NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson

Synopsis:

When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City's most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy.

But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren't prepared for what they see when they're called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see.

The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what's really behind the murderer's rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently--and Zach knows whatever she's hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers.

Overall, I liked the second book in this series. I did think it was a bit weaker than the first though. The writing and the characters were still up to par, I just didn’t really care about the case they were trying to solve.

It didn’t interest me as much as the one in the first book did, so that is what made it just a bit more dull for me. It took me longer to actually get into the book, but once I did, it was hard to put down.

Zach and Kylie have great chemistry, and I also love his relationship with Cheryl. It is well written, and Zach’s inner conflict is never forgotten. I feel that it gives the story more depth and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. It is easy to want him to just pick a side and stick with it, but that isn’t realistic, and I am glad that it is kept in the book. If it was overdone, it would be obnoxious to read, but I think it is done well.

I am interested in seeing how both Zach and Kylie’s relationships progress in the next book, and I hope that the next case catches my attention more than the Hazmat Killers.

4/5 Stars

Memorable Quotes: "Accept and agree? Were we kicking off a homicide investigation or downloading software?"

"He made no attempt to deny the fact that his daughter was a murderer -- as long as we didn't walk away thinking she was a homicidal lesbian. What a dad."

Click To Purchase!

NYPD Red by James Patterson

Synopsis:

It's the start of Hollywood on Hudson, and New York City is swept up in the glamour. Every night, the red carpet rolls out for movie stars arriving at premieres in limos; the most exclusive restaurants close for private parties for wealthy producers and preeminent directors; and thousands of fans gather with the paparazzi, hoping to catch a glimpse of the most famous and beautiful faces in the world. With this many celebrities in town, special task force NYPD Red is on high alert-and they can't afford to make a single mistake.

Then a world-renowned producer fatally collapses at his power breakfast, and top NYPD Red Detective Zach Jordan is the first one on the scene. Zach works with his beautiful new partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald-who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend-to discover who the murderer might be. But this is only the beginning: the most brutal, public, and horrifyingly spectacular crimes they've ever encountered are about to send all of New York into chaos, putting NYPD Red on the ropes.

Zach and Kylie know there's no way of telling what a killer this deranged will do next. With the whole world watching, they have to find a way to stop a psychopath who has scripted his finale down to the last explosive detail. With larger-than-life action, relentless speed, and white-knuckle twists, NYPD Red is the next mega-blockbuster from "The Man Who Can't Miss."

I have been meaning to start this series for a while now. I am so glad that I finally did.

This novel was such a typical James Patterson book. . . so I loved it! Sometimes you can just tell when a book is his, and this was one of those.

I am always nervous about starting a new series, because you never know if you are going to like the characters and if they are going to grow on you or if you will just be indifferent through the whole book (or series, if you choose to continue).

Thankfully, I fell for the characters right away in this one. They were awesome right from the beginning and they all seemed to have great chemistry while preserving their own separate personalities. Nothing is worse than when all of the character arcs run together and they are hard to distinguish by nothing other than their name.

The actual storyline in this first novel was also interesting. We have seen high profile cases before with Alex Cross, but this was closer to the cases that Lindsay Boxer tackles out in California.

Overall, I really enjoyed this first book in the series. I didn’t find myself buying into much of the suspense but it was just an ENTERTAINING read to me.

If you are already a Patterson fan, you will dig this book. If you like crime novels or thrillers, you may be intrigued and eventually become a Patterson fan. Try it out!

5/5 Stars

Click Here To Purchase!

Hit and Run by Lurlene McDaniel

Synopsis:

If no one meant for it to happen, should someone be guilty? Analise: She knows the roads and feels secure riding her bike. Laurie: When asked out by Quin, Laurie is happy. Then his car hits something. Later, Laurie realizes there is a way to get Quin to date her. Quin: Because Quin is athletically gifted, his father expects him to get a scholarship. Nothing is to get in his way of college, athletics, money, and success. When he realizes what has happened, he decides he must not let it ruin his future. Jeremy: It's been the perfect relationship with Analise. Little does Jeremy realize that the beautiful wood he carves will be used for something for Analise. As the lives of people who never wanted to hurt others intersect, harsh realities of choices that cannot be changed are explored.

This book was a random pickup while I was at a discount book store. I had no expectations going into it. I picked it up for $2 and it looked somewhat interesting.

The good news: it was only $2. The bad news, for the author & publisher I guess, that is all that I would ever spend on this book.

Let me say this – It was not a bad book. I didn’t hate it.

BUT.

It was just very typical. It was a very average young adult novel that has been done multiple times. It was basically a lesser version of If I Stay with a few tweaks to the story line.

The random high school popularity storyline annoyed me and kind of made me want to throw my book at the wall. SPOILER ALERT: withholding the truth about the accident so this girl could get a boyfriend that she didn’t even like was so dumb. Pro-tip: don’t do that.

If you find this book discounted somewhere and have nothing else to read, you may not hate it. Otherwise, don’t even bother. Read If I Stay instead.

2/5 Stars

Click To Purchase!