"Enthralling Suspense"

Readers familiar with Ms. Coulter's FBI couple, Savich and Sherlock, will be pleased, as the husband and wife team makes a reappearance in this cleverly scripted novel. When Father Michael Joseph is found murdered at his confessional in San Francisco, his identical twin brother, FBI agent Dane Carver, wants some answers. With the help of a homeless woman, Nick Jones, and Inspector Delion, of the San Francisco P.D., Dane searches for a killer, who, apparently confessed his murderous sins to the deceased priest. When Nick discovers that the killer is parroting a television show, THE CONSULTANT, the Feds entangle themselves in the investigation, complete with car chases and nerdy TV studio execs.

The complexity of this read is enhanced by the underlying mystery surrounding the true identity of Nick Jones, the well-spoken "homeless" woman who is obviously running away from someone or something. Is she a target because she witnessed Father Michael Joseph's murder or because the someone she is running from is out to kill her? Dane seeks answers as he keeps Nick by his side, and sparks fly between the two.

Dual compelling mysteries enhance the anticipation in this creative version of a who-done-it. The slight disappointment near the novel's conclusion occurs with the completely separate resolution of the two intertwined tales. Fans of Ms. Coulter's Savich and Sherlock series will be captivated, and readers new to this series will likely be intrigued as well.

Reviewed by Sheri Melnick
Posted August 4, 2002

Summary

Catherine Coulter has won acclaim for her "fast-paced twists and turns, believable dialogue, and case of well- developed characters" (San Francisco Examiner). "Gripping, absorbing," hailed Publishers Weekly, "Coulter keeps the action moving fast." Now Coulter delivers the suspense thriller of her career in Eleventh Hour. When FBI agent Dane Carver's twin brother, Father Michael Joseph, is brutally murdered in his San Francisco church, husband-and-wife agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich take a personal interest in the investigation. Then Nicola "Nick" Jones, a homeless woman and the only witness to the shooting, is scared out of her mind because she's trying to hide from her own monsters-who are drawing closer and closer. The chase goes from San Francisco to the Premiere Studios in Los Angeles and its new television hit, a show all about murder.