Gone,
by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (Century, RRP $37):
James Patterson is always a good option for holiday reading and the sixth novel in the best-selling Michael Bennett crime thriller series is – as always – easy to read and packed with action.
No surprises there I suppose: Patterson might turn out a gazillion books every year but (fortunately) for the most part they are good reading.
When Detective Michael Bennett arrested drug cartel boss Manuel Perrine, he thought Perrine’s reign of terror was at an end and that he would get justice for the murder of his best friend.
However, during the trial, Perrine escaped. Then, Perrine’s wife was killed during a bloody shootout and now he want to make Detective Bennett pay.
Bennett is forced to go into hiding from the mass murdering ex-cartel boss. However, he has to make a choice between staying in hiding and protecting his family or going after the man who is hunting them.
As always, this was an easy read that I read in two sittings. Patterson’s books are always great holiday reading, with the perfect balance of action and short chapters, which make them perfect for reading on planes or while waiting around airports.
Or even just sitting on a deckchair with a beer in your hand.
Mistress,
by James Patterson (Century, RRP $37):
Ben Casper sees his best friend fall to her death from the balcony of her apartment and realises his life is about to change. And not for the better.
Diana – who worked for the CIA – had no reason to kill herself so must have been pushed. The investigation into her death is kept under wraps but Ben’s instincts as a journalist tell him something just isn’t right.
He begins his own investigation and discovers the woman he thought he knew was leading a double life. And her death isn’t the only one.
Mistress is one of Patterson’s standalone and non-collaborative novels and proves well and truly that he is still more than capable of turning out a good read on his own steam.