The ending was excellent and the whole thing was a page turner. Overall an easy five star that any mystery reader will love. I highly recommend picking up this book. View all 15 comments. May 18, Susan rated it it was amazing Shelves: Well ladies and gentlemen, he isn't lying! It was that good!
The Black Book
All while I was reading, I totally had it figured out only to be wrong over and over again! I love when an author keeps me guessing. It's the story of Billy Harvey who is a detective in Chicago. His twin sister, Patti, is also a detective and his dad is the chief of detectives. Billy is a good detective, just as his sister and Dad are but Billy's world is about to change in ways he never imagined. It all happens the night he busts the mayor and a half a dozen other big names in a prostitution sting in a brothel downtown.
The woman who runs the brothel, kept a black book with all the details in it. Kate and Amy are dead and soon everyone thinks Billy did it. He got shot in the head and has no memory of what happened. He truly believes someone is setting him up but he isn't sure. He can't remember and he isn't sure of who he can trust. Does a story get any better than this? One minute you believe Billy killed his partner and girlfriend and the next you are sitting there shaking your head, wondering what the heck just happened.
Once you start reading, trust me, you aren't going to be able to stop! When the black book finally shows up, I was shocked at who had it! View all 6 comments. Billy Harney, his twin sister Patty and their father were all cops. Top, incorruptible cops the three of them — well known, liked and respected in their profession.
Patty felt agony deep ins Billy Harney, his twin sister Patty and their father were all cops. Patty felt agony deep inside the day she rushed to a crime scene and battled her way through the silent detectives and uniforms on site. The vision of her brother bathed in blood alongside two others would stay with her forever — but somehow Billy had a faint pulse. The worst was — Billy was charged with the murder of four people. He needed his memory to return to clear his name — or did he? Who could Billy trust as he gradually, painfully tried to find the truth? View all 4 comments.
I loved The Black Book! A complete page turner from start to finish. The back and forth from past to present is expertly done to tell an entertaining, gripping, and thrilling story. I agree with James Patterson that this is his best work to date so far. I will continue to support one of my favorite authors and read all his novels my favorite being the Alex Cross series. Mar 30, Amber Garabrandt rated it it was amazing. How can you prove your innocence if you can't remember the crime? Billy Harney is a good cop- as is his father and sister.
It's in the blood. Shortly after the case of a life time that sees several prominent members of society shamed or worse if they couldn't strike a deal , Billy is left for dead along side his girlfriend and the prosecuting attorney for the last case, Amy, and his long term partner Kate. Everyone thinks he killed Amy and had some for Summary: Everyone thinks he killed Amy and had some fort of shoot out with Kate; and he doesn't know if they are right.
A two week stretch that includes that fateful night are a complete blank. How can he pull himself out of this, and who can he trust to help him? While parts of the story seemed a bit rushed, dare I say sloppy? I still loved this book. The premise was interesting and I loved the characters. There were some issues with the flow of the book, moving from one time to another, one POV to another Now there were interesting twists, and it kept me guessing, my interest piqued.
Even the characters I hated I kind of loved them too. There was a lot of intrigue here, and some great character dynamics. I loved the book and it is still a five star for me. On the adult content scale, I give it a solid seven.
There is sexual content some of which is rather explicit , violence, and language. This is not meant for a younger audience. View all 3 comments. This story was constantly moving and had some awesome twists and turns.
The Black Book by James Patterson
It is a rather quick read but you kind of expect and look forward to getting a quick but entertaining story from a James Patterson book. I actually like that he works with other authors. My quick and simple overall: It was so interesting and fast-paced. May 22, Monnie rated it it was amazing. Call me chastised for all the potshots I've taken at Patterson's works of late on second thought, check that - I meant what I said.
Above all, call me happy that I ignored my previous rants and read this book. The title, as one might expect, refers to a missing "little black book" that didn't turn up after a raid and thorough search at a house of ill repute at which some of Chicago's finest are customers. Needless to say, the house madam ain't talking - and without it, find Call me flamboozled.
Needless to say, the house madam ain't talking - and without it, finding even more high-level patrons including cops on the take and others who weren't present during the raid, may never be found. At the epicenter is police detective Billy Harney and his partner, detective Kate Fenton. Billy's sister Patti is a cop as well, their dad, Daniel, was chief of detectives, and dad's friend and Billy's beloved mentor heads up Internal Affairs, so clearly copness is a family affair.
As the raid is analyzed, Billy insists he had every right to initiate it; but Amy Lentini, the beautiful assistant state's attorney, seems out to prove that it wasn't justifiable and therefore was illegal , thus putting the kabosh on potential prosecution of everyone captured.
Chapters shift back and forth, with "past" chapters peeling away more clues to what really happened. Usually, I'm not fond of this technique - nor did I love it here. But it's actually done very well and helped keep me on the edge of my seat even though I guessed pretty much from the start who was behind everything.
In fact, besides an intriguing, fast-moving story, my desire to find out if my guess was right it was and learn the how and why was a big part of what kept me going. All in all, it's a totally engrossing book. The Patterson-Ellis collaboration hasn't always produced such stellar efforts - I'm referring specifically to The Murder House and Mistress , to which I gave 4 and 3 stars, respectively - but this one hit the mark. View all 12 comments. Apr 15, Scott rated it it was amazing Shelves: That almost borders on arrogance. Nice escapism, but nothing super memorable.
Anyway, I put the self-promotional blurb to the test as I read the book. I really hate to say this, but guess what? This was one of the best books of his and his list of many co-authors that I have read in a long time. I enjoyed Cross Justice a lot two years ago, the first Private novel a lot, but this one brought me back to the intense moments of Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls.
It is a detective story of Billy Harney, who survives a shooting with his girlfriend and partner while investigating corrupt government officials and police officers in Chicago. As expected in a Patterson story, the plot unfolds at a frenetic pace, being told in both current and flashback stages. I must say the characters were interesting and had more depth and personality than usual.
What a payoff ending! Overall, this book was an absolute joy to read. Patterson is right — it is one of his best books. Oct 02, jv poore rated it really liked it Shelves: Particularly fine Patterson book, definitely kept me guessing! Apr 21, Bob rated it it was ok. The Publishers Weekly review of this book was very positive and concludes with the sentence, "Many readers will agree with Patterson that this is the 'best book he's written in 25 years. Much to my disappointment, my opinion of The Black Book was quite different from what I was hoping it would be. On the plus side, The Back Book is a very fast-paced, attention-holding, plot-driven thriller that has an above average amount of twists and turns.
However, for me, these pluses were far outweighed by the following key negatives: Characters that were very so weakly developed that I could never get a good picture in my mind of what any of them physically looked like, nor could I get anything more than a tissue-paper thin understanding of their motivations for their actions. As such, I never came to care one way or the other about any of the characters. Several of the plot twists and turns intended to provide reader suspense too often seemed contrived and strained credulity, and Perhaps most disappointing to me is that I was able to figure out the so-called surprise ending of "who really did it and why" halfway through the book.
Nonetheless, if my review provides some "food for thought" in helping decide if The Black Book is a book for you, I'll feel it's done its job. Apr 08, Dominique rated it it was amazing. This book was awesome! The best he's written in a long time. The ending had me totally shocked!!! View all 5 comments. Apr 03, Nicole rated it it was amazing. Dec 24, Sherri Thacker rated it really liked it Shelves: James Patterson does it again!!
Had me guessing until the very end. James Patterson has again teamed up with David Ellis, offering a wonderful standalone thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats and up late into the night. While tailing a suspect, Harney makes the decision to raid a brownstone, which opens up a new and troublesome revelation; this is a brothel visited by the city's rich and powerful men. During the raid, a 'little black bo James Patterson has again teamed up with David Ellis, offering a wonderful standalone thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats and up late into the night.
During the raid, a 'little black book' goes missing, with names that could bring even more of the rich and famous to their knees or serve as strong blackmail fodder. All eyes turn to Harney, who must try to clear his name, when it is presumed he pocketed it. As Fenton begins a power struggle with her partner, Harney must find out who is trying to frame him, adamant that he knows nothing of the book.
With the case against the defendants caught in the raid fast approaching, Harney works with a hot-shot prosecutor, Amy Lentini, to ensure his testimony is flawless. Her icy exterior soon melts and she turns up the heat with Harney, which only clouds both their judgements. In a parallel narrative, set in the 'present', Harney is found naked, in bed with Lentini, while Detective Fenton lays on the floor. All three have been shot and the two women are dead, with Harney clinging to life and a bullet lodged in his skull.
As the story continues, it appears Harney is being blamed for the murder, unable to remember anything from the past as it relates to the lead-up to the shooting or anything he may have learned about the black book. As the reader braces for an ever-evolving rollercoaster ride, the story takes twists and turns with everything centred around a list of names and the people will do anything to hold all the power.
A powerful thriller that shows Patterson has the ability to rise to the occasion, with the right author at the helm. Highly recommended to any who enjoy losing themselves in quality writing. I have often said that James Patterson's writing has waned in the past few years, his lustre buried under many mediocre novels. However, when David Ellis comes to partner, their cooperation produces stellar writing and offers the reader a literary treat. While it may be a standalone, the novel offers an array of superior characters, wonderfully crafted to push the narrative forward without getting caught up in the minutiae.
Working with the parallel narratives, Patterson and Ellis keep the reader guessing, while forcing a constant mental gear switch as the story develops, layering a revealed past with a present that is just as murky. If the reader can handle this mix, they are in for a punch to the gut during the numerous plot twists, which only adds the the overall flavour of the piece. Dark, but peppered with some dry humour to keep the reader smiling, Patterson and Ellis know the perfect recipe for a fast-paced thriller.
Patterson and Ellis for joining forces again and showing that there is never an end to your abilities. I know I am in for a treat when your names grace the cover and hope to see more of your collaborative efforts soon. An ever-growing collection of others appears at: View all 10 comments. Jun 03, Chloe rated it really liked it. Detective Billy Harney uncovers a prostitution ring by accident while following a murder suspect.
A lot of powerful ,prominent people are caught in the brothel but the black ledger goes missing and people are looking for it. Meanwhile Billy is caught in a scandal of his own which leave the assistant district attorney and his partner dead. By far one of my favorite James Patterson book after a long time.
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