Eyes of a Child

Rating:
Summary: A mystery that is not a whodunit.
Review: If you have any experience at all reading the whodunit type of mystery story, you will know within the first two chapters who the murderer is in this story. If that's all you care about, you'll be tempted to stop. My advice? DON'T !!!

Eyes of a Child is one of the best mystery novels I have ever read, and I picked it up by accident, thinking it was by another author. Lucky accident! The story is told largely through the eyes of Teresa Peralta, a young hispanic legal assistant in San Francisco, whose husband of six years, Richie, is murdered just before she leaves to go to Venice with her boss and lover, Christopher Paget, a major character carried over from a previous Patterson novel. We know Chris can't possibly be the murderer, because he's the good guy in the previous book, so we're left with only one possible suspect-- so there's no mystery at all about 'whodunit.' In spite of that, the book is a terrific mystery-- not about who, but about how and why.

The 'victim' is a slimeball of major proportions. He's killed in the first few pages. Then, through flashbacks, we're taken through the last few months before his demise. By the time he finally gets what's coming to him, we're ready to go to SanFran and kill him ourselves!

The dramatic insensity picks up when Christopher is arrested and tried for the murder. We know he didn't do it, but his efforts to prove his innocence in the face of many facts that make him look guilty provides the terrific suspense. The outcome is unexpected and exciting.

But I'm missing the main point here: This is no ordinary mystery story, and the plot pales in comparison to some other issues. These are 'real' people. We care about them. We care what happens to them. We want Christopher to 'get off' without revealing to the authorities who the real killer is, because the murderer has done society an immense service and deserves to remain unidentified and free.

Although the adult characters make the plot move, it is a child who is the center of the story-- hence the title. Teresa's daughter is one of the most haunting and sympathetic characters you will ever encounter in literature. What happens to her along the way is far more important in the long run than the more prosaic question of who is 'victim' and who is 'murderer.'

I have only two minor complaints: 1. A couple of the characters easily arrive at insights into their own personalities that no real-life person could similarly achieve, and 2. They are able to articulate these insights more clearly than any similar real person could. In other words, the author puts words in their mouths for them. This damages the illusion of reality in a couple of spots. However, the book's many strengths far outweigh these piddly weaknesses.

A fascinating read. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS BY RNP
Review: this was my first book by richard north patterson (rnp) which was kind of a mistake. little did i know that there were two books before this one about christopher paget, mary carelli, and teresa peralta. if you havent read "the lasko tangent" or "degree of guilt" read those before you read this one. other then that i really liked this book. its one of those that you just cant put down until you finish it. you might want to read "the final judgement" or the renamed title "caroline masters" after your done with this one. after this book i got into all his other ones which i have really enjoyed. another good ones to read by him are "silent witness" or "dark lady"

Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful but one dimensional
Review: this was my first North Paterson audio book and while I was pulled into the story I felt after it was over that it left a bad taste in my mouth. As another reviewer stated here Chris Paget and his lover/associate Terri are just too smug for my liking. The no can do any wrong couple that supposedly sacrifices much to put things right. I do confess that Terri's ex husband Richie was one of the worst scum to ever grace the pages of fiction literature his opposites however were too self righteous for my taste. In fact the only character which was three dimensional was Elena the little girl and perhaps even Rosa Terri's mother. The story does grip you and you want to finish the book if only to find out what happens at the end but in the end you will not admire the main characters much when you have finished. The sex abuse angle was interesting though I could not believe Terri was so stupid not to notice it from the start. Chris's son Carlos was annoying to no end and the political side plot was a complete yawn. I have one more North Patterson book that I purchased, "No safe Place," I hope that one will be suspenseful without presenting such black and white characters as there were in this one. This book contains three CDs and is narrated by Ken Howard. He does a good job but his female voices could be improved upon.