Tag Archives: mystery

Private Berlin by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan (Book Review)

 

Private, the world’s most respected investigation firm, has branches around the world, each staffed with the smartest, fastest, and most advanced agents, who have cutting-edge forensic tools that not even the most powerful governments possess.

At Private Berlin, agent Chris Schneider has disappeared. Chris had taken a secretive personal leave and hadn’t spoken to anyone from the office in days. The Private team retraces his footsteps to the cases he was investigating before his disappearance: a billionaire suspected of cheating on his wife, a world-famous soccer player accused of throwing games, and the owner of a seedy nightclub. They were the last people to see Chris—and they’re all suspects. And someone is lying.

The Private team is led to an abandoned Nazi slaughterhouse where all hope vanishes. As Private digs further into Chris’s past, a terrifying history is revealed, and they begin to suspect that someone very dangerous and very depraved is responsible for Chris’s disappearance. And he’s not finished in Berlin. PRIVATE BERLIN has more twists, action, and deception than any other James Patterson thriller ever.

The latest in the Private Novels had not one, but three mysteries weaved together to keep the readers engaged. Two of the cases investigated by the Private team were not that hard to figure out. Maybe it’s too many hours of watching crime shows such as Criminal Minds that made figuring out the conclusions relatively easy. 

On the other hand, the case of Private agent Chris kept me more on my toes. My heart broke for Mattie when she found Chris’ body covered by rats and again at the funeral during her eulogy. (His death is not a spoiler due to the fact his body is discovered very early on.) 

For the horrors the mothers and their children endured at the hand of Falk is unimaginable. He was a vile creature. However from our history books, we know that many monsters exited in the world back then and still do today. That, in itself, is a scary thought. 

 

Heart rating system:

1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)

Score: ❤❤❤❤

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

NYPD Red by James Patterson and Marshall Karp (Book Review)

Book Description

It’s the start of Hollywood on Hudson, and New York City is swept up in the glamour. Every night, the red carpet rolls out for movie stars arriving at premieres in limos; the most exclusive restaurants close for private parties for wealthy producers and preeminent directors; and thousands of fans gather with the paparazzi, hoping to catch a glimpse of the most famous and beautiful faces in the world. With this many celebrities in town, special task force NYPD Red is on high alert-and they can’t afford to make a single mistake.

Then a world-renowned producer fatally collapses at his power breakfast, and top NYPD Red Detective Zach Jordan is the first one on the scene. Zach works with his beautiful new partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald-who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend-to discover who the murderer might be. But this is only the beginning: the most brutal, public, and horrifyingly spectacular crimes they’ve ever encountered are about to send all of New York into chaos, putting NYPD Red on the ropes.

Zach and Kylie know there’s no way of telling what a killer this deranged will do next. With the whole world watching, they have to find a way to stop a psychopath who has scripted his finale down to the last explosive detail. With larger-than-life action, relentless speed, and white-knuckle twists, NYPD Red is the next mega-blockbuster from “The Man Who Can’t Miss.” (TIME)


Review


It’s a rarity when I don’t love every bit of a James Patterson story. Unfortunately, this is one of those times I wasn’t 100% thrilled with the read. Unlike his other stories, this one was slow out of the gate and stayed in turtle mode for almost the entire 300+ pages. I will give him props on one scene – the final death scene. I’ve never seen it done before in print, television, or on the big screen. I wonder how soon before I do. 🙂

Heart rating system – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
 Score: ❤❤❤

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Review of “Hot on Her Trail” – Sable Hunter

Amazon Link (Paperback) 
Amazon Kindle Edition
Author’s Website

 

Book Description
 

Jacob McCoy wishes for a wife and a family. Tis the Season for miracles when a young woman shows up on his doorstep: homeless, in danger and expecting a child – Jacob’s child.

Their relationship is complicated by the fact that, A – they’ve never met before and B – she’s a virgin. Jessie is determined not to be a burden to the McCoy family. As far as she’s concerned, she is just passing through. Jacob has a different opinion – he wants Jessie in his life, in his bed and in his heart.

 
Review
 
Jacob, a man with a heart of gold and a rock hard body, was so damn likable. He was sweet and loving to everyone, so how could Jessie not fall head over heels in love with him. 
 
Jessie, she’s had a rough go in life. Her childhood was not a dream and her adult life was no breeze either. I’m glad she found her knight and life could finally turn around for her.
 
As for the plot, I read the story and my first thought was….”I hope sperm banks aren’t really this disorganized. That’s some crazy, messed up crap.” As for the idea behind the story, I thought it was fresh. I don’t recall ever reading a plot anything close to this one. Good job, Sable. 
 
Heart rating system – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
 Score: ❤❤❤❤

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson (Book Review)

Amazon – Hardcover Link
 
 
It’s Christmas Eve and Detective Alex Cross has been called out to catch someone who’s robbing his church’s poor box. That mission behind him, Alex returns home to celebrate with Bree, Nana, and his children. The tree decorating is barely underway before his phone rings again–a horrific hostage situation is quickly spiraling out of control. Away from his own family on the most precious of days, Alex calls upon every ounce of his training, creativity, and daring to save another family. Alex risks everything–and he may not make it back alive on this most sacred of family days. Alex Cross is a hero for our time, and never more so than in this story of family, action, and the deepest moral choices. MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALEX CROSS will be a holiday classic for years to come.
 
 
Review:
 
Once again, James packed a lot of action and suspense into 300+ pages. In the first section of this holiday story, Alex was called to a hostage situation involving a strung out and guilt-ridden dad who was terrorizing his children, ex-wife, her new husband, and a neighbor. There was blood shed but thankfully, no child was physically harmed. Mentally though, they won’t be healing anytime soon which as a parent, broke my heart. I hate to see children in any sort of pain. 
 
In the next two sections, Alex once again took on Hala. You might recognize the terrorist name from “Kill Alex Cross”. I won’t divulge what sinister plot her and her comrades have orchestrated but I will say unorthodox methods were used to thwart their plans. Even Alex couldn’t believe the means taken to gain entail. 
 
Mark your calendars – “Alex Cross, Run” comes out February 18, 2013. 
 
 
Heart rating system
 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest)
Score: ❤❤❤❤
 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Uncategorized