Double Take

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 show more 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. show less

I always enjoy Catherine Coulter’s mysteries because of their interesting plotting and characters. This one had a cool storyline involving a wife who may or may not have been missing for three years and a bunch of psychics.

Please excuse typos/name misspellings. Entered on screen reader.

I really enjoyed the first couple Catherine Coulter books I read - I thought the pacing was good, characters interesting, etc. After reading 5 or 6 in the last few months, I'm now finding them pretty formulaic and less interesting - a little too predictable. This particular one had the twist of two look-alike women that caused much confusion throughout the case and two seemingly separate cases became entwined - other than that, standard fare.

Julia Ransom didn't murder her wealthy, famous, much older husband. But the police think she did. When someone tries to stab her and throws her off Pier 39, only the quick action of FBI agent Cheney Stone saves her.

Meanwhile, Virginia Sheriff Dixon Noble has just learned his wife, missing three years, has an eerily similar double. Dix and FBI agent Ruth Warnecki have become much more than friends since his wife's disappearance - but is his wife actually alive and living a new life?

So begins a complex and convoluted story spanning states and decades, and complete with car chases, explosions, and surprisingly, no sex. Coulter's signature punchy dialogue and intricate plotting make this an entertaining, if somewhat predictable read.

Plenty of Exciting Scenes and more!

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 show more 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. show less

When Julia Ransom is attacked while taking a stroll on San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, an FBI agent dining nearby saves her life and finds himself drawn into her complicated world. Julia is a widow; her much older celebrity-psychic husband was recently savagely murdered. Julia herself is considered a suspect in the case. FBI agent Cheney Stone refuses to believe it. At the same time, in the small town of Maestro, Virginia, Sheriff "Dix" Noble has just started resuming a normal life after the disappearance of his wife, Christie, three years ago. Even Christie’s father thinks she must be dead. When Dix gets a tip that Christie has been spotted in San Francisco, he heads there to check it out and winds up crossing paths with Agent show more Stone. With the help of Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, also FBI agents and recurring characters in Ms. Coulter’s FBI series, the group is able to solve the mystery behind the missing Christie and the murder of August Ransom. Lots of colorful characters, including the city itself; red herrings, potential suspects; and an ultimately satisfying conclusion. show less

Double take starts off where point blank left off. You follow Dix Nobel and Ruth on the search for what really happened to his wife. The main storyline for Double take however is that of Julia Ransome and Chaney Stone, who meet outside peir 39 when agent Stone saves Mrs. Ransome's life. Now the hunt is on for the man who tried to kill Julia, and the question is asked, does it have anything to do with the murder of her psychic husband six months before. I have not been so interested and excited about a Sherlock, Savich mystery since hemlock bay and the maze. With its cast of psychics and killer for hire it makes for a fascinating read!!!