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70th out of 510 books
—
400 voters
The Rook (The Patrick Bowers Files #2)
by
Steven James (Goodreads Author)
An arsonist has struck a top-secret research facility at a key US naval base. But it's not just a random terrorist attack. These people were after something specific. When Special Agent Patrick Bowers is called in to investigate, he is drawn into a deadly web of intrigue and deception. With his own criminology research being turned against him and one of the world's most d...more
Paperback, 489 pages
Published
August 1st 2008
by Fleming H. Revell Company
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Imagine my surprise after reading all the Patrick Bower series by Steven James and in wanting to write a review of the books, to discover that this series is labeled as being published by a Christian publisher, as well as authored by a Christian...ergo, the Patrick Bowers series is labeled Christian Fiction. I'll tell you this, as an atheist, I didn't have a clue (not even a suspicion) of this throughout my reading of these novels.
Now, now, I am not implying that good Christian fiction doesn't e...more
Now, now, I am not implying that good Christian fiction doesn't e...more
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Good afternoon! If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’ve quickly become a fan of Steven James. This week I finished The Rook, and it was my favorite so far. In this one, FBI agent Dr. Patrick Bowers juggles the following: recently becoming a widow; caring for his teenage, know-it-all, rebellious step-daughter; and chasing down a killer who gets his jollies off chaining women to a tank, then slowly filling it with water until they drown. Yeesh. And just as an aside, a villain from one...more
One of the benefits of coming across an author who’s written several good books is you don’t have to wait a year between readings. This is how I feel about Steven James novels.
Several months ago I read The Pawn, which I loved. I would’ve read the next in the series, The Rook, the next day, but I try not to let one writer’s voice influence my own. Now after reading this book, it’s tempting to break my rule and read the next in the series, The Knight.
Each stand alone book has the same protagonist...more
Several months ago I read The Pawn, which I loved. I would’ve read the next in the series, The Rook, the next day, but I try not to let one writer’s voice influence my own. Now after reading this book, it’s tempting to break my rule and read the next in the series, The Knight.
Each stand alone book has the same protagonist...more
This book is the second in the series by Steven James and the second one I have read. It is a good group of books and I look forward to reading more by this author.
Patrick Bowers is an FBI investigator. He has lost his wife to cancer. His wife has a daughter from a first marriage. Tessa is 15 years old. If anyone reading this has had a 15 year old daughter, you know how hard it is to raise your own daughter. This poor man has a demanding job, not to mention a step daughter who wants to love him,...more
Patrick Bowers is an FBI investigator. He has lost his wife to cancer. His wife has a daughter from a first marriage. Tessa is 15 years old. If anyone reading this has had a 15 year old daughter, you know how hard it is to raise your own daughter. This poor man has a demanding job, not to mention a step daughter who wants to love him,...more
I read "The Pawn" first which was not bad but fairly interesting enough to spur me to read the next book in the series. The second book is much better and fast paced. It is important to read these books in order as antagonists introduced in The Pawn reappear in The Rook and it helps to know their back story. Additionally, the main characters continue to grow and change as their relationships are dynamic. What I am finding interesting about these books is how the author is able to do a literary v...more
FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers, from The Pawn, is called to San Diego, to help with a serial arsonist case. With an apparent suicide and a local kidnapping, the case seems to be getting more tangled, but Bowers unravels it nicely. It takes a personal twist when Bowers love interest and fellow investigator, Lien-hua is asked for by name. Meanwhile, his stepdaughter, Tessa, gets into some trouble of her own.
This was a high-paced suspense, with plenty of action and a page-turning conclusion. It...more
When I reviewed Steven James’ debut novel, The Pawn, I hesitated giving it five stars because I wanted to leave room in case the author proved to be more than a one hit wonder. I give The Rook four and a half stars only because I know, The Knight comes out in September. I feel quite sure this writer has several more turns at bat in his career!
Special Agent Patrick Bowers returns along with his hard-to-love-hard-to-hate stepdaughter, Tessa. I mention her in the same sentence with Patrick because...more
Special Agent Patrick Bowers returns along with his hard-to-love-hard-to-hate stepdaughter, Tessa. I mention her in the same sentence with Patrick because...more
I received this book as a review copy from the publisher. "The Rook" was a well-written, fast-paced forensic/detective thriller. This is the second Patrick Bowers novel, but you don't need to read the first book, "The Pawn," to understand what's going on in this one.
The first novel had a very well-written "who-done-it" element (which I loved), but this book was more a thriller with a good dose of romance. While still a bit dark, "The Rook" wasn't as gruesome as "The Pawn." The crimes and crime s...more
The first novel had a very well-written "who-done-it" element (which I loved), but this book was more a thriller with a good dose of romance. While still a bit dark, "The Rook" wasn't as gruesome as "The Pawn." The crimes and crime s...more
The Rook is the second in a series of books featuring FBI Criminologist Patrick Bowers (the first is The Pawn). For whatever reason - maybe just because the thought of reading all five would be too much of the same thing, I skipped that one. As it turns out, I wasn't lost - but after reading this one and learning that many of the characters seem to be common to both, I'll definitely keep going in order, ending with the the most recent, The Queen.
That said, I'm delighted to have found this author...more
That said, I'm delighted to have found this author...more
The second in the Dr. Patrick Bowers series. This was fast paced and full of twists and turns. Patrick takes his step-daughter, Tessa, to San Diego so they can do some sightseeing while he helps on a serial arsonist case. It turns out that this is not just a simple arson case. There are several intriguing plot lines going on as the story progesses and you don't really know if they are separate or if all will come together and connect in the end. This one will keep you guessing until the end when...more
The Rook as it says on the front cover truly is "First-Class Suspense". This is the second book in the "Patrick Bower's Files" an...moreThe Rook as it says on the front cover truly is "First-Class Suspense". This is the second book in the "Patrick Bower's Files" and I must say that I enjoyed this ride just as much if not more than
"The Pawn", Steven James' first offering of Patrick Bowers. The Character of Patrick Bowers is smart, buff,(gotta love all those pull-ups) and surprisingly insecure a...more
"The Pawn", Steven James' first offering of Patrick Bowers. The Character of Patrick Bowers is smart, buff,(gotta love all those pull-ups) and surprisingly insecure a...more
The Rook by Steven James is the follow up to The Pawn, a suspenseful mystery based around intense criminology investigations. The Rook continues on the storyline that Mr. James developed in the first novel. My favorite aspect of James’s writing style is that he able to take a typical mystery and mix in a complex theme of morality and self reflection. Read my review of The Pawn for more thoughts on the moral aspects.
Since The Rook is a sequel, I can’t help but compare this book to the original, b...more
Since The Rook is a sequel, I can’t help but compare this book to the original, b...more
Apr 29, 2010
Carolyn C.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone - probably high school and up
Recommended to Carolyn by:
Love the author:)
Wow! Another great Steven James crime novel - the second in his series of three. Hooked from the first page I zipped through this book...impressed by all of the unexpected twists and turns:) Loved it, as I did his first book "The Pawn" and am looking forward to the final book of the series "The Knight."
Well researched and interesting on so many different levels:) If you're looking for a great crime novel that isn't muddied up by a lot of unecessary language and innuendo...give this series a try...more
Well researched and interesting on so many different levels:) If you're looking for a great crime novel that isn't muddied up by a lot of unecessary language and innuendo...give this series a try...more
Steven James Patrick Bowers is a complicated character. A detective with a doctorate in geo-spatial targeting as a method to track down serial killers he tries to track killers through their places of crimes and the times of their crimes. He also is charge of his 16 year old step daughter after his wife has died over a year ago. As a new father and widower he has much to figure out. It seems James likes to give us multiple criminals mixed up with each other. Each possibly using the other to comp...more
I found The Rook to be a heart-pounding read (literally) with an almost perfect mix of action, romance, and family drama (I guess you'd call it). I especially liked that James takes us more inside Tessa's head this time and spends more time on her and Patrick's relationship. James brilliantly addresses things we all struggle with (guilt, shame, fear, loss, sense of purpose, broken relationships) through Patrick's own struggles. The particular situations that Patrick and other characters face mir...more
I didn't like #2 as well as I liked #1 & #3. This story didn't flow quite as easily as the others and it had a more "techno" type plot that didn't really work for me. There were too many people involved in the story and there were some that weren't developed as well as they could have been. Were some of these people involved good, bad, extras? The villians in the other books were very clearly the bad guys. The ending didn't work for me either. It felt sort of forced. I like Tessa as a main c...more
At first when I started this book, I didnt think I would like it. The whole idea behind Project Rukh was not something that interested me. Surprisingly the book had twists and turns early on and all the way through the shocking ending which threw me off completely. I would have never guessed the outcome or even come close to figuring it out because Steven James does an excellent job at steering you in multiple directions. The character development only gets stronger and Patrick and Tessa are cha...more
May 04, 2011
Jennifer D
added it
This was a series that a B&N store representative forced me to read and I enjoyed. I had brought my Nook in for repair when, to test to see if he had fixed it, the gentleman downloaded one of the recent free books (The Pawn: The Patrick Bowers Files #1) to my e-reader. I had seen the free offer but when I saw reviewers discussing some of the "religious commentary" had decided to forgo the free offer. Since he had given the book a wonderful review (and it was on my nook anyway) I gave it a go...more
Amazing! Steven James did a superb job with The Rook! Reader, beware! It's not for faint of heart. Patrick Bowers helps find serial killers. Take that into consideration before you pick the book up.
Steven does a great job with characters - I feel like I know them. He does a great job with giving just enough to move the story along and keep you hooked.
I loved watching Patrick's relationship with Tesse blossom. I loved the twists and turns of the story. I like Lien-hua, but I hate not knowing how...more
Steven does a great job with characters - I feel like I know them. He does a great job with giving just enough to move the story along and keep you hooked.
I loved watching Patrick's relationship with Tesse blossom. I loved the twists and turns of the story. I like Lien-hua, but I hate not knowing how...more
After reading 'The Pawn' I couldn't wait to read this thriller & I wasn't disappointed. Steven James is great at writing books that hold my attention throughout the entire book.
Patrick Bower's step-daughter, Tessa, is a vegetarian/vegan for humane reasons, which I found interesting since I am a vegan.
'The Rook' is filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. Throughout this book I tried to figure out who 'Shade' was, but without success.
The ending of 'The Rook', wow, it...more
Patrick Bower's step-daughter, Tessa, is a vegetarian/vegan for humane reasons, which I found interesting since I am a vegan.
'The Rook' is filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. Throughout this book I tried to figure out who 'Shade' was, but without success.
The ending of 'The Rook', wow, it...more
Apr 04, 2011
Bryan
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Bryan by:
Eddie Coulter
Shelves:
christian-fiction
Again, a very complicated scheme to overshadow the serial killer lying underneath. James's use of the military sub-plot and the growing relationship between both Tessa and Lein-hua, is again formulaic but lovingly readable. Overall a good read again and I think that I will continue on with the series. The middle road feelings I had with his last book gave me some apprehension about this one but I was wrong. It is clear that he and his editor team have found a singular long term goal for Patrick...more
Book 2 in the Patrick Bowers series finds Mr. Bowers on the case for an arsonist, whilst still trying to juggle being a father, an adolescent teenager, an underlining love interest, and the introduction of a master nemesis known as the Shade.
I love the detail that Mr. James brings to each novel, and the fact that everyone, whatever their world outlook can relate to the issues and situations featured here. The pace really picks up towards the end of the novel, to the point that I could feel my p...more
I love the detail that Mr. James brings to each novel, and the fact that everyone, whatever their world outlook can relate to the issues and situations featured here. The pace really picks up towards the end of the novel, to the point that I could feel my p...more
Since I read his first novel in the Patrick Bowers series and thought it was okay, I thought I would read his second. It was, again, just okay. What FBI agent travels around with his family in tow? And, what an annoying stepdaughter! What FBI agent, or for that matter anyone with a gun, would first take time to destroy "the device" before going to the aid of a fellow agent? What law enforcement agent would wish he could have cuffed the bad guy instead of letting sharks have their way with him? A...more
Book Two of the Patrick Bower series gives us another action packed thriller of a tale, guaranteed to get the heart racing and the late night candle burning (if you can handle the scares that late in the night!). Also another chance to get to know Patrick and his daughter Tessa just a little bit better.
Investigating a series of arsons in the city, but with much deeper ramifications with the stealing of a national security weapon being stolen, the tension is palpable. Layer upon layer of plot sl...more
Investigating a series of arsons in the city, but with much deeper ramifications with the stealing of a national security weapon being stolen, the tension is palpable. Layer upon layer of plot sl...more
This is the second novel in a series featuring FBI Special Agent Dr. Patrick Bowers. Dr. Bower's geographic profiling skills are needed to help solve what appears to be a serial arson case in San Diego. Many of the characters introduced in "The Pawn", including his step-daughter Tessa and fellow FBI Spcial Agent Lien-hua, return in this novel. Knowing that there are additional books in the series, I wasn't suprised with the book's to-be-continued ending. I enjoyed this book but I liked "The Pawn...more
This is the second book in the Patrick Bowers file and it is as entertaining as the first--The Pawn. This time Bowers and his independent minded stepdaughter are in San Diego. Bowers, an FBI forensic specialist, is asked to assist on a baffling arson case. The case eventually widens to include neuro-scientific weapons, the military, and the usual megalomaniac billionaire. Bowers runs from case to case, tries to maintain peace with his stepdaughter who is still grieving over her mother's loss to...more
So many times authors fail to deliver in a sequel. This one was anything BUT disappointing. Again the twists came. I loved how some of the characters from the first book managed to reemerge in the second book a little deeper. I was again disturbed at my enjoyment of serial killers. As far as engrossing, this book deserves 5 stars. As far as disturbing, I dropped it one star. I must say, however, that I am intrigued at how he manages to get you into the head of a serial killer without making you...more
Patrick Bowers is on a case, one which involves a serial arsonist. When he stumbles across a crazy homeless man committing suicide, Patrick knows there is more to the incident than meets the eye. Clues lead to an aquarium, shark research, and stolen technology. Patrick is also trying to build a relationship with his teenage stepdaughter. Between girl and woman, she searches for freedom but makes unwise, youthful choices that force Patrick to keep a watchful eye. Including Tessa in helping with t...more
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Steven James has penned 25+ books spanning the genres of psychological suspense, prayer collections, dramas, monologues, a nine book series on creative storytelling for children’s ministry, YA fantasy, and inspirational. James has received wide critical acclaim for his work including four Storytelling World Honor awards, two Publishers Weekly starred reviews, 2009, 2011 and 2012 Christy Award for...more
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