Rating: Summary: He's back to his old form Review: After several of his most recent books, I had lost a little of my enthusiasm for Patterson. This book is a return to his brilliant story telling ability. Patterson very adebtly weaves togeather several seperate plot lines into one gripping page turner. The story follows a cop, a prosecuter, a medical examiner, and a reporter. Patterson does a wonderful job of leading the reader through the fascinating lives and careers of these four people. This is one of the most entertaining books I've read in long time.
Rating: Summary: Bitterly disappointed?? Try IN THE GHOST COUNTRY Review: Many readers have found Patterson's sexy thriller an over-cooked and contrived tale, with much promised and little delivered -- I really enjoyed it, however. He's a very clever story-teller, with a canny knack for strange detail. For the sake of all those disappointed souls, may I suggest a book that far exceeds expectations. It's called IN THE GHOST COUNTRY by Peter Hillary -- it's an adventure story, a ghost story, a psychological thriller and a shock-filled memoir by a famous person, all in one. It absolutely knocked my socks off. I don't know anyone who hasn't enjoyed it or admired it.
Rating: Summary: excellent book....a must read for the series Review: Having been a Patterson for some years now, I couldn't wait till this book came out. It was such a good book that I started it the night I got it and finished it by the next morning! It was one that I found hard to put down. I don't think I have yet read a Patterson book I haven't liked but I'm still making my way through his books. Definitely a must read. I hope he keeps up with this series. Like his Alex Cross series this an excellent series. Good strong lead characters with good supporting ones as well. The stories are excellent and not hard to follow.
Rating: Summary: Return of the King! Review: I was into this latest effort by patterson very much. It's got a strong driving plot. It puts you in the middle of intense ation right fromt he start. And keep you there. The plot is intricately woven together and this time, intelligently drawn out to the end. The interplay betweenthe characters has humor and pathos. Okay, so it's not Middlesex. But this latest patterson will not disappoint. Whomever this Andrew gross is (2nd Chance, jester) keep working with him!
Rating: Summary: 3rd time is the charm Review: I have been very critcal of Patterson's churning of novels in the last five years. Most of his work's were not up to the standard he set early in career. I am pleased to say that this novel is one of his best efforts in quite a while. The story line is excellent, the action fast paced and the book is a page turner. As is typically in Patteson's novels, the plot is not too deep and pretty easy to figure out. However, I would recommend this book as the best in the current series and suggest picking it up. It will not blew you away, but it is a good novel and worth the read.
Rating: Summary: The Queens of San Francisco are back Review: Detective Lindsay Boxer and her cronies are back for another installment,Jill the asisstant district attorney,Claire the medical examiner,and Cindy the reporter for the chronicle and if you have red the first two books of this series which you should before this one.These girls make up the Womens Murder Club. Lindsay and Jill have just finished up a morning jog in an area that lindsay has been many times before with jill leaving already lindsay is watching a house that she has admired for sometime when suddenly it explodes.( I thought this was a little strange right at the start I am not a writer but thought it could have been developed a little to get to this point she just happens to be there).Lindsay springs into action and goes into the house looking for survivors she hers a noise and ends up finding a twelve year old boy but there are three bodies and after talking to a relative a missing baby.This happens to be the house of an internet millionare and while on the surface it looks like it might just be from a gas leak but sifting through evidence they find evidence of a bomb.They also find in the area what lindsay thinks might be a second device they find a framed photo of the millionare with the inscription MORTON LIGHTOWER AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE signed by a group calling themselves AUGUST SPIES and they realize this was an execution. A little later in the book a gentlemen named George Bengosian a man who in charge of a HMO getting ready for a conference thinks he is getting lucky by picking up a fine looking girl.This girl convinces him to take a few drops of this magic liquid she has to enhance the mood when she ends up pouring the whole thing into his mouth he knows he is in trouble and he dies when the police come to investigate they find a pretty gruesome seen and a note stuffed in Georges mouth the paper with his HMO logo on it with a note declaring war on the "agents of greed and corruption in our society" they realize this is another execution and probably linked to the house bomb especially when this was also signed by the August Spies. Just so happens that the G8 is coming to San Francisco around this time and cindy at the paper gets an email from the August Spies that if they do not get the members of the G8 to come to their senses and denounce the global virus that is the system of free enterprise as they call it they will kill a "bloodsucking pig" every three days.So the chase is on thinking that this has to do with the WTO and the G8 but is that the only reason or is there another reason? There will be some shocking discoveries about one of members of the womens murder club and things that will happen and will change them forever. As usual this book as are most of mr. pattersons books is a fast read it may not necesarally deep and intellectual but he does write some good books. I would give you more of the story but would be afraid it would give to much away
Rating: Summary: The big three Review: Three books that you must read are these: THE DA VINCI CODE by Brown, BARK OF THE DOGWOOD by McCrae, and this one--3RD DEGREE. All three are very different but well-written. Of all of these, however, 3RD DEGREE is my favorite. Having read all of Patterson's books, I can honestly say that this is one of his best. I loved 2nd CHANCE, ROSES ARE RED, and KISS THE GIRLS also. Don't miss this one.
Rating: Summary: A descent too far Review: BANG! goes the bomb, and the windows blow out, flames reaching desperately out into the air. "Oh My God", says Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer, rushing without a thought into the burning house to heroically save any helpless San Francisco citizens inside. "We hate capitalism," muse the terrorists. "Who shall we target next? (Hey, how about that author whose publishing machine makes millions of dollars every year? Patterson something, isn't he called?") A brief moment later, the members of the Weepy Ladies Club begin to cry on one another's shoulders as another body is found horribly murdered. "Oh my God", they wail in unison, "these are innocent people they're killing! Innocent! Hey, Jill what are those bruises on your arm?" they ask, concerned. She makes some excuse about falling in the shower. They sense the approach of an improbable, sensationalist sub-plot. Suddenly, a message is discovered! The evil terrorists are declaring war on greed and corruption, and calling themselves the "August Spies". "Oh my God," exclaims Lindsay Boxer, "this is terrible!" "By the way," interjects Patterson (or is it Andrew Gross?), shouting all the way from the cover of the book, "One of my best-loved heroines..." "Eh?" interrupts Lindsay incredulously, "Best-loved? Us?" "Yup, apparently. As I was saying...in 3rd Degree one of my best-loved heroines is going to die. Which one will it be?" He leaves in a blood-red puff of smoke, failing laughably to create any atmosphere of suspense. Sorry about all that...I think I'm drowning in the lack of respect I have for this book; although how anyone could drown in the absence of anything is neither here nor there. Normally, I can at least appreciate these books for what they are: cheap thrills packaged for an undemanding mass audience. Not any longer, I don't think. 3rd Degree is Patterson's shortest book so far, yet weighs in at a ridiculous 111 paragraphs (there is no way they could classify as "chapters") which make the experience of reading it feel distinctly like skimming even though I read every single word, and it positively reeks of the greed which bore it. Sensationalism is piled upon further sensationalism. Here we have not only domestic abuse (wholly improbable, badly dealt with) but terrorism as well! How's that for topical, eh? James Patterson novels have finally become parodies of themselves. I'm not sure how anyone on earth could read this book in any kind of serious way. The characters are laughable; not even cardboard, they're just shadow puppets all of the same vague shape. As I've said before, no one can reduce a character to mere proper-nouns and pronouns with more ease than James Patterson. Once again, his use of the exclamation mark - the literary equivalent of gasping at your own bombshell, or laughing at your own joke - had me in titters, creating entirely the wrong effect. If a scene is dramatic, we will know it, Mr Patterson. Provided that the book is well-written enough, of course. Oh, irony of ironies. The use of the exclamation mark only emphasises our awareness of the fact that this is pseudo-dramatic trash desperate for attention, for some kind of effect. While the first two books in this series were good enough by his standards, this is possibly a step too far. And the sheer hypocrisy of this book, which seems to have some sense of an anti-capitalism message, just made me angry when the existence and purpose of this book is considered in its context. Although it has its moments and is thrilling enough at times, I wouldn't recommend this to anyone (well, if truth be told, I wouldn't really recommend any Patterson to anyone.) At least we have something to be thankful for, though: it's not as bad as The Lake House.
Rating: Summary: Reads like a bad sequel Review: As much as I've like some earlier writings, this seems like a half heart effort. It's typical Patterson plot, i.e., tragic event, single investigator getting over lost love, major tragic event, then good guys get bad guys just in time. Not only is this wearing thin, the chapters average about 3 pages. I bring this up because when you account for white space, the book is reads more like a short story than a novel. If you like reading a book a day, pick this one on a day you're really busy. Suggestion to Patterson - Break the pattern next time (example - write from the perspective of the "evil doer") and you're following will stay in tow.
Rating: Summary: I JUST LOVED IT! Review: IM NOT A FAST READER BUT THIS BOOK I READ IN 24 HOURS,I COULDNT PUT IT DOWN.I FEEL WHEN HE WRITES WITH ANDREW GROSS I ENJOY THEM MORE. I HAVE TO SAY I WAS VERY DISSAPOINTED WHEN ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTURES WAS WRITTEN OFF,BUT IT STILL ENDED UP BEING A GREAT BOOK AS WERE THE FIRST TWO.IM LOOKING FORWARD TO READING THE FOURTH BOOK. KEEP GOING WITH THIS SERIES EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT THESE BOOKS.
|