Author James Patterson never seems to do anything by halves and so it was in February with the publication of two new thrillers, one of them written with the 2012 London Olympics as a backdrop.
The Private series is a new twist in the ongoing Patterson writing machine.
In the recent past, I have been disappointed by Patterson's projects with various co-authors. But in Private, he has struck gold, to coin an Olympic pun.
The books are thrillers, in every sense and unlike some of the recent stand-alone thrillers, particularly Postcard Killers, the plots fairly zing along.
I wondered if I had read the books in the correct order, but the full-page bibliography on one of the inside pages confirmed I had.
Private is an exclusive detective agency run by former US marine Jack Morgan. It is sought out by the world's most effective investigation firm. In Private Games, somebody is trying to sabotage the 2012 Olympic Games and law officials seem powerless to stop the carnage. The story really is about a contest between the Olympic spirits of the past and future.
The No. 1 book involves the murder of a former lover of Jack Morgan. He becomes the No 1 suspect.
Refreshingly, Patterson seems to have rediscovered his flair for the dramatic plot lines that made him this reviewer's must-read author since the first Alex Cross novel.
- Dene Mackenzie is a Dunedin writer.
