Zoo by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

[Thom]

I have recently finished the book Zoo by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. I am a Patterson fan from way back and don’t hesitate to acquire and read everything with his name on it. This particular book, however, I found in my local library. Before I was through the first ten pages, I realized that this wasn’t your average Patterson production. No forensic profiler, no clinical psychologist, no serial killers on the loose or gory crime scenes to investigate. None of the trademarks that have made James Patterson the highly successful writer he is. This story would be more likely to have originated and flowed from the pen of Wilbur Smith, Michael Crichton or even Dan Brown. I am surprised at the fact that this book is so far out of Patterson’s apparent comfort zone and still displays such a high level of interest and readability says a lot for this prolific writer’s ability to captivate his reading audience. Even the pictogram on the binding (a pistol depicting crime) didn’t fit the genre (some things are just assumed). Very few authors feel equally at home in multiple genres, in fact I would have a hard time naming another. Can you think of any author as versatile as James Patterson?

[Joseph]

I hate to be a pessimist Thom, but I have hard time giving Patterson credit for this flexibility considering so many of his books in recent years have been written with co-authors which makes me think more of the book was written by that co-author than they were by him. So many books come out in a year with his name on it I find it hard to believe Patterson could have the time to provide more than a skeleton for another author to add pretty much the rest of the body to.

[Thom]

I suspect that you are right (although I’ve enjoyed all of his Alex Cross solo books), but the Disney Land form that all of his books have appeal to a large reading audience. There has to be a reason that so many authors agree to take a back seat to him.