Paradox

Catherine Coulter

Jul 2018 · An FBI Thriller Book 22 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this eBook

#1 New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter delves into the mind of an escaped mental patient obsessed with revenge in this “eerie, unsettling, and breathlessly terrifying” (The Real Book Spy) twenty-third installment in her FBI series.

When an escaped mental patient fails to kidnap five-year-old Sean Savich, agents Sherlock and Savich know they’re in his crosshairs and must find him before he continues with his kill list.

Chief Ty Christie of Willicott, Maryland, witnesses a murder at dawn from the deck of her lake cottage. When dragging the lake, the divers find not only find the murder victim but also dozens of bones. Working together with Chief Christie, Savich and Sherlock soon discover a frightening connection between the bones and the escaped psychopath.

Paradox is a chilling mix of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, old secrets that refuse to stay buried, and ruthless greed that keep Savich and Sherlock and Chief Christie working at high speed to uncover the truth before their own bones end up at the bottom of the lake.

Ratings and reviews

5+ Stars Review by Amy Late Night Reviewer Up All Night w/ Books Blog Holy heck, I think I am in love. I absolutely adore crime mysteries, but for some reason this is my first time reading Catherine Coulter. What in the world was I waiting for!? Paradox, her newest book in the FBI Thriller series was amazing! I cannot speak for the other books in the series, but I read this one as a standalone, and I was so utterly pleased. I can imagine I would have obtained some good backstory by reading the previous 21 books in the series, but if you have not read them yet, I would not let that stop you from picking this up. Wowza it was great! While there were a huge list of characters in this book, it mainly followed Sherlock and Savich, a married couple who works for the FBI, and Chief Ty Christie, who lives in a small town on Lake Massey. When Christie witnesses a murder on the lake outside her home, she pursues the perpetrator. Then, the crime turns federal, and Savich and Sherlock come onto the scene. The situation quickly turns personal when it links to a past case that they had worked on. Soon the aggressor is after Savich’s family and anyone else who is standing in his way. He will stop at nothing to get revenge. While they are investigating the crime scene at the lake, another discovery is made that take the detectives down the road of yet another case that brings in a whole other set of characters. This book had something going on at all times. No one could ever accuse this book of being boring. It was so beautifully plotted and everything meshed together in a perfect web of mystery, suspense, thrilling action and surprises. In previous books I got the feeling the main characters are usually Sherlock and Savich, and I enjoyed them, but I think for me, Ty stole the show. I loved her strong personality, her determination, and grit. I got the feeling she may appear in other books in the series moving forward which would be spectacular. I am officially head over heels for Coulter’s writing after reading this. I cannot wait to dive into this series from the beginning. I am giddy about what awaits me!

Paradox by Catherine Coulter is the twenty-second An FBI Thriller. I am new to the series, but I did not have any trouble thanks to the author providing the necessary background information. Paradox has an appealing opening that had me looking forward to reading more. It was thrilling and exciting with someone trying to kidnap Sean Savich and Chief Ty Christie observing a man being murdered. I was soon disappointed when the pacing started to lag and there were repetitive details that were totally unnecessary. The overly detailed descriptions also did not suit this story. We are introduced to numerous characters and are provided a backstory on each one (or so it seems). Paradox needed a faster pace and more action. I found the mystery to be predictable. The twists and turns were not unexpected. I was easily able to solve the mystery (that may have something to do with the hundreds of mysteries that I have read too). I wish the rest of the book had lived up to the first few chapters that had me riveted. While I wanted a little more oomph, others have enjoyed Paradox. Paradox is perfect to read on an airplane, on vacation or at the beach. I just wanted more thrills, chills and chases.

There was far too much needless fill and repetition in this book. The plot had me intrigued but I stopped reading 3/4 of the way in. I think with some decent editing and removal of the many references to "pumping fists", it could be a great book.

About the author

Catherine Coulter is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of eighty-four novels, including the FBI Thriller series and The Brit in the FBI international thriller series, cowritten with J.T. Ellison. Coulter lives in Sausalito, California, with her Übermensch husband and their two noble cats, Peyton and Eli. You can reach her at [e-mail] or visit Facebook.com/CatherineCoulterBooks.