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Frantic (Detective Ella Marconi #1)

by Katherine Howell (Goodreads Author)

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 118 ratings · 35 reviews

In one terrible moment, paramedic Sophie Phillips’ life is ripped apart – her police officer husband, Chris, is shot on their doorstep and their ten-month-old son, Lachlan, is abducted from his bed. Suspicion surrounds Chris as he is tainted with police corruption, but Sophie believes the attack is much more personal – and the perpetrator far more dangerous...

While Chris i...more

Paperback, 362 pages

Published 2007 by Pan Macmillan Australia

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Mar 19, 2013 Diana Hockley rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like Katherine Howell's novels and especially enjoy the technical details of the paramedic's work. Howell always brings angst into the lives of her protagonists and this story is no exception.

However, I did NOT like Sophie, the main character, although I did like Ella Marconi, a constant character in Howell's novels.

Sophie is an paramedic with a secret and a marriage which appears to be in trouble. Her husband will not talk to her about what is worrying her and a rumour of corruption surroundi...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Sally906 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: australian-author, mystery, thriller

Wow – what a great debut thriller – this was a real page turner for me the suspense was unrelenting.
Sophie Phillips is a paramedic in Sydney, Australia. Not only is her work high stress with a non-stop pace – but her home life is just as busy with a baby boy and policeman husband, Chris
The book opens right in the middle of the action – a bank robbery, the seventh, in a series has occurred and a guard is down. Sophie and her partner Mick are called to attend but are unable to save the guard. Almo...more Wow – what a great debut thriller – this was a real page turner for me the suspense was unrelenting.
Sophie Phillips is a paramedic in Sydney, Australia. Not only is her work high stress with a non-stop pace – but her home life is just as busy with a baby boy and policeman husband, Chris
The book opens right in the middle of the action – a bank robbery, the seventh, in a series has occurred and a guard is down. Sophie and her partner Mick are called to attend but are unable to save the guard. Almost immediately they are called to the emergency birth of a child – only to have the mother and baby die. Not a good day. There is not much support at home either, Chris and Sophie are having problems, and Sophie is riddled with guilt because she has had a one-night stand with her husband’s partner, Angus.

The next day everything changes – the police receive an anonymous tip off that point the bank robberies at corrupt police, Chris is critically shot on his front doorstep and baby Lachlan is kidnapped. While Chris is in hospital fighting for his life, and now suspected of being linked to the bank robberies, the police search for the baby swings into action.

Sophie’s distress causes her to to frantically search for her son – going against police advice. Her anguish is heartbreakingly real. Sophie thinks she knows who has her baby and is determined to bring them to justice herself, because she doesn’t think the police are trying hard enough. Meanwhile Chris, recuperating in hospital, thinks that it is something he has done that has caused the baby to disappear – can he do something to get his baby back?

Detective Ella Marconi is assigned the case – trying to link all the pieces of the puzzle together – and stop Sophie from hindering in the investigation.

Is there nothing a mother under the pump won’t do to get her child back?

There are a few threads to the story but it is all go, go go! The book picks you up and doesn’t let you go until the explosive end when all the red herrings melt away and the truth comes out. Author, Katherine Howell, was a worthy nominee for the 2008 Ned Kelly award for best first novel. She has got the strong pull of motherhood to the T – and I very much related to Sophie and understood her reactions – takes a lot of talent to provoke such sympathy from me for a character in a book. Is very good, and I am looking forwards to the next book THE DARKEST HOUR which has been released – and a third is not too far away. Katherine Howell is an author to look out for.

STOP PRESS: FRANTIC has just won a Davitt Award for best crime novel by an Australian Author – Way to go Katherine!!(less)

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Feb 27, 2012 Karen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: australian, crime

Sophie Phillips is a paramedic and her husband Chris is a cop. When Sophie and her paramedic partner are called to a premature labour case, the results of the early labour are tragic, and despite Sophie and Mick being very sure they have done the right thing, the baby's father - Boyd Sawyer is grief stricken and irrational - and he goes out of his way to threaten Sophie and Mick. Meanwhile Sophie and Chris's previously happy marriage has been fading recently. Chris was badly assaulted during a r...more Sophie Phillips is a paramedic and her husband Chris is a cop. When Sophie and her paramedic partner are called to a premature labour case, the results of the early labour are tragic, and despite Sophie and Mick being very sure they have done the right thing, the baby's father - Boyd Sawyer is grief stricken and irrational - and he goes out of his way to threaten Sophie and Mick. Meanwhile Sophie and Chris's previously happy marriage has been fading recently. Chris was badly assaulted during a recent arrest and ever since then he's been increasingly moody and distant. Whilst all of this is going on, there is a band of armed robbers raiding banks throughout Sydney and they are becoming increasingly violent, with the latest raid a bank guard is shot dead.

How would you cope if you're doing your job, and things go desperately wrong. If you're suddenly threatened, how would you react when your own ten-month-old son Lachlan is kidnapped from your house and your husband is shot in the head - lucky to be still alive. Would you blame yourself and wonder if those threats are behind your son's disappearance? Would you blame your husband who has been acting oddly, and with the stench of police corruption all around you? Worse still, would both of you be able to sort out your own fears and guilt and work together to find your son?

FRANTIC takes the reader down some unexpected pathways. For a start there's a police procedural element with Detective Ella Marconi working on trying to find baby Lachlan with the police team assigned to the case. But equally in the readers focus is the experience of the paramedic within the confines of a crime, accident or simply human misadventure or misery. Sophie's own reactions to the kidnapping of her son, her own pursuit, her frantic (hence the name of the novel) attempts to find her boy, to deal with the shooting of her husband, to cope with her guilt are stark and well drawn. She thinks the most likely kidnapper for her son is the father from the earlier, disastrous ambulance call-out. She's also feeling very guilty about a one night stand with the man that she's turned to for help in finding Lachlan - her husband Chris's police partner Angus. Chris is dealing with his own feelings of guilt - he wakes up in hospital after surgery to remove a bullet from his head, and he is worried, very very worried, that the reason for Lachlan's kidnapping is connected to something corrupt in the police force that he knows a lot more about than he's let on.

The author of FRANTIC is a paramedic herself, and that perspective of a crime scene, an accident scene, an investigation is very unique - and it's written in a very accessible manner. It brings a refreshing perspective from the participants, at the same time that FRANTIC covers the reaction of a family or victim to the events that surround that crime. And there's definitely a distinct feeling of frenzy about FRANTIC. The pace of the book starts from page one and it doesn't let up until the end - mirroring the life of a paramedic firstly where they move case by case at breakneck speed, then the reaction of a frantic mother, desperate to find her son, unable to sit and wait.

Combine the unusual and well handled perspective of the paramedic, with a fast paced, tightly told thriller, and a brave and well executed finale to the story and FRANTIC was a great book - you know you're onto something good when you start a book on Saturday afternoon, finish it on Sunday night and feel somewhat disappointed that the next book - PANIC - won't be available until 2008.(less)

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May 26, 2009 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-audio-books, 2009-mysteries

Frantic, by Katherine Howell, a-minus, narrated by Caroline Lee, produced by Bolinda Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

Sophie Phillips is an ambulance driver who loves her job, the constant crises, and she’s good at the job. Her husband, Chris, is a police officer. Chris had been shot a couple of months earlier. He had survived but had some residual internal head injuries which kept him depressed and angry. They had a littleson, Lachlan, the center of both their worlds and the reason they were...more

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Jul 28, 2009 Sheree rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone who loves suspense!

Shelves: suspense-thriller, read-in-2009, reviews, aussie-author

4.5 stars
Wow this is certainly one book that lives up to its title. Frantic is the pace of this novel and my racing heart as I galloped through the story with my heart in my mouth, unable to turn the pages fast enough. What an awesome debut novel by Australian author Katherine Howell.

Katherine obviously writes what she knows and loves, taking the reader on an intense and realistic ride. I Loved the paramedic work references, the Sydney setting and the characters, particularly Sophie. The narrati...more

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May 13, 2012 Bree T rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: australian, aww2012, crime, library-reads, series

Sophie is a paramedic and her husband a city police officer. As a gang of bank robbers terrorise the city and taunt the police force’s inability to capture them, Chris faces pressure from the public, sensitive to their scrutiny. Now there’s some suspicion that there are police involved within the gang after a phone call to the media. When Chris is found shot in the head on the doorstep of their home and their 10 month old son Lachlan missing, Sophie’s life is ripped apart.

Both she and Chris beli...more Sophie is a paramedic and her husband a city police officer. As a gang of bank robbers terrorise the city and taunt the police force’s inability to capture them, Chris faces pressure from the public, sensitive to their scrutiny. Now there’s some suspicion that there are police involved within the gang after a phone call to the media. When Chris is found shot in the head on the doorstep of their home and their 10 month old son Lachlan missing, Sophie’s life is ripped apart.

Both she and Chris believe themselves guilty for the abduction of Lachlan – Chris seeing it as a warning to keep quiet and Sophie seeing it as retaliation for a job that went wrong. Detective Ella Marconi begins investigating the disappearance of the baby, knowing that to find him and quickly is crucial. Whilst she is doing all she can on the official end, Sophie is out driving the streets, looking for Lachlan alone. She’s functioning on raw adrenaline, getting no food or sleep and to keen an eye on her, Chris’s partner Angus Arendson rides along with her, the two of them coming up with ways to search places using their jobs.

Time is running out for everyone – Chris and Sophie, both caught up in their own guilt and the terrible situations they both find themselves in, are struggling desperately to convince the people they think are guilty to give back their son. Which one of them is on the right track? Or are they both wrong and the real culprit someone they never even considered?

As I mentioned in my review of The Brotherhood yesterday, my original list for the Australian Women Writers Challenge lacked some crime fiction and a fellow reviewer gave some recommendations. One of those was Cold Justice, by Katherine Howell which is the 3rd novel in the Detective Ella Marconi series. So I went back and requested the first in the series, which is this one and read it in a couple of hours.

Like Y.A. Erskine calling upon her years in the Tasmanian Police Force for The Brotherhood, Katherine Howell calls upon years working as a paramedic. Sophie works in inner-Sydney and the book starts with a day for her and her partner Mick, attending call outs and the various sorts of duties they provide. Her husband Chris is a cop and when Sophie and Mick are called to a bank, the latest victim in a spate of robberies, she finds Chris on site desperately performing CPR on a fatally wounded security guard.

Chris and Sophie have been having some problems since Chris was assaulted on the job some months ago and Sophie found herself making the biggest mistake of her life. Because of their problems, the two of them can find little time to talk to each other, really talk and after Chris is shot outside their home, their lack of communication results in them believing that they are each responsible for the disappearance of their son and also, that they are the ones who will be able to find him, or have him returned. Sophie does what probably any mother would do (or would want to do) and just goes haring off on her own, driving the streets, looking, stopping anyone with a pram, bordering on the verge of hysteria. When your child goes missing, especially if you believe yourself responsible, then it would be next to impossible to just sit and wait and hope that the police were able to find him. She’s tired, traumatised but also manic and she’s perfectly ripe to be taken advantage of.

Frantic is not a long novel, weighing in at under 300p but the author packs a lot into it and the pace is lightning quick. We spend most of the time with Sophie, despite this being the first in the Detective Ella Marconi series – at the time she seems nothing more than a supporting character, brought in to co-ordinate the search for the child and liase with Sophie on what is happening. We learn little about her, but given there are now five installments in this series, partnering Marconi up with what appears to be different paramedics each time, I’m guessing that over the course of the series, we will find out much more and she will become more fleshed out and real to the reader. In this first part she seems little more than just a token detective, given that so much of the focus is on Sophie, establishing her and her husband and their family dynamic and then destroying it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book – the focus on two very fascinating job such as inner-city policing and paramedics with plenty of realistic detail and an action packed, well-paced and executed plot. I’m very much looking forward to working my way through the rest of the titles in the series and have already requested the second one. I loved the combination of police and ambulance officers which is definitely new for me. I’ve read many police procedurals but I think almost nothing on paramedics as a main focus. It’s always nice to find something a bit different and interesting. Definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes a good crime novel. It really does an excellent job of also making you put yourself in Sophie’s shoes and question just how far you would go if it were your child (or someone you love dearly) that had been taken.(less)

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Sep 01, 2011 David rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: aussie-crime-fiction

What an absorbing debut novel by Katherine Howell and the book was aptly titled as it provided non-stop frantic action from start to finish. Although this is the first book in what has become known as the Detective Ella Marconi series, this book focuses mainly upon ambulance paramedic, Sophie Phillips. Sophie is married to a policeman, is the mother of an infant son and spends her working life attending ambulance emergencies in Sydney. The paramedic angle to a crime fiction book is a great idea,...more What an absorbing debut novel by Katherine Howell and the book was aptly titled as it provided non-stop frantic action from start to finish. Although this is the first book in what has become known as the Detective Ella Marconi series, this book focuses mainly upon ambulance paramedic, Sophie Phillips. Sophie is married to a policeman, is the mother of an infant son and spends her working life attending ambulance emergencies in Sydney. The paramedic angle to a crime fiction book is a great idea, and the procedural aspects of her character were intriguing and obviously well-researched, and I was not surprised subsequently to learn author Katherine Howell was herself an ex-paramedic.

The interwoven plot included a series of violent armed hold-ups that appear to involve members of the police force, a kidnapping, a brooding husband that is withholding information and an incredibly obtuse and gullible main character in Sophie Phillips. For someone seemingly as strong-willed and determined, Sophie was very easily coerced into bed with the bad guys (in more ways than one!).

My only minor issue with this book was that I felt it ended with a few issues still unresolved. I would like to know the fate of Sophie. She is definitely no paragon of virtue, with adultery, stealing, impersonating a police officer, lying, auto-theft and assisting in a murder among her misdemeanours. Was she arrested? Charged? Sacked? Exonerated? I also felt the armed-holdup issues were not fully resolved. Who was the gang? How extensive was the police corruption? And maybe I missed something, but I never fully understood the Police Commissioner's involvement either.

These personal issues aside, I enjoyed the book and the fast-paced style. It is a very solid and entertaining debut novel and I am excited that I have come across an Australian crime fiction author that I haven't read before. I am sourcing the next books in the series as we speak, and I look forward to reading more Detective Ella Marconi books in the future.(less)

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May 02, 2012 Brenda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-authors

Sophie Phillips is a paramedic, her husband Chris is a police officer, and they have a beautiful son, ten month old Lachlan. Together with Mick, her partner, they do the night shift around Sydney, covering the Rocks, the Quay and more. But things haven’t been going too well with Sophie and Chris, ever since he was attacked a couple of months ago, while apprehending a suspect with his partner, Angus. He appears extremely stressed, and they suspect PTSD, but when Sophie, and Chris’ mother, Gloria,...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Graham Crawford rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have read this series completely out of order, which changes how I think about this first Emma Marconi book. I really didn't like this one, and if I have read it first I probably would have left the rest on the shelf. She gets much better, tighter, and characters in future books are far less irritating than those in this debut. Certainly the melodrama gets turned down in latter books - so she is a writer who learns from her mistakes.

Apart from Marconi - all the other characters in "Frantic" ar...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-crime, fiction, aus-women-list, fiction-australian, from-library-umrl-wodonga, aus-women-2012

Number two (after Kathryn Fox) in the Random Aussie Crime fiction I didn't know existed and have been missing.

You don't realise, at first, that the new detective introduced by KAtherine Howell is in fact Ella Marconi. You'd think it was, in fact, the paramedic, Sophie. But the continuing character is Marconi, and having reached the end of this book, I'm really, really looking forward to reading more about Ella.

In concert with beginning the stories of Anya Crichton through the books of Kathryn...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Jill Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this fantastic book in two days, apologies to Katherine for not updating this sooner. Full book review to come. Suffice to say as a suspense story it's got the reader, hook, line and sinker.
FULL REVIEW
At a recent Gold Coast Writers meeting Katherine explained that she had taken six years to write her first novel only to have it rejected. When she got it back, she researched the best ways to make a reader get involved with the story was to create suspense, and make the reader care what ha...more I read this fantastic book in two days, apologies to Katherine for not updating this sooner. Full book review to come. Suffice to say as a suspense story it's got the reader, hook, line and sinker.
FULL REVIEW
At a recent Gold Coast Writers meeting Katherine explained that she had taken six years to write her first novel only to have it rejected. When she got it back, she researched the best ways to make a reader get involved with the story was to create suspense, and make the reader care what happened to the main characters. She re-wrote the book and this is the nail biting result.
Sophie Phillips is an ambulance driver, and her husband Chris is a policeman, they have a beautiful baby son Lachlan. Sophie is riddled with guilt about a dalliance with her husband’s partner Angus Arendson. Suddenly her world is turned upside down. Chris is shot on their front doorstep and Lachlan is abducted.
Her maternal instinct goes into overdrive when she sets out to search for her son. While Chris is still in hospital she enlists Angus help to find her son. The police mobilise to find the baby, led by Detective Ella Marconi who is a career cop, and determined to find Lachlan. Is Chris a bent cop? Or is he an informant, leaking the members of the corrupt police gang that have been on a free for all run of bank hold ups? Sophie doesn’t think so and is driven to extremes with the aid of Angus taking measures into her own hands. The reader does care about Sophie and Chris and discover the reasons behind all that has happened is very close to home.
I read this book so quickly, I put it in ‘Goodreads’ as a book I was reading, and finished it next day, as a page turner this fits the bill. Katherine learned by her research and drew on her own experience in the ambulance service to make this crime thriller a stunning read. This is the first of five crime mysteries that Katherine has produced. All are well worth getting a hold of to enjoy the roller coaster ride she takes the reader on.
The front cover byline by Sydney Morning Herald sums it up; ‘An adrenaline rush of a thriller…a book you don’t so much as read as devour’.
(less)

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Mar 09, 2012 Simone rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Simone by: Shelleyrae at Book'd Out

Shelves: aww2012-challenge, great-aussie-reads-challenge

This is probably more a 3.5, than a 3 - but not quite a 4 (for reasons explained at end).

Not having read a lot of Australian crime fiction, I was excited to discover a new author and her first novel Frantic did not disappoint. Right from the beginning I was drawn into the storyline and really felt the terror of Paramedic Sophie when she discovers that not only has her policeman husband been shot, but her 10 month old son Lachlan has been kidnapped.

The pace of Frantic is great - it is quite fast...more This is probably more a 3.5, than a 3 - but not quite a 4 (for reasons explained at end).

Not having read a lot of Australian crime fiction, I was excited to discover a new author and her first novel Frantic did not disappoint. Right from the beginning I was drawn into the storyline and really felt the terror of Paramedic Sophie when she discovers that not only has her policeman husband been shot, but her 10 month old son Lachlan has been kidnapped.

The pace of Frantic is great - it is quite fast and furious with short chapters, which lead you from point to point throughout Sophie's ordeal. The time labels are a good touch, making you feel you are in a true police hunt and also helping you track just how long Lachlan has been missing, adding to the sense that time is running out and they have to hurry, hurry to find him.

The characters are also really well drawn. The two lead females - Sophie and Detective Ella Marconi are both strong, fiesty women, who won't let anything stand in the way of them getting their particular job done. For Sophie this is both as a Paramedic and a mother. I probably got more of a sense of Sophie than Ella, but I understand she features in later novels, so that character development will no doubt continue.

I loved the Sydney setting. It's great to read a crime/thriller novel set right in our most famous city (rather than LA or New York) and hear it's landmarks talked about in general conversation. As a paramedic/police officer Sophie and Ella both are both very familiar with the city and this shows throughout the story. I also enjoyed the intimate knowledge of the job of a paramedic (because the author is one herself). This brought an amazing sense of realism to the story.

The suspense element is great, you are left guessing right until the end. And on that point I'll explain about the .5 deduction. While the main part of the story is resolved, I felt there were a few loose ends that weren't quite tied up - particularly relating to another fairly major character and his link with the eventual perpetrator.

Overall a great read and I will definitely look out for more of Katherine Howell's books.(less)

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Feb 16, 2011 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it 4 of 5 stars

I grabbed Frantic from my pile of library books, since I'd just gotten an overdue notice (though now I can renew my loans online - how cool is that!) and took it with me to read during my children's swimming lessons. I'm glad the swimming center has lifeguards because I was soon engrossed in the frantic pace (pun intended) of this novel by Katherine Howell.
My interest in this book was initially based on the fact that the main character in this psychological thriller is a female ambulance officer...more I grabbed Frantic from my pile of library books, since I'd just gotten an overdue notice (though now I can renew my loans online - how cool is that!) and took it with me to read during my children's swimming lessons. I'm glad the swimming center has lifeguards because I was soon engrossed in the frantic pace (pun intended) of this novel by Katherine Howell.
My interest in this book was initially based on the fact that the main character in this psychological thriller is a female ambulance officer (paramedic) and I hoped that the perspective would be a an original one since books of this type most often have a male law enforcement officer (or someone associated with the law) as the protagonist. I also like reading about my local setting - Sydney, Australia.
Sophie has a difficult job as an ambulance officer and her husband's work as a police officer is equally stressful, especially as he is recovering from a recent vicious assault. When Chris is shot and their baby kidnapped, their respective professions provide plenty of suspects. Sophie was unable to save a woman and her premature baby during a call out and was threatened by the woman's grieving husband, Chris knows something about the allegations of corruption in the Command that he can't share. With their relationship already under strain, the frantic search for their missing child threatens to pull them apart.
Howell's own experience with the ambulance service, and by extension the police service, gives her characters credibility though the day to day operations of the officers were only briefly incorporated.
While the thrust of the plot lays in unravelling the web of threats and lies in order to safely find the infant, Frantic also explores issues such as police corruption, PTSD and marital estrangement. This adds depth and an emotional anchor to the story that could otherwise have been overwhelmed by the dramatic action.
Howell makes us privy to her character's thoughts and motivations by alternating narratives between Sophie, Chris and Detective Ella Marconi who sees the potential this case has for helping her stalled career, and is determined to find the answers.
Frantic is a fast-paced and compelling read that I enjoyed, I'm eager to read Katherine Howell's more recent novels and will make them a priority.

(less)

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Apr 06, 2011 Riem rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A gripping read, with some really nasty characters. Raises some ethical and moral issues. Introduces main characters, who continue into other books by this author, 'Violent Exposure', and 'Cold Justice'. Katherine Howell has a website (eponymous).

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Mar 20, 2012 Zita rated it 5 of 5 stars

OMG I have never felt compelled to write a review on a book, until now.
I read this book in a day!! I literally could not put it down.. It's a fantastic read and had me gripped from start to finish!!! Can't wait to read her next book.

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Aug 02, 2012 Kylie rated it 2 of 5 stars

To be honest, I am stunned with the 3.77 average rating which this book has received. I thought it was the most average crime novel which I have ever read. It was like Paramedics 101 meets Detective Work 101. It was such a cliche. The writing was bad. The characters were one dimensional. Ella Marconi was annoying, and not in an interesting way. The actions of Sophie were ridiculous in the circumstances. The premise of this book had so much promise, but was so underdone. As the mother of 2 small...more

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Feb 27, 2013 H.M.C. H.M.C. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Becoming a parent changes you, and if you are one, then this book is your worst nightmare come true. At the same time, however, you will be able to relate to the emotions and pain of the protagonist. I love a good Australian novel, and Katherine Howell always gives a good read.

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Jun 16, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: won-in-giveaway

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and rate it a 4.5.

The book is fast paced & full of action from the first couple of pages. I was not familial with the author Katherine Howell or her Ella Marconi series. But will be looking for more of her books now. "Frantic" was GREAT!

If you like Mysteries, I would highly recommend checking out this author.

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Jun 14, 2009 David Crosby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this following author Tom Reynolds recommendation on his blog. This is ex-paramedic Katherine's first novel and an excellent debut it is too. It seemed light on character depth at first but this was more than made up for by the pace of the storytelling. We are led through the mystery at breakneck speed from the viewpoint of many major characters, clever. There is no guessing the ending, it is revealed in a final headlong rush, one that will have you staying up too late just to see what ha...more

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May 03, 2013 Michael Fuery rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In her first crime fiction novel, ‘Frantic’, Howell tells the story of a paramedic whose life is suddenly derailed by a shadowy criminal world.

This story bristles with tension from the first page. The plot is exciting, uniquely Australian and genuinely shocking.

The legacy of her substantial career is quite obviously brought into her rich narrative with clarity and her story-telling takes on a life of its own.

The depiction of the day-to-day work grind of her paramedic protagonist is realism taken...more

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Feb 24, 2013 Sue Gould rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Good read....well written, hard to put down debut crime novel. Enjoyed the Sydney setting. Will look for more from this author.

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Apr 14, 2012 Jenny rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed reading a book that takes place in Australia. I enjoyed the storyline and my suspicious were confirmed when the suspect became obvious. I found the poor hard done by husband very overdone and I didn't even like him until the last few pages. I enjoyed the different elements of the story woven in together and felt that was well done. I found many of the actions that the characters took were illogical and almost ridiculous and think much could have been done if people had worked together,...more

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May 05, 2013 Trish rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very enjoyable. Have heard the characters get better with the next books in the series.

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Oct 06, 2011 Stevie Carroll rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I borrowed this from the library on the strength of some good reviews, and the twin enticements of a paramedic protagonist and the Australian setting. Sadly I didn't get on with any of the main characters, and felt that the plot hinged too much on people acting illogically and failing to talk to each other in situations that would have been cleared up quickly by a little conversation.

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Jul 28, 2009 Staci marked it as to-read · review of another edition

http://teddyree-theeclecticreader.blo...

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Apr 25, 2013 Nicole Hodges added it · review of another edition

Great crime novels set in Sydney, realistic cops & paramedics Good read

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Mar 09, 2013 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fast paced read, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Great to add a new Aussie author to my list.

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Apr 12, 2013 Lorraine Taylor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fast moving thriller.

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Apr 15, 2013 Bachinthedark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Great page turner.....

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Nov 11, 2012 Any Length rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Gripping australian writing. The plot was well thought out and the finale was gripping. Well written.

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About Katherine Howell

Katherine Howell worked as a paramedic for fifteen years while completing her Bachelor and Masters degrees in creative writing. Her first novel, Frantic, was published in 2007 by Pan Macmillan and set a paramedic alongside Sydney police detective Ella Marconi in 'an adrenaline rush of a thriller' (Sydney Morning Herald). It won the 2008 Davitt award for best crime fiction. Her second book, The Dar...more

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Books by Katherine Howell

Cold Justice (Detective Ella Marconi #3)

The Darkest Hour (Detective Ella Marconi #2)

Violent Exposure (Detective Ella Marconi #4)

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title link	preview: Frantic
avg rating	preview: Frantic Goodreads rating: 3.76 (118 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3277674-frantic?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1210047827l/3277674.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3277674-frantic?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Frantic by Katherine Howell[/url]

Frantic (Detective Ella Marconi #1)

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