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James Patterson, Copyright: Sue Solie Patterson
James Patterson
born: 3-22-1947
in: Newburgh, New York

Homepage:
www.jamespatterson.com

Bibliography:
1976 .|. The Thomas Berryman Number First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1977 .|. Season of the Machete First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1979 .|. The Jericho Commandment
     (= See how they run)
First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1986 .|. Black Market First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
      (aka. Black Friday)
1989 .|. The Midnight Club First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1993 .|. Along came a Spider First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1995 .|. Kiss the Girls First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1995 .|. The Thirteen
1996 .|. Miracle on the 17th Green
     (with Peter De Jonge)
First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1996 .|. Hide & Seek First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1996 .|. Jack & Jill First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1997 .|. See how they run First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
     (= The Jericho Commandment)
1997 .|. Cat & Mouse First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1998 .|. When the Wind blows First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
1999 .|. Pop goes the Weasle First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
2000 .|. Cradle and all First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
2000 .|. Roses are Red First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
2001 .|. 1st to Die First Chapter at TWBookmark.com .|. Bookworm's Comment
2001 .|. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas First Chapter at TWBookmark.com .|. Bookworm's Comment
2001 .|. Violets are Blue First Chapter bei TWBookmark.com
2002 .|. 2nd Chance First Chapter at TWBookmark.com .|. Bookworm's Comment
2002 .|. The Beach House First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
     (with Peter De Jonge)
2002 .|. Four Blind Mice First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
2003 .|. The Jester First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
     (with Andrew Gross)
2003 .|. The Lake House First Chapter at Bookreporter.com
2003 .|. The Big Bad Wolf First Chapter at the author's homepage
2004 .|. 3rd Degree First Chapter at the author's homepage
     (with Andrew Gross)
2004 .|. Sam's Letters to Jennifer First Chapter at the author's homepage .|. Bookworm's Comment
2004 .|. London Bridges First Chapter at the author's homepage
2004 .|. santaKid
2005 .|. Honeymoon First Chapter at the author's homepage
     (with Howard Roughan)
2005 .|. Maximum Ride:
     The Angel Experiment First Chapter at the author's homepage
2005 .|. 4th of July First Chapter at the author's homepage .|. Bookreporter.com
2005 .|. Lifeguard First Chapter at the author's homepage
     (with Andrew Gross)
2005 .|. Mary, Mary First Chapter at the author's homepage
2006 .|. The 5th Horseman First Chapter at the author's homepage .|. Bookreporter.com
2006 .|. Beach Road First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
     (with P. de Jonge)
.|. Bookreporter.com
2006 .|. Maximum Ride:
     Schools Out-Forever First Chapter at TWBookmark.com
2006 .|. Judge & Jury (with A. Gross) First Chapter at Bookreporter.com .|. Bookreporter.com
2006 .|. Cross First Chapter on the author's website
2007 .|. Step on a Crack (with M. Ledwidge) First Chapter on the author's website
2007 .|. The 6th Target (with M. Paetro) First Chapter on the author's website .|. Bookreporter.com
2007 .|. Maximum Ride: Saving the World
      and other Extreme Sports
First Chapter on the author's website
2007 .|. The Quickie (with M. Ledwidge) First Chapter on the author's website
2007 .|. You've been warned
     (with H. Roughan)
First Chapter on the author's website
.|. Bookreporter.com
2007 .|. Double Cross First Chapter on the author's website .|. Bookreporter.com
2008 .|. 7th Heaven First Chapter on the author's website .|. Bookreporter.com
2008 .|. The Final Warning:
     A Maximum Ride Novel
First Chapter on the official website
2008 .|. Sundays at Tiffany's First Chapter on the official website .|. Bookreporter.com
2008 .|. Sail (with H. Roughan) First Chapter on the official website
2008 .|. The dangerous Days of Daniel X
     (with M. Ledwidge)
First Chapter on the official website
2008 .|. Against medical Advice
     (with H. Friedman)
First Chapter on the official website
2008 .|. Cross Country First Chapter on the official website
2009 .|. Run for your Life
     (with M. Ledwidge)
First Chapter on the official website
2009 .|. Maximum Ride: MAX First Chapter on the official website
2009 .|. The 8th Confession
     (with M. Paetro)
First Chapter on the official website
.|. Bookreporter.com
2009 .|. Swimsuit (with M. Paetro) First Chapter at Bookreporter.com
2009 .|. Daniel X: Watch the Skies
     (with N. Rust)
First Chapter on the official website
2009 .|. Alex Cross's Trial
     (with R. Dilallo)
First Chapter on the official website
2009 .|. The Murder of King Tut
     (with M. Dugard)
First Chapter on the official website
.|. Bookreporter.com
2009 .|. I, Alex Cross First Chapter on the official website .|. Bookreporter.com
2009 .|. Witch and Wizard
     (with G. Charbonnet)
First Chapter on the official website
2010 .|. Worst Case
     (with M. Ledwidge)
First Chapter on the official website
.|. Bookreporter.com
2010 .|. Maximum Ride: Fang First Chapter on the official website
2010 .|. 9th Judgement First Chapter at Bookreporter.com .|. Bookreporter.com
2010 .|. Private First Chapter at the author's homepage
     (with M. Paetro)
2010 .|. Daniel X: Demons and Druids
     (with A. Sadler)
First Chapter at the author's homepage
2010 .|. Postcard Killers
     (with Liza Marklund)
2010 .|. Don't blink
     (with H. Roughan)
2010 .|. Cross Fire First Chapter at the author's homepage
2010 .|. The Gift (Witch & Wizard)
     (with N. Rust)
First Chapter at the author's homepage
Author of the Month-Feature (6/2003) at Bookreporter.com.

1st to die
"1st to die" (Warner Vision Books, Paperback, 5th edition, 2002, read: April 02)
"In San Francisco newlyweds are being stalked - and slaughtered. Enter four unforgettable women, all friends ... Lindsay, a homicide inspector in the city's police department ... Claire, a medical examiner ... Jill, an assistant D.A. ... and Cindy, a reporter who has just started working the crime desk of the San Francisco Chronicle. Joining forces, pooling their talents, courage and brains, they have one goal. To find, trap, and outwit the most diabolical and terrifying killer ever imagined."

I'm no big fan of crime novels but the premise of this book intrigued me: Four women who get together to build a network and successfully solve crimes they couldn't have solved individually. And I wasn't disappointed. The women are interesting and multi-layered characters who have to stand their ground in their jobs every day. And they have no problem asking others for help. Their collaboration developes a little bit hesitant at first but in real life one wouldn't regard the others as best buddies from the start, either. It can be safely assumed that the relationships will develop in the future and with that the contributions each one of them makes to the solution of the cases. There is a lot one can look foreward to in the series and the preview of "2nd Chance" shows that it's going to continue quite exciting.
The city of San Francisco plays only a minor role in the story. Certain places can be recognized but the city isn't really important. A little bit more local flavour would have been nice.
[Dorothée Büttgen, August 02]

2nd Chance
"2nd Chance" (Warner Vision Books, Paperback, 1st edition, 2003, read: April 03)
"The Women's Murder Club is back! A brutal madman sprays bullets into a crowd of children leaving a San Francisco church. Miraculously - or was it intentionally? - only one person dies. Then an elderly black woman is hung. Police homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer sense a connection and together with medical examiner Claire, assistant DA Jill, and Chronicle reporter Cindy, finds a link that sends a chill through the entire nation. The killer's motives are unspeakable."

The second mission of the "Women's Murder Club" with Lindsay, Claire, Jill and Cindy. Unfortunately its also the same style, the same plot, the same weaknesses and the same ending as in the preceeding part "1st to Die".
The four women are still happy and successful, and they still feel that they are not really challenged in their jobs (meaning that they could do the work much better than their bosses but get no chance to do so). Only Lindsay has been promoted to lead the homicide department after successfully solving the 'bride-and-groom-case'. The other three still struggle with their fate and since its mentioned so often, that they are so much better than their bosses, it seems that it will stay that way for quite some time.
At least their private life is improving: Lindsay reconnects with her long lost father, Jill is pregnant, Cindy falls in love and Claire is still happily married. Of course it can't all stay rosy and suger sweet but will be twisted around by the author. That's quite unfortunate for the girls but absolutely necessary for the excitement of the plot. Because otherwise really everything would be as it is in the first book: A murderer starts to kill and we don't just know about the efforts to get him but also read from his perspective. After some time the thing becomes personal and then he's after Lindsay. Then there's the showdown and it's over.

There are a lot of crime stories who go that way. I really don't read that many books of the genre and even I stumbled over some of them. I can't really claim that one would have needed the variation of "2nd Chance". The idea of the club with its interesting participants sounded really fascinating, but the second installment doesn't improve the series. You can also read the first one for a second time.
[Dorothée Büttgen, May 03]

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas     Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas - DVD
"Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" (Headline Book Publishing, Hardcover, 1st edition, 2001, read: January 02)
"Katie Wilkinson has found the perfect man at last - but one day he disappears from her life, leaving behind only a diary for her to read.
The diary was written by a new mother, as a keepsake for her baby son. In it she touchingly recounts the initial romance between herself and the child's father, and the unparalleled joy that motherhood has brought her. As Katie reads this moving account, it becomes clear that the lvoer who has left her is the same man as the husband and father in the diary. She reads on, filled with terror and hope as she struggles to understand what has happened - and wether her new love has a prayer of surviving."

There are books and movies which you read and watch mainly because of one reason: they make you cry. For example "The Notebook" by Nicholas Sparks and the movies "Love is a many splendoured thing" with Jennifer Jones and William Holden or "An Affair to remember" with Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant are highly recommended! After a good cry the world doesn't look so bad anymore.
With "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" James Patterson made a worthy addition to this category. The ending is so wonderfully sad that one Kleenex just isn't enough. Mainly because you won't be able to prepare yourself for what's coming.

The story is quite simple. A woman (Katie) falls in love with a perfect man (Matt) and just before it all gets really serious he disappeares and leaves the diary which his wife (Suzanne) wrote for their son (Nicholas). And Katie starts to read this diary. What you can't anticipate is why Matt started this new relationship in the first place. What happened to Suzanne? Is he the meanest bastard alive because he destroyed their perfect marriage with an affair? Or did something happen to Suzanne? Of course it's tragic, that's no big secret to give away. But you should read the end alone in bed or in your living room, and not in the subway because when you're easily getting close to tears you won't stop crying ... I promise. And then the world doesn't look so bad anymore.
[Dorothée Büttgen, May 02]

Sam's Letters to Jennifer
"Sam's Letters to Jennifer" (Little, Brown and Company, Hardcover, 1st edition, 2004, read: July 04)
"Dear Reader,
Have you ever gotten a letter that changed your life completely? It happened to me once. I can still feel the urgency that overtook me as I opened the envelope and the hunger I felt for whatever that letter would say. It seemed as if my entire life hung in the balance as I read.
Sam's Letters to Jennifer is a novel about that kind of drama. In it, a woman is summoned back to the town where she grew up. And in the house where she spent her most magical years she finds a series of letters addressed to her. Each of those letters is a piece of a story that will completely upend the world she thought she knew - and throw her into a love more powerful than she ever imagined could be possible. Two extraordinary love stories are entwined here, full of hope and pain and emotions that never die down.
I hope you'll enjoy this novel as much as I've enjoyed writing it. It's not often that you get a letter that changes your life. But it should happen to everyone at least once. Yours, James Patterson."

Patterson's most successful novel up to now was none of his many crime stories, some of which have been made into movies by Hollywood before. It was his 2001 love story "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas". Therefore its no wonder that Patterson gives this genre another try and wants to compete with Nicholas Sparks. Because really good and serious love stories are quite rare.

This is no epistolary novel as the title might suggest but a story about letters which are used to pass her grandmother's love- and life-story on to Jennifer. Without revealing to many details I can say that tragedy lurks in every corner of the story. Jennifer is a young widow, her grandmother lies in a coma and her new boyfriend is terminally ill. While she waits for her grandmother to wake up Jennifer spends the summer at Lake Geneva in Wisconsin and reads Sam's letters.

Patterson has stayed true to his style, writing in short sentences and even shorter chapters. After a while this really gets on my nerves. Do you really have to be at chapter 46 on page 150? This means only around 3 pages per chapter! Ok, this can also be called some kind of "style" or "trademark".
The story is nice and even though every fate is revealed immediately one stays with the story until the end to find out how much tragedy can strike until its over. What amazed me was that Patterson selects the voices of the women to move the story foreward. The men always seem to stay in the background. For a male author this might be much more difficult.

In my opinion "Sam's Letters to Jennifer" can't compete with "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" because its too openly 'kitschy'. But for everyone who seeks for an uncomplicated novel with a lot of heart and tragedy it comes highly recommended.
[Dorothée Büttgen, August 04]

More great reviews at Bookworm's Lair:

Fannie Flagg - Welcome to the World, Baby Girl     Sue Monk Kidd - The Secret Life of Bees     Arturo Perez-Reverte, The Seville Communion     Kathy Reichs, Déjà Dead

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