My rating:

add to my books

A World I Never Made

by James LePore (Goodreads Author)

3.33 · rating details · 320 ratings · 87 reviews

Pat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of his estranged daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body, however, is not Megan's and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is calling to him for help.

This sends Pat on an odyssey that stretches across France and into the Czech Re...more

Hardcover, 262 pages

Published March 24th 2009 by Story Plant, The

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is currently not featured on any Listopia lists. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 743)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Mar 07, 2009

Cheryl rated it

Pat Nolan has been estranged from his daughter, Megan for a long time. The last time he spoke to her was when she called him on Christmas day. Since then he has not heard a word from her. So you can imagine his surprise when he receives a farewell letter from Megan. She committed suicide.

Pat travels half way around the world to retrieve his daughter’s remains. When he arrives in Paris, he learns that Megan gave birth to a son. He also discovers that Megan was not in Paris the whole ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Aug 31, 2011

Wendy Ewurum rated it

THE STORY:
Patrick Nolan is a father searching for his daughter in the wake of being summoned from his home in America’s Midwest to Paris in order to identify her body. He tells the police it is his daughter despite the knowledge that even though this woman looks remarkably like his daughter, she is not.
He realises his estranged, independent daughter must be in over her head this time if she took the trouble to fake her death. It soon becomes clear that on one of her globe trots she ma...moreTHE STORY:
Patrick Nolan is a father searching for his daughter in the wake of being summoned from his home in America’s Midwest to Paris in order to identify her body. He tells the police it is his daughter despite the knowledge that even though this woman looks remarkably like his daughter, she is not.
He realises his estranged, independent daughter must be in over her head this time if she took the trouble to fake her death. It soon becomes clear that on one of her globe trots she made some powerful enemies in Morocco, namely the Salafist Jihad. Together with an unlikely ally in the form of a French police officer, Pat races against time, following every possible clue available trying to get to his daughter before time runs out for her.

WHO'S WHO:
Patrick Nolen is a American called to Paris on the death of his daughter.
Megan Nolan is the estranged daughter who through rebellion towards her father ends up living a life of extreme opulence supported by wealthy men in return for her company.
Cathrine Laurence the beautiful but tormented French detective who falls for Patrick.
Abdel Lehani, a Saudi business man who turns out to be a prince and more to Megan’s detriment.

THIS WAS HOT:
I haven’t read a suspense thriller in a long while and I’m so thrilled I started with this one. Its racy, never has a moment to spare and the plot is really superbly developed. Right through there’s a sense of urgency that doesn’t let up even for a moment. There a very good balance between action and moments of solitude.
The expert manner in which Lepore switches between timelines and characters is really admitavle. It’s done in such a way that you never get lost in the entire going one, there is great flow.
NOT SO HOT:
The only reason that my rating is not 4 or above is because I found dialogue between characters very clipped. When the characters were conversing with one another I kept wishing that they would say more, express themselves more that expecting to receiver to guess. It almost felt like they were speaking on code at times, example where a man and woman are professing love for one another, instead of having a dialogue that evokes emotion there are one or two word sentences that leave everyone having to assume what was just said.

OVERALL:
This is a story that weaves into it lessons on love, selfishness, selfworth (Caroline is not duped into believing that the Other Mother loves her because of what she says of give her) and bravery (t is worthwhile to stand up against those who would hurt your or those you care about).
Keeping in mind that Neil wrote this book for his daughter, I do think he produced a masterpiece in Coraline., perfectly suited in prose and creativity to his target audience.
I will definitely post my son’s assessment to get a take from the said target audience..(less)

· see review

Mar 25, 2011

Heavensent1 rated it

A World I Never Made is a novel of international suspense and mystery. With mild to moderate expletives and violence, it is not suggested for those who are not mature readers. Written from both Pat Nolan's and Megan's perspective, we are taken back and forth in time to enrapture the reader as author, James LePore, sheds light on the mysterious Megan and her ties to the influential and wealthy men of Europe.

Pat Nolan receives a call from the French police in Paris that his estranged d...more

· see review

Mar 08, 2011

Patty rated it

Murder, mystery, suspense and terrorists are what this book is about. I am not normally in the habit of reading a book of this nature but once you begin the first chapter this intense book is impossible to put down. I literally read it straight to the end…only stopping when I had to. So much for laundry…and dinner.

It is a story about a father and his daughter in alternating chapters. The premise is that Pat Nolan is called to Paris to identify his daughter’s dead body. It is bel...moreMurder, mystery, suspense and terrorists are what this book is about. I am not normally in the habit of reading a book of this nature but once you begin the first chapter this intense book is impossible to put down. I literally read it straight to the end…only stopping when I had to. So much for laundry…and dinner.

It is a story about a father and his daughter in alternating chapters. The premise is that Pat Nolan is called to Paris to identify his daughter’s dead body. It is believed that she has committed suicide but when Pat Nolan sees the body it is not his daughter Megan. Due to a note left behind by Megan he knows that she is alive and in grave danger.

Pat and Megan are not a typical father and daughter. They are sort of semi estranged and barely see each other. Megan is a writer and travels the world for her stories. At most the two of them would meet once a year at Christmas. Megan’s mother died during childbirth and Pat was not much of a stay at home dad.

I was immediately thrown into this totally frightening terrorist culture. No one can be trusted and anyone helping Megan or Pat is met with an extreme deadly horrible punishment. The terrorists show no mercy. Not too many people are spared. That part was really sad.

Luckily Pat meets a French detective who helps him in this quest to find his daughter and as he soon learns, he is also now searching for his grandson. Megan has reasons to hide her newborn from his father…a very wealthy extremist. Her faked death is the only way she can do this.

There is so much going on within this novel. The minute you think you can catch your breath…someone else is caught up in Megan’s plight and my breathless reading began all over again.

There is an amazing ending. There is a love story. There is hope.

I truly did enjoy this book. Again…not to overstate this but I could not put this book down. I just had to sit and read it until I couldn’t read any more. I put it away and then found myself picking it up again just to see what would happen next.

The ending was exciting.

(less)

· see review

Aug 02, 2009

Literary Feline rated it

The novel, A World I Never Made, opens with Patrick Nolan sitting across from a French Inspector. He holds his daughter's suicide note in his hands. He had never been close to his daughter, Megan. After his wife died while giving birth to their only child, Pat held onto his guilt and kept his distance from her. Megan's death brings his regrets to the surface. Only, as Pat will soon discover, it is not Megan's body which lies in the coroner's office. Under the impression that Megan was trying to ...moreThe novel, A World I Never Made, opens with Patrick Nolan sitting across from a French Inspector. He holds his daughter's suicide note in his hands. He had never been close to his daughter, Megan. After his wife died while giving birth to their only child, Pat held onto his guilt and kept his distance from her. Megan's death brings his regrets to the surface. Only, as Pat will soon discover, it is not Megan's body which lies in the coroner's office. Under the impression that Megan was trying to fake her own death, Pat remains silent, going along with the ruse that his daughter is, in fact, dead.

Officer Catherine Laurence of the judiciary police is assigned to keep an eye on Pat Nolan. He is not the only one who knows his daughter is not truly dead, and there are those in power who hope he will lead them to her. Megan's name has turned up on a terrorist watch list, the Saudi police claiming she was involved with the planning of several suicide bombings in Morocco.

Catherine and Pat are thrown together in the search for Megan when they realize someone else is stalking Pat as well--someone who is much more dangerous, and those under his order will not hesitate to kill everyone in their wake. Pat and Catherine must get to Megan before those she is hiding from find her first.

Woven between the chapters of the race to find Megan, is the story of why Megan has gone into hiding, of why she felt the need to lie about her death. Megan, a freelance journalist, has always been an independent spirit, headstrong and motivated. She goes after what she wants, be it a man or a news story. And, in this case, she goes after both. There is much more to her current lover, Abdel al-Lahani, than she at first realizes. She soon finds her very life on the line, and she must flee before it is too late.

The two storylines eventually intersect, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. Author James LePore has crafted an exciting and heart pounding novel. A father and daughter lost to each other for most of their lives rediscover each other as death chases right on their heels. The death of his wife Lorrie had devastated Pat. He blamed himself. He closed himself off from not only his daughter, but also from letting anyone into his heart. Believing his daughter was dead, even if for a short while, changed all that, as did his meeting of Catherine Laurence, the beautiful detective who carried her own baggage. She, too, had a well guarded heart. At first I wondered at their falling for each other so quickly given their defenses, but taking into account the high emotions, their current circumstances and the common bond they felt for one another, it does fall in the realm of believability.

I was not sure I would like Megan at first. She uses men and in the beginning came across as cold and calculating. She grew on me though. Like her father, she is a complex character with many layers. Her father's absence in her life wounded her and has influenced her life choices. She is intelligent and has a confidence and strength about her, which has seen her come out on top more often than not. It is easy to see why she was drawn to Lahani. He is charming and mysterious. They are very similar in that they hold parts of themselves back from one another. Neither wanting to let the other in, at least not completely. This in juxtaposition to Pat and Catherine whose hearts are just beginning to thaw.

The novel takes the reader all over Europe and North Africa, including France, Germany, the Czech Republic and Morocco. James LePore puts the reader right there in the midst of it all. His descriptions of the locales and people are rich and detailed, which is balanced out by the crisp dialogue.

I was most fascinated by the gypsies. They played a significant part in both Megan and Pat's stories. Their own history and mysticism is touched on ever so slightly in the novel. Having just read Precious by Sandra Novack, in which the mother was born to a gypsies during the Second World War, my interest was particularly heightened as I came across mention of that again in A World I Never Made.

Another aspect of the book that interested me is related to Megan's journalistic work: the culture and influence of Islam, particularly that of fundamental Muslims, in European countries, such as France and Spain. It is not something I have given much thought to but is worth looking into further for a better understanding of world events.

It was easy to get swept up in James LePore's novel. His writing is beautiful and the story is captivating. I really grew to care about the characters, especially Pat. It is a shame it ended so soon.(less)

· see review

May 11, 2009

Myckyee rated it

Life takes an interesting turn when Megan Nolan, a young American journalist investigating terrorist cells in Morocco, meets a handsome Saudi national who offers her easy access to the region where the terrorists are known to hide. Lahani, however, is not what he seems to be and Megan soon finds herself running from invisible assailants.

Fast forward a year and Pat, Megan’s father, is called and asked to travel to Europe to identify his daughter. As his journey leads him to clues th...moreLife takes an interesting turn when Megan Nolan, a young American journalist investigating terrorist cells in Morocco, meets a handsome Saudi national who offers her easy access to the region where the terrorists are known to hide. Lahani, however, is not what he seems to be and Megan soon finds herself running from invisible assailants.

Fast forward a year and Pat, Megan’s father, is called and asked to travel to Europe to identify his daughter. As his journey leads him to clues that Megan has left for him to find, Pat travels across Europe with a French police detective trying to find out what happened to his daughter but is soon on the run himself from unknown assailants.

This book contains all the elements of a readable thriller: suspense, exotic locations, evil-doers and good guys and a touch of romance thrown in. Though I did not find the characters to be completely believable because they fit a mold too well, – Pat is tall and handsome and his daughter a beauty - I found their character flaws believable enough to lend the story a certain realism. They have life baggage to lug around and that added plenty of colour to the story.

The plot could have been stereotypical because the bad guys were French and Saudi Arabian, but it was saved from that fate by having characters both good and bad from those cultures. Gypsies were also featured fairly prominently in the story line and that added interest as well. I was slightly confused about the plot here and there but that probably had more to do with having to put the book down for two days while I was busy.

The story is told from two perspectives – Megan’s and her father’s. As it follows Megan, the reader is taken back a year to events that eventually lead up to Pat’s involvement. Then, it’s forward in time and we see things from Pat’s perspective as he desperately tries to figure out who is after him and why.

I recommend this book for those who enjoy fast-paced, suspenseful novels with a touch of the exotic.(less)

· see review

Apr 30, 2009

Sharon rated it

It’s January 2004 and Pat Nolan has received a call from Paris informing him that his estranged daughter Megan (well-travelled, freelance journalist) has committed suicide. When he gets to Paris it is revealed that the body is not Megan and she has left behind a strange suicide note to stage her death. The plot thickens when he finds out she had been staying in Morocco for some time with an extended diplomatic visa and she is hiding from a powerful enemy who stops at nothing to exact revenge.
...more

· see review

Jan 16, 2010

Rosina Lippi rated it

Shelves: fiction, reviewed-here

A World I Never Made is Lepore's first novel, and he's off to a great start. This story centers around Pat Nolan, who comes to Paris to identify the body of his daughter, who committed suicide. Except the dead woman is not his daughter, and despite their rocky relationship, he recognizes immediately that his real daughter is in trouble somewhere, and he has got to find her. He teams up with a French detective, and off they go. This novel is tightly plotted with tension that rises steadily, inter...more

· see review

Apr 13, 2011

LORI CASWELL rated it

Recommends it for: JOHN BETCHER

Pat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of his daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body, however, is not Megan's and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is calling to him for help.

This sends Pat on an adventure that stretches across France and into the Czech Republic and that makes him the target of both the French police and a band of international terrorists. Joining Pat on h...morePat Nolan, an American man, is summoned to Paris to claim the body of his daughter Megan, who has committed suicide. The body, however, is not Megan's and it becomes instantly clear to Pat that Megan staged this, that she is in serious trouble, and that she is calling to him for help.

This sends Pat on an adventure that stretches across France and into the Czech Republic and that makes him the target of both the French police and a band of international terrorists. Joining Pat on his search is Catherine Laurence, a beautiful but tormented Paris detective who sees in Pat something she never thought she'd find--genuine passion and desperate need. As they look for Megan, they come closer to each other's souls and discover love when both had long given up on it.

Megan, a freelance journalist, is in Morocco to do research when she meets Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. They begin a torrid affair, a game Megan has played often and well in her adult life. But what she discovers about Lahani puts her in the center of a different kind of game, one with rules she can barely comprehend. Because of her relationship with Lahani, Megan has made some considerable enemies. And she has put the lives of many--maybe even millions--at risk.

My favorite kind of book, one that grabs you from page one and takes you on a wild ride that doesn't let go until the last word. It is timely, a could have been "ripped from the headlines" story.
What a way to reconnect with a daughter you had been virtually estranged from for years. A true testament of a parent's love and drama that shows that we would go to the ends of the earth for our children.
I can't believe this is the author's debut novel. The book is written brilliantly, well researched, with a fully developed plot and characters that draw us into their lives through their pain, struggles, conflicts and love. It is a riveting thriller that you will find impossible to put down. I look forward to Mr. LePore's other works. He has set the bar high with this debut but I think we will be enjoying his work for years to come.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Pump Up Your Book Virtual Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”(less)

· see review

Dec 31, 2011

Michael rated it

Shelves: author-s-first-book, free-book-for-honest-review, mystery, own-it, read-in-2011, reviewed, second-chance

Pat Nolan is summoned to Paris to identify his estranged daughter, Megan's body. He's told that she had terminal cancer and committed suicide.

When Catherine Lawrence, a police detective in Paris, shows Pat the body, he sees that it isn't Megan. He also realizes that Megan staged her death and must be in trouble and needs him.

Catherine is told that Carles Raimondi of the Foreign Office is asking about Megan and concerned of the quick cremation of the body. Catherine is ord...more

· see review

Jun 23, 2009

Bookworm rated it

In A World I Never Made, American Pat Nolan is called to Paris to claim the body of his daughter Megan. Apparently Megan was suffering from cancer and commited suicide. Megan had been traveling the world working as a freelance journalist for many years and Pat went for long stretches of time without seeing her. Pat raised Megan alone because her mother died during childbirth. However, when Pat sees the body, he knows right away it is not his daughter. For some reason Megan faked her death and Pa...more

· see review

Jun 18, 2009

Staci rated it

Recommended to Staci by: Lisa from TLC Book Tours

Shelves: 2009-reads

My Thoughts:

Dad,
I don't owe you or anybody an explanation, but I think you'll appreciate the irony of a suicide note coming from a person who has abhorred tradition all of her life.

This is the first line of the book (published version may be different from ARC), which totally pulled me into the story and had my interest until I finished. The book takes off with lightening speed and transitions between the years 2003 and 2004. The author weaves the story usin...moreMy Thoughts:

Dad,
I don't owe you or anybody an explanation, but I think you'll appreciate the irony of a suicide note coming from a person who has abhorred tradition all of her life.

This is the first line of the book (published version may be different from ARC), which totally pulled me into the story and had my interest until I finished. The book takes off with lightening speed and transitions between the years 2003 and 2004. The author weaves the story using Megan's past and her father's present to develop this intriguing and thought-provoking plot. I found myself at once captivated by Pat, the father. He seemed remorseful for his past years of neglecting Megan and has to come to grips with the fact that she has now taken her own life....or has she? This story puts you, the reader, right into the middle of the hotbed of terrorism, sleeper cells in France, Germany and other countries. You learn about the Muslim faith and how women are perceived in most Middle Eastern countries. You also realize early on that Megan is playing with fire when she sets out to seduce Abdel Lahani, a Saudi businessman. She has certainly bitten off more than she can chew. And while reading her story, I honestly grew to despise her character!!!! Which leads me to one of the questions I asked the author, James LePore.

Did I plan on making Megan Nolan a hard character to like.?

I did. I believe good dramatic fiction must have characters we root for as well as characters we root against. I also believe that characters, when confronted with moral choices, must decide how they will react. Sometimes a “good” character will react badly and a “bad” character will react heroically. I believe this makes for good reading. The road to corruption is and easy one. It is the road to redemption that is hard. I hope that readers will see that Megan tried to redeem herself, to atone by her heroism for the mistakes she made and the hurt she inflicted on others in her past.

As I continued on reading this book I realized that I honestly know next to nothing about terrorism and how it is viewed in most Muslim countries. This is one of the great things that I took away from this book....knowledge of other religions, beliefs, and cultures that I am not exposed to on a daily basis. As I thought about all of the differently held belief systems in our world it led me to ask James this question.
Why Muslim terrorists?

I believe that the fight between good and evil is real. In our time, that fight was waged first against Nazi Germany and Imperialist Japan and then Soviet Russia, evil entities all, all confronted head on and defeated. I believe that Muslim terrorists, or more accurately terrorists who use Islam to justify their killing of innocents, are the new face of evil on the planet. If you Google “Islamic Terrorism” you will find thousands and thousands of terrorist acts by Muslim fanatics around the world over the last 35 years, all done in an effort to impose their way of life on the rest of the world. In that way of life there is no freedom of speech or religion, and women are basically chattel. To use these people as the bad guys in a novel seems logical to me. To pretend, for politically correct reasons, that Islamic terrorism is not our enemy, will, I believe, lead to more, not less. killing of innocent people.

I normally do not read suspense books based on political happenings, but I've changed my tune after reading A World I Never Made. The author added all the right elements to this story to make it interesting to me; mystery, religion, foreign countries, a love affair, flawed characters, differing view points, redemption and in the end closure. This is James LePore first novel and I believe his future is very bright!! I look forward to reading his second book, The Story Plant, which is scheduled to be published in the spring of 2010.(less)

· see review

Jun 20, 2011

Ruby Soames rated it

Didn't really 'read' this as much as 'see' it as a film - and it should make a great adventure film,(especially if Angelina Jolie takes the part of the big-breasted, hard-hitting but vulnerable French lady detective who falls for the big, strong repressed American widower searching for his troubled, red-headed, danger-loving daughter who got involved with handsome Arab possible terrorist she met on a train...)From the very exciting beginning it's fast paced, high energy, action packed, full of s...more

· see review

May 26, 2011

Jolie rated it

· review of another edition

I really liked this book. Set in post-911 France/Morocco/Czech Republic, this book is very well written. From the beginning, when Pat went to get Megan's body and realized that the body wasn't hers and sets off on his quest to find her to Megan's story, which honestly scared me in some points.

There were numerous twists and turns in the plots. Some obvious and others, like the terrorists killed Uncle Daniel and the ending, which surprised me. I liked how the characters were rea...more

· see review

Mar 27, 2011

Mandy rated it

Cover

I get a sense of the mystery of this book by looking at the cover: The lady on it ... is it Catherine or is it Megan? Why is she standing in a hallway all by herself? Is she looking for someone? Waiting on someone? Is she friend or foe?

Plot

The book was set in European countries, which helped lend an air of mystery to the story. The characters were extremely realistic and believable. Even though there were some back-and-forth moments in the book, th...more

· see review

Jun 28, 2009

Jen rated it

Shelves: male-author, mystery

In James LePore's debut novel, A WORLD I NEVER MADE, Pat Nolan is called to Paris to identify the body of his daughter Megan who was believed to have committed suicide. His relationship with Megan has always been a rocky one and at best they see each other once a year. But when Nolan arrives, he discovers that the body is not Megan's and she has left him a cryptic clue indicating she is in trouble and needs his help.

As Nolan investigates further into the mystery of his daughter's dis...more

· see review

Jul 25, 2011

Larry Hoffer added it

Great book! Thanks to the folks at Amazon for recommending this one, because I don't know if I would have picked it up otherwise. But I'm glad I did. It kept me turning pages my entire flight to LA.

Pat Nolan gets the call that his estranged daughter Megan has committed suicide in Paris. He rushes there to identify the body and discovers it wasn't her. But from that moment on he knows she's in trouble, and he's determined to help her find her way out. This book takes a lot of twists and tur...more

· see review

Apr 25, 2011

Dava Stewart rated it

I downloaded this book just to show a friend how easy it is to get books on my iPad....I didn't look at the summary or read any reviews or anything. It was such a nice surprise to find it a really enjoyable read!

I like mysteries for fun, and I love stories that are told from different points of views or that move through time. This one is told from two points of view, one beginning in the past and the other in the present. Then the two meet for a climactic ending.

The sto...more

· see review

Apr 14, 2011

Dan rated it

This is a remarkable thriller about a father and daughter and the hunt for terrorists. Pat Nolan comes to France to identify the body of his estranged daughter who had committed suicide. Although, he tells the authorities that it is her, he knows it is not and starts a search for her. Chapters alternate between the father and daughter and the reason why his daughter faked her death. Is she a terrorist as the authorities believe or is it something else as Pat searches for answers. This reader got...more

· see review

May 08, 2011

Greg Otto rated it

I downloaded this book for free off Amazon. I wish Amazon had a return policy for these sorts of books.

Lousy book. Characters are either confusing (the father), vanilla (the french cop who falls for the father or downright unlikeable (the daughter). The plot lines (love story, international terrorism intrigue) are forced and/or weakly developed. So much more could have been added to make this story a winner, like some background information to make the reader understand character...more

· see review

Jan 24, 2012

Jim rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-thriller, read-2012

I've had this for a while now. I got it as either a low cost or free offer from Amazon and have had it in my "to read" stack for a while. I really enjoyed this much more than I expected that I would. The author has created characters that I found myself caring about. Yes, it is a "thriller" so we are presented with the obligatory action sequences. But, he has kept these more believable than most. There are some typographical and grammar errors as noted by some other reviewers...more

· see review

Jun 08, 2011

Lynnette Phillips rated it

Words like riveting, compelling and page-turner are so overused they have become less than they should be. The problem here is they describe this suspense thriller rather aptly.

James LePore has created a plot so gripping, so absorbing that you literally cannot put it down and on occasion even begin to imagine yourself in the character’s situation.

Pat Nolan has been summoned to Paris to identify the body of his daughter. Any parent can imagine the anguish he feels as he w...more

· see review

May 04, 2011

Everybookhasasoul rated it

Shelves: read-in-2011

This book contains all the elements of a great thriller, suspense, foreign locations, terrorists and a touch of romance. LePore had me hooked from the very first page and kept me turning the pages until I found myself with no more pages to turn.

The characters have a slight touch of believability to them and I think this is because the reader can relate to the baggage that all the characters are carrying around with them. This baggage added reality to the novel and this helps to add ...more

like 1 like

· see review

Apr 29, 2011

Lauren rated it

Shelves: own

A World I Never Made is based on an interesting premise- dad finds out daughter is dead but not only does it turn out she's not but she's in some big trouble. Sadly enough, while I enjoyed James LePore’s newest thriller in some ways, it ended up not being the book for me for several reasons in the end.

Pat Nolan and his daughter Megan never had a close relationship, due to his lack of parenting during her childhood, her whirlwind travel and behavior as well as a few other factors. Ho...moreA World I Never Made is based on an interesting premise- dad finds out daughter is dead but not only does it turn out she's not but she's in some big trouble. Sadly enough, while I enjoyed James LePore’s newest thriller in some ways, it ended up not being the book for me for several reasons in the end.

Pat Nolan and his daughter Megan never had a close relationship, due to his lack of parenting during her childhood, her whirlwind travel and behavior as well as a few other factors. However, when he learns that Megan has committed suicide in France, he is simply flabbergasted. Sure, Megan had her flaws, but she never seemed like the type to make such a big leap. As it turns out, Megan is not dead. It’s not Megan's body the police shows him but someone else's. Pat does not tell them that though. Instead, he goes along with it, and that is where everything begins. Involving one rouge cop, terrorists, and a fight for life, Pat knows he will not be safe until he finds his daughter, but will he find her? Only time and more pages can tell in this fast-paced thriller!

Starting this book, I was immediately flung into the complicated lives of Megan and Pat Nolan. Told in alternating perspectives, the book truly allows the reader to receive the best of both worlds when it comes down to all the action, twists and turns. However, while I did find Megan and Pat’s stories to be absorbing at times, at others I felt that characterization was lacking, because I just could not connect. I do not know if was due to be the big age difference between the main characters and I or something else, but I just could not relate. As any reader knows, that trait sometimes makes it very difficult to enjoy- yet alone love - a book.

Nonetheless, I did find the plot to be interesting. I enjoyed the dose of politics and seeing the occurrences that happen in the daily world news up close, and because of that, the novel went by quickly for me. Yet, I would have loved some more development to the book. I felt that the ending was a bit rushed, leaving me with little closure.

Lastly, I will add that James’s writing is decent, and I am pretty sure I will be trying his future novels someday…

In all, while A World I Never Made wasn’t the book for me for a myriad of reasons, I still suggest it to fans of thrillers (namely James Patterson’s books), as I feel they will find a new favorite author in it- James LePore.

Grade: C(less)

· see review

Apr 21, 2011

Mishel Zabala rated it

Shelves: for-review, pump-up-your-book

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

I like reading suspenseful books but I wouldn’t consider the suspense genre a favorite of mine. Still there are times when I come across a suspense novel that I enjoy a lot more than I thought I would. After reading the synopsis of A World I Never Made I felt I’d have a pretty decent reading experience. But it wasn’t long after I actually started the book that I got sucked into the story. The premise of the story is what first got my attention. Pat Nolan is sent...moreMy Rating: 4.5/5 stars

I like reading suspenseful books but I wouldn’t consider the suspense genre a favorite of mine. Still there are times when I come across a suspense novel that I enjoy a lot more than I thought I would. After reading the synopsis of A World I Never Made I felt I’d have a pretty decent reading experience. But it wasn’t long after I actually started the book that I got sucked into the story. The premise of the story is what first got my attention. Pat Nolan is sent to claim the body of his daughter after he finds out she has committed suicide. Despite the fact that Pat and Megan aren’t really on speaking terms doesn’t stop him from traveling to France. However, he immediately knows the body doesn’t belong to his daughter. And he also knows that Megan needs is in a lot of trouble and needs help from the clues she leaves in her suicide note. So Pat lies to the police and tells them that the body is in fact Megan.

I feel the synopsis is a perfect description of the novel so I’m not going to sit here and summarize the book. It would be quite boring for everyone. Instead let’s discuss the characters. It was easy to like Pat despite the fact that he’s basically a horrible father. He alienated Megan as a child and didn’t do a good job of staying in her adult life. The two would spend every Christmas together but it they were never close. After Pat sets out to find Megan he soon discovers how much his daughter means to him and the lengths he’s willing to go to find her.

Not to say Megan is the perfect daughter. Yes, she was the victim as a child; always alone and waiting for her father to return on from his business trips. I hardly blame her for not being close to Pat. But she’s somewhat of an abuser herself. She uses her both her beauty and brains to seduce men to give her whatever she wants. And that behavior is what gets her in trouble with her latest pawn. Abdel Lahani is a predator himself but a handsome, smooth-talking, successful one. It doesn’t take Megan long to realize the mistake she’s made. Like I mentioned before, Megan is very smart. The choices she makes aren’t so smart though and this last decision puts a lot of people in danger.

I really liked Catherine. I felt the romance between her and Pat went very well with the story. I was worried their relationship would feel like a random throw in or wouldn’t make sense but I enjoyed watching them come together. Both Pat and Catherine are wounded souls and I was glad they were able to find each other in such a crazy time in each of their lives.

In my opinion the story just kept getting better and better. I mean the suspense was there and the action that came along with the story really had me turning those pages. Terrorist plots and traveling across countries isn’t really a big turn on for me but it really worked for me this time around. But it was the characters and the way the story flowed through Megan and Pat’s stories that made the novel stand out. I basically just enjoyed how well the story was written and how easily I could get lost in the plot. A World I Never Made surprised me and I’m looking forward to reading more of LePore’s work.

(less)

like 1 like

· see review

Jun 11, 2009

Sarah Sammis rated it

Shelves: review-copy, read-in-2009

Paris is one of those hot bed cities for international thrillers. Joining the ranks of The Bourne Identity and The Da Vinci Code (among others) is A World I Never Made, the debut novel by James LePore.

The novel starts with an apparent suicide and an estranged father being forced to come to Paris to claim the body of a daughter who will forever remind him of his wife's untimely death. The book though is no simple suicide investigation; the body in the morgue isn't Megan.

Th...more

· see review

Jun 20, 2011

Robert rated it

Shelves: ebook, fiction, own-it

The basis of the book sounded great and the book had the potential to be a great story. However, the characters and story line did not fully develop and left me wanting more on the story. The plots and characters seemed forced and not true. The love interests (the dad and a the french cop) were very hard to believe especially on how quick they moved in the relationship.

Overall, it could have been worse, but I won't spend he time reading it again.

· see review

Jun 10, 2011

Carolyn rated it

Why, oh why do I feel compelled to finish something even when it's garbage? Ugh.

Filled with typos, stereotypes and bizarre sentence structure choices, this book was...not good.

On the other hand, it was $1.99 on Kindle and passed the time acceptably while I was at the laundromat.

But, yeah, not recommended. Unless you like thrillers filled with scheming Roma, terrorist Muslims and super tough (yet emotional) Americans.

Oh, and haughty French people.

· see review

Jan 04, 2012

Jolly Polly rated it

Shelves: 2012-read

This was an easy read that was enjoyable at best. The style of writing, with multiple timelines saved it from being entirely typical. As did the nature of some of the characters that made them rather unlikeable but still intriguing. However, parts of the story were rushed and the way the story unfolded really was too predictable to make this anything more then a quick read for me. This would be a good lazy day beach read.

· see review

Mar 04, 2011

Kathy Martin rated it

This was a crisp, well-written thriller. Pat Nolan comes to France to identify the body of his daughter but, instead, begins a hunt for her. Megan is on the run from both terrorists and the intelligence community. Pat joins forces with French police detective Catherine Laurence as they travel across Europe on Megan's trail while trying to elude both the terrorists and intelligence officers who hope they will lead them to Megan.

· see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 24 25 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (6)

More editions...

Genres

Mystery

21 users

Thriller

10 users

Suspense

6 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

5 users

Literary Fiction

2 users

Novels

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers Also Enjoyed

About James LePore

In 1999 I sold my law practice to write and take pictures full time. My photography can be seen at www.nakedeyeimages.com. In 2008, I signed a four-book contract with The Story Plant, a small, agile publisher in Stamford, Connecticut. My first novel. 'A World I Never Made,' was released in April of 2009; the second, 'Blood of My Brother,' on December 25, 2010, and the third, 'Sons and Princes,' in...more

More about James LePore...

Books by James LePore

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Pin It

Trivia About A World I Never Made

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Groups That Shelved A World I Never Made

Anderson's Classes 2011-2012

126 members

last activity Jan 11, 2012 04:18pm

shelf: read

Book Recommendations

72 members

last activity Feb 06, 2012 06:30am

shelf: read

Banned Books and History

59 members

last activity Feb 06, 2012 06:33am

shelf: read

title link	preview: A World I Never Made
avg rating	preview: A World I Never Made Goodreads rating: 3.33 (320 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5987040-a-world-i-never-made?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1244561469m/5987040.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5987040-a-world-i-never-made?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A World I Never Made by James LePore[/url]

A World I Never Made

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Readers Also Enjoyed

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website