The Splitting Storm

May 3, 2004
Gutteridge launches her new trilogy with style in this first installment, which offers fast-paced suspense and some intriguing insight into the world of serial killers. FBI agent and tornado-chaser Mick Kline is determined to track down the person who murdered his brother in cold blood. When he becomes obsessed by his theory that a serial killer's at large, he's ordered to take mandatory leave so he can presumably make peace with his loss. Instead, intent on revenge, Kline follows a trail of clues that leads to Bakerville, Tex., where Faith Kemper, the recovering wife of another murder victim, is in hiding—afraid she is next. Faith, her sight impaired by the killer in the same incident that left her husband dead, harbors her own secrets behind her dark glasses. Despite the tension, genuine humor and warmth permeate the novel, and intriguing details about profiling serial killers and symbolism built around storm chasing help keep the reader engaged. The characters have some delightful quirks—Mick is deathly afraid of food poisoning, even keeping his peanut butter in the refrigerator; his partner, Reggie Moore, has never met a diet he didn't like, or that worked. Gutteridge (Boo
; Troubled Waters
) withholds just the right amount of information to keep the reader turning the pages. She strikes a good balance with her faith themes and leaves plenty of room to develop potential romantic interests in the sequel. This novel for the inspirational market provokes a few chills while offering an enjoyable read.

June 1, 2004
When the police cannot solve his brother's murder, Mick Kline decides to crack the case himself. Gutteridge (Ghost Writer) lives in Oklahoma City.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 1, 2004
Gutteridge's " The Splitting Storm" is about an FBI agent, Mick Kline, who seeks the murderer of his brother. Mick is also an amateur tornado chaser. He finds some solace for his troubled soul in the awesome power of nature, and Gutteridge uses storm scenes to good effect to suggest the mystery of God, whose creations include serial killers and whose essence is always beyond our power to comprehend. Mick becomes so obsessed with his theory that a serial killer is responsible for his brother's death that he is put on administrative leave. But instead of dealing with his grief, he heads to Texas, where several seemingly random murders have occurred. He crosses paths with Faith Kemper, a blind woman whose husband was murdered and whose story begins to corroborate Mick's intuitions. " The Splitting Storm" is the first entry of what looks to be a fine series; Gutteridge's characters are believably eccentric, and she has done her homework with police procedure. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2004, American Library Association.)