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Dead Heat
Dead Heat
James Patterson’s BookShots. Short, fast-paced, high-impact entertainment.
It's the day of the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and excitement is at fever pitch.
But a key athlete has gone missing and Detective Rafael Carvalho, on the brink of retirement, is assigned the case.
When the athlete suddenly appears at the ceremony, it seems the case is solved. But Carvalho soon discovers that he has returned with the deadliest of intentions.
It's the day of the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and excitement is at fever pitch.
But a key athlete has gone missing and Detective Rafael Carvalho, on the brink of retirement, is assigned the case.
When the athlete suddenly appears at the ceremony, it seems the case is solved. But Carvalho soon discovers that he has returned with the deadliest of intentions.
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2016
31 people are currently reading
984 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
955 books355k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 26, 2016
Detective Rafael Carvalho and his partner Detective Vitoria Paz could already feel the pressure – the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio was upon them, and it meant the world’s spotlight would be centred on the security covering the games for the next two weeks. When Rafael was woken at 4am he knew it wouldn’t be good news. As Paz briefed him, he learned that a top Australian athlete had been missing for twelve hours – but then later, his reappearance as the team’s flag bearer meant they could breathe a sigh of relief. Until it suddenly became apparent something was seriously wrong…
That was the beginning of a horror few days for the two detectives – their race against time as they tried to find a solution to a complex problem seemed to be doomed to failure. But Rafael, on the cusp of retirement and knowing this would be his last case, was determined to succeed. Was it a twisted, psychotic, crazy person they were after? Or was it something far simpler?
Dead Heat, another of the BookShots novellas by James Patterson, is a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. Intense, suspenseful and gripping from start to finish, it’s one I highly recommend.
That was the beginning of a horror few days for the two detectives – their race against time as they tried to find a solution to a complex problem seemed to be doomed to failure. But Rafael, on the cusp of retirement and knowing this would be his last case, was determined to succeed. Was it a twisted, psychotic, crazy person they were after? Or was it something far simpler?
Dead Heat, another of the BookShots novellas by James Patterson, is a fast paced, edge of your seat thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. Intense, suspenseful and gripping from start to finish, it’s one I highly recommend.
August 16, 2016
To commemorate the Rio Games, James Patterson and Lee Stone present this sports-themed BookShot that pushes police work to its limits as the Olympics forge onwards. Detective Rafael Carvalho is just over two weeks shy of retirement and looking for the easiest path into a life of relaxation. When a call wakes him in the early morning hours, it is anything but social. Carvalho is summoned to work by his partner, Vitoria Paz, in a case that requires not only his expertise, but an under the radar approach as the world is watching. An Australian athlete has gone missing from the Olympic Village hours before the Opening Ceremonies of the Rio Olympics. When Carvalho and Paz arrive to investigate, they work with few leads and even fewer ideas as to where Tim Gilmore might have gone. While attending the Ceremonies later that day, Gilmore appears with his delegation, though something is off. It is only when he charges the VIP section of the stadium that Carvalho must take things into his own hands, which has tragic results for Gilmore and places the aging detective in the most precarious of positions. From hereon in, Carvalho and Paz begin a thorough investigation until another athlete goes missing, still unsure of Gilmore's motive. As the investigation progresses, more athletes are pulled into the investigation, their lives sacrificed for reasons as yet unclear. What might be causing this erratic behaviour and how does an unlisted mobile number found amongst the personal effects of two athletes tie it all together? Patterson and Stone present some high-impact writing that puts both Private novels surrounding the Olympics to shame. A great read between watching your favourite events in the summer of 2016.
In their second collaborative BookShots work, Patterson and Stone present another winner. Utilising a protagonist that Patterson knows well, the much-invested detective, the story clips along with a decent cross-section of characters. Using the Rio Games as a backdrop is not only useful, but essential to the story's plot, though the grandeur of the Games does not overshadow the police work embedded in each chapter. The story is fresh, even if Olympic-based stories are not a first for Patterson, to the point that it does not come across as hokey or stale too quickly. The narrative remains crisp and the reader is not left dreading the time invested. Most importantly, the reader is able to enjoy this short thriller in a few hours while not missing a beat of the action from around Rio. Stone brings out the best in Patterson, or perhaps Patterson allows Stone to shine, and this is one author whose work should be sought out by curious readers outside of the BookShot experiment.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Stone for another successful sports-themed BookShot. I think this is a great partnership and hope more BookShots are in the works for you two, or perhaps a full-length novel. There is much promise here!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
In their second collaborative BookShots work, Patterson and Stone present another winner. Utilising a protagonist that Patterson knows well, the much-invested detective, the story clips along with a decent cross-section of characters. Using the Rio Games as a backdrop is not only useful, but essential to the story's plot, though the grandeur of the Games does not overshadow the police work embedded in each chapter. The story is fresh, even if Olympic-based stories are not a first for Patterson, to the point that it does not come across as hokey or stale too quickly. The narrative remains crisp and the reader is not left dreading the time invested. Most importantly, the reader is able to enjoy this short thriller in a few hours while not missing a beat of the action from around Rio. Stone brings out the best in Patterson, or perhaps Patterson allows Stone to shine, and this is one author whose work should be sought out by curious readers outside of the BookShot experiment.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Stone for another successful sports-themed BookShot. I think this is a great partnership and hope more BookShots are in the works for you two, or perhaps a full-length novel. There is much promise here!
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
August 30, 2016
another great bookshot from James Patterson,
this book was a short, fast paced, one sitting read based around the Olympics in Rio,
I enjoyed this short book, it feels like your reading a full book, without the long backstory, but still have all the details packed in so you don't miss anything, Rafael Carvalho is days away from his retirement, along with his partner Vitoria Paz have one last mission together,
reading the book, you get a feeling for the characters, about Rafael and his wife Juliana who have been married 40yrs and Felipe, Paz's 5yr old son, and how he likes to pick at the seat in her car, you get to experience the feeling that they all have for each other, how Juliana says to Rafael eveytime he's goes out 'don't get yourself killed' and how Felipe calls him uncle Rafael and the closeness, after working together for 2yrs they have bonded like a family,
even though this is only a short read, I love how no matter how many pages whether it be 10 or 1000, James Patterson can describe everything in such a small book that give you all those feelings and emotions crammed together and have the family bond as well as the action scenes and still leave enough room to twist it too
it also makes you think about how a persons mind can be changed by a few ideas planted into their head and can change their actions for good or for bad,
that's what is brilliant how Mr Patterson writes these books, that no matter what you are thinking about the story line, he goes ahead and changes the status quo, and leaves you more baffled that when you first started the book, and still scratching your head days later
keep up the good work, can't wait to read the next one!!
this book was a short, fast paced, one sitting read based around the Olympics in Rio,
I enjoyed this short book, it feels like your reading a full book, without the long backstory, but still have all the details packed in so you don't miss anything, Rafael Carvalho is days away from his retirement, along with his partner Vitoria Paz have one last mission together,
reading the book, you get a feeling for the characters, about Rafael and his wife Juliana who have been married 40yrs and Felipe, Paz's 5yr old son, and how he likes to pick at the seat in her car, you get to experience the feeling that they all have for each other, how Juliana says to Rafael eveytime he's goes out 'don't get yourself killed' and how Felipe calls him uncle Rafael and the closeness, after working together for 2yrs they have bonded like a family,
even though this is only a short read, I love how no matter how many pages whether it be 10 or 1000, James Patterson can describe everything in such a small book that give you all those feelings and emotions crammed together and have the family bond as well as the action scenes and still leave enough room to twist it too
it also makes you think about how a persons mind can be changed by a few ideas planted into their head and can change their actions for good or for bad,
that's what is brilliant how Mr Patterson writes these books, that no matter what you are thinking about the story line, he goes ahead and changes the status quo, and leaves you more baffled that when you first started the book, and still scratching your head days later
keep up the good work, can't wait to read the next one!!
August 16, 2016
Another great, fast-paced, quick read. I am really enjoying these BookShots from James Patterson. looking forward to reading more of them.
December 16, 2017
Set during the time period of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. An Australian javelin thrower goes missing before the opening ceremony of the games. Detective Carvalho and his chain smoking partner Detective Victoria Paz have been called in to investigate his disappearance. Things really start to go pear shaped with during this opening ceremony when this missing athlete appears during the opening ceremony as a flag bearer for his country, and then tries to kill the President of Brazil by throwing his javelin at her. There are more athletes doing the strangest of things like opening fire on the crowds at the shooting arena. It is a fast paced detective story set in the highly stressful arena of the Olympic Games and is a very worthwhile read.
August 17, 2016
Enjoyable one. Good to read during the Olympics right now.
September 2, 2016
Not a bad read at all
May 10, 2019
A good fast paced short read.
"Science is everything, and pressure is just a button."
"Science is everything, and pressure is just a button."
February 20, 2019
4.5/5⭐
I always enjoy these short stories by James Patterson but this one has been my favourite so far!
It reminded me a little bit to the relationship Lindsay Boxer has with her partner in "The Women's Club Series" and also to "Private Games" as they are both based in The Olympic Games. I loved both books so I knew from the beginning that I would enjoy this one too.
I loved the two main characters. How healthy their relationship is. How well they work together. How they get to the villain. In just a bit over 100 pages, this book says a lot about how human beings act when we are at our lowest and someone else gets to our head.
Great read!
I always enjoy these short stories by James Patterson but this one has been my favourite so far!
It reminded me a little bit to the relationship Lindsay Boxer has with her partner in "The Women's Club Series" and also to "Private Games" as they are both based in The Olympic Games. I loved both books so I knew from the beginning that I would enjoy this one too.
I loved the two main characters. How healthy their relationship is. How well they work together. How they get to the villain. In just a bit over 100 pages, this book says a lot about how human beings act when we are at our lowest and someone else gets to our head.
Great read!
February 18, 2025
A fun book shot by james patterson taking place at the time of the rio Olympics a police officer is tasked with finding a missing athlete but this isn't any normal case.
Probably in my top few bookshots I've read thus far getting straight into the story from the get go and I found myself flying through the pages with action around every corner! Of course due to the length of the book depth is lacking but that's what to be expected from this kind of book!
A very enjoyable thriller that is just what I'm after from a book shot story.
Probably in my top few bookshots I've read thus far getting straight into the story from the get go and I found myself flying through the pages with action around every corner! Of course due to the length of the book depth is lacking but that's what to be expected from this kind of book!
A very enjoyable thriller that is just what I'm after from a book shot story.
January 2, 2017
This is an exiting page-turner that is set at the Rio Olympics. Some of the athletes are acting very strange, even sinister, and Detective Rafael Carvalho and his partner Detective Vitoria Paz are under the gun to find out why before the body count rises, and the Olympic Games are ruined.
March 7, 2018
Dumb novel set in the Rio Olympics, clearly not the same Rio Olympics Patterson Incorporated wrote about in the "Private" series novel.
This one really was rushed and felt like it was just to get another book out by a deadline to get more cash rather than crafting a story.
This one really was rushed and felt like it was just to get another book out by a deadline to get more cash rather than crafting a story.
February 27, 2022
A lead detective works on a case based on the players from different country comes for the Olympic event who got missed, killed, many more. Easy to read. Fast phased page turner book. Our human mind is like a monkey it dances to whom ever gives key to it. A must read book.
January 2, 2024
Any negatives (subdued Islamophobia, story tends to drag at times) are balanced by positives (unusual setting in Rio Rio de Janeiro with details I didn't previously know, unusual characters in Brazilian detectives)
November 26, 2025
Good story about Olympians going crazy. Lots of thrills and a climatic ending. This is one of a series of short novels by James Patterson. They average around 140 pages so don't expect too much on charatcer development etc. Just enjoy the ride. I sure did.
November 22, 2017
Another great short action novel. Good characters and a great plot.
March 22, 2018
This book was a very quick read. It was interesting and suspenseful, but I don't feel it was as good as some of James Patterson's other books
March 27, 2018
An ok short, based around the Brazilian Olympics.
October 15, 2018
Not bad! Great plot twists.
*Full review to follow.
*Full review to follow.
August 13, 2019
Ok, but nothing earthshattering...
March 1, 2020
Fast paced, page turning police drama. decent plot, good characters. Just what I needed after reading several long books.
August 20, 2020
3.5 Stars
Short sweet trashy thriller!
Will be picking up more of these little "book shots"
Short sweet trashy thriller!
Will be picking up more of these little "book shots"
March 8, 2021
The more I read James Patterson partnering with other authors the more I want to read
May 12, 2021
Another great fast paced short novel by James Patterson with an interesting plot line. Another good read for when your mind is busy!
September 2, 2021
I really enjoyed this book and especially the relationship between Rafael and Pez.
November 10, 2022
This was a really gripping, well thought out, really exciting and intense read. Loved it.
July 8, 2023
A nice quick read with some excitement.
January 28, 2024
Great little book from James Patterson. So much crammed into 122 pages! Well worth the short read
October 15, 2024
A good short story
December 13, 2024
An exciting murder investigation!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews