What do you think?
Rate this book
FBI Thriller #27
Flashpoint
Agents Savich and Sherlock are back in the latest installment in Catherine Coulter’s #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series, where the past refuses to stay buried.
A year has passed since Elizabeth Palmer was nearly killed with hundreds more in the attempted bombing of St. Paul’s in London, believed to be a terrorist act until the police discovered it was a cover for something even more sinister. For Elizabeth, life is finally back to normal. She’s optimistic, her painting is getting accolades, when suddenly her world changes in a flash. With three new attempts on her life, and her connection to the terrorist attack, MI-5 gets involved to find out who is trying to kill her and why.
Autumn Backman, twelve years old, begrudgingly accepts a summer job to shepherd Tash Navarro, a shy, bullied little boy. He’s staying with his uncle while his father and stepmother go on a honeymoon in Europe. Then the unexpected happens. Autumn learns Tash is gifted psychically, like her, and Tash’s father, Archer Navarro, is suspected of embezzling from his own firm. The FBI and Interpol are on the case, but Archer and his new wife have disappeared. Tash is scared and convinced his father needs help, so Autumn reaches out to Dillon Savich, the only person she knows who can find them.
Desperate for answers, Elizabeth flies to Washington, D.C., to seek out Savich and Sherlock and is assigned Special Agent Rome Foxe for protection. With deadly assailants in terrifying pursuit, Elizabeth and Rome soon find themselves neck deep in danger and in a race for survival.
Buckle up for a nonstop, action-packed thriller from the one and only Catherine Coulter.
A year has passed since Elizabeth Palmer was nearly killed with hundreds more in the attempted bombing of St. Paul’s in London, believed to be a terrorist act until the police discovered it was a cover for something even more sinister. For Elizabeth, life is finally back to normal. She’s optimistic, her painting is getting accolades, when suddenly her world changes in a flash. With three new attempts on her life, and her connection to the terrorist attack, MI-5 gets involved to find out who is trying to kill her and why.
Autumn Backman, twelve years old, begrudgingly accepts a summer job to shepherd Tash Navarro, a shy, bullied little boy. He’s staying with his uncle while his father and stepmother go on a honeymoon in Europe. Then the unexpected happens. Autumn learns Tash is gifted psychically, like her, and Tash’s father, Archer Navarro, is suspected of embezzling from his own firm. The FBI and Interpol are on the case, but Archer and his new wife have disappeared. Tash is scared and convinced his father needs help, so Autumn reaches out to Dillon Savich, the only person she knows who can find them.
Desperate for answers, Elizabeth flies to Washington, D.C., to seek out Savich and Sherlock and is assigned Special Agent Rome Foxe for protection. With deadly assailants in terrifying pursuit, Elizabeth and Rome soon find themselves neck deep in danger and in a race for survival.
Buckle up for a nonstop, action-packed thriller from the one and only Catherine Coulter.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2024
2233 people are currently reading
8760 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
August 26, 2024
All that's missing is good action.
July 8, 2024
The book starts out in Belgravia, London, England with Lady Elizabeth Palmer in danger. The setting then shifts to Titusville, Virginia where we meet up with 12-year-old Autumn Backman and Ethan Merriweather from "Knock Out" and 8-year-old Tash Navarro and his uncle, Rebel. Shift again to Washington where Elizabeth meets up with a pregnant Sherlock (Yeah!). Savich hooks Elizabeth up with FBI-CAU newbie, Roman Foxe, but he wishes to be anywhere else. Lots of characters, scene shifts and meandering plots, several of them, throw in some psychic woo-woo and you have a story that just grabs you and won't let you go.
One of the big questions is why? Why do they want to kill or kidnap Elizabeth Palmer. Sure, she was an arm ornament for a crazy a$$ radical who planned the bombing at St. Paul's in London last year. But Sherlock dispatched him to his virgins on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Why? Do they think she knows something? Why is that important with the a$$wipe dead? Elizabeth spent three months training to defend herself with one of the best and she proves that she is not going to be the sheltered aristocrat who lets the big, strong man protect her. Rome gets that and is more than willing to see her as a partner and not just his protectee.
When his mother died, Tash Navarro lost his father too. Tash's dad, Archer, married a trophy wife who could barely tolerate Tash. For their extended honeymoon, Tash is dumped with his uncle, famous horror author, Rebel Navarro, in rural Titusville. Daddy Dearest even hired a local girl to be his companion. After a painful few days, Tash and Autumn bond over their special gifts. But Tash's horrific dreams about his father have everyone on edge, especially after Archer is accused of embezzling from his company and disappears.
One of the big questions is why? Why do they want to kill or kidnap Elizabeth Palmer. Sure, she was an arm ornament for a crazy a$$ radical who planned the bombing at St. Paul's in London last year. But Sherlock dispatched him to his virgins on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Why? Do they think she knows something? Why is that important with the a$$wipe dead? Elizabeth spent three months training to defend herself with one of the best and she proves that she is not going to be the sheltered aristocrat who lets the big, strong man protect her. Rome gets that and is more than willing to see her as a partner and not just his protectee.
When his mother died, Tash Navarro lost his father too. Tash's dad, Archer, married a trophy wife who could barely tolerate Tash. For their extended honeymoon, Tash is dumped with his uncle, famous horror author, Rebel Navarro, in rural Titusville. Daddy Dearest even hired a local girl to be his companion. After a painful few days, Tash and Autumn bond over their special gifts. But Tash's horrific dreams about his father have everyone on edge, especially after Archer is accused of embezzling from his company and disappears.
July 10, 2024
After 27 books, this series has become so predictable that I don’t know why I continue reading them. Also it had such awkward, stilted dialogue - no one speaks this way in real life!
August 10, 2024
Oh Good Lord! Really?! No, No, No! Let me start by saying this is my first FBI thriller, and I was a little concerned that I needed to read the others in the series, first. I was assured that the books were stand alones, but that wasn’t necessarily true. Events and characters from previous books definitely had a hand in this one. Not a problem for me, I could extrapolate the relevant information necessary to bring understanding to this story. And let me say, my lack of previous knowledge in no way affected my review. My low rating has to do with poor plotting and ridiculous dialogue.
The attack on Lady Elizabeth that starts this story is fine. Good way to start. But then she’s attacked again, a day later? Then she’s given a protection detail (one officer?), and is attacked again?! Please! MI5 is not incompetent. So, now she goes into hiding in the US, learns to be a force of self-defense, gets hooked up with an FBI agent assigned to protect her….. and SURPRISE! They fall for each other! Plus! He’s a misunderstood, tough guy who knows how to decorate his grandparents’ home. Oh! It all happens in 3 months from the first attack!
Now, let’s throw in a completely unrelated story line about a child with telekinetic abilities, who gets shipped to his uncle’s home for the summer while his dad and his new wife go on their honeymoon to Europe. There he meets another girl who has the same ability who’s attached to an FBI agent who has the same abilities ( assuming this plot line comes from previous books). I can’t even go into this plot line BECAUSE IT DOESN’T CONNECT TO THE ORIGINAL STORY!
And this isn’t even the biggest problem with this book. The dialogue is silly, really silly. I can’t even……
The attack on Lady Elizabeth that starts this story is fine. Good way to start. But then she’s attacked again, a day later? Then she’s given a protection detail (one officer?), and is attacked again?! Please! MI5 is not incompetent. So, now she goes into hiding in the US, learns to be a force of self-defense, gets hooked up with an FBI agent assigned to protect her….. and SURPRISE! They fall for each other! Plus! He’s a misunderstood, tough guy who knows how to decorate his grandparents’ home. Oh! It all happens in 3 months from the first attack!
Now, let’s throw in a completely unrelated story line about a child with telekinetic abilities, who gets shipped to his uncle’s home for the summer while his dad and his new wife go on their honeymoon to Europe. There he meets another girl who has the same ability who’s attached to an FBI agent who has the same abilities ( assuming this plot line comes from previous books). I can’t even go into this plot line BECAUSE IT DOESN’T CONNECT TO THE ORIGINAL STORY!
And this isn’t even the biggest problem with this book. The dialogue is silly, really silly. I can’t even……
July 7, 2024
I truly am trying not to be sad, but I just can't help myself. Yes, I understand the author wants to end the series here. She has been writing about Savich and Sherlock since 1996. I get it. And, how she has been able to keep the series fresh and new all these years with two of the most memorable characters from the beginning is a tribute to her exceptional writing talent. But, OH! For the past 28 years, I have always eagerly awaited the next book each year in one of my all time favorite series! No more "I can't wait for next year's book." Yes, I will always be able to go back and re-read the entire series again (which I have already done at least three times over the years). Yes, Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock (along with Sean, their son, and Astro), and all the other FBI agents introduced through the years are forever just a book away for me to visit them, but I can still be bummed. Sigh.
Now that I got that out of my system, this is a memorable last book. One last time, another great mystery I couldn't figure it out until the very end. Another fun visit with Autumn and more of her special "connection" with Dillon. Sigh. Thank you to Ms. Coulter for creating these characters, keeping them interesting and fun, the mysteries complex, puzzling and fresh and providing many, many happy reading hours for me through the years with this exceptional series. Yes, I can see it now. Pulling all my books in the series, lining them up and re-reading them again. I'm not ready to see it end! LOL!
And, I'm am not forgetting the spin-off, The Brit in the FBI Series. Yep, pulling those books too! :)
Now that I got that out of my system, this is a memorable last book. One last time, another great mystery I couldn't figure it out until the very end. Another fun visit with Autumn and more of her special "connection" with Dillon. Sigh. Thank you to Ms. Coulter for creating these characters, keeping them interesting and fun, the mysteries complex, puzzling and fresh and providing many, many happy reading hours for me through the years with this exceptional series. Yes, I can see it now. Pulling all my books in the series, lining them up and re-reading them again. I'm not ready to see it end! LOL!
And, I'm am not forgetting the spin-off, The Brit in the FBI Series. Yep, pulling those books too! :)
July 10, 2024
I just think the writing style has become almost AI-like, and it's so stilted and formal it bordered on ridiculous. There was even a sentence snippet of Sherlock (responding to her shoulders being rubbed) that was identical to just a few pages prior, and it felt sloppy. Not sure I'll keep buying books in this series.
July 9, 2024
Although I have enjoyed this series with the husband/wife FBI team, I was disappointed with this last novel. There were too many subplots that didn’t grab me. I expected more since the characters are well known and usually very involved in the action. Not so much this time.
August 14, 2024
Pretty quick read. It seemed like a lot was going on, and it took a second for me to get a grasp on it all. It was all wrapped up nicely at the end, though.
* sex scene(s) - 1 star demerit
* sex scene(s) - 1 star demerit
July 21, 2024
I’ve followed the FBI series from the beginning. There was a lot going on in this book, but all the loose ends were tied up satisfactorily.
July 28, 2024
Holy cow. This is the 27th book in this series and I enjoyed this as much as I have all the rest. Elizabeth is a warrior!!
December 4, 2024
Rated 4.01
Tash is spending the summer with his Uncle Rebel and Autumn's family. Tash and Autumn have special mental skills as does Dillon Savich. His father is off to Europe on his honeymoon. Savich and Sherlock assigned to protect Lady Elizabeth Palmer after murder attempts in London. All the elements of a real mystery: glamour, romance, murder, colorful characters, sinister settings and hidden motive for revenge that goes back decades. The plot twists at every turn. Enjoyable.
A year has passed since Elizabeth Palmer was nearly killed with hundreds more in the attempted bombing of St. Paul’s in London, believed to be a terrorist act until the police discovered it was a cover for something even more sinister. For Elizabeth, life is finally back to normal. She’s optimistic, her painting is getting accolades, when suddenly her world changes in a flash. With three new attempts on her life, and her connection to the terrorist attack, MI-5 gets involved to find out who is trying to kill her and why.
Autumn Backman, twelve years old, begrudgingly accepts a summer job to shepherd Tash Navarro, a shy, bullied little boy. He’s staying with his uncle while his father and stepmother go on a honeymoon in Europe. Then the unexpected happens. Autumn learns Tash is gifted psychically, like her, and Tash’s father, Archer Navarro, is suspected of embezzling from his own firm. The FBI and Interpol are on the case, but Archer and his new wife have disappeared. Tash is scared and convinced his father needs help, so Autumn reaches out to Dillon Savich, the only person she knows who can find them.
Desperate for answers, Elizabeth flies to Washington, D.C., to seek out Savich and Sherlock and is assigned Special Agent Rome Foxe for protection. With deadly assailants in terrifying pursuit, Elizabeth and Rome soon find themselves neck deep in danger and in a race for survival.
Tash is spending the summer with his Uncle Rebel and Autumn's family. Tash and Autumn have special mental skills as does Dillon Savich. His father is off to Europe on his honeymoon. Savich and Sherlock assigned to protect Lady Elizabeth Palmer after murder attempts in London. All the elements of a real mystery: glamour, romance, murder, colorful characters, sinister settings and hidden motive for revenge that goes back decades. The plot twists at every turn. Enjoyable.
A year has passed since Elizabeth Palmer was nearly killed with hundreds more in the attempted bombing of St. Paul’s in London, believed to be a terrorist act until the police discovered it was a cover for something even more sinister. For Elizabeth, life is finally back to normal. She’s optimistic, her painting is getting accolades, when suddenly her world changes in a flash. With three new attempts on her life, and her connection to the terrorist attack, MI-5 gets involved to find out who is trying to kill her and why.
Autumn Backman, twelve years old, begrudgingly accepts a summer job to shepherd Tash Navarro, a shy, bullied little boy. He’s staying with his uncle while his father and stepmother go on a honeymoon in Europe. Then the unexpected happens. Autumn learns Tash is gifted psychically, like her, and Tash’s father, Archer Navarro, is suspected of embezzling from his own firm. The FBI and Interpol are on the case, but Archer and his new wife have disappeared. Tash is scared and convinced his father needs help, so Autumn reaches out to Dillon Savich, the only person she knows who can find them.
Desperate for answers, Elizabeth flies to Washington, D.C., to seek out Savich and Sherlock and is assigned Special Agent Rome Foxe for protection. With deadly assailants in terrifying pursuit, Elizabeth and Rome soon find themselves neck deep in danger and in a race for survival.
October 23, 2024
As all of the Sherlock and Savich books, this one didn't disappoint. The plots are deep and keep you looking for more. Try an FBI book, they're entertaining and smart.
November 16, 2024
A good story.
March 23, 2025
Sherlock is pregnant.
Tash (8 yr old boy) is a new main character. He has special gift like Autumn and Dillon Savich.
Lots going on in this tale with three main mysteries to solve.
Tash (8 yr old boy) is a new main character. He has special gift like Autumn and Dillon Savich.
Lots going on in this tale with three main mysteries to solve.
October 12, 2024
Pretty standard and fun. Dual FBI and MI5 storylines that were quite busy yet didn’t quite intersect.
January 13, 2025
A great book as usual by this author. I truly hope this series is not ending since I have read them all up to date, and hope to read more. This book had two investigations going on at one time, and dealt with a pre-teen that had been the focus of an earlier book. She meets a shy young boy that turns out to be as gifted as herself. He was afraid his father’s life was in danger, and could not reach him. Savich jumped right in to help. I loved the action, and catching up with the couple and their son. The second story involved Lady Elizabeth Palmer who had nearly been killed in a bombing that would have had an even bigger death toll if the team hadn’t been closely watching her. She has restarted her life, and her painting, but has the feeling she is being watched, and then someone tries to run her over, and Sherlock, and Savich begin to watch over her again, and assign an agent named Rome to protect her. The fact that he expected a bratty spoiled socialite was funny, as she turned out to be the opposite. I had to really pay close attention to see who was pulling the strings. This mystery led to romance, but not graphic , and went with the story. I loved the ending, and the wonderful epilogue. Five stars.
March 2, 2025
Did not finish. Too many characters, too many disjointed things going on, stilted dialogue with characters speaking in huge long paragraphs, and an FBI agent coaching psychic children? Give me a break. Out.
October 7, 2024
One chapter was enough. The ill-researched American’s concept of London, full of decades old cliches and immature writing.
March 5, 2025
This was tedious and desperately needed editing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2025
My rating 3.8
It has been a while since I have read a detective/thriller and when this popped up on good reads for 2024, I added it to my list. It was a fun read, though the characters have appeared in previous books and I wish in hindsight I had read some in order. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and was able to follow it without a problem. It has either been a long time or never since I read a book by Catherine Coulter, but she is on my radar now and it won't be my last.
Summary:
Agents Savich and Sherlock are back in the latest installment in Catherine Coulter’s #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series, where the past refuses to stay buried.
A year has passed since Elizabeth Palmer was nearly killed with hundreds more in the attempted bombing of St. Paul’s in London, believed to be a terrorist act until the police discovered it was a cover for something even more sinister. For Elizabeth, life is finally back to normal. She’s optimistic, her painting is getting accolades, when suddenly her world changes in a flash. With three new attempts on her life, and her connection to the terrorist attack, MI-5 gets involved to find out who is trying to kill her and why.
Autumn Backman, twelve years old, begrudgingly accepts a summer job to shepherd Tash Navarro, a shy, bullied little boy. He’s staying with his uncle while his father and stepmother go on a honeymoon in Europe. Then the unexpected happens. Autumn learns Tash is gifted psychically, like her, and Tash’s father, Archer Navarro, is suspected of embezzling from his own firm. The FBI and Interpol are on the case, but Archer and his new wife have disappeared. Tash is scared and convinced his father needs help, so Autumn reaches out to Dillon Savich, the only person she knows who can find them.
Desperate for answers, Elizabeth flies to Washington, D.C., to seek out Savich and Sherlock and is assigned Special Agent Rome Foxe for protection. With deadly assailants in terrifying pursuit, Elizabeth and Rome soon find themselves neck deep in danger and in a race for survival.
It has been a while since I have read a detective/thriller and when this popped up on good reads for 2024, I added it to my list. It was a fun read, though the characters have appeared in previous books and I wish in hindsight I had read some in order. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and was able to follow it without a problem. It has either been a long time or never since I read a book by Catherine Coulter, but she is on my radar now and it won't be my last.
Summary:
Agents Savich and Sherlock are back in the latest installment in Catherine Coulter’s #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series, where the past refuses to stay buried.
A year has passed since Elizabeth Palmer was nearly killed with hundreds more in the attempted bombing of St. Paul’s in London, believed to be a terrorist act until the police discovered it was a cover for something even more sinister. For Elizabeth, life is finally back to normal. She’s optimistic, her painting is getting accolades, when suddenly her world changes in a flash. With three new attempts on her life, and her connection to the terrorist attack, MI-5 gets involved to find out who is trying to kill her and why.
Autumn Backman, twelve years old, begrudgingly accepts a summer job to shepherd Tash Navarro, a shy, bullied little boy. He’s staying with his uncle while his father and stepmother go on a honeymoon in Europe. Then the unexpected happens. Autumn learns Tash is gifted psychically, like her, and Tash’s father, Archer Navarro, is suspected of embezzling from his own firm. The FBI and Interpol are on the case, but Archer and his new wife have disappeared. Tash is scared and convinced his father needs help, so Autumn reaches out to Dillon Savich, the only person she knows who can find them.
Desperate for answers, Elizabeth flies to Washington, D.C., to seek out Savich and Sherlock and is assigned Special Agent Rome Foxe for protection. With deadly assailants in terrifying pursuit, Elizabeth and Rome soon find themselves neck deep in danger and in a race for survival.
August 31, 2024
Plenty of fast-paced action and a plethora of possible suspects in this new thriller! Lady Elizabeth’s life is in danger, but she takes the bull by the horns and takes self-defense classes from a master teacher in the states. Her protector, Rome, is debonair, dashing and deadly…a swoonworthy hero. There is a complex and multi-layered plot that kept me guessing and reading quickly to find out who the culprit was. The characters were believable and perfect for the parts they played in the drama, and the settings were as varied as the plot. Moving from the UK to the USA and then to various tourist sites in Europe, this book was perfect for those who aren’t traveling but who would like to. With action from beginning to end, this is a part of the FBI series not to be missed!
Disclaimer
I checked this book out from my local library on the Libby App. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Disclaimer
I checked this book out from my local library on the Libby App. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
December 15, 2024
This is the latest FBI thriller with married agents Sherlock and Savage. In this edition the daughter of a British count is the object of a group of individuals who make multiple attempts on her life in London. She comes to America to get specialized treatment to defend herself and to work with the FBI to try to determine who’s trying to kill her.
It’s an interesting story with plenty of twists. I did not suspect who the real instigator was.
As usual I really enjoy reading about the agents and their lives.
It’s an interesting story with plenty of twists. I did not suspect who the real instigator was.
As usual I really enjoy reading about the agents and their lives.
June 9, 2024
Book 27 of this series does not disappoint. I received an ARC of this novel.
Savich and Sherlock are embroiled in two different mysteries. Many favorite former characters return to help solve these cases. The reader gets to go to Philadelphia, London, Barcelona, and of course Washington DC as the embezzlement and attempted murder cases are solved.
I think that those of us who have followed the series since The Cove are going to love this novel. Those who pick up Flashpoint as their first read of this series will not understand the references of past characters or Savich’s gift and will be frustrated and confused. Start at book one, you will not be able to put this series down!!!!
Savich and Sherlock are embroiled in two different mysteries. Many favorite former characters return to help solve these cases. The reader gets to go to Philadelphia, London, Barcelona, and of course Washington DC as the embezzlement and attempted murder cases are solved.
I think that those of us who have followed the series since The Cove are going to love this novel. Those who pick up Flashpoint as their first read of this series will not understand the references of past characters or Savich’s gift and will be frustrated and confused. Start at book one, you will not be able to put this series down!!!!
July 10, 2024
It was ok.
It was nice to read the familiar characters. I feel as if certain parts dragged on and noticed myself skipping parts. After many years of reading her books it has become predictable. It was an ok storyline.
It was nice to read the familiar characters. I feel as if certain parts dragged on and noticed myself skipping parts. After many years of reading her books it has become predictable. It was an ok storyline.
August 7, 2024
Agents Savich and Sherlock are back in another exciting adventure that takes them across “the pond” and back again. The author, in true form, gives us many plots to follow along with reoccurring characters-Autumn and Tash. A true page turner with always that twist at the end! Enjoy
August 9, 2024
I have enjoyed all the books in this series. I like to revisit many of the same characters from book to book.
I enjoy how there are several mysteries going on each time and they somehow end up tied up at the end.
I enjoy how there are several mysteries going on each time and they somehow end up tied up at the end.
December 14, 2024
I do enjoy this series and I do appreciate that the central characters are truly good, upstanding people with firm moral integrity, but seriously? They are so perfect, it gets annoying. They should at least fart or get snarky for no good reason once in a while. And the way the new characters always fall passionately in love and proceed directly to marriage is also ridiculous. Sure, it’s feasible for them to feel attracted to each other when thrown together in exciting, dangerous situations, but why not inject a little more reality?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2024
I usually love the Savich/Sherlock thrillers, but this one was slow for me.
October 6, 2024
Excellent story. Two mysteries for the price of one. The FBI and MI5 team up to solve a murder attempt on a member of the British gentry, while other members of the FBI work to solve the embezzlement of 200 million dollars from an investment fund. You'll just have to read this plot twister to see if the sequence of fantastic events is connected.
November 18, 2024
Typical murder mystery with typical love interest stories. Very predictable but wanted an easy read to keep me occupied.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews