BOOK REVIEW: Tick Tock by James Patterson

Title: Tick Tock


Author: James Patterson

Publisher: Random House

RRP: $32.95

ISBN: 978184605718

Release Date: 03/01/11



Description:

NYC’s no. 1 detective, Michael Bennett, has a huge problem – the Son of Sam, the Werewolf of Wisteria and the Mad Bomber are all back. The city has never been more terrified.

DESCRIPTION OF BOOK

A bomb set in one of New York’s busiest places is discovered before it explodes. But relief turns to terror when the police realise it is just a warning of greater devastation to come. The city calls on Detective Michael Bennett, pulling him away from a seaside vacation with his ten adopted children and their beloved nanny, Mary Catherine – leaving his entire family open to attack.



Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI Agent Emily Parker. His affection for Emily grows into attraction and then something stronger, and his relationship with Mary Catherine takes an unexpected turn. Another horrifying crime leads Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer's pattern – and the earth-shattering enormity of his plan.

Review:

Tick Tock is the forth book in the Michael Bennett crime series, co-written with Michael Ledwidge. The first twenty eight chapters of this book were available free via Kindle late last year, which was an excellent marketing tool to get reader who haven’t read any Patterson books in for ths first time, and also make people want to buy the book to find out the ending after reading so much of the story already.



Tick Tock is written using two styles, both third person and first person. It is easy to see who wrote which chapter with the story distinctly broken down by the two styles. While the story is full of thrills and actions, it does lack the character depth due to the style. The reader is introduced to a multitude of characters, but never really given the time to get to know them in any details. Not sure if this is due to having two authors or two voices?



The plot revolves around New York detective Michael Bennett and his desperate attempts to track down a killer who has planted a bomb in the largest library in New York. With only two pages per chapter, the action flows quite rapidly.



If you are already a James Patterson fan then this book will be no surprise to you. Probably not the best book to start with if you haven’t read any of his work though due to the two voices which may distract some readers.