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Without Warning
Years ago, Katie Sanford's husband was convicted of the murder of Jenny Robbins, then died himself in prison. It's a small town and memories are long, and Katie and Jenny's husband, Chief of Police Jake Robbins, have had to work at putting the tragedy behind them. But it's all brought up again in the wake of a hurricane which has just wreaked havoc on their quiet Maine town. Since its founding, Wilton has had a quaint tradition of creating a time capsule every fifty years, and the storm unearthed the most recent capsule. As the editor of the local paper, Katie joins Chief Robbins to supervise its opening. Neither of them is prepared for the macabre set of predictions, dating back to months before Jenny's murder, that they find inside. Someone predicted her death, as well as eleven other tragedies, which are still occurring even long after the death of Katie's husband.
At last, after all these years, Katie has reason to hope that her husband might not have been guilty of Jenny's murder after all. But as she and Jake race to stop the next predictions from coming true, they find themselves caught in a terrifying mind game with no rules…and life or death consequences.
In Without Warning, David Rosenfelt has written another tightly plotted thriller that will hold readers in its grip from the opening page all the way through to the stunning conclusion.
At last, after all these years, Katie has reason to hope that her husband might not have been guilty of Jenny's murder after all. But as she and Jake race to stop the next predictions from coming true, they find themselves caught in a terrifying mind game with no rules…and life or death consequences.
In Without Warning, David Rosenfelt has written another tightly plotted thriller that will hold readers in its grip from the opening page all the way through to the stunning conclusion.
295 pages, Hardcover
First published March 25, 2014
121 people are currently reading
1955 people want to read
About the author
David Rosenfelt
79 books2,806 followersI am a novelist with 27 dogs.
I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.
My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, "Ozzie and Harriet's" clan seemed bizarre.
I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every "Rambo", "The Natural" and "Rocky", there are countless disasters.
I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.
A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It's safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.
About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It's total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidr...
I have gotten to this dubious position with absolutely no planning, and at no stage in my life could I have predicted it. But here I am.
My childhood was relentlessly normal. The middle of three brothers, loving parents, a middle-class home in Paterson, New Jersey. We played sports, studied sporadically. laughed around the dinner table, and generally had a good time. By comparison, "Ozzie and Harriet's" clan seemed bizarre.
I graduated NYU, then decided to go into the movie business. I was stunningly brilliant at a job interview with my uncle, who was President of United Artists, and was immediately hired. It set me off on a climb up the executive ladder, culminating in my becoming President of Marketing for Tri-Star Pictures. The movie landscape is filled with the movies I buried; for every "Rambo", "The Natural" and "Rocky", there are countless disasters.
I did manage to find the time to marry and have two children, both of whom are doing very well, and fortunately neither have inherited my eccentricities.
A number of years ago, I left the movie marketing business, to the sustained applause of hundreds of disgruntled producers and directors. I decided to try my hand at writing. I wrote and sold a bunch of feature films, none of which ever came close to being actually filmed, and then a bunch of TV movies, some of which actually made it to the small screen. It's safe to say that their impact on the American cultural scene has been minimal.
About fourteen years ago, my wife and I started the Tara Foundation, named in honor of the greatest Golden Retriever the world has ever known. We rescued almost 4,000 dogs, many of them Goldens, and found them loving homes. Our own home quickly became a sanctuary for those dogs that we rescued that were too old or sickly to be wanted by others. They surround me as I write this. It's total lunacy, but it works, and they are a happy, safe group.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/davidr...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 360 reviews
October 12, 2024
For Andy Carpenter fans, this isn’t it…but stick around, because this is a mystery in a tightly woven, exciting plot which leads to a very exciting end.
Katie’s husband was convicted of the murder, of Jenny Robbins, and then died in prison. Katie has had to put this behind her – which isn’t always easy living in a small town. But a hurricane brings back the memories when a time capsule is unearthed.
As the editor of the local paper, Katie joins Chief of Police, Jake Robbins to supervise its opening.
Neither of them are prepared for what is inside, including its predictions about Jenny’s murder.
Was her husband actually innocent of the murder?
A creative plot - page-turning thriller that will keep you guessing.
This is a stand-a-lone book, worth reading!
Katie’s husband was convicted of the murder, of Jenny Robbins, and then died in prison. Katie has had to put this behind her – which isn’t always easy living in a small town. But a hurricane brings back the memories when a time capsule is unearthed.
As the editor of the local paper, Katie joins Chief of Police, Jake Robbins to supervise its opening.
Neither of them are prepared for what is inside, including its predictions about Jenny’s murder.
Was her husband actually innocent of the murder?
A creative plot - page-turning thriller that will keep you guessing.
This is a stand-a-lone book, worth reading!
April 19, 2014
Quick read kept interest but in the end so far fetched and silly.
January 22, 2022
Great fun! First time reading this author and what a pleasant surprise! (It won’t be the last for sure!)
Fast paced and humorous, light romance with a great plot, plus a mystery to solve. Loved the MC’s wit and humor- a guy that has an important job in law enforcement , but is humble, tough, and doesn’t take threat to himself too seriously.
Perfect read when you want a little something lighter or a shorter read. The Audiobook book was a gem! The character voices were brilliant. Recommended.
Fast paced and humorous, light romance with a great plot, plus a mystery to solve. Loved the MC’s wit and humor- a guy that has an important job in law enforcement , but is humble, tough, and doesn’t take threat to himself too seriously.
Perfect read when you want a little something lighter or a shorter read. The Audiobook book was a gem! The character voices were brilliant. Recommended.
April 6, 2014
I am a huge fan of David Rosenfelt, particularly his Andy Carpenter series. Without Warning is a stand-alone, and a stand out! Truly a fun ride, packed with suspense, action and surprises galore.
Ex-vet hero turned small town police chief, Jake Robbins, is called to the scene following a hurricane after a time capsule is opened 46 years early revealing a dead body and murderous predictions. Jake soon learns he’s not only fighting for his life, but for someone else he cares a great deal about. As the dominoes fall, the race to discover who’s behind it grows more deadly.
I’m going to keep this review short, as I would hate to ruin the shocks, and the fun, ahead. Let me just say, it’s an intelligent, fast-paced, can’t put it down, thrilling who-done-it! Fans of Rosenfelt will not be disappointed as we await the next Andy Carpenter sequel. New readers will soon become fans.
Ex-vet hero turned small town police chief, Jake Robbins, is called to the scene following a hurricane after a time capsule is opened 46 years early revealing a dead body and murderous predictions. Jake soon learns he’s not only fighting for his life, but for someone else he cares a great deal about. As the dominoes fall, the race to discover who’s behind it grows more deadly.
I’m going to keep this review short, as I would hate to ruin the shocks, and the fun, ahead. Let me just say, it’s an intelligent, fast-paced, can’t put it down, thrilling who-done-it! Fans of Rosenfelt will not be disappointed as we await the next Andy Carpenter sequel. New readers will soon become fans.
March 21, 2015
I've liked a lot of Rosenfelt's mysteries, so went into this expecting a good story. For the most part, it was, but I'm being generous giving it 2 stars. Interesting people & a really good mystery, although he used a method for heightening the suspense that I don't care for. When an author tells me everything from a character's POV & then there is a sudden revelation because of information that hasn't been supplied & isn't until later, I feel a bit cheated. There are ways of handling it that aren't quite so obvious, but Rosenfelt pulled the trick a few too many times & it just felt cheap. Still, it wasn't too bad.
Unfortunately, the ending was forced & illogical. There were suddenly huge, unbelievable gaps in actions & motivations, especially on the part of the villain, but even leading up to that kind of sucked at times. It was one of those cheap reveals I mentioned earlier. Suddenly, instead of talking
I could have forgiven that one, but one of the final scenes was HORRIBLE!!! UGH!!! Awful!!! No one would do that, especially not after all that prep.
I'd give this one star if the ride hadn't been so enjoyable up to the end. As it is, I can't recommend it.
Unfortunately, the ending was forced & illogical. There were suddenly huge, unbelievable gaps in actions & motivations, especially on the part of the villain, but even leading up to that kind of sucked at times. It was one of those cheap reveals I mentioned earlier. Suddenly, instead of talking
I could have forgiven that one, but one of the final scenes was HORRIBLE!!! UGH!!! Awful!!! No one would do that, especially not after all that prep.
I'd give this one star if the ride hadn't been so enjoyable up to the end. As it is, I can't recommend it.
April 11, 2014
“Without Warning” by David Rosenfelt, published by Minotaur Books.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – March 25, 214
Jake Robins, decorated war hero, and Chief of Police of a small town has got some big problems. It seems his wife was murdered by his high school sweetheart’s husband. Although this has happened several years ago it now becomes an issue due to a flood.
A time capsule that was buried by the town has become unearthed due to the flood and when it is opened it contains some dire predictions.
The predictions, not only foretell Jake’s wife’s murder, but contains eleven other predictions of more deaths. As the predictions come true Jake realizes that all the deaths have something to do with him. Jake must look at the predictions and try to solve the riddle of the prediction and identify the next victim. He also finds himself battling the local newspaper that seems to have an upper hand on the developments of the case and there is a possible security leak in his own department.
Jake pulls himself off the case because of his personal involvement and hands it over to the FBI. This works in Jake’s favor because now he can pursue the case without interference from outside sources. Jake, who has revived his feelings for his high school sweetheart, receives a phone call from her telling him that she has been kidnapped. In a race against time, Jake must find her and unknowing to him, at the time, is also in a race to prevent a major disaster.
A nice mystery that can be enjoyed by everyone, but may be a disappointment for Rosenfelt followers because this is a stand alone mystery that does not include his Andy Carpenter character of his previous ten novels.
Category – Mystery/Thriller Publication Date – March 25, 214
Jake Robins, decorated war hero, and Chief of Police of a small town has got some big problems. It seems his wife was murdered by his high school sweetheart’s husband. Although this has happened several years ago it now becomes an issue due to a flood.
A time capsule that was buried by the town has become unearthed due to the flood and when it is opened it contains some dire predictions.
The predictions, not only foretell Jake’s wife’s murder, but contains eleven other predictions of more deaths. As the predictions come true Jake realizes that all the deaths have something to do with him. Jake must look at the predictions and try to solve the riddle of the prediction and identify the next victim. He also finds himself battling the local newspaper that seems to have an upper hand on the developments of the case and there is a possible security leak in his own department.
Jake pulls himself off the case because of his personal involvement and hands it over to the FBI. This works in Jake’s favor because now he can pursue the case without interference from outside sources. Jake, who has revived his feelings for his high school sweetheart, receives a phone call from her telling him that she has been kidnapped. In a race against time, Jake must find her and unknowing to him, at the time, is also in a race to prevent a major disaster.
A nice mystery that can be enjoyed by everyone, but may be a disappointment for Rosenfelt followers because this is a stand alone mystery that does not include his Andy Carpenter character of his previous ten novels.
April 20, 2014
I liked this book as it was an easy read ,a page turner.The problem I had was that it seemed a bit predictable and a bit over the top and unbelievable. If you are looking for a book that you can burn a few hours on without having to analyze too much ,this is a good choice.
July 13, 2025
Spoiler free review will be posted on my YouTube channel this weekend! https://youtube.com/@bookreviewswithb...
June 21, 2014
I won this book via the goodreads giveaway. I loved it!! I would have read it in one sitting if I could. It was so fun to read, fresh and original. I was on the edge of my seat, especially at the very end. The main character, Jake Robbins, maintained his cool through out, with a smooth confidence that I envy. There was just the right amount of everything. I had no idea what to expect, every twist and turn was unpredictable. Two thumbs up!!
February 17, 2015
Too silly for me. Although I didn't guess the full plot (who could? How ridiculous) I guessed a good section of the plot by about one-third through. A "thriller" needs to be more based in reality with believable motivations. And a small town does not carry on with 'business as usual' when violent murder happens. The entire population becomes distrustful of each other and people do not go out alone, etc until time goes by and they relax a bit more. This read like a young-adult novel.
January 29, 2024
I have enjoyed many of the author's books in the Andy Carpenter series, and I was enjoying this complicated, fast paced thriller. But then we got to a critical part of the story and the story mentioned the airplane propellers, plural. A Cessna 152 is a small single engine aircraft. one engine, one propeller. One mention could be a typo, but the word propellers was used more than once. The story also claimed that the plane has "advanced automatic pilot system." That's highly unlikely as the Cessna 152 is a small 2 seater airplane used for pilot training. Once an author gets something this wrong, it makes me doubt the accuracy or plausibility of everything else they have written and reduces the chance of me reading more of their books to about zero. :-(
April 14, 2015
I picked this book up at a supermarket while on vacation without an inkling of a clue what I was about to read. It was cheap and I liked the colors on the cover. It ended up being a fun little serial killer mystery.
I admit, I read very few thriller/serial killer type books so I am no aficionado when it comes to judging but I thought this little book was a lot of fun. In fact, so much so, that I sat in our hotel room bathroom (so I wouldn't bother the family) and read late into the night until it was finished.
There are quite a few negative reviews on here about this story and I suppose they are from people who read many of these types of books and can be more critical than I.
I wasn't expecting a powerful, life changer of a book so I thought I did pretty good in the cheap, grocery store, book picking department. 4 stars for my enjoyment and late night, bathroom party. Maybe I should read more of these things?! Obviously, I can give it a pretty good rating because I am not being the literary nit picker that I usually am in my preferred genre.
If you want a quick, easy thriller that will waste some of your precious time, pick up Without Warning. I closed the last page thinking, Lifetime Movie here for sure. The ending was a bit far fetched (and the silly make out session was just plain, well, silly) but it still had me tripped up so that is great. I knew that Jake would obviously come out on top but there were some fun twists along the way.
I admit, I read very few thriller/serial killer type books so I am no aficionado when it comes to judging but I thought this little book was a lot of fun. In fact, so much so, that I sat in our hotel room bathroom (so I wouldn't bother the family) and read late into the night until it was finished.
There are quite a few negative reviews on here about this story and I suppose they are from people who read many of these types of books and can be more critical than I.
I wasn't expecting a powerful, life changer of a book so I thought I did pretty good in the cheap, grocery store, book picking department. 4 stars for my enjoyment and late night, bathroom party. Maybe I should read more of these things?! Obviously, I can give it a pretty good rating because I am not being the literary nit picker that I usually am in my preferred genre.
If you want a quick, easy thriller that will waste some of your precious time, pick up Without Warning. I closed the last page thinking, Lifetime Movie here for sure. The ending was a bit far fetched (and the silly make out session was just plain, well, silly) but it still had me tripped up so that is great. I knew that Jake would obviously come out on top but there were some fun twists along the way.
April 10, 2015
I really, really like David Rosenfelt's Andy Carpenter series. He tried to break out here with something new, with an entirely new set of characters, and completely fell flat. It didn't feel like his writing at all. The plot felt forced, it was unimaginative, and was without a trace of wit. Andy Carpenter has snark. Reading this is like eating a bowl of oatmeal without the brown sugar and berries.
November 30, 2015
I love the Andy Carpenter series but since I've read it all, I'm moving on to Rosenfelt's other books. This book was entertaining & a quick read. It didn't have the sharp wit & clever banter of a Carpenter story but it was still an enjoyable fun & fast-paced (it unbelievable) thriller.
January 4, 2015
A bit difficult to keep up with the various twists and turns, but worth the effort. 6 of 10 stars
March 3, 2018
Good captivating read, that I found difficult to put down.
October 12, 2021
A typical David Rosenfelt plot - disaster diverted!! Just a little bit too over the top to be credible.
No Andy Carpenter, but two Daniels in this book!
No Andy Carpenter, but two Daniels in this book!
May 2, 2025
Nailbiter!
April 8, 2019
3.5 stars. The police chief of a small town in Maine and the editor of the town's newspaper work together to stop a serial killer whose predictions were buried in a time capsule. Complicating the situation is the fact that the editor's husband was convicted of murdering the police chief's wife 13 years earlier, and died in prison. The killer is smart and stays several steps ahead until the climax of the book (of course). Entertaining as a page-turner.
January 4, 2019
Short chapters, easy read, compelling crime.
May 9, 2017
Very good story. Tight writing. Even though Jake Rollins is former MP, he is more reachable than Jack Reacher. This is a page turner and it hangs together until the end.
August 11, 2022
This was a fast paced, quick read. I enjoyed the mystery along with some glimpses of Andy Carpenter showing thru in the main character’s personality,
May 2, 2014
Police Chief Jake Robbins realizes there is a serial killer loose in his small Maine community when a time capsule is opened after five years instead of fifty and predictions of the unsolved or mistakenly solved deaths of local residents are found inside. One such crime is the murder of his own wife, supposedly by the husband of an old girlfriend, Katie, who is now the publisher of the local newspaper. Before long the Chief realizes that the murderer is targeting people who have a relationship with Jake himself and so he must solve the crimes quickly before the remaining predictions become reality. In the process of tracking down the killers, he and Katie relight old flames and then he becomes the chief suspect for the murders. When Katie’s life is put in danger, it ups the ante for Jake and he must take a lot of risks to bring down the villain before even worse things happen.
Although I love good thrillers, I can’t say I was a fan of this one.
First of all the characters are not just one-dimensional they are emotionally weird. Although protagonists such as Jack Reacher and Stone Barrington act woodenly, the emotional reactions of Jake and Katie are schizoid---they have little emotional reaction to things when their reactions should be strong and their reactions are strong when they should be weak. Jake reminded me of a teenager the way his emotions were all over the map. In general, the emotions just didn’t ring true. Give me Will Robie any day.
Take one example. Jake is so upset by Katie’s life being at risk that he sets a timetable for the final denouement that depends on the cavalry coming to the rescue at an exact time even though he hasn’t even consulted the cavalry about their availability. Now, Katie has been in the same dangerous situation for several days, so why risk everything going wrong by setting things up to happen in ninety minutes instead of two hours? The Chief often gets really irritated over things that shouldn't set him off that much, like the author is trying to show us by this that Jake is upset. His rants, however, take longer than whatever delay he is complaining about.
There were a lot of little things that drove me crazy about the characters and the plot. Some are very minor. Like the fact that, although I’m not sure of their ages, it seemed as though the couple were in the late part of their childbearing years. Yet neither had children nor mentioned why not when a lot of less important information than that is presented. And I got tired of Jake bitching and moaning about his being heralded a war hero. Seemed sort of petty to me.
One of the big things that bothered me is the fact that a lot of people, including the FBI, start believing Jake is the killer without ever checking to see whether he has an alibi for any/all of the killings. Clearly he does for at least some of the important ones but does anyone even ask him about them? Nooo.
Another example of the kind of thing that bothered me related to the reporter’s informant. He had used the woman in the past to obtain information about non-serious police issues. But the source continues to help the reporter during the investigation even though she has a crisis of conscience about doing so since it could jeopardize the investigation. So, why does she continue to help him? No good reason is ever given.
By half way through I guessed who the villain was although I didn’t guess some of the other facts about his actions, including his reason for doing what he did. And there was a pretty good red herring along the way.
Although I don’t expect great literature, a perfect plot, or really deep characters in my thrillers, I really found this one unsatisfying on almost every level other than decent writing mechanics and a certain amount of tension.
Although I love good thrillers, I can’t say I was a fan of this one.
First of all the characters are not just one-dimensional they are emotionally weird. Although protagonists such as Jack Reacher and Stone Barrington act woodenly, the emotional reactions of Jake and Katie are schizoid---they have little emotional reaction to things when their reactions should be strong and their reactions are strong when they should be weak. Jake reminded me of a teenager the way his emotions were all over the map. In general, the emotions just didn’t ring true. Give me Will Robie any day.
Take one example. Jake is so upset by Katie’s life being at risk that he sets a timetable for the final denouement that depends on the cavalry coming to the rescue at an exact time even though he hasn’t even consulted the cavalry about their availability. Now, Katie has been in the same dangerous situation for several days, so why risk everything going wrong by setting things up to happen in ninety minutes instead of two hours? The Chief often gets really irritated over things that shouldn't set him off that much, like the author is trying to show us by this that Jake is upset. His rants, however, take longer than whatever delay he is complaining about.
There were a lot of little things that drove me crazy about the characters and the plot. Some are very minor. Like the fact that, although I’m not sure of their ages, it seemed as though the couple were in the late part of their childbearing years. Yet neither had children nor mentioned why not when a lot of less important information than that is presented. And I got tired of Jake bitching and moaning about his being heralded a war hero. Seemed sort of petty to me.
One of the big things that bothered me is the fact that a lot of people, including the FBI, start believing Jake is the killer without ever checking to see whether he has an alibi for any/all of the killings. Clearly he does for at least some of the important ones but does anyone even ask him about them? Nooo.
Another example of the kind of thing that bothered me related to the reporter’s informant. He had used the woman in the past to obtain information about non-serious police issues. But the source continues to help the reporter during the investigation even though she has a crisis of conscience about doing so since it could jeopardize the investigation. So, why does she continue to help him? No good reason is ever given.
By half way through I guessed who the villain was although I didn’t guess some of the other facts about his actions, including his reason for doing what he did. And there was a pretty good red herring along the way.
Although I don’t expect great literature, a perfect plot, or really deep characters in my thrillers, I really found this one unsatisfying on almost every level other than decent writing mechanics and a certain amount of tension.
July 20, 2014
WITHOUT WARNING by David Rosenfelt is one with a smart serial killer in a small town of Maine, and a time capsule containing buried secrets which predict crimes in the future, which some have come true.
Jake Robbins, a war hero and police chief of this small town— after returning from Afghanistan to Wilton, where he grew up. His wife, Jenny, was murdered by Roger, the publisher of the local paper, with whom she was having an affair. Roger was murdered in prison, leaving his wife, Katie, to assume control of the paper.
After a hurricane destroys a Wilton, Maine dam and Katie, and her staff unearth a time capsule which was buried nearly five years earlier to check for water damage (was not to be opened until 50 yrs. later in the future). They are shocked to discover skeletal remains and a set of predictions about future crimes, including the murder of the wife of police chief, Jake Robbins.
Some of those murders—like Jenny's—have already taken place, but others have not, and Jake must resolve the mystery before more people are killed.
To further complicate the suspense, months after the capsule’s burial, Katie’s husband allegedly killed Jake’s wife. There are many other weird predictions about an unsolved arson case and murders. In addition, Katie and Jake were high school sweethearts so they have a past.
The clues turn to Jake, as he seems to be front and center and main suspect in the crimes (people are getting killed and the hits are targeting himself, when other people step in the way). Someone is out to frame him as he attempts to put together the cryptic clues in order to remain alive and solve this crime mystery.
While investigating these clues offer proof a murder could not be committed by the person charged, as this man was killed in prison. Some of the murders have not taken place, so a race to find the real killer before more devastation.
While this was my first book by Rosenfelt— the audiobook narrated by Jeff Steitzer was engaging; with a bit of humor mixed in. However, a negative—the women’s voices were hard to differentiate and not a lot of character depth or development, so did not connect fully. Kate was totally lacking a personality leaving it a little forced.
http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...
Jake Robbins, a war hero and police chief of this small town— after returning from Afghanistan to Wilton, where he grew up. His wife, Jenny, was murdered by Roger, the publisher of the local paper, with whom she was having an affair. Roger was murdered in prison, leaving his wife, Katie, to assume control of the paper.
After a hurricane destroys a Wilton, Maine dam and Katie, and her staff unearth a time capsule which was buried nearly five years earlier to check for water damage (was not to be opened until 50 yrs. later in the future). They are shocked to discover skeletal remains and a set of predictions about future crimes, including the murder of the wife of police chief, Jake Robbins.
Some of those murders—like Jenny's—have already taken place, but others have not, and Jake must resolve the mystery before more people are killed.
To further complicate the suspense, months after the capsule’s burial, Katie’s husband allegedly killed Jake’s wife. There are many other weird predictions about an unsolved arson case and murders. In addition, Katie and Jake were high school sweethearts so they have a past.
The clues turn to Jake, as he seems to be front and center and main suspect in the crimes (people are getting killed and the hits are targeting himself, when other people step in the way). Someone is out to frame him as he attempts to put together the cryptic clues in order to remain alive and solve this crime mystery.
While investigating these clues offer proof a murder could not be committed by the person charged, as this man was killed in prison. Some of the murders have not taken place, so a race to find the real killer before more devastation.
While this was my first book by Rosenfelt— the audiobook narrated by Jeff Steitzer was engaging; with a bit of humor mixed in. However, a negative—the women’s voices were hard to differentiate and not a lot of character depth or development, so did not connect fully. Kate was totally lacking a personality leaving it a little forced.
http://judithdcollins.booklikes.com/p...
May 3, 2015
The book started off with a good premise of a small town that was hit by a hurricane and flooded. This same small town also had a tradition of burying a time capsule to be opened every fifty years. The capsule contained small relics from the time period as well as predictions about the future of the town. Due to the flooding, the capsule was opened early to check for water damage and during the opening the police and reporter, Katie Sanford, find an extra set of predictions that are vague riddles alluding to murders. Some of the murders have already happened and some are ongoing. Katie and the Chief of Police, Jake Robbins, must figure out who made these predictions and stop him before he continues his murderous rampage.
This all sounds good and pretty unique and a good author could really go somewhere with this plot line. However, the book is slow, repetitive, and full of cliches. Each chapter reads the same but with different characters. The writing is simplistic and changes point of view mid page, which was very confusing. And the thing that really blew the book to pieces was the ridiculous ending! Come on! You really expect readers to believe that in a small Maine town? No way is that gonna happen! This is the second book by this author that I have read and they were both pretty bad. I won't be recommending this book or this author. Time to move on. I gave him a fair chance and he just isn't a good writer. A very generous 2 stars. More like 1.5 stars.
This all sounds good and pretty unique and a good author could really go somewhere with this plot line. However, the book is slow, repetitive, and full of cliches. Each chapter reads the same but with different characters. The writing is simplistic and changes point of view mid page, which was very confusing. And the thing that really blew the book to pieces was the ridiculous ending! Come on! You really expect readers to believe that in a small Maine town? No way is that gonna happen! This is the second book by this author that I have read and they were both pretty bad. I won't be recommending this book or this author. Time to move on. I gave him a fair chance and he just isn't a good writer. A very generous 2 stars. More like 1.5 stars.
October 20, 2016
I generally have a distaste these days with serial killer novels. It’s a subgenre that is insanely overdone, and most of these novels are a waste of time. That made it all the more surprising when I read a novel featuring a serial killer that I actually enjoyed. For starters, the premise was great. A newspaper staff opens up a time capsule that they had placed five years earlier, and inside the capsule is a sheet of paper that predicts a number of deaths, including the murder of the wife of Sheriff Jake Robbins. Jake is investigating the case, and soon learns that every single person who dies is tied to him, and more specifically, can be seen as people that he holds grudges against.
The author has an easy to read and enjoyable writing style. He alternates between first person in Jake’s point of view to third person with other characters. The suspense in the novel builds as each death mounts, all sticking with the predictions that were made in time capsule. Generally, the serial killers in these novels are dreadfully unbelievable. This novel does not suffer from that. The one weak spot in the novel is that I didn’t find the killer’s (and the people working with him) motives to be sufficient to kill all these people. Still, it was a good read and I would recommend it.
Carl Alves – author of Conjesero
The author has an easy to read and enjoyable writing style. He alternates between first person in Jake’s point of view to third person with other characters. The suspense in the novel builds as each death mounts, all sticking with the predictions that were made in time capsule. Generally, the serial killers in these novels are dreadfully unbelievable. This novel does not suffer from that. The one weak spot in the novel is that I didn’t find the killer’s (and the people working with him) motives to be sufficient to kill all these people. Still, it was a good read and I would recommend it.
Carl Alves – author of Conjesero
March 15, 2014
Disclaimer: I won an advanced reading copy from Goodreads First Reads
Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. A time capsule meant to be opened in 50 years is opened in 5 and contains predictions of murders. Some of these murders are yet to come, while others have already occurred, including that of the wife of the Chief of Police Jake Robbins. Once the time capsule is opened it raises doubts about the guilt of the man who was convicted of her murder, who was himself murdered in prison.
Jake races to decipher the clues left in the time capsule in order to identify the serial killer, and also to identify the next victim before they become a victim. At the same time, Katie Sanford, hopes the story will help her struggling small town newspaper survive. Katie is the widow of the man sent to prison for murdering Jake's wife and the owner of the local newspaper.
I liked the sparse writing style. Characters were interesting. The setting, a small town in Maine, was also interesting. The characters and town are ripe for a recurring series.
Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. A time capsule meant to be opened in 50 years is opened in 5 and contains predictions of murders. Some of these murders are yet to come, while others have already occurred, including that of the wife of the Chief of Police Jake Robbins. Once the time capsule is opened it raises doubts about the guilt of the man who was convicted of her murder, who was himself murdered in prison.
Jake races to decipher the clues left in the time capsule in order to identify the serial killer, and also to identify the next victim before they become a victim. At the same time, Katie Sanford, hopes the story will help her struggling small town newspaper survive. Katie is the widow of the man sent to prison for murdering Jake's wife and the owner of the local newspaper.
I liked the sparse writing style. Characters were interesting. The setting, a small town in Maine, was also interesting. The characters and town are ripe for a recurring series.
August 20, 2014
One bit of spoiler in the review:
This is super easy read level. I really stretched to give it a 3. The beginning 1/3rd was a full 3 star. But the simplistic characters and convoluted plot was closer to a 2 as it progressed. Too many people murdered to make any sense for the "reason", as well. The romance involved was a 1, and it was told like a zero. Is there a zero star level? Could you conceive of having a prolonged affair with the man, a few years after the fact of having your husband die in a prison stabbing, while he was serving a sentence for the conviction of murdering HIS wife? And on top of that they don't discuss relationship, they just "need"! The ending action was movie material and not to me, in any way believable. If you like James Patterson books, you might like this one. The only reason I'm not giving it a two star is that the writing itself is clear and fast, and I enjoyed the story up to the 66% point.
This is super easy read level. I really stretched to give it a 3. The beginning 1/3rd was a full 3 star. But the simplistic characters and convoluted plot was closer to a 2 as it progressed. Too many people murdered to make any sense for the "reason", as well. The romance involved was a 1, and it was told like a zero. Is there a zero star level? Could you conceive of having a prolonged affair with the man, a few years after the fact of having your husband die in a prison stabbing, while he was serving a sentence for the conviction of murdering HIS wife? And on top of that they don't discuss relationship, they just "need"! The ending action was movie material and not to me, in any way believable. If you like James Patterson books, you might like this one. The only reason I'm not giving it a two star is that the writing itself is clear and fast, and I enjoyed the story up to the 66% point.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2014
A damaged dam has caused flooding in Sherriff Jake Robbins small Maine community. As the clean up progresses the editor of the local newspaper, Katie Sanford, becomes concerned about the time capsule the newspaper sponsors. It really should not be opened for another 45 years, but as it may be water-logged they decide to dig it up and make sure everything is still dry. While the hole is being dug up to check the time capsule a grisly discovery is made and then, to make matters even worse, somehow some eerie predictions seem to have been secreted into the capsule. As uncomfortable as it is, because of their personal history, Jake and Katie need to solve the mystery before all of the predictions come true.
As usual Mr. Rosenfelt delivers a good story. It’s witty; it moves along quickly with numerous twists and turns all culminating is a surprise ending.
As usual Mr. Rosenfelt delivers a good story. It’s witty; it moves along quickly with numerous twists and turns all culminating is a surprise ending.
July 26, 2014
War hero and Chief of Police Jake Robbins is just beginning to put the murder of his wife behind him when it's all brought suddenly to the forefront of his life. A hurricane causes extensive damage to his town and people fear that the time capsule, holding the townspeople's predictions for the future, was damaged. Fortunately the capsule is not damaged. Unfortunately for Jake, the capsule holds predictions about murders and other tragedies including the murder of his wife. Jake must rush to find out who the killer is before he strikes again and before he himself is targeted as either a suspected killer or a victim himself.
Although the plot is interesting, the writing style is very choppy. I almost gave up on reading before I was even 20 pages in. The ending also seems a bit over the top.
Although the plot is interesting, the writing style is very choppy. I almost gave up on reading before I was even 20 pages in. The ending also seems a bit over the top.
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