Backfire

Written by Catherine Coulter

Narrated by Jim Meskimen and Deanna Hurst

For what you did you deserve this.

The mysterious note delivered to FBI agent Dillon Savich has him and his partner, Lacey Sherlock, on edge, just as they’re starting an investigation into the shooting of their longtime friend Ramsey Hunt. The San Francisco judge was shot in the back during a high-profile murder trial—and now Sherlock's and Savich’s search for the truth will take a shocking turn that no one could have seen coming…

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jul 10, 2012
• ISBN: 9781455827800

Catherine Coulter

Catherine Coulter is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of ninety-two novels including the FBI suspense thriller series and A Brit in the FBI international thriller series, co-written with the brilliant author J.T. Ellison. Coulter lives in Sausalito, California, with her Übermensch husband. She hikes daily and posts wide-ranging photos of her beautiful area.

Reviews for Backfire

[drled_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: 'San Francisco judge Ramsey Hunt, longtime friend to FBI agents Lacey Sherlock and Dillon Savich, begins the murder trial of Clive and Cindy Cahill only to have federal prosecutor Mickey O'Rourke, known for his relentless aggressive style, suddenly turn tentative and distracted. Hunt suspects that something is very wrong - and then O'Rourke goes missing and Judge Hunt gets shot in the back.Savich and Sherlock receive news of the attack as a mysterious note is delivered to Savich at the Hoover Building: FOR WHAT YOU DID YOU DESERVE THIS. Who sent the note? What does it mean?As Ramsey Hunt's life hangs in the balance, Savich and Sherlock race to San Francisco to answer the question: Why would anyone shoot the judge? When they discover one answer, more questions arise until Savich and Sherlock face the final shock."Review: Rather complicated story, but there were some 'clues' that should have been apparent to these super sleuths early on.

[curlupandread · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was another great book in the FBi series. Loved the twist and turns and seeing old friends again. Can't wait for the next book.

[NNEAMAKA PAYNE · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Catherine Coulter is one of my favorite thriller authors, and I absolutely love this one, where a famous and well-loved judge in San Francisco is shot in an attempted murder, and Savich and Sherlock get to fly out there to try to solve the case. I love it when an author is really great at describing a setting because it’s like getting to take a vacation there as you read, and Coulter really immerses you in the Bay Area as you’re following the case. I love these thrillers and the way information is slowly revealed as we figure out who exactly wants the judge killed, and why. This was one of the more complex and intricate mysteries so far, and I really enjoyed it!

[andy_dimartino · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fun read although they seem to becoming more like a young adult novel in the way they are written. Seem to have lost some of the grown upism

[carl_alves_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In Backfire, there were two different plot lines going on. Each on its own was fairly unbelievable and had plot holes the size of a canyon, but when they converged together at the end, it made a fairly mediocre novel completely fall apart. In the first plot line, someone is sending a note targeting FBI agent Savich and Judge Ramsey Hunt, who is shot in the opening sequence of the novel. But in this novel, when people get shot, they don’t actually die, which is one of the many plot points that strains believability. In the second plot line, a foreign agent is on the loose, killing people involved in a case that Judge Hunt was presiding over.There were so many things wrong about this novel that reading it was akin to dying a slow death. As I had mentioned, realism was a serious problem. Characters were also a problem. These characters didn’t seem plausible to me, especially the villains in the story. One of the villains was so absurd with their motivations, and the other was like James Bond on steroids with all of his capabilities in this novel. I was amazed at all of the positive reviews that I found on this novel. I just don’t see what there was to like about it, and I would advise skipping this one. There are much better thrillers out there.Carl Alves – author of Conjesero

[carol420 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nothing has prepared Savish and Sherlock for the Cahills. They can only hope to see them spend the rest of their lives in prison but Dillion fears it will take more than that. This series is always a good read.

[randall6hansen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First time reading this author and not sure if this book was just a bit of a dud or whether she simply writes too much and the quality is not so great. Weird writing and conversations among characters. Story about an attempted murder on a federal judge in San Francisco and the struggles of the FBI (including a married couple who fly in from DC) who try and find the would-be assassin. Probably would give Coulter another try, but not any time soon.

[jnut1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Just not my favorite.

[jbarr5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Backfire by Catherine CoulterThe federal judge, Ramsey has been shot on his lawn on Seacliff, San Francisco. Agents on the east coast have been threatenedand Savage and Sherlock are heading to the west coast as they are family. Male and female feds are a rarity but they work well together.The judges wife, Molly has children, one who is a musical prodigy, Emma. cal and Gage are the boys.The feds follow clues the judge has told them about. More attempts on the judges life while he's being transported to a private room at the hospital.Lots of action and killings and find the clues fascinating as they lead to other things... I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Savich gets a threatening note, and shortly afterwards a federal judge is shot, not quite fatally. Coulter draws on a whole cast of familiar characters to solve the case - and of course two of them fall in love. Unfortunately, at this point there are way too many couples involved, all of whom have ties and require their few minutes in the spotlight. The dialogue between all the couples is cookie-cutter, and the villains aren't much better. Not Coulter's best.

[mikedraper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Judge Ramsey Hunt is shot in the back at his home in San Francisco. He was in the early part of presiding on the trial of Clive and Cindy Cahill. The prosecuting attorney had been strong in his desire to prosecute but he changed, then went missing.FBI agents Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock are friends with Hunt and they travel to California to look for the shooter.A letter is delivered to the FBI headquarters, addressed to Savich, "For What You Have Done You Deserve This." They think it might relate to the judges shooting but check the people Savich sent to jail to see if anyone recently completed their sentence and was released, possibly looking for pay back.The two parts of the story merge with electric sparks as the action comes in fast and furiously during the last quarter of the story.I enjoyed the story, found the characters plausible and enjoyed the surprises that the author added.

[books007_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good read but this is a little less romance and a little more mystery than the prior books in this series.

[onyx95_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After receiving a cryptic message from an anonymous author, Dillon Savich was taken by surprise when a call came in about a friend on the other side of the country getting shot. Heading out to San Francisco, Savich and wife Lacey Sherlock were glad for a reason to get away. After everything that Judge Ramsey Hunt and his family had been through in the past, Savich and Sherlock wanted to be there to help find who had done this to him. With the combined efforts of San Francisco FBI Agent Harry Christoff, US Deputy Marshal Eve Barbieri and several of SFPD officers for protection, they had the team together to track down the person responsible for shooting Judge Dredd and the disappearance of the Federal Prosecutor. Following all the leads was one thing, but getting shot had not been part of the plan for any of them, getting through all that could lead to more than one kind of break through. Book 16 ….. After so many books in this FBI series, I have not lost interest. Usually there is at least 2 story lines, or cases in the book going on simultaneously, this one seems to concentrate on one at a time. Revisiting past characters like Judge Ramsey Hunt is so much fun for me. It does help having read the previous books, but it gives enough of a background to the situation that it could be read as a stand alone for some people (just not me). The added romances is so subtle in this one, it seems to be an after thought that was just stuck in as one or two sentences. This one is action packed with on going crimes and fights. Back Fire is a good suspenseful addition to the FBI series. Really hope that Catherine Coulter has a few more of these Savich and Sherlock stories to go.

[dearheart_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Head of the Criminal Apprehension Unit out of Washington DC, Special Agent Dillon Savich is given a note left by a mysterious person with the confusing message, YOU DESERVE THIS FOR WHAT YOU DID. It’s soon forgotten as Savich, his wife, Special Agent Sherlock, and their 5 year-old son, Sean, rush to San Francisco after receiving a phone call from the wife of their good friend, Judge Ramsey Hunt (The Target). Ramsey had been shot.The FBI, US Federal Marshals and local police work together to try to figure out who and why while protecting Ramsey whose life is still in endanger from the shooter. There are a number of issues and angles, and trying to pull them altogether is difficult, especially since it involves national security and a missing prosecutor.This story brings together US Federal Marshal Eve Barbieri and FBI Special Agent Harry Christoff, but don’t expect the story to be heavy on the romance. This one is more mystery and suspense, and like a prior book, their story will probably be finished in a future book.If you are newer to the author you’ll love the dialog and quirky wit expressed by a number of characters, along with the mystery and suspense. If you’ve read a lot of books by this author, you might find it annoying that once again so many characters have the same sense of humor and find the same things to laugh at. It’s what the author is known for, but it makes it seem like she’s recycling characters, just with different backgrounds and experiences.On the whole, though, a most enjoyable story and difficult to put down.

[sharonr53 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! What a book! The action is jam packed and the book has more twists and turns than that famous street in San Francisco.Judge Ramsey Hunt is shot at home shortly after halting a murder trial he has been presiding over. The Federal Prosecutor is missing and the defendants are sitting pretty. U.S. Federal Marshall Eve Barbieri is one of the dozens of law enforcement people called in when Judge Hunt is attacked. The FBI, SFPD, and even the CIA make an appearance. Eve has a close relationship with Judge Hunt and his entire family which makes this case all the more important to her.Around the same time, FBI Agent Dillon Savich gets a cryptic note that might be a threat. When he and his wife, fellow FBI Agent Sherlock hear about Hunt, they head off to be part of the team working on the case. They bring their five year old son, Sean along with them as Sherlock's parents live in San Francisco, and the whole family knows the Hunt family well. Harry Christoff is the FBI Agent assigned to liaison with Eve and the sparks fly from the first moment they meet. However, the romance aspect of this book takes a back seat to the Hunt case. The presumed attacker is a busy guy or maybe gal and everyone involved is in danger throughout the entire book. The sender of the note to Savich makes an appearance and adds more excitement to the mix.One of the things I love about this series is the continuity of the characters. Several of the ones we have met before in earlier books make an appearance and it is never gratuitous. The new characters blend in seamlessly and you learn enough about them to care fairly quickly. Of course, Sherlock and Savich are the linchpin of the story and they have some scary times in this book but their relationship is a strong as ever. I remember Ramsey, Molly and twelve year old Emma from The Target, book Three in the series, and I also remembered how much I enjoyed that book. Emma is the center of a delightful subplot involving her being a piano prodigy that adds a nice light touch to offset the tenseness of the story. Sean’s crush on her and future plans to marry the “older woman” someday is just too cute. This series just keeps getting better and better which each book. My only complaint is that there is way too long between books!