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The Russian

(Michael Bennett #13)

James Patterson (Goodreads Author),

James O. Born (Goodreads Author)

4.30 · Rating details · 4,561 ratings · 359 reviews

A killer crashes Detective Michael Bennett's wedding.

A series of gruesome murders in New York City has Michael Bennett angry -- but when he identifies similar cases in Atlanta and San Francisco, his feelings escalate into all-out alarm. All of the victims are young women. And each one is killed in a horrifyingly distinct fashion.

In the midst of such devastating loss of li ...more

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Hardcover, 368 pages

Published January 25th 2021 by Little, Brown and Company (first published January 14th 2021)

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Feb 04, 2021 Kay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: libby, library-c, mystery, audiobook, thriller, fiction, james-patterson

3.5 ⭐
Not bad and not great. An average crime thriller although I did enjoy this quick mystery. I believe the Patterson factory aims at attracting wider audiences so I wasn't expecting complex, too dark or too cozy story.

In The Russian we have a happy Bennett family story development and if you read the last one you probably know what to expect! Crimewise it was a serial killer on the loose with a little eye-roll conclusion. This book was also read by a new narrator. The voice is much younger th ...more

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Jan 30, 2021 Matt rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobook

Michael Bennett is back for his next case, lucky book number thirteen. In the capable hands of James Patterson and James O. Born, Bennett is ready to face off against another wily killer who stalks New York City. However, this one has a different motive and a larger kill area than many others who have crossed Bennett’s path. With his massive brood at home and a wedding on the horizon, Bennett will have to push the distractions aside and focus on catching a ruthless killer. A nice addition for th ...more

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Feb 10, 2021 Mandy White (mandylovestoread) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: james-patterson, audible, read-in-2021

Review to come

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Feb 20, 2021 Scott rated it it was ok

James Patterson has several bestselling series, each carrying different levels of readership popularity. Detective Alex Cross is his coveted franchise and most successful series, followed by the Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett, NYPD Red, and the Private novels.

The Detective Michael Bennett series is one of Patterson’s better feel-good characters. Bennett is a successful Detective working special crimes in New York City. His home life and (very large) family are really the center James Patterson has several bestselling series, each carrying different levels of readership popularity. Detective Alex Cross is his coveted franchise and most successful series, followed by the Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett, NYPD Red, and the Private novels.

The Detective Michael Bennett series is one of Patterson’s better feel-good characters. Bennett is a successful Detective working special crimes in New York City. His home life and (very large) family are really the center of his world and provide the primary reason for the readers to cheer him on. Bennett’s first wife, Maeve, died after fighting a losing battle with cancer, leaving him with their 10 adopted children to raise, along with his sour grandfather and catholic priest, Seamus. During most of the books, Bennett has moved on by falling in love and becoming engaged to his wonderful housekeeper, Mary Catherine.

The good news is that most of the books in this series have been pretty enjoyable and worth reading for the most part. The first nine books in the series were co-authored by Howard Roughan and built up a nice consistency and rhythm in the plotting and overall character development. However, there was a change.

The last four books have a new co-author - James O. Born - working with Patterson. With that came change. Change in style, plotting, and quality. To be honest, I personally found the first two books co-written with Born to be less than pleasing due to weak plotting and several characters acting inconsistently. They were definitely my least liked Bennett books in the series. I felt like the new co-author was struggling in his understanding of the characters, especially after having Bennett’s son arrested for selling drugs. That just made no sense at all and was so completely out of character, I am still trying to figure out how this move was consistent to any of the character’s previous history.

Then last year’s book, the third with Born, - “Ambush” had some improvements in plotting and characterization, which wasn’t hard to do considering the lesser quality of those previous two outings. Now, their fourth book together – “The Russian” – is out, and having finished it I am ready to share my review.

When it starts, Michael and Catherine are just weeks away from their planned wedding. At the same time a new serial killer makes his presence known in New York city in a deadly way. His name is Daniel Ott, his profession involves being an IT computer specialist who contracts with companies to work on their systems in major cities like San Francisco, Atlanta, and New York. However, Daniel has a secret. When young attractive professional women don’t treat him as well as he feels he deserves, Daniel hunts them down, stabbing them in the chest or neck, and finishing off his work by stabbing them in their left eye.

As expected, Bennet is assigned to investigate, along with his new partner, Brett Hollis, a young but smart investigator with a talent for research and analysis. Before they can get started and build any momentum, more killings and victims are discovered. The FBI is called in to work alongside Bennet and Hollis, bringing Agent Emily Parker back to work with Michael again, and provide seriously needed resources.

Then Hollis performs some serious research on serial killers and finds a scary pattern that he shares with Bennett. There have been similar killings in other major cities, most recently two to four murders in Atlanta. To make matters worse, the city’s mayor sends his bull-in-a-china-closet bully over to demand action and results, which Bennett’s refusal to participate only makes worse. Not only does he have no clues to finding a killer, he is faced with the threat of being replaced just a few weeks away from what is supposed to be the happiest day of his life. The day when he finally exchanges wedding vows with the one woman he loves and needs most…

Although this was one wasn’t as bad as the first two that Patterson and Born combined on, but it's definitely a step back from the last one. It’s not terrible, but it is average. A very average outing that comes across as ho-hum or who cares by the time you finish. The biggest highlights were the finally-we-get-to-the altar which should be a magical moment, but barely got three pages of coverage, as well as Michael’s new partner, Brett Hollis, who was a brightly developing supporting character with a bright future. We definitely want to see more of him.

Outside of that, the serial killer mystery plotline was standard, with a bland protagonist that was vanilla as vanilla can be, and followed the usual Patterson storyline from beginning to end with a weak and tepid twist. There were some nice quality family moments sprinkled throughout, and I wished we had more of them.

Overall, this book average and didn’t do much to challenge and move Michael Bennett forward. Some Patterson may enjoy “The Russian”, but the mind-candy escapism that we seek was less than stellar in this predictable and tension lacking outing. This makes Patterson and Born partnership in a hole 3 out of 4 times, and counting…

Here’s hoping for some improvement sooner rather than later… ...more

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Jan 28, 2021 Mary Kamrath rated it it was amazing

Very fast reading. A good mystery.

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Jan 28, 2021 Tammy Adams rated it did not like it

I feel like this series has gotten boring. I just want to hurry and finish so I can move on to something else.

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Feb 06, 2021 Mary Dirksen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021

Michael Bennet is an amazing man and NYPD detective. But he would be none of these things with out the support of his ten kids, grandfather and amazing fiance. Although I have just finished this book moments ago I am already awaiting the next installment

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Feb 07, 2021 Donna Hines rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-holds, cloud-library

Good but not Great!
James Patterson is a writer that lately seems to be more concerned with appearance and labels rather than content and enticement.
I've noted this before but I honestly don't care about the sales records, the world records, or the stats if you leave your readers pondering and wanting more.
James over the years has been hit or miss with me and I suppose that's normal with all authors and fans but this one just felt dead in the water (no pun intended.)
A serial killer is running aro ...more

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Feb 23, 2021 Craig Wakefield rated it really liked it

It is refreshing to have a NYPD detective that has a huge family that he is devoted to be the protagonist in a book. I wonder though how long it will take for Michael Bennett to actually become married? If I were to look back at previous books I believe that he has been considering marriage or been engaged to Mary Catherine for at least the previous two books. However, when an author has a good thing going why not stretch it out.

I wondered why the book was named "The Russian." Can you guess why ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Shirley kendall rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Feb 21, 2021 Harold Walters rated it liked it

Standard fare ... kinda like cornflakes — ordinary, but not a bad thing because of that.

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Feb 21, 2021 Gail rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2021-alphabet-challenge

An interesting mystery story.

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Feb 08, 2021 Janet rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a good story and I enjoyed listening to it.

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Feb 07, 2021 Rajesh rated it liked it

It's serial killer time again. With the usual twists like escalation, diversion, copy cats and what not. ...more

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Feb 07, 2021 Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller rated it it was amazing

I felt that a new installment in James Patterson and James O. Born’s Michael Bennett series was long overdue. So I was happy to have THE RUSSIAN arrive on my doorstep. It certainly was worth the wait, as it provides the NYPD homicide detective with a case that he must solve quickly, and for more than one reason.

The core of the book is the hunt for a serial killer who is murdering women in New York in a particularly brutal manner. His signature is a grisly mutilation, the details of which are bei I felt that a new installment in James Patterson and James O. Born’s Michael Bennett series was long overdue. So I was happy to have THE RUSSIAN arrive on my doorstep. It certainly was worth the wait, as it provides the NYPD homicide detective with a case that he must solve quickly, and for more than one reason.

The core of the book is the hunt for a serial killer who is murdering women in New York in a particularly brutal manner. His signature is a grisly mutilation, the details of which are being kept under wraps by the police as they keep their collective eye out for the culprit, who is striking literally at will. There is no mystery here, as his identity is revealed --- to the reader, not to Bennett --- within the first several pages. He is Daniel Ott, and his job enables him to travel to cities, stay for a while, kill a few people and go somewhere else. We eventually learn that Ott has been doing this for a while. It takes Bennett and his new partner, Brett Hollis, some time to figure it out. However, there are ticking clocks of the “will he be stopped before he kills again?” variety.

Bennett is in danger of losing the case on two fronts if he doesn’t solve it quickly. The Mayor’s office has sent a somewhat obnoxious lackey to micromanage the investigation, which doesn’t sit well with him at all. Meanwhile, the FBI is trying to interject itself into the proceedings for reasons that are ultimately made clear in a twist that takes place toward the book’s conclusion.

There is also the home front to consider. Longtime readers of this series have followed the slow-burning romance between Bennett and Mary Kate, who was hired to take care of his children but who ended up stealing his heart. At long last they are scheduled to get married, though he has a killer to catch first. Bennett’s son Brian, who recently has been released from prison, also seems to be having some difficulty adjusting to civilian life. He is behaving strangely and in certain instances appears to be on the verge of letting his anger get the better of him. But the biggest domestic crisis of all is that Bennett’s daughter, Jane, has her first real boyfriend. He is somewhat of a jerk, being the entitled son of a hedge fund manager.

It is great fun to watch Bennett get closer and closer to Ott, among others, as they approach the big ending.

Patterson and Born have been honing their craft for a while, both individually and as collaborators. The intricate parts of this latest installment in this thrilling and, yes, charming series come together seamlessly to create a reading experience that flows quickly and satisfactorily from beginning to end. It’s the perfect way to begin your reading year.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub ...more

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Mar 31, 2021 Joan rated it really liked it

Only a handful of weeks away from making his love, Mary Catherine, his bride, New York Police Department Detective Michael Bennett finds himself investigating the case of a gruesomely-murdered young woman. Soon, there’s another woman slaughtered by someone using the same horrifyingly specific method. Bennett, with his new partner, Brett Hollis, investigates, finding similar cases in both Atlanta and San Francisco. Those cases are cold . . . and unsolved.

And now young women in New York are dying Only a handful of weeks away from making his love, Mary Catherine, his bride, New York Police Department Detective Michael Bennett finds himself investigating the case of a gruesomely-murdered young woman. Soon, there’s another woman slaughtered by someone using the same horrifyingly specific method. Bennett, with his new partner, Brett Hollis, investigates, finding similar cases in both Atlanta and San Francisco. Those cases are cold . . . and unsolved.

And now young women in New York are dying in the same heinous manner as in those other cities.

But serial killers don’t, as a rule, travel . . . do they???

While reading “The Russian, the thirteenth Michael Bennett book, fans of the series will feel right at home with Bennett, Mary Catherine, grandfather Father Seamus, and the ten children Michael and his first wife, Maeve, adopted. A subplot involving Brian provides some angst for Bennett [and momentarily diverts the reader’s attention from the killings], but Bennett’s focus is on the murders . . . mostly. As might be expected, the looming nuptials manage to hijack a fair amount of his thoughts.

With the assassin revealed to readers early on, there’s no mystery surrounding his identity; his backstory cues the reader into those chilling thoughts that lead to his ghastly actions. Short chapters help to intensify the suspense; the involvement of the FBI provides some awkward moments, and the mayor’s megalomaniac minion is certain to cause exasperated eye-rolling among readers.

A surprising “twist” near the end of the story seemingly comes out of left field [although, in retrospect, readers will recognize there’s a recurring hint pointing to something like this throughout the telling of the tale]. Even so, for readers, the revelation is a toss-up between being an eye-rolling contrivance and being a bit disingenuous. [And wouldn’t readers have liked to know what happened back home when news of the murderer’s arrest reached his wife and daughters?]

Nevertheless, the story is intriguing, especially for fans of the series. Humor tempers some of the grittiness of the murder case and family is still the heart of Michael Bennett’s happily-ever-after story.

Recommended.
...more

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Apr 09, 2021 Drw rated it did not like it

Ever since James Born took over the Michael Bennett series the books have gotten worse and worse. "The Russian" is rock bottom.

When you have a plot about a nationwide serial killer and you're spending time commenting on Subway's business plan, assessing the competencies of junior detectives, and comparing the staffing levels of the NYPD vs the FBI; you're just writing words to fill space. And that's the only thing of value in this book - it's the template for those who want to write a book that Ever since James Born took over the Michael Bennett series the books have gotten worse and worse. "The Russian" is rock bottom.

When you have a plot about a nationwide serial killer and you're spending time commenting on Subway's business plan, assessing the competencies of junior detectives, and comparing the staffing levels of the NYPD vs the FBI; you're just writing words to fill space. And that's the only thing of value in this book - it's the template for those who want to write a book that shows the author is bored with his work and only interested in collecting a pay check.

"The Russian" is plodding in pace - a pace not suited to the increasing frenzy of the serial killer's need to kill; it's descriptions of characters are repetitive and cliched (how many times do we have to read that the lead character would be attracted to the FBI agent if he wasn't engaged or about the competition between local police and the FBI); and the relationships with the children and fiancé are beyond superficial.

But the greatest insult to the reader in this book is the "twist" thrown in during the last 15 pages. In reading a biography of Agatha Christie I learned that the sure sign of a lazy writer is someone who "solves" the murder by introducing something that there has been no hint of throughout the rest of the book. That's exactly what "The Russian" does - introduce an entirely new, completely un-hinted at, backstory in the last 15 pages of the book. For what possible purpose - it makes not a single bit of difference to the outcome of the book. Pointless and lazy.

This is sad to me because I used to proudly list Patterson as a favorite author. But over the past years he's turned his brand into "the author who churns out the most books a year with his name on them - regardless of quality," Because of that I've quit reading anything with Patterson's name on it except the "Women's Murder Club," "Michael Bennett" and "Alex Cross" series

Well, I quit the "Women's Murder Club" last year and this is my last "Michael Bennett." My fond desire is that I'll still be able to stand reading the occasional "Alex Cross" book in the future. ...more

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Mar 26, 2021 Barbara Schultz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-disappoint, 2021-gr-challenge, love-this-series, audio-great-performance

Michael Bennett Thriller #13. This is actually my fifteenth Michael Bennett book as in addition to the regular novel I read 9.6 as well as 10.5 ~ Yep I am a fan!

Michael is one of my favorite JP characters. I enjoy stories that include his family of 10 adopted children, his finance Mary Catherine, and Grand Father Monsieur Seamus Bennett.

In this story, Michael and his partner are very involved finding the serial killer who is terrorizing New York with gruesome gory murders. His investigation is ...more

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Feb 08, 2021 Debbie Levine rated it really liked it

The Russian by James Patterson is the 13th Book in the Michael Bennett Detective Series and it does not disappoint. As we re-join the Bennett clan excitement is on the horizon. Brian has been released from prison and is back home and Michael and Mary Catherine are about to get married, finally. Also, Jane has her first boyfriend, a fellow student at the Catholic School all 10 of the Bennett kids have attended.

On the work front, Michael, an NYPD Detective has a new Partner, Brett Hollis and a new ...more

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Feb 25, 2021 Cleo Baker-roberts rated it really liked it

WOW! So glad I gave Patterson's NYPD Homicide Detective Michael Bennett another chance (wasn't at all happy with the character in the last episode I read), because THIS Det. Bennett is exactly what I've come to expect & enjoy in these adventures.

Searching for a serial killer in New York City & trying to connect the incidents with similar murders in both San Francisco & Atlanta is not an easy task when there are simply no clues available to the police. On top of that challenge, Det. Bennett has b ...more

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Mar 22, 2021 Linda rated it it was amazing

Weeks before Bennett is to marry his long time love and the nanny of his 10 children, an assassin comes to town to perform ghastly murders that are unrelated. And, the story takes off! I feel this is the best Bennett story we've received from Patterson since we lost Michael Ledwidge and ended up with co-author James O. Born.

We are introduced to Bennett's new partner, Brett Hollis. We get to be reinvolved with the Bennett family again, including Father Seamus and the returned son from prison, Bri ...more

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Mar 08, 2021 DiAnne rated it it was amazing

If you are a James Patterson fan or even if you aren't this is a MUST read!! From cover to cover it has you captured as a serial killer is one the loose! I found this to be the best in the Michael Bennett series!! Fast-paced, filled with non-stop action, drama, and an intensely creepy story. You will definitely find it extremely hard to put this one down!! WOW what a ride...loved it...can't wait for more.

Weeks before NYPD Detective Michael Bennett is to marry his longtime love, Mary Catherine, a ...more

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Mar 12, 2021 Will rated it really liked it

Shelves: mystery, police-thriller, crime-thriller

SUBJECTIVE READER REVIEW WITH PLOT SPOILERS FOLLOWS:

Okay, Patterson and Born get the 'hidden storyline plot' award for 'The Russian.' Only after reading 94% of the 344 pages do we learn how 'The Russian' pertains to antagonist Daniel Ott. Personally, I like to get at least some subliminal 'hedglings' that connect the title to the storyline. Who woulda thought Daniel Ott, aka David Hastings, no Russian identity provided, would sneak into the US as an SVR spy then act out his obsession with a Che ...more

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Feb 23, 2021 Rob rated it really liked it

The world’s bestselling author, Patterson continues to crank out best sellers, one after another. It’s easy to see why he’s so popular, always at the top of any bestseller list. (Anyone who has given over three million books to school kids and the military and donated more than seventy million dollars to support education has my vote.) “Patterson’s writing career is characterized by a single mission: to prove that there is no such thing as a person who ‘doesn’t like to read,’ only people who hav ...more

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Mar 05, 2021 R C Summers rated it liked it

This is another James Patterson book that delivers on the well worn formula - page turning story that has plenty of action and enough thrills to ensure the reader is engaged through to the end. Unfortunately, it also has those other characteristics that set apart a Patterson novel, lack of character development being amongst the key ones. The author rarely trys to give too much reason as to why the killer might do the things he does - more often than not he just seems to be a crazy causing mayhe ...more

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Jan 31, 2021 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Much better then the previous two

Ever since James Patterson got a different coauthor, Michael Bennett books have not been the same, to my great dismay. This is my very favorite series that James Patterson has put out.
I have been quite disappointed in the previous two books, the new coauthor simply doesn't know the characters as well as the original one did. However, The Russian is really quite good.
The story is as usual a bit over the top but that's to be expected. That's a standard Patterson ...more

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Jan 31, 2021 Mike Kennedy rated it really liked it

Shelves: james-patterson

The 13th installment in the Michael Bennett series. I have to say the James O. Born has done a good job since taking over this series from Michael Ledwidge. Yes, it is James Patterson’s name as the lead on the book cover, but let’s be honest he isn’t doing most if any of the writing.

Michael Bennett is back, and he is chasing a serial killer who likes to mutilate his victims causing a heinous crime scene. As typical with the series the chapters are short, and they bounce between Michael Bennett a ...more

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Feb 26, 2021 Eric Jolly rated it really liked it

Another enjoyable installment of the Detective Michael Bennett thriller series. A good read, written in a familiar way. As always, Bennett is hard charging and doesn’t let anyone slow him down or get in his way.

He catches multiple killers and holds them to account for their murders.

If there was one thing that bugged me a little bit about this read, it was that all of a sudden, Bennett is being harassed by the mayor’s office...but in the Bennett book right before this one, he saved the mayor’s da ...more

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Mar 26, 2021 Storm rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: author-jp-bennett-nypd-red

Detective Michael Bennett has his plate full. Not only is he getting married soon, but a serial killer has decided to make New York City their latest playground. The investigation hits several dead ends as the killer, while having a very specific modus operandi, is smart enough to leave no trace and seems to have the ability to disappear into thin air despite Michael's best efforts. This case would have frustrated the heck out of any self respecting police person - the mayor has assigned a glory ...more

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Feb 10, 2021 Mary Donegan rated it really liked it

FEB 2021 : 4 STARS. Weeks before NYPD Detective Michael Bennett is to marry his longtime love, Mary Catherine, an assassin announces his prescence in the city with a string of grisly murders. Each victim is a young woman and each has been killed in a manner as precise as it was gruesome.

I don't read all of Patterson's books because I'm not a personal fan of his, but I have to keep-up with the Bennett clan. Really enjoyed this book. Lots of action. It was interesting following along with the ser ...more

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About James Patterson

James Patterson

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James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author and most trusted storyteller. He has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today, with his Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Private, NYPD Red, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. He has sold over 380 million books wo ...more

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Quotes from The Russian

“Hollis asked me, “How’d the meeting with the editor at the Daily News go?” “About like you’d expect. It’s very clear to me that they’re only interested in the number of papers they sell or clicks the story gets online, not in helping out our homicide investigation. I swear, sometimes it feels like there are some awfully bloodthirsty people in the media who want more murders so they can have juicier stories that sell more papers.” — 0 likes

“Seamus clapped his hands together and rubbed them. “Great. Now for the next order of business: your wedding. Specifically, you need to write your vows.” “I’m working on it.” My grandfather winced and said, “That’s a tired excuse. How hard can it be for you to write four or five lines?” “Can it be a limerick? Mary Catherine is Irish, after all.” “So are we. If you do a limerick, she’ll slug you. After I get the first crack at you.” I tried to hide my smile as I said, “There once was a girl from Tipperary. Her body was not terribly hairy. She—” My grandfather punched me in the arm and walked away.” — 0 likes

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