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Kill Me If You Can

by James Patterson (Goodreads Author), Marshall Karp (Goodreads Author)

4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 · rating details · 11,314 ratings · 792 reviews

Matthew Bannon, a poor art student living in New York City, finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Station. Plans for a worry-free life with his stunning girlfriend Katherine fill his thoughts--until he realizes that he is being hunted, and that whoever is after him won't stop until they have reclaimed the diamonds and exacted thei...more

ebook, nook, 313 pages

Published August 29th 2011 by Little, Brown and Company (first published January 1st 2011)

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May 05, 2013 Jesse Broussard rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It has been rumored among the more unfeeling of my "friends" that Jesse is a cynical man. "Jesse," they say, "is a bloke" (I give all of my friends British accents so I don't feel badly for hating them); "Jesse," they say, "is a bloke who, when confronted with a beautiful, short, single, Calvinistic paedobaptist redhead with a flurry of freckles on her cheeks and a copy of Chesterton in her hands, assumes that she'll either turn out to be his sister or she'll get hit by a truck. But probably bot...more It has been rumored among the more unfeeling of my "friends" that Jesse is a cynical man. "Jesse," they say, "is a bloke" (I give all of my friends British accents so I don't feel badly for hating them); "Jesse," they say, "is a bloke who, when confronted with a beautiful, short, single, Calvinistic paedobaptist redhead with a flurry of freckles on her cheeks and a copy of Chesterton in her hands, assumes that she'll either turn out to be his sister or she'll get hit by a truck. But probably both."

True, not one among them is necessarily the brightest Guinness in the fish tank: I glum no puddles; I wiggle no marsh. I sail the ocean (usually) beating Lucy at board games. Have they not heard my life motto? When I am faced with evils too great to be borne, such as Briana prevailing against me at chess, or Andrew shaving, or Dave, I say "Why so downcast, O my soul? Why so disquieted within me? This shadow too shall resolve into beauty, for if it didn't, then it wouldn't, and that would just straight-up suck." Am I not joyful? Is not this optimism at it's absolute, fatalistic finest?

I say all of this as a prelude to my review of Patterson. If any of you are aspiring smithies of the words, should any of you meander through Anglo-Saxon dictionaries looking for gems to glean, should any of your fingers be as inkstained as Jo March's and you know who I'm talking about because you read everything no matter what kind of feministic drivel with wretched sentence-construction it is, then buy this book. Don't read it yet, but buy it. Five years from now a moment will arrive. You will re-read that first chapter of yours and realize with horror and despair that some thirty-five year old greasy-haired, unemployed twit sleeping till two pm in his mom's basement while wearing the same pants you bought for your twelve-year-old niece this Christmas, that twit, still living off of Doritos and Coco-Puffs, the one who spends his time on-line gaming with twelve-year-olds, he wrote a blog post in ten minutes maintaining that Counter-Strike was totally way more awesome than Halo and his blog post was better written than your chapter. That moment of terrifying clarity will arrive. When it does, and you realize that you write like a twelve year old Pakistani immigrant who learned English for the sole purpose of compiling a phone book, that you can't put your pen to paper without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge and your delusions weren't of grandeur, but of adequacy, and they were definitely delusions, when your only hope seems to be gainful employment or suicide—at that moment, pick up this book, say audibly "this man is a NY Times best-seller," and read it. When you're halfway through, you'll print your manuscript and send it to his publisher complete with a request for an advance and a promise of two new books for him next week.

It was the worst book I've ever finished, and I've read Rick Joyner, Left Behind and Twilight. Was it train-of-thought? Three hundred pages, two hundred chapters? His characters have the depth of a mud puddle on a newly paved street after a drizzle and I know damned well which one I'd prefer spending my time with. Especially if worms are involved. I got it for a dollar, read it in an hour and felt as incredulous as Goliath looking at David, just fewer projectiles.

If prison libraries stock books like this then I think those against water-boarding as "cruel and unusual" have been straining out gnats through their teeth.(less)

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Jun 13, 2012 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.

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Feb 03, 2012 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is hard to imagine a more unlikely scenario, but that doesn't interfere with the pleasure of reading this book. James Patterson is not necessarily known for probable and logical plots. The book opens with a gangland-style murder in Grand Central Station, an assassin, tear gas bombs, mass chaos, and a young art student, Matthew Brannon, who just happens upon the dying target trying to claw his way into a locker. A locker with a bag filled with diamonds. Stolen diamonds, as it were. Matthew dec...more

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Jan 03, 2012 Hattie Norman rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Matthew Bannon is a starving artist in New York. One day in the Grand Central subway he stumbles upon gun fire between two men who are part of a diamond syndicate. I guess you could say Matthew Bannon finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Zelvas with his dying breath reaches for the top locker. Very observant and a critical thinker Matthew decides to find out what is so important in the locker. He finds diamonds, diamonds and more diamonds in a doctor's medical bag.

From this point...more Matthew Bannon is a starving artist in New York. One day in the Grand Central subway he stumbles upon gun fire between two men who are part of a diamond syndicate. I guess you could say Matthew Bannon finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Zelvas with his dying breath reaches for the top locker. Very observant and a critical thinker Matthew decides to find out what is so important in the locker. He finds diamonds, diamonds and more diamonds in a doctor's medical bag.

From this point on there is no stopping Matthew Bannon. His whole ordinary life changes to one thought above all KILL ME IF YOU CAN. Yes, the title of the book written by JAMES PATTERSON & MARSHALL KARP definitely fits the plot. I've never read one of JAMES PATTERSON'S thrillers. This novel made me eat breakfast, lunch and dinner faster just so I could return to the novel and see what Matthew would end up doing next with his new found wealth.

With millions and millions worth of diamonds on him Bannon had to take his stash and get out of town fast. Not looking like himself thanks to a makeup artist he goes to France with his girl friend, Katherine. The descriptions of the places are wonderful. The authors describe different foods and different wines. It was hard not to run to the internet and find these glorious places where gangsters and hit men hang out along with normal people who have only seen gun fights in the movie and on t.v.

"LA TOUR D'ARGENT has been a Paris institution since the sixteenth century. Perched on the river Seine in the heart of Old Paris, it's a mecca for people who live to eat. Not exactly the kind of place where you pop in and ask for a table for three...Ours had a sweeping view of the river and Notre Dame Cathedral." latourdargent

Along with all this grandeur, I especially felt emotionally moved by the occupational hazards of being a subway driver or engineer. I can not grasp or imagine the feelings of Mr. Perez the subway driver. While driving his subway, he suddenly sees a man lying on the tracks, and he does not have enough time to stop the train. Then, further along he sees a man running on the tracks. It is a scene he will always remember. His life is changed just as much as Matthew Bannon and Katherine's life. Mr. Perez describes himself as "messed up for a while."

From KILL ME IF YOU CAN I learned that life is a maze. At times you don't know whether to sit, stand, lie down or run. Matthew Bannon chose to make a run for it. What should he have done with the diamonds? I'll bet each of us would have a different answer. I would have ran up the subway stairs without the diamonds. However, I'm not a character created by JAMES PATTERSON & MARSHALL KARP.jamespatterson(less)

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Oct 24, 2011 Cameron rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has made me reconsider a lot of things in my life.

First of all, it has made me look at all of the other books that I have given a one-star rating too. Yeah, The Shack was bad, but was it THIS bad? It has also made me think of how many people might be out there reading books like this, or any other books which appear to have been written as a sixth-grade writing assignment, and live to turn the pages and get wrapped up in the action. It makes me immeasurably sorry for them. It has also...more This book has made me reconsider a lot of things in my life.

First of all, it has made me look at all of the other books that I have given a one-star rating too. Yeah, The Shack was bad, but was it THIS bad? It has also made me think of how many people might be out there reading books like this, or any other books which appear to have been written as a sixth-grade writing assignment, and live to turn the pages and get wrapped up in the action. It makes me immeasurably sorry for them. It has also made me think about what kind of money I could be making if I got into writing a brainless book over the course of a weekend. Or, better yet, have someone else entirely write the book and put my name on it and slap a picture of me looking rather smug and dapper with a really nice watch on the back cover. It has made me consider what watch I want to display when I am rich and famous.

There are many things that can be said about this book, but none of them should be said. It probably shouldn't exist. The fact that it does leaves me and Faulkner weeping for the future.

It is typefaced in 24 point font. It has over 100 chapters, none of which extend beyond four pages. There is also no purpose to the chapters other to advance the reader along so that they feel a sense of accomplishment in what must be their very dreary, multiple-cat-filled lives. It is written in first-person narrative, but then it is not, but then it is again. There are uncomfortable sex scenes strewn throughout. Mostly uncomfortable because I am pretty sure that whoever wrote them had not yet experienced sexual intercourse. It might be cliché to talk about how writing is cliché, but this shit is cliché. Like, laughably so. A bag of diamonds. A bag of DIAMONDS! A Russian bad guy. A Russian bad guy named CHUKOV! The level of corporate sponsorship is astounding. Since when were novels used to hock products. "Since now, bitch!" says Patterson, proud supporter of Tom's of Maine (it keeps my breath fresh for hours). It is ridiculous. It is senseless. It is drivel.

And it is genius.

Tag Heuer. I will wear a Tag Heuer watch. And, my novel will be about a professional killer... named Tag Heuer. Watch out, Patterson!
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Oct 15, 2011 Connie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

KILL ME IF YOU CAN by James Patterson & Marshall Karp is 7 CDs and approximately 8 hours. It is the unabridged version and narrated by Jeff Woodman & Jason Culp.

Brief Description:

Matthew Bannon, a poor art student living in New York City, finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Station. Plans for a worry-free life with his gorgeous girlfriend Katherine fill his thoughts--until he realizes that he is being hunted, and that whoever is after him won'...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Aaron rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Depending on your point of view, Matthew Bannon is either really lucky or really unlucky. One day while coming home from class at his art school, he comes across a violent assassination, which is assumed to be a terrorist attack) in New York City's Grand Central Station. The victim worked for the Russian Mafia as part of a diamond smuggling operation. The problem is that he was embezzling some of the diamonds for himself, and his higher ups wanted him rubbed out. Before he died, he was able to h...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Marianne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kill Me If You Can is the 27th stand-alone novel by James Patterson and is co-written with Marshall Karp. The action starts in New York’s Grand Central Station when a hired assassin known only as The Ghost takes out a member of the Russian mafia involved in diamond smuggling, Walter Zelvas. The hit doesn’t go entirely smoothly, and Zelvas manages to escape to access a locker before he expires. Fine Arts major Matthew Bannon happens upon the dying Zelvas and helps himself to the bag of diamonds i...more Kill Me If You Can is the 27th stand-alone novel by James Patterson and is co-written with Marshall Karp. The action starts in New York’s Grand Central Station when a hired assassin known only as The Ghost takes out a member of the Russian mafia involved in diamond smuggling, Walter Zelvas. The hit doesn’t go entirely smoothly, and Zelvas manages to escape to access a locker before he expires. Fine Arts major Matthew Bannon happens upon the dying Zelvas and helps himself to the bag of diamonds in the locker, thinking this will make life with his Art Professor girlfriend, Katherine Sanborne, just about perfect. Of course, the Russians want their diamonds back, so Matthew’s romantic weekend in Paris with Katherine soon changes its tenor. Patterson and Karp have cooked up a pretty good plot with quite a twist in the middle and the characters, whilst not overly developed, are believable enough. A few of their actions are uncharacteristic and dumb enough to stretch the reader’s imagination a bit far: Marta tells Chukov all the details of Matthew’s whereabouts? Matthew tells Katherine their destination aloud in the water taxi? Matthew lets Katherine go home alone when it is obvious she will be a target? Still, there’s plenty of action packed into the usual short chapters: crooked cops, lots of sex, a dab of completely unnecessary incest, loads of gunplay, a wheezing villain, a diamond smuggling ring, several assassins all trying to kill each other, quite a bit of weaponry and technology as well as jetsetting from New York to Paris to Venice to Amsterdam and back to New York. The text is sprinkled liberally enough with brand names to have the reader wondering about kickbacks. I mean, seriously: “I grabbed the Rapidograph pen from the table and plunged the steel tip directly into the gel of XX’s eye.” Oh, yeah, we really needed to know the brand of that pen! But it’s a page turner, even if the hero is perhaps a bit too good to be true, and the short chapters make it a quick read. (less)

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Apr 28, 2012 Nena rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

Audiobook: My rating is 3 1/2 stars.

This is one of those books that you have to totally suspend your reality in order to appreciate, but I do that every time I read one of Lee Child's books, too, so I can't hold this against Patterson. It is purely for entertainment purposes only and if you are in the mood for a good suspense with lots of chase and several pleasant surprises and plot twists, this is for you. I have to admit this is one of the very few suspense books that I have read in my lifeti...more Audiobook: My rating is 3 1/2 stars.

This is one of those books that you have to totally suspend your reality in order to appreciate, but I do that every time I read one of Lee Child's books, too, so I can't hold this against Patterson. It is purely for entertainment purposes only and if you are in the mood for a good suspense with lots of chase and several pleasant surprises and plot twists, this is for you. I have to admit this is one of the very few suspense books that I have read in my lifetime where I honestly didn't see it coming . . . over and over and over again. I love that!!!!

This is the second stand alone co-authored book that I have read since that horrible Kiss the Girls (the book that caused me to boycott James Patterson) all those years ago. I think the best thing that Patterson could have done was collaborate with these co-authors in these stand alone books. They really reign him in which is something that he desperately needs when he writes. You can tell by the writing style and the writing voice, that the co-author took the wheel on this one.

The one thing I love about this book is that the chapters are relatively short which moves the plot along at a quick pace. I also like the fact that Patterson and co-author knew when to quit and didn't run on with unnecessary chapters which might otherwise cause the story to collapse on itself (a huge problem/mistake that Lee Child tends to do alot!) The shorter chapters and knowing when to stop give Patterson (and his co-authors) an edge over alot of best selling authors.

Although this book has some violence, it is not nearly as horrific or stomach turning as some of the other books that Patterson has written and this is the reason why I enjoyed this one so much. Nothing worse than getting into a great story only to have a sickening description thrown in there that takes the pleasure out of the read (Stephen King and Lee Child I am talking to you!)

As I had expected, I am wrapping this review up by saying that although this was not as good as Guilty Wives (if you have not read it yet, GET IT!) it was a good read and worthy of three and a half stars.(less)

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Mar 05, 2012 Sean rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kill Me If You Can is a book written by James Patterson who was born in Newburgh, New York in 1947. James Patterson is one of the most well known writers in the world who is said to have sold 220 million copies of his books worldwide. One of his most famous series is called Maximum Ride, which is very popular among young adults and was on The New York Times bestsellers list as number one for 12 straight weeks. The book is about a man named Matthew Bannon who is a poor art student living in New Y...more Kill Me If You Can is a book written by James Patterson who was born in Newburgh, New York in 1947. James Patterson is one of the most well known writers in the world who is said to have sold 220 million copies of his books worldwide. One of his most famous series is called Maximum Ride, which is very popular among young adults and was on The New York Times bestsellers list as number one for 12 straight weeks. The book is about a man named Matthew Bannon who is a poor art student living in New York City. He finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Station and plans for a worry-free life with his gorgeous girlfriend Katherine fill his thoughts until he realizes that he is being hunted, and that whoever is after him won't quit until they have reclaimed the diamonds and had their revenge. Trailing him is the Ghost, the world's greatest assassin, who just pulled off his most high-profile hit, killing Walter Zelvas, a top member of the international Diamond Syndicate. There's only one small problem, the diamonds he was supposed to retrieve from Zelvas are missing. Now the Ghost is on Bannon's trail but so is a rival assassin who would like nothing more than to make the Ghost disappear forever. This book was very well written with lots of suspense and action. The story of Matthew Bannon is about as interesting as it can get. My favorite part of the book was the twist that changed my whole perspective on the story. I was hooked into the book by the intriguing events that occurred in the beginning. James Patterson’s writing really catches my attention and is on topics that I find thrilling. The diamonds, mobsters and chases between assassins snagged me as a reader and kept me turning pages. There were some sexual scenes in the book that were different because they were something I had never seen before in a book. They didn't make me like the book anymore but they also didn't make me want to stop reading. The character of Matthew Bannon was one of my favorites in all of the books I've read, he is tough, kind, creative, and different than many other characters. Matthew is an ex-marine who is trying to become an artist and when he finds the diamonds, his life is changed forever. Overall, this book has been one of my favorites and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fast paced writing with action every chapter with a little bit of a love story infused into the plot. (less)

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Jan 01, 2012 Lee Kyle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of a good cat and mouse story!!

My second of Patterson's reads. Well i will start this review by saying that he is rapidly becoming one of my top 5 favorite authors of all time! I love his style of writing and the fact that he has what i like to call 'quick chapters' just a little over 100 in this short read. In this Patterson tale that is also co-written by Marshall Karp, the story starts with a hitman doing battle with his quarry in the public washroom of Grand Central Station in New York. This fight ensues as the hitman who...more My second of Patterson's reads. Well i will start this review by saying that he is rapidly becoming one of my top 5 favorite authors of all time! I love his style of writing and the fact that he has what i like to call 'quick chapters' just a little over 100 in this short read. In this Patterson tale that is also co-written by Marshall Karp, the story starts with a hitman doing battle with his quarry in the public washroom of Grand Central Station in New York. This fight ensues as the hitman who we find out is named the Ghost nails his prey with a shard of the bathroom mirror sending him fleeing out into the grand central station. The prey who is named Walter Zelvas stumbles over to a locker and quickly opens up the locker frantically trying to reach and grab a bag that he had stashed in there, he doesnt make it and quickly dies due to the wound inflicted on him earlier. A art student passing by sees this and goes over to see what Zelvas was trying to reach up inside the locker much to his delight it was a doctor's type leather bag filled with diamonds.

We find out the student's name is Matthew Bannon, Matthew after the coast is clear, takes off with the booty filled bag. Let the chase begin as Bannon finds out that a whole bunch of no do gooders are now tracking him . The ghost has now been hired also to track Bannon but he is not alone as the russian diamond syndicate has also hired a professional killer only to make sure that Bannon gets captured. Ghost gets into a cat and mouse type game vs Bannon and his competition as well.

This is yet another fantastic edge of your seat thriller read. I have read alot of negative posts on this book and alot of Patterson's work for that matter. I personally love his writings to death and no he isnt going anywhere as Guiness Book Of World Records has named him the author to have the most books reaching bestseller's status and looking at his books written list he must have a million of them done! I for one look forward to reading and owning as many as possible! Bravo James!(less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read James Patterson when I need a bit of quick, easy distraction from life’s constant demands. His books are fast-paced, ‘suspend your disbelief’ escapism and I usually read them in one sitting, and then forget the storyline within a day, although they are enjoyable enough at the time.
However, I found that I really quite liked Kill Me If You Can. It’s not a literary novel, it’s not a challenging read, and the story line is definitely far more improbable than remotely possible, but I found my...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Raina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

For those of you who know me I have often said of James Patterson in recent years, "Why am I still reading this crap? It is just the same storyline with different character names." That said, I would like to award all five of these stars to Marshall Karp who made this book the fantastic read that it is!

This story opens up with Matthew Bannon who, depending on how you look at it, is either really lucky or really unlucky. One day when returning home from classes at Parsons Art School he comes acro...more

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Sep 12, 2011 Bill rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The male version of Now You See Her. I have to say, after having listened to Now You See Her and Kill Me if you Can, I really like this somewhat new style coming from James Patterson. The "heros" in both books have a shady past yet they are ever the optimists and even while under heavy gunfire seem to be upbeat and chipper. This got on my nerves at first but I found myself enjoying it.

In Kill Me if you Can, Matthew Bannon is an art student who finds a doctor's bag full of diamonds next to a dyin...more

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Jul 05, 2012 KRM rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kill Me If You Can is James Patterson's latest stand-alone novel where a struggling artist strikes it lucky when he finds a bag full of diamonds during an assassination in Grand Central Station. His luck is not completely on his side though as on his tail to get the diamonds back is the Russian Mafia and some of the World's most deadliest assassins.

The story is a little over the top (which Patterson book isn't?!) but is definitely one of his best novels that he has "written" in a while. The acti...more

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Feb 19, 2012 Jodi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: not sure

Shelves: thrillers

Certainly easy, readable, quick "mind candy." I hated that the "hero" or main character in this book turned out to be a rotten criminal too. Boo! I don't mind this stuff when the "good guy" wins but in my opinion this was a book all about low-life criminals.

I did have to laugh at the scene when Matt and his girlfriend were going to Paris and she freaked out because the security guard at the airport would let her take her toothpaste through the checkpoint. I was in the same situation when I went...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Lynn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I always wait anxiously for the next James Patterson book to be released, and I'm never disappointed (nor do I have long to wait these days as he cranks them out so regularly). If I have one complaint, it's that they are over way too soon.

Kill Me If You Can started out a little more slowly for me than usual for his books. The killing started off right away, and I was having a hard time warming to the characters, probably because of all the Russion interspersed. That changed pretty quickly, thoug...more

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Jan 01, 2013 David Savage rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Matthew Bannon, an ex-marine, is a struggling art student in New York. During an assassination in a train station and suspected terrorist attack he finds a bag filled with millions of dollars worth of diamonds. Matthew thinks this is the end of money worries for him and his girlfriend Katherine but it is just the start of a dangerous game as the Russian Mafia want their diamonds back at any cost.

2 assassins, including the very deadly Ghost – a hitman with a conscious, are hired to find him, reco...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Martina rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 21th-century, best-sellers

In my newly found attraction to best-sellers I came over this one. James Patterson is a very well-established American author who has written over seventy-five novels since his first 1976.

Kill me if you can is a thriller novel centering the art student Matthew Bannon. He started out his career in the Marines, following in his fathers footsteps, but on agreement after finishing, he began to study art. He is studying at one of the most prestigious art universities in the country, and whether he ha...more In my newly found attraction to best-sellers I came over this one. James Patterson is a very well-established American author who has written over seventy-five novels since his first 1976.

Kill me if you can is a thriller novel centering the art student Matthew Bannon. He started out his career in the Marines, following in his fathers footsteps, but on agreement after finishing, he began to study art. He is studying at one of the most prestigious art universities in the country, and whether he has talent or not could be debatable, but he is told to have influences of a young Edward Hopper (whom I personally like). Bannon has nothing special to show for in life, but he is in love with his professor Miss Katherine Sanborne an she seem to have an attraction for him as well.

The Ghost is an assassin who never makes mistakes. He is fast, experienced and vanishes like a ghost when the job is finished. One night in Grand Central station New York he has received a mission to kill Walter Zelvas, a man he knows little of, but nevertheless heard enough about. He is involved in the Russian mob and described having Neanderthal features, yet he is a skilful assassin when needed to be. After minor problems the Ghost vanishes from the scene of the terminal bathrooms leaving behind a lethally wounded Zelvas.

Matthew Bannon who happens to be a the right place at the right time meets Zelvas upstairs near the safety lockers. Zelvas opens a locker branded #925, when he slowly realises that death is near. Bannon, who has from the moment he saw Zelvas, from a small distance been glaring at him understands something is wrong. Zelvas gives up after avoiding death for too many years and falls down at Bannon's feet. The locker, which the Russian mob member had managed to unlock, slides open slowly and Matthew can not help but look inside it. Inside he founds a medical bag filled with diamonds. This is when the reader fathoms out that the chase will begin. The mocking 'Kill me if you can'-phrase is never uttered but when you steal a bag full of diamonds from a dying Russian assassin, you are pretty much in for it.

There is nothing really interesting in terms of construction, plot or character development. There is but one twist which literally is everything this novel has in terms of suspense. I you seen too many thriller films, this one will not entertain you.

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Apr 25, 2012 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, james-patterson, library-books

The book started off well and was well on course for a four star review. Yeah the plot wasn't the strongest ever written and the characters were the cudboard cutouts that appear in most Patterson stand alone thrillers. The incest sub-plot was completely unnecesary but didn't bother me to the extent that it made reading the rest of the story any less enjoyable. But the book was moving along at a nice pace and the plot whilst surreal was a vast improvement on the last piece of Patterson drivvle I...more

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Dec 09, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

James Patterson writes more books per year than any author I've ever heard about! I don't know how I'm ever going to catch up; there are millions of them. Kill Me If You Can is the story about a young man, who is in love with his art teacher, 'stumbling' upon a doctor's bag filled with diamonds. Would you be a Good Samaritan and turn the diamonds into the police or would you hold on to them? After reading this book, I can definitely say (especially since I haven't had the pleasure of serving in...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Tonya rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not my favorite Patterson book. It was a little heavier on the sex than I'd like, and the (consensual) incestuous relationship of the bad guy and his daughter really wasn't a necessary or enjoyable part of the plot. I'm convinced Patterson acts as mostly just a consultant on most of these books he supposedly co-writes, and I don't think I'd want to read any more by Marshall Karp. The plot was interesting, but I found myself reminded of a recent movie plot and a less-recent movie plot when it cam...more

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Aug 21, 2011 LORI CASWELL rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Matthew Bannon is a poor art student living in New York. He has found the love of his life in Katherine Sanborne, a professor of Fine Arts at Parson's. He was originally from Hotchkiss, Colorado, his father wanted him to follow family tradition and join the Marines, his mother hoped he would be more artistic like her. So he compromised, four years n the Marines with tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, then he moved to New York to study art.

It way just an ordinary day in New York when Grand Central St...more Matthew Bannon is a poor art student living in New York. He has found the love of his life in Katherine Sanborne, a professor of Fine Arts at Parson's. He was originally from Hotchkiss, Colorado, his father wanted him to follow family tradition and join the Marines, his mother hoped he would be more artistic like her. So he compromised, four years n the Marines with tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, then he moved to New York to study art.

It way just an ordinary day in New York when Grand Central Station was suddenly filled with gunshots and two huge explosions. Everyone thought it was a terrorist attack and people poured out of the building as fast as they could before they were caught up in another attack like 9/11. As Matthew was running out of the terminal he saw a man lying on the floor in front of an open locker. By the time he reached the man he was dead, but Matthew took what was in the locker. A bag, a bag filled with diamonds. Matthew took it and ran. He thought he life was really going to change. After selling these diamonds he'd be a very rich man.

That's was all before he thought things through, someone would be missing those diamonds. That's when he realized he was being hunted. An assassin called The Ghost was chasing him down. The diamonds belonged to an international syndicate, and when The Ghost wasn't finding him fast enough they added another assassin. This new assassin had two targets in their sights, Matthew and The Ghost. It would be a great pleasure to make The Ghost disappear forever.

You can't go wrong with a Patterson thriller. As always there are twists and turns, chills and spills, secrets revealed and enough action to keep those pages turning. Patterson's trademark of short chapters are a key to this, it makes the book hard to put down. The twist in this story was truly unexpected, something Patterson and his co-writers are experts at incorporating into their stories.

Katherine is a very relate-able character. She falls in love with a poor art student and all that changes overnight as she is caught up in the journey to save their lives only she doesn't even know it until it's almost too late.

Perfect for Patterson fans and a really good stand alone if you have never read a Patterson suspense thriller.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Little Brown & Company, Hachette Book Group in exchange for an honest review. The opinions stated are entirely my own. I am stating this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR part 255. "Guides Concerning Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising" (less)

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Nov 20, 2011 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was so excited when I finally got this from the library after a looong wait on the list. I adore Marshall Karp's Lomax & Biggs mysteries. The dialogue is snappy and hilarious, the plots gory but fun, and the character development is spot-on.
After reading a little of this book, I was horrified to find none of those qualities. The plot was full of deus ex machinas. One may have been forgivable, but it was just ridiculous how many times that plot device was used, along with almost any other t...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Matthew Bannon is a poor art student living in New York City. He finds a medical bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Terminal. Plans for a worry-free life with his gorgeous girlfirend, Katherine, fill his thoughts--until he realizes that he is being hunted.

Chasing him is the Ghost, the world's greatest assassin, who has just pulled off his most high-profile hit: killing Walter Zelvas, a top member of the international diamond syndicate. There's only one small proble...more

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Sep 20, 2011 William Bentrim rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson and Marshall Karp

Matthew Bannon, an aspiring artist, runs afoul of the Russian mob and some it’s most heinous contract killers.

Say what you will about the formula aspects of Patterson’s work, I still love it. I remember my first experience with an L-1 Vette, the slam of the gears and the sheer joy of the speed. This book is reminiscent of that feeling. With a pop of the clutch, you have difficulty breathing until that millisecond of air as you shift. The ch...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Urbanbookbabe *Crystal* rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who loves books about assassins

Shelves: listened

During what authorities calls a terrorist attack at Grand Central Station, Matthew Bannon,a poor art student,happens upon a man who is dying from a knife wound and a bag full of diamonds that will change his life forever...

With a bag full of diamonds Matthew plans a worry-free life, Starting with taking his girlfriend Katherine on a trip to France. However, this isn't quite the romantic get a way Matthew planed because he can't escape the feeling that someone is after him …

Meet the Ghost to many...more

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Sep 13, 2011 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of fast-moving espionage thrillers

Shelves: action-adventure-thriller

This is the first James Patterson book I'd ever picked up, and my first thought was how insubstantial it was. It was almost like reading air. I had over 300 pages left in the book when I picked it up last night -- and three hours later I was done with it. That's over 100 pages an hour, and I wasn't speed reading. It breezed by so quickly that I missed the big plot twist in the story, which left me annoyed with myself for not seeing it coming.

Other than that, it was a good -- albeit quick -- read...more

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Jan 11, 2013 Nagarvey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Matthew Bannon, a starving artist living in New York City, finds a bag full of diamonds worth millions of dollars in a New York’s Grand Central Station. In need of money, Bannon thinks that the diamonds couldn’t have been found at a better time. However, Bannon soon finds himself running for his life from a deadly assassin known as the Ghost who is search of the diamonds that Bannon now has in his possession.

“Kill Me If You Can” is the second book by James Patterson that I’ve read. I thought tha...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Lori Schiele rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: drama, fiction, mystery-suspense, psychological-thrillers

Definitely not one of Patterson's best. It was co-authored by Marshall Karp and, although I am not familiar with this specific author, I found a number of things very "un-Patterson". There were a lot of sex scenes (mild tho they were), and the use of Russian, Italian and French without translation was rather irritating since I had to attempt to figure out what was being said through context alone (not as easy as it sounds.

There are some very surprising twists in this book, and the one character,...more

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did this book give you an OMG, NO WAY moment?	8	17	May 26, 2013 07:58pm
Katherine Sanborne	2	14	May 22, 2013 09:34pm
WHAT CAN I SAY?	3	10	Jan 20, 2013 05:16pm
James Patterson B...: Kill Me If You Can	8	43	May 02, 2012 03:48am

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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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