Double Take - FBI Thriller #11 - Savich and Sherlock - (Julia Ransom and Sheney Stone [also Dixon and Ruth]) - Several plots going on - Dixon is looking for his wife. Cheney is rescuing Julia from death and from the Psychic world (as she is the widow of a psychic). It's been more than six months since her husband's brutal death, and Julia Ransom is just beginning to breathe again. She loved her husband, renowned psychic August Ransom, but the media frenzy that followed his murder sapped what little strength she had left. Now, after dinner with friends, strolling along San Francisco's Pier 39, she realizes that she's happy. Standing at the railing, she savors the sounds around her-tourists, seals on a barge-and for a moment enjoys the sheer normalcy of it all. And then it comes to an end. Out of nowhere she's approached by a respectable-looking man who distracts her with conversation before violently attacking her and throwing her the railing. If it hadn't been for Special Agent Cheney Stone, out to stretch his legs between courses at a local restaurant, Julia would have vanished into the bay's murky depths. Not only does he save her from a watery grave, but he senses a connection between her assault and her husband's death, and sets out to serve as her protector while reopening August Ransom's murder investigation. Meanwhile, in Maestro, Virginia, Sheriff Dixon Noble-last seen in Point Blank-still mourns his wife, Christie, who vanished hree years earlier. His life, too, is just getting back to normal when he learns of a San Francisco woman named Charlotte Pallack, whose shocking resemblance to Christie sends Dix across the country. Though he knows in his heart that she can't possibly be his wife, Dix is compelled to see her with his own eyes. Once in San Francisco, Dix and Cheney's paths inevitably cross. With the help of agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, whose San Francisco connections prove essential in unlocking the mystery behind Charlotte Pallack's identity as well as the forces behind Julia Ransom's attempted murder, Sheriff Noble and Agent Stone push deep into a complex world of psychics and poseurs. As the stakes and the body count rise, Savich, Sherlock, Dix, and Cheney fight for answers-and their lives.
This is a continuing story of Sheriff Dixon Noble and Agent Ruth Warnecki. Dix father in law receives an interesting call from a friend that says after three years of looking, he saw the sheriffs wife in San Francisco. Dix knows he has to find the truth before he can move on with Ruth. Judge Sherlock houses Dix and helps to connect him with women he came to see. Savich and Sherlock also end up with a case in San Francisco involving a psychics widow, Julia Ransom, who seems to have a professional assassin after her. Luckily Special Agent Cheney Stone seems to be in the right place at the right time. These two cases seem to have more than just the city in common, several of the same people are associated with both investigations, Savich and Sherlock don't think it's a coincident.The completion of the character of Dixon Noble is great to see, Ruth is lower keyed and easier to handle aslo. Julia and Cheney are so natural together, it almost takes you by surprise to see how quickly things have happened. It is easy to forget this is all suppose to have happened in about a week. As usual, Savich and Sherlock are the loving dual and the ending is a beautiful thing, for the car lover in everyone.This is definitely a series book, there are many references to other places and people, you really do need to read several of the previous books to get all of what is going on. Especially Point Blank, but there is minor references to people in Blow Out, Eleventh Hour, Hemlock Bay and The Edge.
What do You think about Double Take (2007)?
Plenty of Exciting Scenes, but not Ms. Coulter's best.!Sometimes I enjoy fast paced thrillers, but when I want a well-thought out mystery novels then I read a book by Catherine Coulter. I have enjoyed her FBI series books with Sherlock and Dillon and in "Double Take" is was good to see Cheney and Dix make their return after appearing in Point Blank, which happens to be one of my favorites. Overall, I didn't think this was one of Ms. Coulter's best books. I had a hard time keeping track of the characters and almost got to the point of keeping a score card as to "who" was "who". For me this "family tree" of characters caused a lot frustration on my part. However, let me say that mid-way through the book the story moved along at a brisk pace giving me plenty of exciting scenes. Soon, I found myself reading page and page until I finished it. Except for a few "kinks" in the story Catherine Coulter didn't disappoint me in this terrific story. And as always I look forward to reading her next novel.
—Tom
Unbelievable...and by that, I mean literally unbelievable. A rundown of the first chapter: An FBI agent sees an unknown woman get punched in the face, and then the assailant pulls a knife on her. When said FBI agent yells at the assailant, he runs away, after tossing the woman over the side of the pier into the bay. FBI agent, because he's not only an FBI agent but also an honorable man, rescues woman from the ocean, and revives her with CPR. Then, because she tells him to, he doesn't call the police. Instead, FBI agent carries (still) unknown woman to his personal vehicle, drives (still) unknown woman to her mansion home, takes (still) unknown woman upstairs to her bedroom and her master bath, then strips down (still) unknown woman and himself to their underwear and gets into a warm shower with her. Then, FBI agent puts on men's clothes that (still) unknown woman provides for him, and decides he will now call someone he knows in the local police department. And then, finally, finds out who unknown woman is. T-o-t-a-l-l-y unbelievable. Not to mention that the dialogue throughout the book is so stilted that I found myself groaning more often than grinning. Where I used to love the Dillon and Savich stories, Ms. Coulter's newer works have left me longing for the books of old. If you must, check DOUBLE TAKE out from your local library. Or wait until it comes out in paperback. In my opinion, it's definitely not worth the hardcover price.
—Jennifer Wardrip
I have never liked Catherine Coulter. I tried her once, I can't even remember which book it was and I couldn't finish it because I thought she tried too hard. I don't know. I distinctly remember one FBI agent telling another the basics of serial killers - male, 25 - 35, white, etc. And I just thought it was too obvious, like FBI agents wouldn't be talking to each other casually about that stuff since they already know it. It was obvious she just wanted the reader to know it.BUT, I tried this one mostly because the audiobook is read by one of my favorite readers, Phil Gigante. I'll pretty much listen to almost anything by him.And, surprisingly I enjoyed the story. I really got into the characters, and am interested to know more about their lives. The mystery part was interesting, and thought i was able to guess some of it, there were still some surprises.Overall, a good book. And I'll probably try some of her others now.
—Margarks
