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Private (Jack Morgan #1)

by James Patterson (Goodreads Author)

3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 · rating details · 12,675 ratings · 1,071 reviews

Former US Marine Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned investigation company with branches around the globe. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. The secrets of the most influential men and women on the planet come to Jack daily - and his staff of investigators use the world's most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.

In L....more

Paperback, 496 pages

Published February 3rd 2011 by Arrow (first published March 23rd 2009)

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Best Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Novels Of 2011

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Apr 08, 2013 Keeeellllvvvviiiinnnnnggggoooo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Private by James Patterson begins with a former helicopter pilot called Jack Morgan who inherits his father's private investigation agency. After being in the war, he often has flashbacks which bring back the memories. He is on a date with an actress when he receives a phone call from his long time best friend saying that his wife is dead in their apartment. He leaves the date and returns to find her body in arms, with blood. In scenarios like this, the husband is always the main suspect but des...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Blaze Stout rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought “Private” by James Patterson was very good. It is one of my favorite books of all time. I would give it a 10 out of a 10. I like it so much because it has an intense storyline and keeps you interested the whole time. There are three main cases they have to solve. They are a schoolgirl murder case, Jack’s, the main character, best friend is murdered, and a NFL referee scandal. All three of these cases are introduced at different parts of the book, so before you can start to get unintere...more

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Mar 01, 2013 Gail Jones rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book Review: Private by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro 3/5

I have mixed feelings about this book. I’m a James Patterson fan as his books are usually fast paced and I struggle to put them down. This one didn’t grab me quite as much. Jack is an ex army guy who still struggles with memories of the war. His dad is in prison but leaves Jack money to continue with his Private investigation agency. They have the best staff and equipment and work for high profile people who trust them to keep their...more

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Jan 08, 2013 hamptonenglish10 added it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Brandon Hepp
Mrs. Emmett
January 7, 2013
English 10
Private
Jack Morgan is an ex-Marine who was working for a small private investigation company, when his dad asked him to take over his world renowned investigation company called Private. Throughout the story Jack and his associates were simultaneously investigating an NFL gambling ring, the unsolved murder of 18 school girls, and the murder of Jack’s friends wife. The NFL investigation involved allegations that games were being fixed. In the sch...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Abraham rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

James Patterson’s & Maxine Paetro’s Private

Plot:

Former Marine Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned global investigation company. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. Jack is already deep into the investigation of a multimillion-dollar NFL gambling scandal and the unsolved slayings of eighteen schoolgirls when a horrific case hits close to home: His best friend’s wife, Jack’s former lover, has been slain.

My Review and Thoughts:

I tell you I don’t know how Patt...more James Patterson’s & Maxine Paetro’s Private

Plot:

Former Marine Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned global investigation company. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. Jack is already deep into the investigation of a multimillion-dollar NFL gambling scandal and the unsolved slayings of eighteen schoolgirls when a horrific case hits close to home: His best friend’s wife, Jack’s former lover, has been slain.

My Review and Thoughts:

I tell you I don’t know how Patterson does what he does and what he does is often to much. I think every time I go to a book store there is another book of Patterson on the shelf to buy. There is like another new book every month so it seems. So here is another debut of a series with a new character that only Patterson can dream up of.

Unlike his Alex Cross saga’s and his Women’s Murder Club saga this is a new and different approach. A private investigator with many cases on his mind and his files are piling up. I feel this is a series that will be like all his others and become a true hit with the fans of this type of writing.
I really like how this is such a short read because it needed to be, I finished this book in a day, quick and easy and filled with Patterson and Paetro displays their basic detail along. If you’re a Patterson fan your going to love this book.

It truly is a simple story, a story that the reader who is a fan of his style expects and makes. You relate to the characters and they are down to earth. The writing is easy and simple to understand. The book is childish at times in the writing department in that anyone could write this story even a seven year old.

I like the added drama to the story that makes the reader feel and understand the story. It’s jam packed with basic Patterson and really is a boring books at many times book.

I think what stands out the most is Jack Morgan and Justine the main star’s of the story. Very interesting and unique and built different from all of Patterson’s other characters. They are very complex. I mean what is there to say about Patterson that already has not been said he is a gifted master of his style and type of books, the basic Five and Dime Books.

His books are very different and easy to read and builds the dynamic of cheesy suspense and soap opera stories so that the reader can feel entertained and excited by, you don’t have to rack your brain or have to use a text book to understand his stories, they are down to earth simple writes with somewhat simple fantastic mystery and suspense plots that make the fan of his books want more.

I call his work or at least his later work his five and dime novels, meaning they are nothing great and they are worth a dime a dozen. Simple dimple reads of forgettable plots and forgettable books. I have to say this is one of his worst books on the storytelling reality.(less)

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Jul 09, 2012 Mari rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Piacevole, ma senza pretese! Voto 6+

"Erano passati due anni da quando ero tornato dall'Afghanistan e dalla guerra. E uno da quando avevo visto mio padre l'ultima volta. Non avevo né motivo né voglia di rivederlo. Ma, quando mi telefonò, mi disse che aveva cose importanti da riferirmi. Una questione urgente che mi avrebbe cambiato la vita."

Di James Patterson avevo letto fino ad ora solo Ricorda Maggie Rose, il primo libro del fortunato ciclo di Alex Cross, personaggio interpretato sul grande sc...more Piacevole, ma senza pretese! Voto 6+

"Erano passati due anni da quando ero tornato dall'Afghanistan e dalla guerra. E uno da quando avevo visto mio padre l'ultima volta. Non avevo né motivo né voglia di rivederlo. Ma, quando mi telefonò, mi disse che aveva cose importanti da riferirmi. Una questione urgente che mi avrebbe cambiato la vita."

Di James Patterson avevo letto fino ad ora solo Ricorda Maggie Rose, il primo libro del fortunato ciclo di Alex Cross, personaggio interpretato sul grande schermo da Morgan Freeman nel film Nella morsa del ragno. Non un capolavoro, ma comunque una lettura godibile.
Private, scritto insieme a Maxine Paetro e pubblicato da poco da Longanesi è sicuramente una lettura più leggera, perfetta per una serie tv.

Siamo a Los Angeles. Jack Morgan dirige con successo la Private Investigations, un'agenzia di investigazione rilevata dal padre, che un tempo aveva fornito servizi investigativi di prima classe a stelle del cinema, politici, miliardari e persino alla Casa Bianca. Anche oggi la Private è la numero uno, perché dispone di tutti i più evoluti ritrovati della tecnologia moderna, può contare sui migliori investigatori, un hacker informatico imbattibile e un tecnico scientifico a cui non sfugge niente. Inoltre può agire fuori dagli schemi convenzionali ed evitare tutte le lungaggini burocratiche a cui invece la polizia deve attenersi. Una squadra vincente insomma, che in questa prima avventura (perché sicuramente Jack Morgan e la sua squadra torneranno...)si trova alle prese con un giro di scommesse illegali, un killer seriale con un modus operandi sempre diverso e l'assassinio della moglie del migliore amico di Jack. Giornate frenetiche, passate a bordo di auto lussuose, tra star hollywoodiane, mafiosi e locali chic.

Se amate i thriller al cardiopalma non è il libro che fa per voi. Se però siete sulla spiaggia circondati da bambini urlanti, o su un mezzo pubblico, allora questa è la lettura perfetta. I capitoli sono brevissimi e perciò potrete interrompere la lettura in ogni momento, il finale è pressoché scontato e non dovrete arrovellarvi il cervello già provato dalle troppe ore di sole.
James Patterson è considerato il re dei bestsellers e il motivo è facilmente intuibile. E' un libro adatto a tutti, uomini e donne, ragazzi o adulti. I personaggi sono giovani e belli, vivono in case stupende e sono circondati da bella gente. Tutti elementi che fanno sognare, distendono la mente e regalano al lettore meno esigente o a chi ha voglia di staccare un po' da letture più complesse qualche ora di puro relax.
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Jun 19, 2012 Best Crime Books rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finished James Patterson's co-written book `Don't Blink' a couple of weeks ago and thought that I would never be able to read a book as bad as that with his name on it. Boy was I was wrong!

First off there are so many plots and sub-plots that you're constantly thinking "Who"? That's just the first gripe. The story itself is told in such a manner that it is almost rushed. You never get to connect with any of the characters because they don't appear for long enough.

Plot wise you would think that...more I finished James Patterson's co-written book `Don't Blink' a couple of weeks ago and thought that I would never be able to read a book as bad as that with his name on it. Boy was I was wrong!

First off there are so many plots and sub-plots that you're constantly thinking "Who"? That's just the first gripe. The story itself is told in such a manner that it is almost rushed. You never get to connect with any of the characters because they don't appear for long enough.

Plot wise you would think that a school-girl serial killer and Jack's best friend being murdered would be enough but clearly not for James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. In addition to this we see Jack's twin brother in trouble because he owes the Mob $600,000 as well as American Football Referees fixing matches. In my eyes this sort of level of plot detail is far too much for the style of writing many of his fans are used to.

Jack is the main character and all we seem to hear about is his war-torn past. Now don't get me wrong if it's relevant to the character and/or story then fine, but this just seemed to come across as rambling at times.

In addition to the plot and character problems there is the believable factor. I am fully aware that any fiction novel, especially one with James Patterson as co-writer, will have a certain element of things that are slightly outside the normal realms of life. However, this book really went overboard with the mention of a crime lab owned by Private that is better than the FBI has?!? There are also a number of scenes where Jack randomly turns up at the home of one of the leading figures of the Mob un-announced. I think there was too much of this type of scene which took it from being over the top to laughable.

There are very brief moments where we see Jack's love life come to the forefront. Unfortunately for the ladies in question it is so brief that they probably weren't even aware of it. The story felt rushed, incomplete and totally ridiculous.

All in all I was AGAIN disappointed with a James Patterson book. I still debate in my own mind whether the reason is because JP doesn't contribute to the co-written books that much, or whether I am just tiring of his work. I think it must be the former as recently he has produced a reasonable offering with Worst Case featuring Michael Bennett. Like a fool I have pre-ordered his next book due Postcard Killers which is a co-written book due for release early September 2010. I am pinning my hopes on this particular one a little more as Lisa Marklund is the co-writer and as I understand it, has not co-written with JP before. (less)

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Mar 20, 2012 Bradley rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was my first crack at reading a James Patterson novel. As it turns out, it wasn't memorable enough for me to remember to rate it when I completed it a month ago.

127 Chapters in 400 pages...really?

I was saddened to find that Patterson's writing isn't for me. He has so many books, I was hoping I was stumbling into a gold mine. Well...not so much. I picked up the second story at the same time as the first, but I can't bring myself to read it.

The description of the premise of the series so...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Lisa Richards rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

While admittedly I've been a little disappointed in the last few Patterson books I've read and while this wasn't one of those that I rambled on and on about how great or how crappy it was to my friends, I did enjoy it. It was a good read just not awesome. It wasn't one of those that you read from start to finish in one seating but I did enjoy the fast paced action and the multiple cases going on, though they did seem to wrap up rather effortlessly. Not much in the way of a twisted surprise endin...more

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Jan 17, 2012 thewanderingjew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a great book to listen to as I traveled. It really held my interest and the length was perfect for a day's drive, 6 CD's.
Private is a very posh detective agency that handles high brow clients with problems they wish to keep quiet and out of the media. They are working pro bono with the police, to solve a serial murder case. The murderer is using the internet to snare his victims with faked text messages. Young schoolgirls are being lured to their deaths. Since the agency is also working...more This was a great book to listen to as I traveled. It really held my interest and the length was perfect for a day's drive, 6 CD's.
Private is a very posh detective agency that handles high brow clients with problems they wish to keep quiet and out of the media. They are working pro bono with the police, to solve a serial murder case. The murderer is using the internet to snare his victims with faked text messages. Young schoolgirls are being lured to their deaths. Since the agency is also working on several other investigations at the same time, involving among other things, famous personages, the mob, athletes and friends, there are many sub-plots intertwining.
I found that, as it is with so many novels these days, sex was thrown in for no reason at all, since it added nothing to the plot and was actually distracting and made it seem silly at times. It is for that reason, I only gave it three stars. I think a book should be able to stand on its own merit because the story is good, rather than the lurid details of an unnecessary sexual encounter which adds nothing to the themes being developed.
The characters are colorful and well described. Although there are an abundance, they are easy to identify and remember whenever they come up. In the end, all of the loose ends and unsolved mysteries are resolved in this exciting novel. However, as you discover the workings of the agency, you will find an ethical dilemma or two. The detectives are brazen, sometimes using unorthodox methods and performing unsavory deeds. They work behind the scenes, often at odds with the police and hand in glove with the mob. In some cases, I wondered if they were any better than the criminal. Who is to say that a man who orders a hit is more of a criminal than the detective who orders a hit because the guilty person has escaped judgment? I suppose since one is sanctioning the death of an innocent party and one a guilty one, the line between what is ethical and what lacks ethics, is blurred. Where does honor end and dishonor begin? If you solve a crime and then shield the criminal, are you not, in some way, complicit, an accessory?
Although the author probably did not mean to raise these philosophical questions, I found myself thinking of them. If you do something corrupt in the interest of justice, does that make it less corrupt? Does anyone have the right to take justice into their own hands? These thoughts were raised by the twists and turns that shaped this novel.(less)

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Dec 09, 2011 Nattakorn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought PRIVATE was okay. It was an enjoyable, easy to read, for me. Small chapters help keeping the pace at high-speed, I thought.
The parallel stories ran well with Jack Morgan jumping around from place to place.
I'm a bit disappointed with the predictable conclusion of the stories when the build-up of each was excellent.

It really came down to what you expected from reading this book.
If you want a complex thriller novel with grand information based on deep researches, or a novel that keeps yo...more

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Nov 14, 2011 Landon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jack Morgan runs Private, the world's most powerful investigation firm. With a team of the best in their field experts, he takes on some of the biggest cases in Los Angeles. Private is currently working on three huge cases, a serial killer that targets teenage girls, the murder of Jack's good friend Shelby, and a huge NFL gambling scandal. To top it all off, Jack has a very interesting private (though nothing to do with the firm this time) life. He receives a call almost everyday simply saying "...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Asmita rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Private has actually disappointed me. I was expecting a lot more. James Patterson has tried to fit in a lot of things in very few pages and the characters are somewhat loose. What I mean to say is that the reader does not get the sufficient amount of time to actually know them. For example, Justine, now she is a very strong woman, but she has no tragedy and she is this picture-perfect woman. Then, we have Jack Morgan. Well, the first impression that I get of him is that he is a Romeo and he is h...more Private has actually disappointed me. I was expecting a lot more. James Patterson has tried to fit in a lot of things in very few pages and the characters are somewhat loose. What I mean to say is that the reader does not get the sufficient amount of time to actually know them. For example, Justine, now she is a very strong woman, but she has no tragedy and she is this picture-perfect woman. Then, we have Jack Morgan. Well, the first impression that I get of him is that he is a Romeo and he is handsome, a flirt perhaps, but before that when I read the prologue, I got a very different idea of him. But later, somehow he turns out to be a flirt. Now here’s my problem, his affair with Colleen, which actually makes him look like a betrayer. I mean it is so obvious from the beginning that he loves Justine yet he tries to make a move and why? Because he is in love with Colleen and at some point in the book he actually says “I have hurt yet another woman haven’t I?” and that is where my main problem is. I have no problems with a flirt trying to be a flirt, but a flirt trying to be vain, self-absorbed, sensitive person – now that I have a problem with.

The murders were very predictable. In Now You See Her, it was also really predictable but here, you just know it and in fact the author is handing it over to you. Murder is Murder universally. It’s how you kill, how you portray it that matters. All the mysteries are the same, there’s a person, someone dies, a cop, either recruited or new to the precinct deals with it, goes neck deep in it and then catches the person. But it’s how the events interlace, that’s what thrills the reader. Here there is no thrill. The murders are not gruesome – fine with that. The murderer does not show any affection – okay. The murderer simply picks up girls from streets, drags them into a van and then strangulates them or something, then carries away any valuable and then dumps the girl off somewhere, calls the mayor and threatens him. There really isn’t much substance to this. I really do not like this book. Just a little more suspense, getting to know the characters a little better, maybe better murders and this book would have been a big tick for me.

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Aug 19, 2011 Elizabeth Noah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Loved this book. Typical James Patterson for me. Pick it up to read a few chapters, then get into it and I tell myself I will just read the first part, but no, I want to read at least 1 chapter from part 2. And next thing I realize I am at part 3. Needless to say, had a very, very hard time putting this book down.

Jack Morgan, a former Marine pilot, owns/runs Private, an investigation firm around the world. The story opens up with murder of a really good friend and former lover of his, Shelby Cus...more Loved this book. Typical James Patterson for me. Pick it up to read a few chapters, then get into it and I tell myself I will just read the first part, but no, I want to read at least 1 chapter from part 2. And next thing I realize I am at part 3. Needless to say, had a very, very hard time putting this book down.

Jack Morgan, a former Marine pilot, owns/runs Private, an investigation firm around the world. The story opens up with murder of a really good friend and former lover of his, Shelby Cushman. Andy, her husband and best friend of Jack, hires Private to find out who murdered her. This was no random murder and she was killed in her house and nothing was taken and only the room she was murdered in was destroyed. This story tracks down the murder and what Shelby was doing to get herself killed.

Private was also asked by the city, pro-bono, to help work on a series of teenage girls that have been killed over the past two years. You see how the relationship between the police and a private company interact with each other. The cops do not like any outsiders invading on their business but, eventually they come to terms and agree to work together. Not to mention, Private can process evidence much faster and can bend the rules a bit. Come to find out the murders are an off-line game that is being played in real life. They figure out who is going to be killed next but, can they stop it in time and can they convice the police of this as there is a bunch of 'if this and if that' scenerios.

Finally, Jack's Uncle Fred who works for the NFL hires him to do investigate some gambling that is going on. They think games are being thrown that have no chance what-so ever and they can not go to
the commissoner with their hunches as they do not have proof at all.

Throw in the mob who was involved in some of the cases, and who is trying to hire Private to do some work for them. Jack does not want to do any work for them and be associated with them at all but, not everything works out the way you would like. 'Never a better friend, never a worse enemy', motto of the Marines and conicidently told to him by a mob member.

Add some romance---Shelby his former lover who was killed and he is trying to find out who murdered her and why they would do that as Shelby is liked by everyone. Justine, another former lover who he use to live with but, now they work together at Private. And finally the Irish Colleen, his current love interest who works for him and wants more from him than he will be able to give and knows it.

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Jul 31, 2011 Books-treasureortrash rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed, thriller

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes

Private is a detective agency, so not surprisingly there are three story lines running at the same time all revolving around different cases. Throw into the mix Jack Morgan's personal life and you have an interesting story.

Private is told in the third person narrative from the various different characters, with the main protagonist being Jack Morgan, the owner of Private, a very high end PI firm. James Patterson co-wrote this book with Maxine Paetro, but some people...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Lainy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Blurb from goodreads

Former Marine and CIA agent Jack Morgan inherits his father's renowned security and detective business--along with a case load that tests him to the breaking point. Getting to the bottom of an NFL gambling scandal and an unsolved LAPD investigation into 18 school girl slayings would be enough. On top of all that, Morgan takes on solving the horrific murder of his best friend's wife.

As Morgan fights the urge to exact brutal revenge on that killer, he has to navigate a workpla...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Mike rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this was an alright mystery novel. I liked the parelell stories and the cast of characters but felt that some of it was just... so last generation.

For instance: There's an implication in the Steam Cleaner(I listened to it as an audio book so I'm sure that it's spelled differently but I don't know how. I figure it's "SteamKleana" or something like that) story that all people who play violent video games want to commit terrible murders. This is annoying. I play a lot of games, some of th...more

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Feb 11, 2011 Luanne Ollivier rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have teamed up again for their 8th successful collaboration. Private is the first in a new series featuring former Marine Jack Morgan. Morgan inherited both money and his business from his incarcerated father. The name of the firm? Private.

With money being no object, Morgan is able to hire the best in every field. Private's forensic labs are better than many law enforcement agencies. And discretion is the word at Private, as they cater to high profile cases.

Priv...more James Patterson and Maxine Paetro have teamed up again for their 8th successful collaboration. Private is the first in a new series featuring former Marine Jack Morgan. Morgan inherited both money and his business from his incarcerated father. The name of the firm? Private.

With money being no object, Morgan is able to hire the best in every field. Private's forensic labs are better than many law enforcement agencies. And discretion is the word at Private, as they cater to high profile cases.

Private has three cases running at the same time in this initial outing. Jack's best friend's wife has been murdered. A look into her background uncovers she's not the woman her husband thought. The owner of an NFL team approaches the firm to investigate possible corruption at a crucial level. And last but not least, some sicko is killing young schoolgirls - 18 to date. The local police force agrees to let the Private firm assist them with this investigation. (This stretched believability a bit)

I have been listening to all of Patterson's books now. I find that they're pretty good entertainment in audio format. Nothing to tax your brain, but a story that does keep you engaged while leaving your hands free. All the prerequisites for a classic Patterson are there - suspense, killers, a personal storyline, romance/sex and short chapters with cliffhanger endings. Although the name dropping was meant to let us know that Jack moves in certain circles, I found naming celebrities more than once simply gratuitous.

I liked the Jack Morgan character and the book ended with an opening to a sequel, which I would listen to. The support team is an eclectic bunch, some with secrets of their own. I did have to laugh when one of Jack's love interests turned out to be a bonny colleen from Ireland. The same character with a different name appears in the Det. Michael Bennett series.

Peter Hermann was the reader. He has an excellent speaking voice, clear and easily understood. His voice radiates emotions easily. And he did a passable job with that Irish colleen!

All in all, a good listen. Hear for yourself. Or watch the book trailer.

Patterson and Paetro's next collaboration - 10th Anniversary - a Women's Murder Club book is due out May 2/11(less)

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Feb 09, 2011 Delaney Diamond rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller

There was plenty taking place in this book to keep you occupied. Jack Morgan is the owner of Private, an investigation firm which was originally founded by his father and brought back to life after his father died in prison. Jack's organization can get things done the police can't, and they've been hired by the LA police to crack a series of murders of teenage school girls.

Two other crimes need to be solved at the same time. One concerns the death of Jack's best friend's wife, and the other con...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-2011-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book although seemed really confusing at first because so many events were occuring at the same time, I thought it was a bit of an interesting challenge that allowed me to multitask everytime i turn the page so i could remember who is speaking and what is happening at the moment.
This story revolves around one football fraud, a series of murders, and another muder that is personal towards the main male character. The series of murders all are based upon an online game that suddenly turned f...more

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Nov 02, 2010 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, readin10

A private detective agency that solves some pretty nasty crimes that the police can't or won't be able to solve is bound to be a good story. However, somewhere in there we are also dealing with the main character, Jack’s, regular wartime nightmares, a prank caller who calls him every morning and says very ominously “You’re Dead”, his clearly unhinged identical twin brother AND with his commitment issues with the employee he’s screwing and his ultimate regret for dumping the girl he used to screw...more

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Oct 10, 2010 Mrs W rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Private is a book written by James Patterson (and Maxine Paetro) who is a well known author of crime thriller novels. Wow. Sorry James, but this is a really crappy book. The story line is all over the place, the characters are completely undeveloped and the “reveal” at the end is totally predictable. This was the first time (that I know of) that I read a book that has a “ghost writer”. That’s right people, the person who you thought wrote the book (ie. The person’s name written in big red block...more Private is a book written by James Patterson (and Maxine Paetro) who is a well known author of crime thriller novels. Wow. Sorry James, but this is a really crappy book. The story line is all over the place, the characters are completely undeveloped and the “reveal” at the end is totally predictable. This was the first time (that I know of) that I read a book that has a “ghost writer”. That’s right people, the person who you thought wrote the book (ie. The person’s name written in big red block letters on the front cover, in this case, James Patterson) did not actually write the book. WTF, right? Some no name women, who ironically has a name, Maxine Paetro, wrote it but they stick James’s name on the front cover to sell it. Hey James, word to clearly unwise, before you agree to put your name on the front of book, written by some random chick, that you clearly did not read yourself (if you had, I doubt your name would be on the front) maybe you should get your head checked first. Good luck with this one!

This is one of those times that I’ve mentioned previously where I went into the library, and picked a random book up from the New Releases. Big Huge mistake.

Reading this book was, strangely, a lot like watching an episode (or couple at least all mushed into one) of Criminal Minds, CSI or Bones and the like. The whole thing revolves around this typical American guy, Jack, who is a veteran millionaire and who also owns and runs his own private investigation firm in LA where he dates movie stars and represents basically everyone who’s anyone in Hollywood. The story follows Jack and his team (which, funnily enough, includes the bird he’s screwing and the bird he used to screw) as they investigate crimes which include:

1. A group of psychotic gamers who spend their days in corporate jobs and their nights either enveloped in World of Warcraft or teenage girl killing sprees

2. Finding Jack’s best mate’s wife’s murderer

3. A game fixing scandal within the NFL of which Jack’s uncle happens to be a head honcho

Somewhere in there we are also dealing with Jack’s regular wartime nightmares, a prank caller who calls him every morning and says very ominously “You’re Dead”, his clearly unhinged identical twin brother AND with his commitment issues with the bird he’s screwing and his ultimate regret for dumping the girl he used to screw.

PHEW.

The writing itself is not bad, it is clear and concise and to the point but with so much going on in the story and a clearly unskilled writer, it was doomed to fail. It’s like when you’re a kid and you’re going to a carnival for the first time and you’re bombarded with so many colours and lights and you’re craning your neck in every direction trying to take it all in but never really focusing one particular thing... This is what it was like reading this book. I felt like the author randomly came up with a bunch of different ideas and decided to forcefully shove them all into one book. I have only one piece of advice for James or Maxine or whoever the hell wrote this damn book, focus on one main plot idea until you’re a good enough writer to focus on more than one. (less)

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Oct 09, 2010 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.0 out of 5 stars Typical recent Patterson thriller, October 9, 2010

This review is from: Private (Hardcover)
This novel provides exactly what fans of James Patterson have come to expect from his recent (co-authored) novels. It's a quick and easy read -- nothing deep or thought-provoking here. It provides enough intrigue to be called a thriller and though short on suspense, the narrative moves along smoothly juggling a couple of different plot lines: the unsolved murders of at least thirteen sch...more

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Oct 07, 2010 Richard rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Recommended to Richard by: I have been reading all Mr. Patterson's work.

First of all, look at the author names on the book cover. I guess Mr. Patterson was unhappy with his coauthor the day he approved the art, but her name is very subtle at the bottom of the book.

Second, I think they have overdosed on Dirk Pitt, Stone Barrington and Secret Agent 007 with their depiction of Jack Morgan and his protection/private detective agency, Private. Resurrected from his worthless father's defunct company with $15,000,000 in stolen money dad gave Jack shortly before dying in pr...more

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Sep 08, 2010 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Patterson and Paetro have been teaming up for some time to work on the Women's Murder Club series. They seem to be kicking off a new series with this volume. The primary character is Jack Morgan, a former Marine and the owner of an investigative firm called Private. He has assembled an interesting team of investigators that includes a psychologist, a computer specialist, a crime scene investigater, and as well as a few regular detectives. The team basically works like a police unit, only they ar...more Patterson and Paetro have been teaming up for some time to work on the Women's Murder Club series. They seem to be kicking off a new series with this volume. The primary character is Jack Morgan, a former Marine and the owner of an investigative firm called Private. He has assembled an interesting team of investigators that includes a psychologist, a computer specialist, a crime scene investigater, and as well as a few regular detectives. The team basically works like a police unit, only they are not limited by the rules that normal police might follow.

For months they have been helping the Los Angeles Police Department working on a serial murder case. The victims have all been high school girls who live in the same part of the city. What is really strange is that there doesn't seem to be a single MO for the murders. Each seems to have been killed in different ways. While the murderer takes a memento from each crime seem, what is chosen doesn't seem to follow a pattern. The team psychologist (and Jack's ex) Justine even suggests that it might be someone with multiple personality disorder because of the variations.

Jack also takes on a case for his uncle, an owner of one of the national football clubs. It seems that someone has been rigging games so the score spread is maintained. This is causing a number of betting houses (and the mob) some severe losses. Jack's uncle is concerned about the damage that publicity about such a scheme might do to the NFL.

Jack is also drawn into a very personal case when the wife of his best friend is brutally murdered at home. As usual, the husband becomes the prime suspect, and Jack wants to do whatever he can to help. Unfortunately, it means uncovering some unsavory things about the victim.

While trying to lead the team in divvying up these cases, Jack is also trying to handle some personal issues:
*A recurring dream in which he relives a helicopter crash that occurred while he was serving in Iraq. He is haunted by the possibility that he didn't save someone he might have.
*His twin brother who is staying at a rehabilitation center to deal with a number of issues. The two twins have always been in competition, with Jack usually being viewed as the good brother and Tommy the bad one.
*Jack has a developing relationship with his secretary Colleen. While he really likes her, he doesn't have a love for her developing. They have been dating long enough now where it is probably move the relationship to the next level.

All-in-all, I thought it was a pretty good book. I liked the team approach to resolving the case. Each team member is unique and interesting in their own part, and I look forward to them being further developed in what is likely to be future books in the series.

One of the storylines seemed like a rehashing of a plot from one of Patterson's Alex Cross books. In some ways, it was modernized from a D&D format to today's MMPORPGs, but it is essentially the same plot device. I did still enjoy it, though.

On a weird aside, I have no idea what they were trying to do with the design cover, which seems to have absolutely nothing to do with any of the storylines in the book.(less)

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Sep 04, 2010 Trak rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, crime, fiction

I borrowed two books by Patterson from a friend and I read this book in a couple of hours. Short chapters, short sentences, and overall the book falls short. I became tired of these so-called imperfect characters with their personal hangups and flashy lifestyles. I just could not find anything that I liked about them. I mean if one was killed off I would not have shed a tear at all. The continual name-dropping of celebs was as boring and did not add to the book at all except to say this agency r...more

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Aug 27, 2010 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jack Morgan has returned home from Afghanistan after being shot down from his helicopter. Upon his return, his father, who is in jail, requests that Jack reopens his investigative firm, Private. Jack builds up the investigative firm into a successful and elite firm that caters to the creme de la crop of Los Angeles.

As he is getting ready to escort one of his clients into an awards ceremony, he receives a call from his best friend. He rushes over to find his friend's wife, Shelby, also Jack's go...more

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Aug 20, 2010 Kavyen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Jack Morgan heads “Private” an exclusive private investigative firm. Jack monitors the operations and the investigations in the company’s offices located in New York, Europe and Los Angeles. The story and investigation for this book is based in Los Angeles.

Three cases are investigated simultaneously by Jack and his very efficient crew. The first is the murder of his ex who happens to have been married to his good friend – obviously his friend becomes the prime-most suspect making his interest in...more

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Aug 03, 2010 Kaye rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: legal-or-thriller

Another page turning Patterson novel. I actually read the first 85 pages while eating lunch at McDonalds. Which goes to show it doesn't take a lot of concentration to plow through the story. In this case "Private" is the name of an exclusive detective agency. There were many different plots going on a serial murder of teen girls in LA, fixing of Pro-football games, run in with the mob and the shooting of a bests friends wife. Any of these could have probably carried the story alone. This is prob...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Ramona rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another good collaboration between Patterson and Paetro. Private is the story of former Marine helicopter pilot, Jack Morgan, who makes his father's private investigative company a huge success after it's left to him upon his father's death in prison. Jack struggles with his own personal demons and his troubled relationship with his twin brother, Tommy, while solving three high profile cases with his team of experts in Private. His international investigative company, Private is able to get to t...more

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The subject of a Time magazine feature called, "The Man Who Can't Miss," James Patterson is the bestselling author of the past year, bar none, with more than 16 million books sold in North America alone. In 2007, one of every fifteen hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. In the past three years, James has sold more books than any other author (according...more

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Quotes from Private

“People Trust Me with their secrets, and I'm not sure why. It must be something in my face, probably my eyes.” — 2 people liked it

“Justine pulled her Jag over to the side of the road and stared out at the landscape. I twirled the dial on her police band radio until the signal was clear. She opened her thermos, passed it over to me. I took a sip. The coffee was black, unsugared. That's the way Justine liked just about everything: straight up, no bullshit.” — 1 person liked it

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