Shatter

I got my weekday running done for the week on the treadmill. I did 5 miles on Tuesday in 41:20. Yesterday I did 6.2 miles in 55:10 and today I did 5 miles in 40:33. I plan to take tomorrow off and then run a slow 6 miles on Saturday. Sunday is my 5k. I am off Monday and going on a field trip with Aaron. I hope to be able to squeeze in 6 or 7 mile early in the morning.

Shatter

Shatter is a book that listened to on my mp3 player while running. http://www.amazon.com/Shatter-Michael-Robotham/dp/0385517912/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244123474&sr=8-1

It is by a British writer named Michael Robotham. This is the first book that I have read from this author. Apparently the main character, Joe O'Loughlin is a reoccurring character in Michael Robotham's books. This book is somewhat predictable for frequent readers of psychological thrillers.

Joe is a middle aged psychologist with a wife and two kids living in Somerset, England. He has Parkinson's disease. Joe helps the police with a lady that is threatening to jump off the bridge. The lady jumps and dies. Joe investigates and find that the lady, Christine Wheeler was on the phone with someone who was encouraging her to jump. Joe works with the police to figure out who was on the phone with Christine Wheeler and care for her teenage daughter

Parts of the book start to be told from the killers perspective. The killer tells Christine Wheeler's long time friend and business partner, Sylvia Furness that he has her daughter and will rape and kill her if she does not do what he says. He ends up having her freeze to death. Joe and the police are able to link Wheeler and Furness to a high school friend, Helen Chambers who died along with her daughter in a recent ferry boat accident after separating from her husband, Gideon Tyler. The husband becomes the prime suspect in the Wheeler and Furness' murder. Gideon Tyler is part of the British military as an interrogator and is well trained in physcological warfare.

It turns out that the police had Gideon in custody earlier after he was near the Christine Wheeler murder and found her phone. He gave police a different name and seemed to suffer from post traumatic stress from being in the military. Joe did not feel that this person had the mental capacity to be involved in these murders and with Joe's encouragement the man who turned out to be Gideon Tyler is released.

After Tyler is identified as the murderer, it become a mental battle between Gideon and Joe. They talk on the phone where Gideon insists that his wife and daughter is alive. After much prodding, Joe is able to convince Brian Chambers, Helen's father to discuss Helen's experiences with Gideon. Gideon was very possessive and continues to constantly threaten the Chambers. Their house is under strict guard.

Joe is working closely with an retired policemen, Vincent Ruiz who also appears to be a reoccurring character. They begin to question whether Gideon is right and Helen Chamber sand her daughter are still alive. However, before they can investigate, Gideon contact Joe's wife, Juliette and informs her that he has their daughter Charley. Joe and Juliette have been having marital problems after Joe suspects she was having an affair with her boss.

The psychological battle between Joe and Gideon continues. Gideon takes Juliette from police custody. Joe finds out that Helen and her daughter are alive and living in the Chambers basement. The police have Gideon's daughter on the phone with Gideon to distract him and are able to capture him. He refuses to tell where he is holding Juliette and Charley. Based on clues Joe and Vincent are able to located the abandoned house where Gideon was holding Juliette and Charley. Both are still alive. The book ends six months later. Joe and Juliette are separated.

I thought the book was decent, but as a said I thought it was predictable. Perhaps I have read too many books where it is a battle between the evil killer and the policy or Psychologist. The killer makes in personal and threatens a loved one and then it captured. I did like the narrator on the recording. I give the book a B-.