Book Review: Swimsuit by James Patterson

As stated in an earlier post, I am and always have been, a fan of James Patterson. I have always found his talent level to be consistent and really enjoy reading his books. His newest novel, SWIMSUIT (co-authored with Maxine Paetro) held up to my expectations.

Here is the book description from the Hachette Book Group website:

"Syd, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot in Hawaii, disappears. Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaii to investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror that awaits them.

LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own research into the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for his next bestseller. With no leads and no closer to uncovering the kidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets a shocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist deal with the devil.

A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, SWIMSUIT transports readers to a chilling new territory where the collision of beauty and murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakable horrors."

In SWIMSUIT, we are told right away who the killer is. In this book, what we are reading to find out is why he did it and will he get caught. As always with James Patterson's novels the book is a fast-paced, page-turner! If you have not yet discovered Patterson, then this is a good book to start with as it is a stand-alone novel, not part of any of his previous series.

Look for it on June 29, 2009! You will not be disappointed!

Book Review: CROSS COUNTRY by James Patterson

I have always enjoyed James Patterson’s books, although I have not read one for about the past year or so. When I was given the opportunity to review his newest book CROSS COUNTRY, I jumped at the chance. CROSS COUNTRY is Patterson’s 14th book featuring one of my favorite Patterson characters, Alex Cross. Since I had last read an Alex Cross novel there had been a few changes in his life, but after a few pages I was easily brought up to speed.

Here is the book description from the Hachette Book Group website:

“When the home of Alex Cross's oldest friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, the destruction leads him to believe that he's chasing a horrible new breed of killer. As Alex and his girlfriend, Brianna Stone, become entangled in the deadly Nigerian underworld of Washington D.C., what they discover is shocking: a stunningly organized gang of lethal teenagers headed by a powerful, diabolical man--the African warlord known as the Tiger. Just when the detectives think they're closing in on the elusive murderer, the Tiger disappears into thin air. Tracking him to Africa, Alex knows that he must follow. Alone.”

I found the premise of the book to be very interesting. I wasn’t too sure about Alex just hopping on a plane to go to Africa to track the Tiger. It just did not seem very believable. It is something that I don’t believe would ever happen in real life. However, the book is fiction and these things can happen in a fictional novel. Once I got past that part I did enjoy the fast-paced thriller!

I really enjoy reading about Alex Cross and his adventures. CROSS COUNTRY was a little different from the previous novels that I had read as most of the prior books were set in Washington D.C. where Cross is based. However, I did enjoy the change of venue as it mixed things up a little bit. This book also contains more than Patterson’s usual share of graphic violence, but he was using the events to illustrate points, such as the real-life current situation in Africa, and this he did very well.

Like Patterson's previous books, CROSS COUNTRY is an action-packed read with never a dull moment. I look forward to reading more of Patterson in the future and at the rate which he puts out books the wait shouldn’t be too long!