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Don't Blink

by James Patterson (Goodreads Author), Howard Roughan

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 6,482 ratings · 665 reviews

The good

New York's Lombardo's Steak House is famous for three reasons--the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Effortlessly, the assassin slips through the police's fingers, and his absence sparks a blaze of accusations about who ordered the hit.

The bad

Seated at a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels is conducting a once-in-a-lifeti...more

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Published September 27th 2010 by Little, Brown and Company (first published 2010)

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Jul 16, 2010 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

James Patterson is known for writing fast paced mysteries that are very easy to lose yourself in. Don't Blink was different and not for the better. The book is written in the first person through the eyes of Nick, a reporter. The book carries on in the usual style until all of a sudden, Nick is talking to the reader directly. Once his pointing out of key background details is over, the story resumes in normal first person perspective. Until he does it again. This back and forth - breaking the fo...more

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Jun 05, 2011 Teresa Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this book, but since I'm a diehard James Patterson fan I wasn't surprised. When I first started reading it I wasn't sure I'd really like it. It starts out in the first person, then several chapters later changes to third person. It threw me off at first, but I got used to. Some previous reviews didn't like the fact that at times Nick (the main character) is talking directly to the reader, but it didn't bother me. I just loved the fast pace of the book. But then, you know me, I r...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Sandie rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-books, thrillers-and-mystery

I listened to James Patterson's DON'T BLINK on CD so I will address the narrator first and then proceed to the story itself. The narrator, David Patrick Kelly appeared to have an almost Southern lilt to his voice at the outset of the story that came across like an attempted impersonation of Matthew McConaughey, but as the story progressed he did gather momentum as he changed the tone and inflection of his reading and ultimately did a pretty good job with the material he was given.

And now - on to...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At a table in New York’s Lombardo Steak House, Nick Daniels (a journalist with
“The Citizen”) is about to interview fallen New York Yankee pitcher, Dwayne Robinson. Robinson is a two-time Cy Young Award winner. Ten years earlier, he was ready to take the mound with the World Series between the Yankees and L.A. Dodgers tied at three games apiece, but Robinson never showed up. He simply dropped out of baseball under a shroud of controversy. Now he is finally coming out of hiding to set the story s...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Andrew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. After escaping warlords in Africa, Reporter Nick Daniels finds out he gets to interview a notorious Yankee who blew off a big playoff game. At the interview, a mob lawyer is murdered, his eyes cut out at the table next to Daniels. Daniels plays back the tape recorder and hears "Message from Eddie"--an infamous New York mobster. But Daniels begins realizes that the whole thing was a set up. At first, he suspects the rival gang, whom the Yankee owed a gambling debt too. But eventually (after confr...more After escaping warlords in Africa, Reporter Nick Daniels finds out he gets to interview a notorious Yankee who blew off a big playoff game. At the interview, a mob lawyer is murdered, his eyes cut out at the table next to Daniels. Daniels plays back the tape recorder and hears "Message from Eddie"--an infamous New York mobster. But Daniels begins realizes that the whole thing was a set up. At first, he suspects the rival gang, whom the Yankee owed a gambling debt too. But eventually (after confronting the creepy hitman who straps a vest-bomb to his blind niece), Daniels realizes that his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend--a City attorney running for mayor, planned the whole thing to land the high-profile arrest. Throw in Daniels love triangle with his beautiful magazine editor, who's engaged to a rich sleazebag.
Patterson uses an old joke in Don't Blink--that encapsulates his writing style--"How do you build suspense?...I'll tell you later."
He pushes off his reveals and finishes every quick chapter with a cliffhanger...."At least, that's what I thought."

New York's Lombardo's Steak House is famous for three reasons-the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Effortlessly, the assassin slips through the police's fingers, and his absence sparks a blaze of accusations about who ordered the hit.

Seated at a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels is conducting a once-in-a-lifetime interview with a legendary baseball bad boy. In the chaos, he accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces. NYPD captains, district attorneys, mayoral candidates, media kingpins, and one shockingly beautiful magazine editor are all pushing their own agendas-on both sides of the law.

Back off-or die-is the clear message Nick receives as he investigates for a story of his own. Heedless, and perhaps in love with his beautiful editor, Nick endures humiliation, threats, violence, and worse in a thriller that overturns every expectation and finishes with the kind of flourish only James Patterson knows.(less)

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Aug 13, 2012 Roger rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: finished

This is not the James Patterson you are familiar with; this is a true pulp fiction book, of the Raymond Chandler��s genre. Either JP has completely changed his writing style for fun or has hired a team of ghost writers to write for him; after which he will brand the book with his name. Don��t Blink is something different; within the first few pages you get ��with perfect porcelain skin, who could turn more heads than a chiropractor�� and ��the heals of his black wingtips clicking agai...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Sylvia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Don’t Blink is a story of a good old fashioned news reporter, Nick Daniels who suddenly finds himself with the biggest story of his career. Right before his eyes, Daniels witnesses a “hit” and a cryptic message “Justice is Blind” that is left behind.

Now both Nick Daniels and the Italian and Russian mob are trying to figure out who committed the murder, the newest District Attorney David Sorren pushing Daniels to the front lines in an attempt to gain some publicity for his run for New York's Ma...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Gail Jones rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Book Review: Don’t Blink by James Patterson and Howard Roughan.

This was a good book although I’m not sure it was up to James Patterson’s normal standards.

Reporter Nick Daniels witnesses a gruesome murder and if you’re queasy you might want to skip that part. Unbeknown to him he has actually taped the words of the murderer before he commits the crime. His words implicate a ruthless gangster who the police and DA have been longing to convict. This all seems straightforward enough but believe me...more

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Jul 03, 2012 Twinkie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

ok, so i read this book on my vacation and had high hopes for it. I am a huge fan of James Patterson. At first I was disappointed but then the book got better. It wasnt as good as the other books ive read by him, maximum ride series and the witch and wizard trilogy, but i still enjoyed the book.

SPOILER ALERT!
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I was truly hoping that something would happen to Nick. I know hes the main character and all but I really hoped it w...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Best Crime Books rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I pre-warn you, I am on a serious case of getting on my soap box here so if you don't want to listen to 50% opinion and a 50% rant to the author then please feel free to read no further.

The fact that I read this in a day and a half, and then spent a 20 minute walk moaning about it to my sister speaks volumes. You read the jacket and find yourself thinking "it sounds pretty good". How wrong could I have been?

The story is the most important part of a book closely followed by the writing style and...more I pre-warn you, I am on a serious case of getting on my soap box here so if you don't want to listen to 50% opinion and a 50% rant to the author then please feel free to read no further.

The fact that I read this in a day and a half, and then spent a 20 minute walk moaning about it to my sister speaks volumes. You read the jacket and find yourself thinking "it sounds pretty good". How wrong could I have been?

The story is the most important part of a book closely followed by the writing style and talent of the author. Clearly James Patterson though both these things were irrelevant. There has been a lot of hype over the deal between JP and his co-authors with some people claiming that JP contributes very little to these books, however nothing has ever been confirmed or denied from the Publishers.

This story was just awful and to be truthful so far fetched and ridiculous it made the plot from the film Crank look realistic! I have to mention in particular the fist major scene which is the murder of a mob lawyer. Now you have to bear in mind that this scene is set in one of New York's most `happening' restaurants which is full to the brim. This `assassin' manages to walk in (obviously he knew the Maitre De) walk past all the packed tables and manages to approach the table and cut this mans eyeballs out. I have no knowledge, but I am guessing that this sort of killing in real life takes a little more than a minute or so. But still this killer manages to do all of this in an exceedingly short space of time. Once the task is complete, the whole restaurant is screaming but luckily there are two off duty police officers who `draw their weapons'. However, the killer manages (with two guns pointed at him remember) to produce two guns of his own. Not only does the killer manage to retrieve his two guns before the police discharge their weapons, he also manages to kill them both with a single bullet to the middle of the forehead. Following his miraculous shots he exits the building through the kitchen and vanishes!

Now do you see what I mean about the ridiculous storyline?

Aside from the major flaws of the story being so far fetched it's ridiculous it also lacked any real oomph. The characters are one dimensional and the dialogue between them is laughable. The only good thing about this whole book is the fact that the chapter layout and style is the typical Patterson special. Short and sharp, it's just unfortunate that it's the only positive I can find. The ending was predictable and everything wrapped up like a perfect Christmas gift.

Never before have I read a Patterson and hated the characters as much as I did in this one. The main character Nick Daniels is like a modern day Indiana Jones but even Indiana doesn't get as unlucky as this guy. nearly every chapter produces a scene where the guy is 'nearly killed'. His so called relationship with another character in the book Courtney was like something out of a teen flick and made me cringe. Never one to give up I read the book from cover to cover and found that the nearer to the end I got the happier I felt. The sooner I finished this mess of a book the better. If this was a debut novel with no authors name on the front I would be surprised if many readers bothered finishing it, let alone reading another.

This may seem ridiculous to people that I feel so strongly about a book, but I just feel.....well robbed would be the best description. I have personally contributed a lot of my hard earned cash to a man that is an excellent writer with an extreme talent, who insists on producing far too many books. In turn I feel like he is cheating his fans into buying anything with his name on it.

I still believe that James Patterson is a very talented man that can produce books that all his readers would love. However, I am beginning to think that JP maybe doesn't care what his readers/fans think. I mean he is hardly doing this for the money now so why his continues to co-write such a vast number of books is beyond me. I would rather have to wait a year for one book that would be his work and his work alone. Mr Patterson, your readers deserve a refund! (less)

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Mar 05, 2012 Jonathan W rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The urban jungle of New York City is a breeding ground for criminal acts and conspiracies of epic proportions. With the crowded atmosphere of the city, the Mafia is able to establish a prominent role. In “Don’t Blink” by James Patterson and Howard Roughan, it is hard to tell who is on the right side of the law. There are mobsters, lawyers, police officers, an FBI agent, and even the District Attorney are thrown into a game of wits and fear. In the center of this chaos there is a small piece of e...more The urban jungle of New York City is a breeding ground for criminal acts and conspiracies of epic proportions. With the crowded atmosphere of the city, the Mafia is able to establish a prominent role. In “Don’t Blink” by James Patterson and Howard Roughan, it is hard to tell who is on the right side of the law. There are mobsters, lawyers, police officers, an FBI agent, and even the District Attorney are thrown into a game of wits and fear. In the center of this chaos there is a small piece of evidence that could turn the tide in the war against organized crime. It’s impossible to choose a side without lethal consequences. As events unfold, the thin line between revenge and justice becomes clouded. It’s hard to believe that a simple interview at Lombardo’s Steakhouse launches a terrifying chain of events.

Nick Daniels, a journalist for Citizen magazine, gets the opportunity of a lifetime when baseball legend, Dwayne Robinson, resurfaces to be interviewed. Unfortunately during the interview, a well-dressed assassin, Bruno Torenzi gouges out the eyes of lawyer Vincent Marcozza. Nick later realizes that he had recorded Torenzi whispering, “I have a message from Eddie...Justice is blind.” (6-7) Nick knows that the name Eddie can only refer to Marcozza’s previous employer, Eddie Pinero, the notorious Italian Mafia boss. But the trail doesn’t end with Eddie Pinero. Nick vows to find out the truth which is full of more obstacles than he expected.

“Don’t Blink” is a gruesome but realistic thriller that keeps the reader riveted. It focuses on the harsh world of organized crime and personal agendas in New York City. This story is like a modern day film noir, with the fresh perspective of a person other than a detective. Throughout the novel, Nick offers his clever insight on the situation such as, “ ‘Oh, I’m in,’ I said finally. ‘I’m in.’ Way over my head, as I’d find out.” (30) Patterson and Roughan use Nick’s thoughts to foreshadow the events to come. Reading Nick’s thoughts deepens the suspense and keeps the audience guessing what the next plot twist will be. Similar to the title, in a blink of an eye, the plot is able to twist and turn without becoming confusing or ridiculous. The ending was also extremely satisfying. Unlike other stories involving conspiracies, the authors successfully tie up all the loose ends without it seeming superficial or contrived. This book would be an excellent choice for teenagers and adults, but is too dark and graphic for the young and faint of heart. This crime thriller will surely be a classic in its genre for generations to come.(less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Lois rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Speaking non-literally it sounded good on paper. Speaking literally it didn't sound all that good on paper.

I've read at least half a dozen of James Patterson's books, and generally liked them all and felt impressed by them all. This one was different.

It may have been the false impression I drew from the title. With modern Dr Who's best episode 'blink' on the brain, the story instantly had too much to live up to. I assumed from the backcover blurb that the hero would be surveying the security foo...more Speaking non-literally it sounded good on paper. Speaking literally it didn't sound all that good on paper.

I've read at least half a dozen of James Patterson's books, and generally liked them all and felt impressed by them all. This one was different.

It may have been the false impression I drew from the title. With modern Dr Who's best episode 'blink' on the brain, the story instantly had too much to live up to. I assumed from the backcover blurb that the hero would be surveying the security footage of the initial murder, and would spot the tiniest little thing that you could miss if you blinked. Instead, while there were different references to eyes, 'Don't Blink' didn't strike me as the most apt of titles.

I also disliked the text. It was huge. I assume that this is for the benefit of the elderly or others with poorer vision? If so, I can't argue with it, but I was distracted by the fact that the last time I read a book with text that size I was about seven years old.

I'm also going to have to complain about the writing itself. It's very hypocritical of me to say this as I love reading children/teen books, but it struck me as too childish in places. Almost every chapter, or every other paragraph ended with 'At least, that's what I thought' or 'I didn't see what was coming next' or 'I was in for a big shock' or the like. This grated on me so badly. I thought that was something we were encouraged NOT to do. It was as if the book needed to keep advertising itself as we went along, rather than just being brilliant and making me want to turn the pages to see what happened anyway.

And my final negative is that I didn't connect with the characters very well. Nick actually gets up to all this cool stuff, very much plays the hero, but I barely cared about him at all. I had no investment in his and Courtney's relationship (JP kept foreshadowing Nick telling us about this as well near the start, where one mention would have been enough, since it was blatantly obvious Nick was gonna say 'and I'm in love with her' when he got round to it). A lot of the characters felt very 2D. Dwayne and Elizabeth were okay, but that was mostly because a fallen man and a blind girl generally do evoke sympathy anyway. The bad guys didn't seem all that distinct. Several characters were mentioned in amongst the names of real-life celebrities, which ought to have impressed, but instead jarred - I felt like the celebrities names were being stolen. I honestly wouldn't have minded if all the characters in the story died, and that's coming from the girl who cried for a good quarter of last night's disney movie.

Having moaned about all of that, I still rate JP as a writer, and I wouldn't be put off by Howard Roughan because of reading this either. There were some nice touches, just not a lot of them. Some nice turns of phrase and things like that. I'd still read another JP book, I'm just not bolting out the door to buy one now.

In short, describing the story would make it sound awesome, actually reading it wasn't.(less)

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Oct 19, 2011 Sheila DeChantal rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Who doesn't like a big juicy steak from a world famous restaurant such as New York's Lombardo Steak House. The place is famous for their menu, the clientele.... and now the gruesome murder of a mob lawyer.

In the restaurant at the time of the murder is reporter Nick Daniels, conducting the interview of a lifetime with a legendary bad boy of baseball. Nick is shocked and shaken as the hit-man slips through all the activity without a hint of who he may be. When Nick realizes he actually has a key p...more Who doesn't like a big juicy steak from a world famous restaurant such as New York's Lombardo Steak House. The place is famous for their menu, the clientele.... and now the gruesome murder of a mob lawyer.

In the restaurant at the time of the murder is reporter Nick Daniels, conducting the interview of a lifetime with a legendary bad boy of baseball. Nick is shocked and shaken as the hit-man slips through all the activity without a hint of who he may be. When Nick realizes he actually has a key piece of evidence on his recorder, he proceeds to investigate the case himself despite dangerous warnings for him to back off.

New York's Lombardo's Steak House is famous for three reasons--the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Effortlessly, the assassin slips through the police's fingers, and his absence sparks a blaze of accusations about who ordered the hit.

As Nick continues to get closer to the truth... the truth becomes closer to him as well... first with his friends... and then even closer when they go after his family.

Chapter 2,489 ..... ha ha.... a little inside Patterson humor.... ;)

It is nothing new to hear me rave about a James Patterson audio. I have enjoyed many of his audio books immensely, especially the Mike Bennett Series he writes with Michael Ledwidge: Step On A Crack, Run For Your Life, Worst Case,and most recently Tick Tock. These books are filled with action, amazing narration, and honestly not gruesome as some of writing can be.

For all of the above reasons... I was excited to get my hands on Don't Blink. And then.... I dont know what happened. I must have blinked.

The story line was kind of all over. I never felt I knew enough about Nick Daniels to care about him. He may as well have been named Joe Blow. He goes after a case that causes many (MANY) people to get killed. Friends, people trying to help him... suddenly it feels as though I am just read leaping from one attack to another... he barely gets out of one jam and then there is another and then anaother... and then when you think "whew... it's over!"...

there is another.

In the end for me it was all a little too much.... enough plot here for two books. I didn't really feel any connections to anyone and it actually became work to follow what was going on and who was after him now...

maybe I did blink and somehow missed the point, but that is my take on this one. Not a hate... just not a love. (less)

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Jan 28, 2011 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-thriller, mystery, new-york-times-best-seller, read-in-2011, reviewed, series

In one of New York's finest steakhouses, Bruno Torenzi kills attorney, Vincent Marcozza and shoots his way out of the restaurant, killing two cops.

At a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels had been abouot to interview fallen New York Yankee player, Dwayne Robinson. Robinson was going to set the story straight about his drug use.

After the shooting, Nick returns home and plays the tape from the interview. He's shocked when he hears the killer's voice saying, "I have a message from Eddie. Justice is...more

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Nov 23, 2010 Aaron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Roughan, who previously co-wrote Honeymoon and Sail with Patterson, returns once a gain for another quick-paced thriller. This time, the focus is on the mob. Nick Daniels is a reporter for Citizen magazine covering the Darfur region of the Sudan, when a scary incident sends him home just in time for the scoop of a lifetime. Dwayne Robinson, former Yankee-supertar pitcher who dropped out of baseball under a shroud of controversy related to drugs and other issues, has decided to come out of hiding...more Roughan, who previously co-wrote Honeymoon and Sail with Patterson, returns once a gain for another quick-paced thriller. This time, the focus is on the mob. Nick Daniels is a reporter for Citizen magazine covering the Darfur region of the Sudan, when a scary incident sends him home just in time for the scoop of a lifetime. Dwayne Robinson, former Yankee-supertar pitcher who dropped out of baseball under a shroud of controversy related to drugs and other issues, has decided to come out of hiding. He wants Nick to be the journalist to tell his story.

Nick's editor, Courtney, has set up a luncheon meeting between the two of them at Lombarto's Steakhouse in Manhattan, one of those a-list restaurants where anyone who is anyone eats. Nick and Dwayne's dinner proves to be a little more exciting than expected when a mob hit including the carving out of a lawyer's eyes and the death of two police officers starts Nick on a trail that will send him running for his life because he ends up with the crucial clue that will solve who is behind the hit.

At first, mob boss Eddie Pinero seems like the most likely suspect. Not only is there evidence supporting the possibility, but he definitely has a grudge against the victim, who was a mob lawyer that recently lost a case against Pinero. With a little research Nick starts to question if Pinero is really behind the gruesome attack. Nick can't help but start questioning the facts when Dwayne ends up committing suicide and Nick starts to follow up with why the former player wanted to meet in the first place. As it can be guessed, what he starts to learn makes him a target of the mob assassin himself.

The storyline quickly becomes muddied with red herrings galore with the involvement of the NYPD, the FBI, a DA hoping to become New York City's next mayor, another local mob family, the Russian mafia, and Nick's blind niece. It will require the reader to totally dispense all belief as Nick transitions from one dangerous situation to the next, leading to bodily harm that is much smaller in damage than can be believed.

At his core, Nick could be an interesting protagonist, but he seems as flat as the rest of the cast which has, at most, only minimal development. Instead, readers find themselves stuck in a population filled with stereotypes and archetypes, which results in a pretty predictable plotline, unfortunately. With that said, it is a really a quick read filled with action and would likely make a great movie.

The books is also filled with themes relating to the eye: blinking, blindness, eyeballs, and it really seems forced most of the time. This is definitely not one of the best books under the Patterson brand(less)

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Oct 07, 2010 Cindy Meilink rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mr. Patterson--

It's about time! Your latest book is reminiscent of your writing style of your earlier works, and by that I mean that I really enjoyed the way the book flowed, liked the dialogue, and was intrigued by the plot.

Nick Daniels, a reporter for the Citizen, shows up for one of the biggest interviews in his life--an interview with Dwayne Robinson. Some ten years ago, Dwayne, one of the Yankees' best pitchers EVER, never showed up for game seven to pitch what would have been his most impo...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Tracy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Like most of Patterson’s works, it’s a quick read with short chapters that never seem to end with a good place to put the book down - meaning I kept reading until it was over. Also true to the Patterson recipe, there’s an underlying theme of good guy versus bad guy mixed with a whole lot of death, a dash of an interesting setting, and a pinch of bittersweet romance thrown in for good measure.

Set in New York City, protagonist Nick Daniels is a journalist who seems like a likable enough guy, but h...more

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Dec 15, 2010 Kelli (I'd So Rather Be Reading) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've tried several times to read James Patterson's work and the only books of his that I've really enjoyed were his romances Sam's Letters to Jennifer and Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. Both of those books were great and remind me of Nicholas Sparks' writing in a good way.

Patterson's thrillers have very short, almost choppy sentences and extremely short chapters which make for fast-paced but ultimately unsatisfying novels. Don't Blink took me about three hours to finish, and I'm glad I got this...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Proud Book Nerd rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, blog-tours, do-not-have, crazy-tours

Believe it or not, this was my very first James Patterson book! I have heard about him many, many times but never actually read any of his books. I'm guessing that most of his books are better than this one. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't bad. It just wasn't all that good. The plot moved quickly, and I was able to read this in an afternoon/evening. With this in first-person when covering Nick Daniels, there was little suspense regarding how he would fare. In what could've been suspenseful momen...more

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Sep 02, 2011 Carol MacInnis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery

A fabulous story by James Patterson and Howard Roughan who put together this fast paced exciting page turner that I couldn't put down until I finished it!

Nick Daniels, Journalist with 'The Citizen' and his boss Courtney, Editor and the love of his life, although Courtney is engaged to the owner of The Citizen and he is a very wealthy and influential man. Courtney has put Nick on a story to interview two-time Cy Young Award winner Dwayne Robinson who was to take the mound when the world series be...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Froggy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mostly a lame conspiracy whodunit whose solution was obvious by the midway point. I've read bargain bin books of this style by unknown authors which have been much better. Really a very uninspired product from a best-selling author.

One highly annoying trait: The incessant use of blatant foreshadowing. At times every other sentence is something like "But that was only the half of it, as I would soon find out" or "But she had a trick up her sleeve. A real doozy as it would turn out!" (Not actual...more

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Aug 11, 2011 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: james-patterson, 2011, books-i-own, 2nd-hand-books

Not the best story James Patterson has ever written but by no means was it the worst either. The action is relentless throughout the book and there are twists and turns aplenty (although the final twist was quite predictable). The story line was not exactly the strongest plot ever written but it moved along with enough pace, action and twists that this didn't really matter. If anything this read more like a movie script and would make a very good action movie. This book was a bit overloaded with...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Kate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was the first James Patterson book that I'd ever read and I have to say I was thoroughly unimpressed. The bad taste in my mouth probably came about when I decided I hated him due to his relentless television commercials all but threatening me to buy his newest book book but, alas I gave him a shot.

The story was definitely interesting but completely over the top unrealistic, so much so that I couldn't enjoy it. Personally it read more like a movie script might then an actual book. Am I reall...more This was the first James Patterson book that I'd ever read and I have to say I was thoroughly unimpressed. The bad taste in my mouth probably came about when I decided I hated him due to his relentless television commercials all but threatening me to buy his newest book book but, alas I gave him a shot.

The story was definitely interesting but completely over the top unrealistic, so much so that I couldn't enjoy it. Personally it read more like a movie script might then an actual book. Am I really supposed to believe that he is near death at almost every single chapter by yet another unknown associate. It seemed like literally every person in town wanted him dead.

In the beginning of the story he jumps from a moving car while being shot at and then through the course of the story he is kidnapped several times, beaten severely, shot/shot at, train explosion, stalked into the country....it quite literally never ends.

His snarky little idiotic advice blurbs randomly? No thanks, they don't fit, they didn't make sense and it's kind of cheap to pimp your own work when you have a captive audience.

The relationship with Courtney is added almost as an afterthought. It was weak, not established and I didn't really care. Also, it's very hard to write a character who cheats on her fiancee and then try to turn said character into a sympathetic party when the same happens to her.

Sorry, I try to be very diplomatic when reviewing an authors work but for someone as well know in the literary fiction world I quite frankly expected a lot more than this. Huge letdown, really. That's the last JP I will ever read.

Between the teasers int he story almost willing you to buy other works of his and the way he whores himself in commercials the same way, it really makes me think that not even He believes he a decent author. Otherwise he'd let his work speak for itself.

I gave it 2 stars because I finished the book and I felt guilty giving something I'd invested that much time in, only 1 star...(less)

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Sep 11, 2010 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another masterfully-crafted Patterson (Roughan)....suspense, tension, surprises, twists and turns at every page.

“In the horror of those moments at Lombardo’s, as well as in the haze and commotion of the aftermath on the killing floor, I’d forgotten that I had already been recording when Vincent Marcozza and those cops were murdered.”“I didn’t get my interview with Dwayne Robinson. But what did I get? Page 66

Lombardo's? Really? How could this happen in Lombardo's restaurant in the middle of the a...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Giovanni Gelati rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I like to be entertained when I read a novel. People read for many reasons; that is mine. Why do I start off like that? Well it seems just because Patterson sells so many novels he gets some backlash, being numero uno sometimes comes with a cost. In this case some of it heavy criticism. Is Don’t Blink a work of art? Is it going to be mentioned with Hemingway and Steinbeck? Please, let’s just move on. All I know is the guy puts out some good stuff on a regular basis and entertains me, so I am goi...more

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May 31, 2012 Sl Jenan rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An absolute revelation!

One star: one cliched, hackneyed, gadawful star.

It was around page 250 that this book changed my life. I couldn't understand before then. No way, no context. No truth. Now my eyes are open.

People who watch Bridezillas and SpikeTV need something to read while they poop!

And every chapter here is somewhere between tinkle-length and the span of a satisfying bowel movement. (Although if you're approaching your impending evacuation with a wet compress for your forehead and at mi...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Beach goers, suspense, thriller

When a lawyer is killed grotesquely and publicly, reporter Nick believes that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, just happening to be seated right next to the victim. The lawyer victim just defended a notorious mob boss who was seemingly mad that his defense was weak and he will serve time in jail.

And, when Nick gets home he discovers that his tape recorder caught the killer’s voice. He decides to turn his tape in to the police, and that is when the story gets complex. Nick is threate...more

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Oct 11, 2012 Raven rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Don't blink, don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't turn away, and don't blink. Good luck."

Yup. The reason this book caught my attention was because of Doctor Who. How could I help myself? Blink was the first episode of Doctor Who I watched and it's what got me into the series. So, naturally, I had to pick up this book. I found it while wandering around a hospital gift shop. I stood there reading the first chapter of the...more "Don't blink, don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast, faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't turn away, and don't blink. Good luck."

Yup. The reason this book caught my attention was because of Doctor Who. How could I help myself? Blink was the first episode of Doctor Who I watched and it's what got me into the series. So, naturally, I had to pick up this book. I found it while wandering around a hospital gift shop. I stood there reading the first chapter of the prologue and was hooked pretty quickly. I would have stood there all day if my mom hadn't pushed me out the door, empty handed, of course. So I made it my mission to find the book at the library and read the rest of it. And I am so glad I did. On page 9, a man has his eyes gouged out with a scalpel in the middle of a busy restaurant. That's during the prologue. Where the main story supposedly hasn't happened yet. Needless to say, I was excited.

Unfortunately, after the prologue it got pretty slow. There were a few times where I considered putting it down and had it not been for the very short (I think the longest was 5 pages) chapters, I probably would have. However, once the main plot got going, it really got going. I couldn't put the book down and wound up staying up well into the morning just to finish it. It really reminded me of The Departed where everyone is connected in some way and everyone ends up getting killed in some horrific event. I mean, even minor characters that you don't think twice about end up having a pretty important role. Patterson really didn't waste anything. This was my first James Patterson book, and I have to say I'm curious to what his other books are like.

I think my main criticism of this book would be all the baseball talk. As someone who isn't a fan of baseball, it kind of went over my head and was probably part of the reason that first chunk of the book was so hard to get through. The only bit I really recognized was when Shoeless Joe was mentioned and that's because of Jonathan Coulton's song "Kenesaw Mountain Landis." I'm sure for someone who actually enjoys baseball and knows what they were talking about, it would have been no problem. So it's really not too big a deal. Especially since the rest of the book was so amazing.(less)

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Dec 11, 2010 Alison rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a really fast reading book, as are most of James Patterson's adult mysteries. It was a real page turner, difficult to put down (which is why I read it in two nights) The only reason I gave it three stars and not four or five: the main character just got into too many situations. Although they were all neatly connected and moved the storyline along, it's hard to fathom one person could that many problems. This will, however, not stop me from reading Patterson's future books. This story s...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Deana M rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was so good, as is all of Patterson's books. Nick Daniels is at the interview of his life with a former NY Yankees player, when a mob boss attorney is murdered directly next to him at a 5 star restaurant in NYC. And, he gets the murder on tape. With this information, he takes it to the DA where everything starts spiraling out of control. He is in the middle of a mafia war (please forgive I can't remember the names). With the info that is on his tape and other info he receives, he has a...more

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

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“There are some feelings, and actions, for which words are utterly useless.” — 4 people liked it

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