When the Wind Blows (When the Wind Blows, #1)

Amazon.com Review 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 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. 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." Here scientists conduct shockingly incomprehensible experiments involving children and genetic alteration. While grieving her husband's murder, a young Colorado veterinarian meets a troubled FBI agent and begins to uncover the world's most sinister secrets in this thriller from James Patterson.Frannie O'Neill is a young and talented veterinarian living in Colorado. Plagued by the mysterious murder of her husband, Frannie throws herself into her work, but 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: an eleven-year-old girl named Max.With breathtaking energy, Max leads Frannie and Kit to uncover one of the most diabolical and inhuman plots of modern science. Bold and compelling, When the Wind Blows is a story of suspense and passion as only James Patterson could tell it. 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.With breathtaking energy, eleven-year-old Max leads Frannie and Kit to uncover one of the most diabolical and inhuman plots of modern science. When the Wind Blows is as unique a story as has ever been told, filled with suspense and passion.

In the book that started it all, Frannie O"Neal, a young and talented veterinarian whose husband was recently murdered, has just made a startling discovery in the woods near the animal hospital where she works. Soon after, Kit Harrison — an anxious and unconventional FBI agent — arrives on Frannie"s doorstep. These two troubled people come together to learn the secret of what is happening in the woods — and the truth behind 11-year-old Max, Frannie"s amazing discovery and one of the most unforgettable creations in thriller fiction.

Rocky Mountain News - Mark Graham

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

Frannie O'Neill, a young and talented veterinarian whose husband was recently murdered, comes across an amazing discovery near her animal hospital in the woods. Kit Harrison, a troubled and unconventional FBI agent, soon arrives on her doorstep with an agenda of his own. And then, there is eleven-year-old Max--Frannie's amazing discovery When a young veterinarian whose husband has recently been murdered comes across an astonishing discovery in the woods near her animal hospital, she soon finds herself in the company of an unconventional FBI agent. An 11-year-old helps a recently widowed veterinarian and an FBI agent uncover secret genetic research involving children