The Anniversary

The Anniversary

Author: Amy Gutman

Publisher: Little, Brown (2003)

ISBN: 0316381209

pages: 352

genre: thriller suspense

3.5 (out of 5) STARS

Annotation: Five years after her boyfriend is executed for the murder of more than 100 women, Laura Seton, the man's defense lawyer, and a true crime author receive disturbing notes that indicate he may still be alive.

Summary: "It's been five years since the execution of Steven Gage, a devious, charming psychopath who took the lives of more than a hundred women." "In those five years, three women connected with his case have moved on. His attorney has rid herself of the stigma of defending Gage. A true-crime writer has started a new project after her bestseller about his rampage. And Steven's ex-girlfriend has made a new life for herself - one where she won't be reminded that she once shared her home with a monster." "But someone hasn't moved on. On the fifth anniversary of Gage's execution, each of the three women gets a private note ... a chilling message that lets them all know they haven't been forgotten, and that in someone's dark imagination, Gage's legacy of terror lives on." At the time of his sentencing, Gage issued a terrifying edict that all three women hoped was meaningless. As threats against them turn deadly, the past explodes into the present. And one woman is in the fight of her life to uncover who is responsible - a killer who is determined to start up the string of murders right where they stopped. (www.goodreads.com)

Evaluation: One of the three thriller suspense novels that I read for this class this one was my least favorite. I still enjoyed it but not as much as the others.

I found the character Laura to be unbelievable. Her boyfriend was a serial killer who killed over 100 women. Laura and Steven Gage were living together while he was doing his serial killing. I find it difficult to believe that she was not suspicious all the time. She did finally figure it out and then only ten years later she is a completely different confident person. I realize this is only fiction but within the narrative of the story it still needs to be believable and I felt like this book was not able to accomplish that.

Read-a-likes:

Tell No One by Harlan Coben

The Ghost by Robert Harris

The Tutor by Peter Abrahams