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The Quickie

by James Patterson (Goodreads Author), Michael Ledwidge

3.70 · rating details · 12,028 ratings · 1,297 reviews

THE #1 BESTSELLING SENSATION

#1 New York Times
#1 Chicago Tribune
#1 Washington Post
#1 Entertainment Weekly
#1 USA Today
#1 Wall Street Journal

America's most popular thriller writer, James Patterson, presents his most daring-and astonishing-novel ever.

With the perfect marriage and a great job, Lauren Stillman loves her wonderful life . . . until she sees her husband wit...more

Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages

Published August 1st 2009 by Vision (first published January 1st 2007)

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Sep 10, 2007

Jason rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: Those who like suspense and a lot of plot twist and turns.

First off let me say that I am a James Patterson fan, but despite that fact this book was excellent. It is definitely a suspense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. I think what I like the most about it is the way in which the story is told from the begining of the novel. It is as if the introduction is laid before you piece by piece in such a unique format that it draws you in from the very begining. Definitely a great fun fiction book to read.

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May 19, 2008

Penny rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 1-turned_the_last_page

OK... First off - If I could give LESS than 1 star - I would have! I don't normally add my "Books on Tape" to my Good Reads account. But, I had to "WARN" all my friends. This was absolutely the most ridiculous story I've ever listened to. It was SO FRUSTRATING. The characters were completely unlikeable and made the worst choices. There were SO MANY HOLES in this storyline - And, the worst part of the story is that I couldn't stop listening to it - because I believed it ...more

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Dec 14, 2007

Melissa rated it

· review of another edition

The Quickie is written in very short chapters so it made it a fast read. I got hooked in the first part of the book but then became a little bored when “covering up” became a little too effortless for the protagonist. Towards the end of the book a new twist was introduced but was not really developed and left you really struggling to put it all together. It was as if Patterson came up with another plot at the end of the novel and tried to incorporate it into the existing murder mystery.

...more

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Feb 22, 2008

Tanya rated it

· review of another edition

2/19/08 - I got this in the mail today as part of a bookray from the other online bookclub that I'm a member of. I will be putting the remaining 3 books of The Bridesmaid Chronicles on hold until I read this one!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2/21/08 - WOW...this has been one of the best mystery/thriller book that I've read in a long time! I didn't put the book down much, as I've read this in 3 days! It was a real page-turner that I just kept being shoc...more

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Nov 26, 2008

Aaron rated it

· review of another edition

Lauren Stillwell feels like her life is crumbling when she sees her husband coming out of a hotel room with another woman. They have already been struggling with their relationship recently, a problem she partially attributes to their inability to get pregnant. As you can imagine, she assumes that this is an indication that Paul is cheating on her. The book could easily have been called You Know What Happens When You Assume. From this point on, Lauren rashes from one irrational decision to the n...moreLauren Stillwell feels like her life is crumbling when she sees her husband coming out of a hotel room with another woman. They have already been struggling with their relationship recently, a problem she partially attributes to their inability to get pregnant. As you can imagine, she assumes that this is an indication that Paul is cheating on her. The book could easily have been called You Know What Happens When You Assume. From this point on, Lauren rashes from one irrational decision to the next, creating a destructive spiral that will change everything.

The first thing she does is an act of instinct. When a younger officer she works with at the New York Police Department indicates that she is interested, and they have a "quickie." Immediately afterward, Lauren steps out of the room and returns only to see Scott, the officer, murdered by what appears to be her husband Paul. At first she does not know what to do, particularly once she and her partner are assigned as the lead detectives to look into the murder of a fellow cop.

From here on, the tale spins completely out of control as Lauren, a woman who appeared to be a dedicated officer, messes with evident, implicates witnesses, and starts threatening officials at different levels to protect her husband, with whom she has yet to confirm his involvement. The question is where this whole thing will lead since the reader has already seen how quick she is to make assumptions.

I have to say this is the first book by Patterson that I hated. I know that it is purely me. I do not tend to like stories in which everyone in it has no ethical standards whatsoever. I have trouble having compassion for them, just wishing they would get their comeupance, and this story is exactly that. Everyone has a disreputable backstory that they are keeping quiet from those around them. I only kept reading because I was curious to see how everything would play out, only to find my disbelief at how outrageous the story kept getting. Soap operas have more realism.

OK ... now that you have heard my perspective, it is only fair to say that all of the professional reviews of this one that I have seen have praised this as being one of his best. I guess it goes to show that I can be off target on this one.

I will say the writing was up to Patterson's usual standards, and the story moves along at the usual quick pace. It is filled with tons of cliffhangers and lots of action.(less)

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Jul 07, 2008

Kirsty (Blatant Biblioholic) rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller

I've loved almost every book I've ever read by James Patterson, and this book was no exception. Whilst I don't think it was as great as his Cross books, this was yet another book that I couldn't put down.

I liked the fact that the protagonist was directly involved with the murder, and trying to cover it up - most thrillers are based on someone trying to find the murderer.

I love that Patterson's books have really small chapters - this makes me want to read 'just one more' a...more

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Jun 19, 2008

Megan rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: James Patterson fans--anyone looking for a quick read

Good book, but not as good as his Women's Murder Club Books. I'm finding that the stand alone books don't have nearly the impact that the series books--WMC and Alex Cross--have.

The book was filled with a rollercoaster ride of what was going to happen, and I never saw the twist at the end coming. I would have liked to have found out more about the new life, and that storyline that is presented at the end of the book.

It was definitely interesting to see a different side...more

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Jun 23, 2008

Lena rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: People with A.D.D.

This book is perfect for people who have a short attention span or only have 5 minutes at a time to read. The chapters are only 2 to 3 pages long and each one quickly introduces a new conflict and just as quickly resolves it. The story is about a woman who has a one-night-stand and then witnesses her husband murder the guy she has a fling with. She spends the book trying to cover up the murder...BUT with every chapter there is a new revelation and a new secret uncovered. You will never expec...more

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Jan 14, 2012

Anachronist rated it

· review of another edition

synopsis:

Lauren Stillwell, a homicide detective from New York, is happily married to a handsome finance advisor, Paul. One day she decides to surprise her husband, visiting him at work during lunchtime. She sees Paul going out with an unknown, tall, slim blonde. They enter a posh St Regis hotel and Lauren is left rethinking her marriage and her life from quite a new perspective – that of a cheated, ageing wife. She comes to some fateful conclusions. One of them is that Paul has stopp...more

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Apr 01, 2009

Rhonda rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, suspense

Mary Stuart Masterson is a multi talented actress. She not only delivers stellar performances (and has since the age of 7) but writes and directs. Not the least of her abilities is narrating, as is evident in this tricky, tantalizing and sometimes torturous story. Experienced behind a microphone, Masterson has done other highly listenable readings, such as Cornwell's Book of the Dead and The Predator.

Her voice is so pure, distinct that one is reminded of a classically trained actres...moreMary Stuart Masterson is a multi talented actress. She not only delivers stellar performances (and has since the age of 7) but writes and directs. Not the least of her abilities is narrating, as is evident in this tricky, tantalizing and sometimes torturous story. Experienced behind a microphone, Masterson has done other highly listenable readings, such as Cornwell's Book of the Dead and The Predator.

Her voice is so pure, distinct that one is reminded of a classically trained actress. Yet her performances, whether as the revenge bound wife we find in The Quickie or on screen in Fried Green Tomatoes, are always totally real, believable. When she describes "almost sawing through my plate" as her husband lies to her during dinner, we feel her angst and find ourselves drawn in, concerned about what she will do next.

What she does next is at the heart of this story. Lauren planned to surprise her husband, Paul, for lunch. She had checked with his assistant to make sure he would be in and then driven to his office. However, she's the surprised one when she sees him leaving the building and getting into a cab with a very attractive twenty-ish blonde. Lauren follows them to the St. Regis, where as they enter the hotel she cries to the sound of honking taxis behind her.

Later that day, when she asks him what he did for lunch and he says he had a sandwich at his desk, it's plate crunching time as she tries not to reveal what she knows. What would you do? What would any of us do?

Lauren is one tough gal and she decides what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. She plans to have a one-nighter with NYPD Scott Thayer. She didn't count on him being murdered. Fearing that her husband may have killed Scott, Lauren makes some more mistakes in covering up. However, her take on the killing may be way off base.

Leave it to Patterson to set the scene and then have listeners spellbound by the twists and turns that follow. Don't try to outguess Patterson and Ledwidge - just enjoy!
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Dec 31, 2011

Jennifer rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: wrote-review

There really isn't a likable major character in the book. I'm not opposed to flawed characters, but at least one central character should be likable even if flawed! Lauren suspects her husband is having an affair, so she has a fling. Her husband kills her lover and she does everything possible to protect her life as she knows it. She rationalizes it as protecting her husband because it's her fault she cheated, but all I saw was grasping at straws on reasons why she can't lose her husband and ca...more

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Aug 29, 2010

Kavyen rated it

· review of another edition

Lauren Stillwell, an NYPD cop lives a fairly normal life – that is till she catches her husband entering a hotel with a beautiful blond. She jumps to the conclusion that he is cheating on her and decides to get back by involving herself with a co-worker Scott Thayer. What starts off as a one-night stand changes her life forever when Scott is dead the same night and Lauren is put in charge of the investigation.

After having seen the altercation between her husband Paul and Scott she beli...more

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Jul 04, 2010

Jerry rated it

· review of another edition

Unusual plot, thrilling twists, surprise ending !!

Except for his Alex Cross novels, most of James Patterson's efforts in recent years have been collaborations with a co-writer - this one his second outing with Michael Ledwidge (of "Step on a Crack"). However, unlike most of Patterson's best sellers, this story is definitely not a good guys finding and chasing the bad guys tale at all! Instead Lauren Stillwell, a NYC homicide cop, after catching her husband Paul involved in ...more

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Feb 03, 2010

Sharal Hunter rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: thriller

I can always, ALWAYS count on James Patterson to rip the rug out from under my feet when I read one of his books. Even the ones I didn't really care for. With The Quickie, Patterson weaves a tale of betrayal and murder so tightly knit and intricate, the reader is left shocked and flabbergasted at the end. This book is definitely one of those that delivers an ending you never saw coming. Lauren Stillwell is a character any woman who has had an affair or a spouse suspected of having an affair can ...more

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Dec 21, 2009

Unbridled rated it

· review of another edition

Read this because a co-worker offered it and said she would throw it away if I didn't take it. She also said she loved Patterson books and could not stop reading them once she started. I, of course, can never let a book be thrown away, no matter how bad. So I took it and will leave it somewhere to be found, like the back of the airplane seat on my way home. Well, this was my first Patterson and it did not disappoint - it was as bad as I feared it might be. Each chapter is about 3-4 pages long - ...moreRead this because a co-worker offered it and said she would throw it away if I didn't take it. She also said she loved Patterson books and could not stop reading them once she started. I, of course, can never let a book be thrown away, no matter how bad. So I took it and will leave it somewhere to be found, like the back of the airplane seat on my way home. Well, this was my first Patterson and it did not disappoint - it was as bad as I feared it might be. Each chapter is about 3-4 pages long - no exaggeration. I became slightly obsessive about counting the pages for each chapter. But what about the story? How about a scene? A dead cop's body is removed from a fountain and a red headed cop starts singing Danny Boy - in the rain, while the other cops, even the 'hard' ones, cry freely or barely hold back tears. I mean, I almost lost it - but when another cop notes that even the drug dealers were tearing up when they heard the red headed cop singing Danny Boy? I did lose it - I coughed on my water and nearly broke my face from smirking so hard. I almost felt guilty about how much scoffing I did in the company of my mind. I couldn't even imagine Hollywood trying to get away with a scene like that. A randomly selected line: "When the sleek black body of the hearse finally slid into view, you could almost hear the lumps forming in thousands of throats." Really? Or maybe: "The fluorescent lights above hummed in my ears like an angry beehive." I know malfunctioning fluorescent lights can hum and buzz, but dem dere is some excited Mercury vapor atoms, ma! And that's not even the worst of it - the prose is lazy, unimaginative, and awkward - cringe-inducing metaphors bloom everywhere like shrooms on cow patties (yes, I know, I know). But enough of this snark (I feel so dirty) - it's too easy to make fun and I already took too much of a sick pleasure watching his sentences stagger around the page like a punch-drunk boxer (I can't stop!). To be fairer, as with the fluorescent lights, every once in awhile, he gets kind of close - but he's just too brutish and inelegant to bring the right line to life. And he doesn't stop, like bludgeoning a steel box with a hammer is the best way to open it - and maybe it will open, eventually, if you can't find the key. What did he do right? Well, it moves, and I suppose at 3-4 pages per chapter it's going to move whether you want it to or not - but it moves. The dialogue is familiar and crisp because it's in the movies that get made out of books like this. And let's be perfectly clear - it's a talent to write as many books as he has and to entertain so many people so...expertly? Unfortunately, in this book, while he hits a narrative stride at the 3/4 point, the last 1/4 is an explosive splattering of merde on the wall. It's not exactly a shock or a thrill when the monkey does it every hour on the hour because a new crowd comes to look into his cage. I've spent too much time writing about this book - but what can I say, I'm on vacation.
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Oct 08, 2009

Gary Taylor rated it

Shelves: suspense, crime, mystery

I'm in the mood now for a quickie. So here it is.

The Quickie is a strong example of modern pulp in the raw-boned tradition of Mickey Spillane or Raymond Chandler. Snappy dialogue propels a simple plot through a number of twists with a first-person narrator telling her story. Tough stuff. The ultimate resolution seems a tad preposterous but what the heck? Enjoy the ride, toots. You get it all with The Quickie: jealousy, revenge, adultery, a woman scorned, robbery, murder, corrupt cops...more

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Sep 30, 2009

Tasha rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: its-killin-time

I thought I should read some of James Patterson's books so I started with Honeymoon (his bestseller) and then picked this one as it is his latest. I actually think this one is much better than Honeymoon. I'm not sure I get Patterson's style. His books are very broken up (example this book is only 350 pages but has 116 chapters) but they do go very quick so maybe that's a good thing. The other thing is that in both books I don't like any of his characters, none of them are "good" - ...more

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Jun 08, 2009

Claudia rated it

· review of another edition

James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge came up with the right title for this great book that is entitled The Quickie. They put a twist into the read of Lauren’s life as a great wife and detective that one day turns her own life inside out…One Quickie turns into a deadly one that Lauren’s husband is left holding the bag and she does everything in her power to save him. The power that Lauren has to save her husband becomes powerless because of the desires, secrets and the consequence that’s slowly dro...more

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Apr 08, 2009

Michelle rated it

Synopsis: Lauren Stillwell is not your average damsel in distress. When the NYPD cop discovers her husband leaving a hotel with another woman, she decides to beat him at his own game. But her revenge goes dangerously awry, and she finds her world spiraling into a hell that becomes more terrifying by the hour.
In a further twist of fate, Lauren must take on a job that threatens everything she stands for. Now, she's paralyzed by a deadly secret that could tear her life apart. With her job and ...more

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May 06, 2010

John Shaver rated it

The Quickie is a fast-paced, engaging thriller. It's so chock full of surprises and plot twists that you won't be able to believe it! By that, I mean the myriad twists will probably prevent you from suspending your disbelief for the entirity of the novel. Instead of using the surprises to enhance the story, Patterson and Co. use the story simply as a bare-bones skeleton to hang all the surprises on. And, in order to utilize the surprises effectively, the writers make the characters act in wa...more

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Aug 08, 2010

Purple Iris rated it

Shelves: mysteries-policiers

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 14, 2010

Kerilotion rated it

· review of another edition

first off.. this review is based on the audiobook.
One thing I noticed that bothered me was the product placements. for example, did she need to grab her "verizon phone", couldn't it just be a cell?
that may not have bothered me if i was reading it.. don't know.
also, the audiobook featured some very cheesy musical inserts. As if the book was saying -- in case you don't know what you should be feeling right now -- we're gonna tell you.
VERY annoying!
and dis...more

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Sep 01, 2009

Kari Anderson rated it

· review of another edition

You may notice a trend in my reviews lately. I keep saying “I just got this book because I needed it for my A to Z Challenge.” You may also notice that I have REALLY liked all of them. And this one went way above and beyond.

I have always heard great things about James Patterson, but this is the first one of his that I’ve picked up.

I knew from the back of the book that cheating was involved and a murder, but I was shocked throughout the entire book how many twists and turn...more

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Aug 15, 2007

Michelle Purcell rated it

· review of another edition

I thought this book was going to be a quick read by just looking at how large the text was and how many chapters there were but I was wrong. Surprisingly, the characters actually went though and dealt with a lot. The Quickie had so much suspense and so many twists it was like watching an action movie. It was most definitely a page turner. I haven't read anything other than this written by James Patterson but I am going to have to... soon.

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Feb 09, 2011

Christina Zanakos rated it

· review of another edition

The Quickie is one of the best books I've ever read. If you like murder, mystery and a thrilling twist at the end, this will probably become one of your favorites too. James Patterson is a genius writer who uses action right away to get the reader interested, then slowly uncovers the truth behind the action in a patiently paced thriller. The story begins with a woman named Lauren who believes her husband is having an affair. To get him back, she decides to have a passionate one night stand with ...more

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Oct 05, 2007

Cindy rated it

· review of another edition

The chapters are extremely short which makes for a fast read. However, the plot changes at just about every chapter making it read even faster. I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time!

The main character betrays her husband believing she has been betrayed. She unwittingly becomes linked to a murder that she camouflages. The truth and reality dance fast and hard and she ends up on top in the end.

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Dec 06, 2008

Jaime rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2008, suspense

Am I the only one who thinks Patterson falls ridiculously flat when he tries to write from a woman’s point of view? I didn’t believe for a second that Lauren was a competent NYPD detective. Her narration is flighty and shallow and exaggerated. She sleeps with a man once, this so-called quickie, but in narration she treats it like some long-established affair. And the writing here is ridiculously bad, something I would expect from a first-time author, not someone with 50ish books under his belt....more

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Sep 15, 2007

Michelle rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: mystery/thriller fans

Shelves: mysterythriller

I couldn't wait to get to the end of this book. It took no time to read, but what time I did spend, it was pure entertainment. What a ride from beginning to end. Although, I did figure some stuff out early on, I was really intrigued by all of the plot twists and turns. It was really a fantastic book (more like a beach read) that I think if you need some entertainment, you should definitely check out.

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Feb 04, 2010

Christa rated it

· review of another edition

Really enjoyed this. Almost gave it a 5 stars. Would love to see a new series based on this main character. My husband hid this book from our friends who were visiting because he was embarrassed by the title! As with many of JP's books this would make a great movie. This is the second book I have read that was coauthored by Michael Ledwidge. I have to wonder what is with all the co-authoring. How much of the story is JP writing?
SPOILER ALERT: Only issue is that there is a hole betwee...more

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Jul 18, 2007

Mary Parks rated it

· review of another edition

A woman follows her husband to a hotel where he enters with a nice looking blonde. She throws hints to him trying to get him to tell her about an affair and when he fails to tell her anything she decides to have an affair of her own. After having a quickie she witnesses the murder of her affair. This book goes on from there creating a lot of twists. This was a good book and a fast read.

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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 ...more

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