Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "james-patterson"

Never Never by James Patterson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Having enjoyed the Bookshots novella ‘Black & Blue’ which introduced us to sex crimes Detective Harriet “Harry” Blue, I’ve been looking forward to her continuing story in the first novel in the series and it did not disappoint.

‘Never Never’ picks up where ‘Black & Blue’ left off - Harry discovers her brother, Sam, has been arrested for the murders of multiple young women. Her boss and mentor wants her away from the media frenzy that will inevitably follow, assigning her to the case of an unexplained death, following the discovery of a foot belonging to a missing person, last seen at a mining camp in the middle of the Australian outback where he had been working. Along with a new partner whom she suspects of being in place to keep an eye on her, Harry soon finds that the missing person is one of three, revealing a deadly game is in play with the victims as prey.

Unsure who she can trust, feeling isolated and distracted by the mystery surrounding her brother’s case, Harry is unaware how much danger she is in as she pursues a devious killer, exploring the camp and the nearby 'base' of a protesting environmentalist group, who object to the damage the mining is causing. She uncovers numerous motives, but who would go so far as to kill? While the twist may not be unpredictable, it is delivered well, the final showdown between Harry and the killer delivered with a bang.

Harry is strong-willed, defiant and at times impulsive, driven to be a voice for the victims and to uncover the wrongdoing against them. The allegations against her brother cause her great conflict. This dilemma drives the novel, despite being unlinked to the main investigation; the development of Harry’s character being the central narrative, while the arc of her brother’s case, continuing from ‘Black & Blue’, simmers away in the background, revisited in the finale, setting up the sequel ‘Fifty Fifty’.

Fast-paced and featuring James Patterson's trademark short, punchy chapters, 'Never Never' is great for reading while travelling or relaxing on holiday.



Black & Blue by James Patterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A gripping novella introducing a brand new series by James Patterson and Candice Fox.

Detective Harriet "Harry" Blue is called to the scene of the discovery of a young woman's body - believed to be the latest victim of the Georges River Killer. Alongside her new partner, Tate "Tox" Barnes, Harry soon uncovers that their case may not be as straightforward as it first appears.

Featuring well-written and developed characters, 'Black & Blue' is an enjoyable police procedural and a fantastic introduction to Detective Harry Blue, with a shattering twist that will have implications stretching far into the series' future.



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Invisible by James Patterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A fast-paced serial killer thriller by James Patterson and David Ellis.

Emily "Emmy" Dockery, a Research Analyst with the FBI, is currently suspended - having been accused of making improper advances towards her superior after she rejected his own improper advances – but she has been dedicating her time to working on a case of her own. Her sister died earlier in the year in a house fire, which was ruled an accidental death. Emmy, however, is not convinced. She has reviewed cases of multiple fires across the US, all of which resulted in fatalities, all deemed accidental. From all of these cases, a pattern emerges - one that points to there being a cunning and devious serial killer operating across the country, undetected.

Calling on ex-agent and her ex-boyfriend Harrison "Books" Bookman, Emmy is determined to be taken seriously and finally get the chance to get justice for her sister and all the other victims. But this isn’t going to be an easy task – up against a boss determined to avoid allegations of sexual harassment and multiple law enforcement agencies who do not believe a crime has taken place.

Meanwhile, the killer is always a few steps ahead and, as Emmy, Books and the team close in, becomes ever more dangerous.

Emmy is an endearing character - spunky, emotionally scarred, always determined to do the right thing, sometimes a little too reactive and so driven by what is immediately in front of her to consider the ramifications of her words and actions. For me, her relationship with Books was one of the most enjoyable elements of the novel - it clicked with me from their first interaction and I hoped they'd somehow rekindle their relationship. The sub-plot of the sexual harassment by her boss is particularly timely, something I hope we’ll see explored further in the future.

As well as the investigation of the case from Emmy's perspective, we also learn about the crimes from the perspective of the killer through transcripts of recordings. Narcissistic, manipulative and resourceful, this is a killer who will challenge the FBI agents and may outwit them to the end.

This devious, twisted journey delivers multiple climatic moments told through Patterson’s trademark short, sharp chapters, in the build-up to the final twist; ‘Invisible’ is a gripping psychological thriller.

Emmy returns in James Patterson and David Ellis’ sequel 'Unsolved', which promises to pit her against another devious and invisible killer.



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Unsolved by James Patterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


In a gripping sequel to ‘Invisible’, Emmy returns to hunt another elusive serial killer.

Emily "Emmy" Dockery, Research Analyst with the FBI, has acquired a modicum of fame for detecting and hunting down a serial killer several years earlier. Yet admitting serial killers of whom no one is aware may be continuing to kill is embarrassing for the FBI, so Emmy’s work remains unauthorised as she continues to trawl through data, searching for the patterns that may indicate more previously undetected predators.

Emmy’s fiancé, Harrison "Books" Bookman, has retired from the FBI and now runs a struggling bookstore. Called upon by his old mentor and now FBI director, Books finds himself tasked with investigating leaks about a moral crusader terrorist to a local reporter – which the FBI suspects Emmy to be responsible for.

With no one believing in her theories and feeling as if everyone is turning against her, Emmy is determined to hunt down the killer whom she’s been tracking for months – one who is always one step ahead, none of his murders believed to be homicides, and who has now turned his sights on her. Emmy finds herself up against an adversary more dangerous than any she’s previously encountered, in a cat and mouse game she may be unable to wriggle free from.

Told in Patterson’s trademark short, lightning-paced chapters, ‘Unsolved’ is an FBI procedural jam-packed with twists and turns and plenty of sleight-of-hand writing to keep you guessing and second-guessing as the plot races towards its conclusion. The clues are all there, yet you still may not see the well-executed twists coming until they are right upon you; throughout, we gain detailed insights into the killer’s psyche without giving too much away before each revelation.

I find Emmy a very endearing character – her determination to ferret out the truth, even when she is the only one who has faith in what the data suggests, and her willingness to go against the male-dominated FBI hierarchy is admirable. Yet we find her more damaged, her scars and her obsessiveness having a detrimental effect on her health and her life.

I adore Emmy and Books’ relationship - they bring the emotion to the story, whereas the case itself is heavily procedural, as we don’t often get an insight into the experience of the victims or their families. Despite the challenges to their relationship, their differences of opinion, and what feels like an almost inevitable conflict and disintegration within their relationship, there is an unshakable bond between them that keeps them in each other’s orbit and you hope will keep them coming back stronger.

Like its predecessor, ‘Unsolved’ is a gripping, page-turning thriller. I do hope we will get a third chapter in Emmy and Books’ story, complete with another of Emmy’s analytical hunts for a serial killer.



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