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The Breaker
The Breaker
Author: Minette Walters
The acclaimed international bestselling author hailed by The San Diego Union-Tribune as a "virtuoso of psychological suspense" spins a hypnotic tale of mystery and intrigue. — Twelve hours after a woman's body is washed up on a deserted shore on the south coast of England, her traumatized three-year-old daughter is discovered twenty miles away, a...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780399144929
ISBN-10: 0399144927
Publication Date: 5/24/1999
Pages: 351
Rating:
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 17

3.9 stars, based on 17 ratings
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed The Breaker on + 136 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 6
First book I ever read by this author, was in high school. Could not put it down. Just remembered her recently and I am caught up in her all over again. I usually can't read books set in England but these are very easy to follow and hold your attention.
DameEdna avatar reviewed The Breaker on + 149 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This is why I love Walters - dark atmosphere, fully-drawn characters, and constant suspense.
reviewed The Breaker on + 20 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
First time I read this author and found it engaging. Good pace and it keeps your interest. I will read others by this author.
reviewed The Breaker on + 23 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
"The Breakers" holds its secrets to almost the end. But this expertly crafted , classic story is even more of a tease then usual. Walters narrows the field of suspesct om a woman's murder then proceeds to persuade you , in turn, of each's guilt. But just when you think you know who the killer realy is, another clue comes along to undermine your confidence and convince you otherwise. I enjoyed it.
reviewed The Breaker on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
one of the best by Walters
Read All 21 Book Reviews of "The Breaker"

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reviewed The Breaker on + 121 more book reviews
Wonderfully chilling book!
wardbunch avatar reviewed The Breaker on + 88 more book reviews
Lovely little murder mystery. Beautifully written.
legal22 avatar reviewed The Breaker on + 136 more book reviews
Another gem by Minette Walters
jlautner avatar reviewed The Breaker on + 105 more book reviews
A beautiful woman is found, naked, thrown upon the rocks near the sea, below Houns-tout cliff in southern England. She had drowned and somehow been tossed by the waves on a rocky area not easily accessible by foot. She is found by a couple of boys who then tell a young man who was hiking in the area. A garbled message is sent to the emergency services, resulting in a helicopter hovering above the body in an effort to rescue the woman. She is beyond rescue.

Also on the scene is a young woman on horseback and soon PC Ingram, who secures the scene and takes note of his surroundings.

The dead woman, Kate Sumner, is the wife of an older man who seems, alternately, distressed by her death and yet quietly cold about her. Many people in the small community believe Kate was bored with her marriage and with the small community to which the couple had moved. Some thought she might have been having an affair.

There turn out to be no lack of suspects, and each one is seen as the likely one until another is. It's enough to make a reader dizzy.

The investigation involves a few police detectives along with PC Ingram, who seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Each has something to offer and ultimately the answer is found. But not without quite a few twists and quite a few characters.

In some ways this novel reminded me of Agatha Christie's works, rather like an updated Christie, as it focuses a lot on characters and even has a bit of a love interest. Both Christie and Walters have senses of humor, and that humor is not lacking here. A thoroughly enjoyable classic detective story.
bythebook avatar reviewed The Breaker on
I really enjoyed this book. It started right in on the action and kept up the pace. It kept me guessing all the way through. Everytime I thought I had it figured out, some clue would be revealed to make me change my mind. Right up until the last few pages, I just wasn't sure who the culprit was. I'll probably look for more books by this author.


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