Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson

Eruption by Michael Crichton and James Patterson-419 pages

Took a while for it to grab my interest.  Thankfully, true to Patterson's form the chapters are short!  I found myself cheering the deaths of characters who were the idiots and exploiting the eruption for money and self promotion.  And being sad for those who died who were the good people, working hard to save lives.  It was ok, longer than it needed to be.

 

Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

 Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson - 439 pages, Audiobook 10 hours

⭐⭐⭐✰✰

She's a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her.

She's also on the run. Find a future, lose a past.

AnnieLee has run away to Nashville determined to become a country music star. When a studio musician for the world-famous, and retired, Ruthanna Ryder, hears her perform in Ruthanna's bar, he knows she has something special and makes sure Ruthanna knows it too. After Ruthanna takes AnnieLee under her wing, the past she ran away from comes back to haunt her.

This book was a little slow at the beginning but got more exciting toward the middle. My biggest complaint about this book is that the ending was rather short and abrupt after all the build-up throughout the book.

Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson-439 pages

AnnieLee Keyes (aka Rose) is an aspiring country music artist. She arrives in Nashville, Tennessee with little to her name and nowhere to stay. She soon meets Ethan Blake at the Cat's Paw bar owned by Ruthanna Ryder, who is a retired country music superstar. Secrets of AnnieLee's past are very slowly revealed through the story as she becomes an up-and-coming country music superstar, thanks to Ethan and Ruthanna. Will the secrets of AnnieLee's past get in the way of her rising stardom? Who is AnnieLee really? This is a somewhat suspenseful read, but it's a bit slow until the very end. I liked it, but would give it 3 out of 5 stars. 

The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by James Patterson and Tad Safran

The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas by James Patterson and Tad Safran, 276 pgs. 

"At Christmastime, a family of three is missing someone dear to them. Until unexpected guests begin to arrive at their empty house, filling it with Christmas memories in the making." - from the book's jacket.

This is a whimsical, silly story that paints a vivid picture of what it would look like if your true love really did send you a partridge in a pear tree, followed by two turtle doves, three French hens, etc. The Sullivan family, father Henry and his two kids Will and Ella, have an incredible twelve days of Christmas but in the end-- despite all of the upheaval with messy, unwanted pets and guests (a menagerie of birds, German milk maids, English lords leaping about, you get the picture)-- they end up growing closer together and happier than they've been in years.  

I thought the book was just okay. It was silly and rather corny. But that's all it was intended to be I believe: just a lighthearted, humorous, and ultimately heart-warming Christmas story. 

Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross #1) by James Patterson

Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross #1) by James Patterson-502 pages (paperback)

I must admit that this is the first Patterson I've read. His writing is very simplistic and choppy (or at least it was in the beginning). The chapters and sentences are mostly very short. However, the story is pretty captivating, if somewhat harrowing. A man posing as a teacher at Washington Day private school kidnaps the Secretary of the Treasury's son and a daughter of a prominent actress. Doctor/Detective Alex Cross and his partner John Sampson are assigned as part of the team investigating the kidnapping. Alex Cross lost his wife to a ride-by shooting a few years before and now raises his two young kids with his grandma. A secret service agent involved in the investigation (Jezzie Flanagan) gets close with Cross and they fall in love. Not all is as it seems in this entire case (and other potentially related) cases, however. There are some interesting (if predicable, at times) plot twists. Overall, I liked this one alright and would give it 3 out of 5 stars. I may or may not read another book by Patterson.

 

The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson-594 pages

Michael Keating is a former Navy SEAL -- and a former President of the United States.  Now relocated to rural New Hampshire,  all he wants is to have a normal family life..even though he is still surrounded by secret service agents.  But then a terrorist who is bent on revenge kidnaps his daughter.  He will have to pull in some favors and rely on his Seal training to try to rescue her since he is getting no help from the current President.  It is quite a thriller and I enjoyed it very much.

 

The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson-513 pages

It took a while for me to get drawn in...but once the action starts it is nonstop.  Makes you wonder how many times the American people are totally unaware of the dangers that confront our country.  I was honestly surprised that I liked it.  

The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

 (Maximum Ride #1)

422 pages / 9 hrs, 38 mins

"Six unforgettable kids — with no families, no homes — are running for their lives. Max Ride and her best friends have the ability to fly. And that's just the beginning of their amazing powers. But they don't know where they come from, who's hunting them, why they are different from all other humans... and if they're meant to save mankind — or destroy it."  --from the publisher

I'm still scratching my head over this one, and not in a good way. It seems the reader is supposed to know part of the backstory, because the writing is disjointed and very little is explained. I give it three out of five stars, but that might be generous.

Texas Outlaw

Texas Outlaw (Rory Yates #2) by James Patterson 440 pages

Rory Yates is a Texas Ranger who is well known for being a hero. Detective Ariana Delgado believes something suspicious is happening in her small town of Rio Lobo. A local council woman died in what was deemed as accidental but Delgado believes it could have been murder. She sends for Rory to help with the investigation before more people in the town die.

The President is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton

The President is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton,  513 pages

I was apprehensive about reading this book and knew nothing of the plot before I read it.  For a James Patterson novel, I found it an enjoyable read.  Maybe, because Bill Clinton was the coauthor.  I found this book really relevant in today's current world situation.  In this book, the President goes missing.  But, for good reason.  A virus is about to be unleashed on all the computers in the United States, taking out all the Pentagon's computers.  Can the President stop it before it destroys the United States?

The Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox

The Inn by James Patterson and Candice Fox, 385 pages

In this newest James Patterson novel we find ex Boston cop, Bill Robinson, trying to put his life back together after moving to the inn he and his wife bought in Glouchester before his wife was killed in a hit and run.  All Bill wants is peace, but between the adventures of his boarders and the local drug dealers wreaking havoc on their peaceful town, he is dragged back in to the detective business.

The Warning by James Patterson and Robison Wells

The Warning by James Patterson and Robison Wells, 316 pages

Friends Jordan and Maggie return to their hometown, Mount Hope after being gone for some time after Mount Hope had a nuclear reactor accident.  Jordan was injured in the accident and was held at a separate camp than his friend.  When the friends are finally sent back to Mount Hope, they soon discover that Jordan has some special powers.  Maggie and Jordan also discover that their hometown is not the same town they left.  With no roads open out of town, Maggie and Jordan are left to find out what is happening in their seemingly perfect town.

Filthy Rich by James Patterson and John Connolly with Tim Malloy

Filthy Rich by James Patterson and John Connolly with Tim Malloy, 287 pages

Filthy Rich was written back in 2016 about the charges brought against Jeffrey Epstein in Florida.  I can't think of a more relevant book to read with the news going on.  I have read many of James Patterson's fiction books but only a handful of his nonfiction books.  His nonfiction books are very detailed and rivoting and this one is no exception.  Filthy Rich is full of a lot of vulgar details about Jeffrey Epstein's encounters with many underage victims in Florida.  The details in this book will make you wonder why Epstein did not do much time in jail time as he should of.   It will also make you question how did he earn all his money?

Unsolved by James Patterson and David Ellis

Unsolved by James Patterson and David Ellis, 468 pages

I read this book a few weeks ago and honestly can't remember it.  I know it is book two in the series Invisible.  The book follows FBI agent Emily Dockery as she tries to stay one step ahead of a serial killer who is out to get her too.  As the murders all look accidental, will she and her boyfriend Harrison Bookman find the killer before he strikes again?

The Cornwalls Are Gone by James Patterson and Brendan Dubois

The Cornwalls Are Gone by James Patterson and Brendan Dubois, 332 pages

In James Paterson's newest thriller, we meet Army Intelligence Officer Amy Cornwall.  When Amy returns home from her job at Fort Belvoir, she finds her husband Tom and daughter Denise have been kidnapped. Amy has a situation of her own at work to deal with and is forced to leave work and home behind to find her husband and daughter.  Was it her job who put her family's life in jeopardy or husband's career as a journalist?  This is a fast paced thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat.

Liar Liar by James Patterson and Candace Fox

Liar Liar by James Patterson and Candace Fox, 365 pages

Liar Liar is a continuation of Never  Never and Fifty Fifty.  Of these three books, I must admit I found Liar Liar hard to put down.  The book follows detective Harriet Blue as she chases down Regan Banks, the man who killed her brother and is a serial killer throughout Sydney.  The pursuit is on.  Harriet is chasing Regan, and the police department is chasing them both.

Ambush by James Patterson and James O Born

Ambush by James Patterson and James O Born, 417 pages

Ambush is the latest Michael Bennett book in the detective series.  This was a quick read and I think a little better than the last Michael Bennett book.  Michael Bennett is faced again with being caught between two drug cartels and them wanting him dead and using his family to get to him.  Bonus short story call Manhunt included.

Juror #3 by James Patterson and Nancy Allen

Juror #3 by James Patterson and Nancy Allen, 331pages

In James Pattersons latest novel Ruby is a southern lawyer trying to establish herself and built up her clientele in her new law practice.  But when she is chosen to defend a young criminal, she will start her reputatîon for being a tuff lawyer.  Especially when Juror #3 shows signs that he may actually be the killer.  Her second case is not easy when she has to defend her exfiance of killing a prostitute.  But with the help of Suzanne and new boyfriend Shorty, she has all the help she needs.  This James Patterson book read more like a Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich and was a little lighter read than the usual Patterson book

Murder, Interrupted (James Patterson's Murder Is Forever by James Patterson

Murder, Interrupted (James Patterson's Murder Is Forever) by James Patterson, 304 pages

Murder Interrupted contains two true crime thrillers.  This is a new series of books Mr. Patterson is writing.  The two stories were fascinating true crime stories.  These books are just as thrilling as his fiction books if not more so.  I especially liked the second one in this book about a mother who is not the perfect person she seems.

Princess: A Private Novel by James Patterson and Rees Jones

Princess: A Private Novel by James Patterson and Rees Jones, 384 pages

Princess is the fourteenth book in the Private series by James Patterson.  I have read all the books in the series and found this book a little boring and more like reading two books.  The first half of the book Jack Morgan of Private has been hired by Princess Caroline, third in line to the British throne, to find a very close friend.  With the help of Peter Knight of Private London, Jack will discover the Princess is not telling him everything.  The second part of the story someone is out to get Private London and Jack Morgan.  The earlier books in the Private series are much better.