Rating: 
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: I was looking forward to reading this after having enjoyed "Jack and Jill". I was, however, very disappointed. This book was hard to read and difficult to follow. I could not get into this book. I found it to be very boring. I had a hard time finishing it.
Rating: 
Summary: Different side of Patterson revealed in Berryman...
Review: If you are looking for the same type of writing and the same intensity as Patterson's more recent books, you will not find it here. Though many may find this novel dissapointing, I can not imagine that this is the worst book that any one of you has ever read- unless your reading list is quite miniscule. I can think of many books that are worse than this one. My advice to other readers is to read this book just to read THIS particular book. If you dive into it with any preconceived notions and are looking for another Kiss the Girls, then you will most definately be dissapointed. This book is another side to Patterson. It is a completely different style of writing than his recent novels- but is still unique and worth reading. And keep in mind that someone must have enjoyed it- it won a major literary award. If you want Alex Cross, you won't find him here, but you will find a novel that is still worth exploring. Remember to keep an open mind and you may just find that this novel is worth more than mere kindling for your fire.
Rating:
Summary: Wake up some of you "reviewers"
Review: In reading some of the other reviews on this book I was amazed at what some people say. No this is not his best work, but it is definitely not a 1 star book either. To give this a one and say that it confused you and then give it a one sort of says to me that you probably missed something. For those of you who have read some of his other stuff, this isn't bad, but it is not what you may expect from an Edgar Award winner
Rating:
Summary: Waste of time and effort.
Review: In today's world our time is very precious and valuable. Do not waste your time or your money for that matter on this book. Forgive Patterson for this one. He makes up for it with some other rather exceptional writings.
Rating:
Summary: I want my money back!
Review: Since the worst rating possible is a 1, I suppose I can't give it what I think is more accurate, about a -10. THE MOST HORRIBLE BOOK I HAVE EVER READ (my mother agrees!). Please, save your money and throw it in the gutter before shelling it out for this particularly horrible, unintelligible, degrading to the literate, book! But, that is just my opinion (and my mother's).
Rating:
Summary: Don't even think about it.
Review: The reason I got this book was because I heard that it won the Edgar that year. It must have been an awful year, because this is one strenuously lackluster novel. It's story is not compelling, the characters aren't interesting, the narrative style doesn't work and the resolution does almost nothing to answer the questions raised by the plot. This doesn't reflect on Patterson's talents as an author, after all, this was his first novel. That being the case, it still should be regarded as craft honing piece and not something you should spend your money on.
Rating: 
Summary: Patterson thinks he is recreating the JFK assasination
Review: This book is very boring. The storyline is simple - a politician gets shot as there are people wishing him to be dead. A hitman is given the contract. Simple.Yet James Patterson uses a shifting timeline to confuse the reader. He thinks that he is recreating the JFK assasination conspiracies. The only two good books ever written by James Patterson were "Kiss the Girls" and "Along Came A Spider". Rest of his books have been just banal and not enticing at all. Of late all his books like "1st to Die" and "2nd Chance" etc (with the murder club characters in San Francisco) are written with the expectation that some TV company will make a show out of it. The stories are not at all exciting and have far too many coincidences and either predictable or no suspense at all. I think Patterson has had his 15 minutes of fame and now is just capitalising on his brand name to churn out drivel. Try reading some classic Lawrence Sanders if you love suspense and good detective work.
Rating:
Summary: save your money & time
Review: this book was in one word "BORING". It just never got going. I think Thomas Patterson's other stuff is exciting and fast paced, this is the total antithesesis. Horrible! It was written a long time ago, he's a much better writer now
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Story, Bad Southern Dialogue
Review: This is a fast-paced, suspenseful, and angular tale, but the ending becomes apparent about halfway through. I recommend it because it's entertaining and fun to read. Patterson definitely understands pacing, but he needs to study local dialects a little more. People in Nashville don't talk like people from the deep south. When he writes his Nashville characters' words in dialect form, he makes them sound like they are from Georgia or Alabama. People native to middle Tennessee have Appalachian tinged accents for the most part. (Of course the degree varies based on region, schooling, and so forth). Appalachian speakers drag their words out more, they don't clip them or round them off like folks from the deep south. I know because I have many relatives in Tenn. What he did was akin to giving a Minnesota native a Chicago accent.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Story, Bad Southern Dialogue
Review: This is a fast-paced, suspenseful, and angular tale, but the ending becomes apparent about halfway through. I recommend it because it's entertaining and fun to read. Patterson definitely understands pacing, but he needs to study local dialects a little more. People in Nashville don't talk like people from the deep south. When he writes his Nashville characters' words in dialect form, he makes them sound like they are from Georgia or Alabama. People native to middle Tennessee have Appalachian tinged accents for the most part. (Of course the degree varies based on region, schooling, and so forth). Appalachian speakers drag their words out more, they don't clip them or round them off like folks from the deep south. I know because I have many relatives in Tenn. What he did was akin to giving a Minnesota native a Chicago accent.
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