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Gus Wheatley is a young, self-centered, workaholic lawyer who is inconvenienced when he receives a call from his daughter's teacher informing him that Mrs. Wheatley has not picked Morgan up from her tumbling class. Gus apologizes profusely and goes to the school to pick his six-year-old daughter. When they arrive home Gus tries to pacify Morgan and try to find out where his wife, Beth has been. After many unsuccessful tries in trying to locate her he goes to his last resort and calls his sister Cara from whom she is estranged. Cara is close to Beth and at first she thinks that her brother was involved in some foul play and murdered his wife. Once she is convinced that he was not involved they decide to contact the police. Ý Andie Henning is an FBI agent working in the Seattle branch in the Bank Robbery division. A few days ago she publicly humiliated her fiance during their wedding day after discovering that the groom slept with her sister. She comes back to work the next day and her boss decides to try to use Andie's psychology degree as well as her good record in working in tandem with a profiler investigating a series of unusual murders in Washington state. Ý There is a serial killer running loose in the state and is targeting people who look physically similar in appearance as well as their likes and dislikes. The first two victims were two fifty-one-year-old males who drove Ford pick-up trucks. Now they have found a woman killed in a similar way who bears a passing resemblance in every way to Beth Wheatley. The FBI is stumped but by working together with Beth's husband they will try to find her and see if she is a victim or a willing participant in her own disappearance. Ý Grippando showcases the changes Gus goes through after her learns how little he knows about his wife. He was oblivious to her shoplifting and bulimia. He has no idea what is the name of the gym she goes to or what is her favorite ice cream flavor. As the case proceeds he knows he wants to change and try to be there for his family. He decides to take the initiative by offering a high cash reward in information leading to his wife's safe return. A prisoner by the name of Shirley Borge has an idea as to where Beth might be and she provides Gus with some information leading him to a Native American used-clothing store. Agent Andie Henning being part Indian is sent to work undercover in the store. It is from this point on that the story begins its downhill slide. Ý Andie finds some clues at the store and after one incident with a customer; she takes a quantum leap to a group offering a learning seminar at a nearby hotel. Ms. Henning is convinced that this will lead her to Beth. The author does not provide a credible link here leaving the reader with too many unanswered questions such as, how did the story get here? It is then that the plot becomes a mess by providing an unconvincing self-righteous individual who might be responsible with the killings in Washington. There is a not-so-surprising twist near the storys climax but by then no one really cares. Ý As a book involving a desperate man learning things about himself and his wife while trying to find her it is very good. As a novel about an FBI investigation involving a killer fixated with hidden selves, torture, and hangings, it really stinks. So if you were to take both points and put them together, they cancel each other out. Grippando should have concentrated on writing one story instead of two. It would have saved reader interest if one could avoid the superfluous scenes.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, September 2002
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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