Taking a break from his phenomenally successful Alex Cross series, James Patterson's When the Wind Blows is as much child's fantasy as it is an adult nightmare. The novel moves away from the gritty Washington, D.C., setting of the Cross books and follows the daily life of Frannie O'Neill, a Colorado veterinarian. After the mysterious death of her husband several years before, Frannie retreated to an isolated life in her Colorado practice. But a series of bizarre events suddenly disrupts her lonely routine. On a personal level, she is shaken by her new tenant--Kit Harrison. Kit's too handsome and too friendly and he's a hunter (or so Frannie thinks). He's also recovering from a devastating personal tragedy, and, as Frannie eventually learns, he's really an FBI agent using his vacation to follow a crucial lead. But Kit isn't the one that's got Frannie concerned. As she says after stopping her Suburban one night to check out something on the side of the road: "What I saw was way beyond my abilities to imagine, beyond my comprehension, my system of belief, and maybe beyond my ability to communicate right now. The little girl's arms were folded back in a peculiar way, but when she lifted them--feathers fanned out." The girl is Max, and the mystery of her wings leads Frannie and Kit into a massive conspiracy involving secret genetic research and the scientific manipulation of the human species.

Patterson, a former advertising executive who coined such catchy phrases as "Nupe it!," knows how to entertain. His chapters are always short (some only two pages), and his writing is clear and unobtrusive; the reading experience is brisk--akin to watching a summer blockbuster. The book is not as dark or as weighty as the tales of detective-psychologist Alex Cross, but while some fans may be disappointed by Patterson's migration from pure suspense fiction, his first-person narrator Frannie, has a quirky realism that keeps this flight of fancy mostly on stable ground. --Patrick O'Kelley


Amazon.com Audiobook Review
When the Wind Blows has one of those outrageous premises that you either buy into (a girl with wings?), or you don't. Fortunately, Blair Brown's narration helps you suspend disbelief. Brown, the multi-Emmy-nominated star of the classic TV series The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, reads the story with more authority than the plot seems to merit. But as urgent and forceful as she is with the central narration, she's even better when reading the first-person passages in the voice of Frannie O'Neill, the widowed veterinarian at the center of this James Patterson thriller. That's when she gives the story real heart, a desperately needed humanity in the midst of all the cloning and genetic tinkering. (Running time: six hours, four cassettes) --Lou Schuler


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From Library Journal
Still mourning her dead husband, veterinarian Frannie O'Neill makes an awful discovery near her hospital. What's more, an FBI agent is tapping at her door.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Blair Brown can make the mundane sound musical. Even so, James Patterson's style of fantastic fiction may be beyond her abilities. In this book, which is a blend of detective story, science fiction and medical mystery, Brown doesn't manage to effectively differentiate one character from another, regardless of sex. In both tone and tenor, Brown merely carries the story, adding little to it that is special. Of course, Patterson's sometimes silly story line doesn't give her a lot of help, and this particular abridgment seems to leave great gaps in plot development. The use of music, although a bit repetitious, is pleasantly diverting, and it does help emphasize Brown's better moments. D.A.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Book Description
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, the most brilliant and original "what if" suspense novel to come along in a decade, has somehow surpasses the page-turning chills of James Patterson's megabestsellers CAT & MOUSE and KISS THE GIRLS. Frannie O'Neill, a young and talented veterinarian whose husband was recently murdered, comes across an astonishing discovery in the woods near her animal hospital. Soon after, Kit Harrison, a troubled and unconventional FBI agent, arrives on Frannie's doorstep. And then there is eleven-year-old Max -Frannie's amazing discovery - and one of the most unforgettable creations in thriller fiction. WHEN THE WIND BLOWS will not just thrill readers. It will make their imaginations soar.


Download Description
eBook Special Feature: Includes a chapter excerpt of The Lake House. When the Wind Blows, the most brilliant and original "what if" suspense novel to come along in a decade has somehow surpassed the page turning chills of Cat and Mouse and Kiss the Girls. Frannie O'Neill, a young and talented veterinarian whose husband was recently murdered, comes across an amazing discovery near her animal hospital iln the woods. Kit Harrison, a troubled and unconventional FBI agent soon arrives on her doorstep. And then, there is eleven-year old Max--Frannie's amazing discover - and one of teh most unforgettable creations in thriller fiction. When the Wind Blows will not just thrill readers, it will make their imaginations and hearts soar.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
October 1998

With five previous number one megabestsellers to his name, James Patterson can take some risks. Acclaimed for his Alex Cross series — Along Came a Spider, Kiss the Girls, Jack & Jill, Cat & Mouse — Patterson strikes an entirely new chord with When the Wind Blows. A chilling suspense novel — perhaps too realistic for comfort — Patterson combines jaw-dropping scenes, heart-pounding plot twists, and memorable characters in one unforgettable package.

Set against a sinister backdrop of genetic engineering and illegal scientific experimentation, When the Wind Blows dares readers to test their notions of human evolution and medical science. Frannie O'Neill is a caring young veterinarian living in the Colorado Rockies, trying to erase the memory of her beloved husband's mysterious murder. It is not long before another neighbor suddenly dies, and FBI agent Kit Harrison arrives at Frannie's doorstep. Kit is hell-bent on solving the heinous case despite resounding protests from the FBI and the thrashing of his own internal demons.

Kit secretly pursues the investigation, yet witnesses keep turning up dead. Then Frannie stumbles upon an astonishing discovery in the nearby woods, and their lives are altered in ways they could never have imagined. Simply knowing the secret of Max — the terrified 11-year-old girl with an amazing gift — could mean death.

As more and more diabolical details are unearthed, the murderer's bloody trail ultimately leads the trio to an underground lab network, known as "the School." Herescientistsconduct shockingly incomprehensible experiments involving children and genetic alteration.

But perhaps not so unfathomable: Doctors and medical researchers who have read Where the Wind Blows say the events described in this book could actually be a reality in the next 20 to 30 years. If not before.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Frannie O'Neill is a young and talented veterinarian living in Colorado. Plagued by the mysterious murder of her husband, David, a local doctor, Frannie throws herself into her work. It is not long before another bizarre murder occurs and Kit Harrison, a troubled and unconventional FBI agent, arrives on her doorstep. Late one night, near the woods of her animal hospital, Frannie stumbles upon a strange, astonishing phenomenon that will change the course of her life forever... Her name is Max. Eleven-year-old Max leads Frannie and Kit to uncover one of the most diabolical and inhuman plots of modern science.

SYNOPSIS

A veterinarian, devastated by the recent murder of her husband, makes a mysterious discovery in the woods adjacent to her animal clinic.

FROM THE CRITICS

Mark Graham - Rocky Mountain News

It has been more than a decade since I was captivated by a book like I was captivated by this one.

Library Journal

Still mourning her dead husband, veterinarian Frannie O'Neill makes an awful discovery near her hospital. What's more, an FBI agent is tapping at her door.

Mark Graham