Review: Private by James Patterson

First line: To the best of my understandably shaky recollection, the first time I died it went something like this.

From the inside cover: Former Marine helicopter pilot Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned investigation company with branches around the globe. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. The secrets of the most influential men and women on the planet come to Jack daily – and his staff of investigators use the world’s most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.

Jack is already deep into the investigation of a multimillion-dollar NFL gambling scandal and the unsolved slayings of thirteen schoolgirls when he learns of a horrific murder close to home: his best friend’s wife, Jack’s former lover, has been killed. It nearly pushes him over the edge. Instead, Jack pushes back and devotes all of Private’s resources to tracking down the killer.

But Jack doesn’t have to play by the rules. As he closes in on the killer and chooses between revenge and justice, Jack has to navigate a workplace  love affair that threatens to blow the roof off his plans. With a plot moves at death-defying speeds, Private is James Patterson’s sleekest, most exciting thriller ever.

My thoughts: I love James Patterson’s thrillers and this one certainly did not disappoint! One of the things I love about his books is the short chapters. They keep you engaged and wanting more. In this case, the chapters jump back and forth between the three cases that Private, the international private investigation firm, is currently handling. This really helps to keep things moving along while giving the Private organization credibility. If they were only handling one case, I don’t think it would be as believable. Action, mystery and personal drama all combine to create a high paced, entertaining experience with a few twists thrown in. I was hooked from the beginning and had a hard time putting the book down right until the end. I hope this becomes a new series – and from what I’ve heard, it looks like some international writers will be coming together to create more Private stories.

(I purchased this book.)

Share:

5 Comments

  1. CMash
    July 24, 2010 / 3:19 pm

    Great review!! I too am a Patterson fan and really enjoy the short chapters and jumping from one character to another. This one is definitely going on my tbr bucket list.
    CMash

  2. BookQuoter
    July 24, 2010 / 8:07 pm

    I was told to read this as my first James Patterson book. Your review certainly encourages me to do it soon. Thanks.

  3. Julie P
    July 25, 2010 / 5:30 am

    Gotta love James Patterson! One of my faves!

  4. Jennifer
    July 27, 2010 / 9:43 pm

    I've been interested in this book. Didn't really know what it was about, but I saw TV commercials promoting it. That always gets me a little interested in books because you certainly don't see TV commercial for many books. But this sounds like a fun and interesting story and if its a series, all the better.

  5. Shonda
    July 31, 2010 / 3:07 am

    I heard this is the start of a new series. I just checked it out from the library. I love JP! The short chapters help to make the story easy to fall into. I'm looking forward to reading it.