A intervenção de Red soa-me um pouco forçada e aleatória, não? Meh!
November 29, 2020
EXCELLANT CRIME THRILLER..LOVE IT...
Read
June 5, 2022Na verdade li "Mesmo na Tempestade" de Amantino Adorno Vassão
February 21, 2025
Bonus point because it's situated in Aberdeen. It was fun to recognise several landmarks / places.
April 26, 2025
Really enjoyed the book till it started on the issue with kidiporn. Don’t like that at all. Did not finish it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2024
Scary but captivating
October 3, 2016
Grizzly, gruesome, fantastic!
May 10, 2016
Although the first chapter is uncomfortably long (61 pages), it is so good you barely care. You are right there, alongside Kate as she escapes a sinking ferry, tasting the sea water and engine oil as you battle for survival together.
Kate is a police officer, and upon return to work, she is assigned to catch a serial killer. We follow her investigation, which she conducts while still trying to recover from the trauma caused by the disaster. The account of her hunt for the killer is interspersed with the enquiry into the sinking, which is led by her father (a marine investigator). The two threads of the story run in parallel, and it’s only in the final chapter that they come together, and the link between the two is suddenly and terrifyingly evident.
Starling has clearly done very detailed research – especially on the effect of trauma on behaviour – but this information is so beautifully melded with the storyline that you barely notice.
The characterisation is also brilliant– you really get to know the people involved, and empathize with them as they come alive on the page. This is even true of the killer: although it’s unnerving to enter his mind, you can’t help but feel some sympathy for him as you discover how his childhood drove him to this psychological state. You hope he can be rescued from himself before it is too late.
The novel’s continuous use of the present tense is a little tiring, but you do get used to it after a while. Personally, I also found a couple of passages too gruesome to read, but that wasn’t because they were gratuitous; rather that I’m squeamish.
Overall, this is a beautifully written thriller that gripped me like no other has managed for years. I don’t understand why Starling isn’t better known.
Kate is a police officer, and upon return to work, she is assigned to catch a serial killer. We follow her investigation, which she conducts while still trying to recover from the trauma caused by the disaster. The account of her hunt for the killer is interspersed with the enquiry into the sinking, which is led by her father (a marine investigator). The two threads of the story run in parallel, and it’s only in the final chapter that they come together, and the link between the two is suddenly and terrifyingly evident.
Starling has clearly done very detailed research – especially on the effect of trauma on behaviour – but this information is so beautifully melded with the storyline that you barely notice.
The characterisation is also brilliant– you really get to know the people involved, and empathize with them as they come alive on the page. This is even true of the killer: although it’s unnerving to enter his mind, you can’t help but feel some sympathy for him as you discover how his childhood drove him to this psychological state. You hope he can be rescued from himself before it is too late.
The novel’s continuous use of the present tense is a little tiring, but you do get used to it after a while. Personally, I also found a couple of passages too gruesome to read, but that wasn’t because they were gratuitous; rather that I’m squeamish.
Overall, this is a beautifully written thriller that gripped me like no other has managed for years. I don’t understand why Starling isn’t better known.
May 5, 2024
I thought this book was rather "choppy" to read. Seems like when it starts out a lot of time was spent on the situation on the ferry, Amphitrite. What happens in the opening chapter does come into play later on in the book, but all the incidents that take place on the Amphitrite, are not necessary, in my opinion to the storyline later. Detective Chief Inspector Kate Beauchamp, who is aboard, due to her sideline of being in an theatrical group, gets involved in the grisly murders of victims who are dismembered in a odd way. And why is a snake included in each of the murder scenes? Her estranged father, Frank, is called upon to investigate the sinking of the Amphitrite, but will that help or hinder her investigation, and bring her and her Father closer, or drive them farther apart?
March 17, 2012
Storm is just it says.....A Storm.
Right from page one, you're sucked into the vortex of a storm (literal one!) and from there, you just whiz past experiences, deductions, clues and bodies. But what comes to the fore are the emotions. Thrillers usually lay low when it comes to emotions. But Storm transcends that and allows you peeks into Kate's mindset and the battle she faces. The ending is somewhat jaded, but alright. I kinda figured it out before I got to it. But maybe that's 'coz my mind is bombarded with Castle and Criminal Minds.
Worth a read. Can't wait to read the others!
Right from page one, you're sucked into the vortex of a storm (literal one!) and from there, you just whiz past experiences, deductions, clues and bodies. But what comes to the fore are the emotions. Thrillers usually lay low when it comes to emotions. But Storm transcends that and allows you peeks into Kate's mindset and the battle she faces. The ending is somewhat jaded, but alright. I kinda figured it out before I got to it. But maybe that's 'coz my mind is bombarded with Castle and Criminal Minds.
Worth a read. Can't wait to read the others!
December 21, 2021
This second thriller by Boris Starling is as good as his first. DCI Kate Beauchamp is on a ferry when it sinks. This would be traumatic enough but now her estranged father is now investigating the disaster. She plunges herself into work in hopes of fighting off survivor's guilt and comes up against a horrific serial killer. There are actually more credibility leaps in this story than in his first, but Starling's story telling is compelling enough so that I forgive him totally.
May 22, 2022
Just needed some more diversion from thinking too deeply - and this book, though dealing with grim and horrible subject-matter, was actually a lot better than I expected. The plot had quite a few twists and turns, was complex and multi-layered, structurally quite interesting and written in an articulate manner. Its metaliterary nature added another level to what might otherwise have been an everyday thriller.
January 24, 2010
I wish I could give it 3 1/2 stars. It took me a long time to get through the first 60 or 70 pages. It was all about a sinking ferry. I couldn't figure out how that related to murders. In the end it was a good book. The ferry boat sinking was more of a second plot, but it is related to the killer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews