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Kill Me If You Can
Matthew Bannon, a poor art student living in New York City, finds a duffel bag filled with diamonds during a chaotic attack at Grand Central Station. Plans for a worry-free life with his stunning girlfriend Katherine fill his thoughts--until he realizes that he is being hunted, and that whoever is after him won't stop until they have reclaimed the diamonds and exacted their revenge.
Trailing him is the Ghost, the world's greatest assassin, who has just pulled off his most high-profile hit: killing Walter Zelvas, a top member of the international Diamond Syndicate. There's only one small problem: the diamonds he was supposed to retrieve from Zelvas are missing. Now, the Ghost is on Bannon's trail--but so is a rival assassin who would like nothing more than to make the Ghost disappear forever. From "America's #1 storyteller" (Forbes) comes a high-speed, high-stakes, winner-take-all thrill ride of adrenaline-fueled suspense.
Trailing him is the Ghost, the world's greatest assassin, who has just pulled off his most high-profile hit: killing Walter Zelvas, a top member of the international Diamond Syndicate. There's only one small problem: the diamonds he was supposed to retrieve from Zelvas are missing. Now, the Ghost is on Bannon's trail--but so is a rival assassin who would like nothing more than to make the Ghost disappear forever. From "America's #1 storyteller" (Forbes) comes a high-speed, high-stakes, winner-take-all thrill ride of adrenaline-fueled suspense.
480 pages, Paperback
First published August 29, 2011
978 people are currently reading
13702 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
940 books354k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,692 reviews
November 11, 2023
Formulaic, but as ever a good page turner. A botched assassination pulls 30-year old art student and his art professor into a world of assassins, manhunts, crooked cops, death and a European tour! 6 out of 12, Three Star read.
2013 read
2013 read
January 12, 2022
Just what I needed to read right now - an entertaining book which required no thought on my part at all. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
Kill Me If You Can tells the story of an art student who just happens to find a bag containing millions of dollars worth of diamonds. Deciding to keep it he sets off for Amsterdam with his girlfriend to sell the diamonds. The result is a chase across Europe, many deaths and lots of short, page turning chapters.
The best part of the book was a remarkable twist quite early in the story which changes everything. It is unexpected and clever. The rest is everything you expect from a Patterson book, murder, mayhem and action, action, action. Pure escapism. I enjoyed it very much.
Kill Me If You Can tells the story of an art student who just happens to find a bag containing millions of dollars worth of diamonds. Deciding to keep it he sets off for Amsterdam with his girlfriend to sell the diamonds. The result is a chase across Europe, many deaths and lots of short, page turning chapters.
The best part of the book was a remarkable twist quite early in the story which changes everything. It is unexpected and clever. The rest is everything you expect from a Patterson book, murder, mayhem and action, action, action. Pure escapism. I enjoyed it very much.
October 24, 2011
This book has made me reconsider a lot of things in my life.
First of all, it has made me look at all of the other books that I have given a one-star rating too. Yeah, The Shack was bad, but was it THIS bad? It has also made me think of how many people might be out there reading books like this, or any other books which appear to have been written as a sixth-grade writing assignment, and live to turn the pages and get wrapped up in the action. It makes me immeasurably sorry for them. It has also made me think about what kind of money I could be making if I got into writing a brainless book over the course of a weekend. Or, better yet, have someone else entirely write the book and put my name on it and slap a picture of me looking rather smug and dapper with a really nice watch on the back cover. It has made me consider what watch I want to display when I am rich and famous.
There are many things that can be said about this book, but none of them should be said. It probably shouldn't exist. The fact that it does leaves me and Faulkner weeping for the future.
It is typefaced in 24 point font. It has over 100 chapters, none of which extend beyond four pages. There is also no purpose to the chapters other to advance the reader along so that they feel a sense of accomplishment in what must be their very dreary, multiple-cat-filled lives. It is written in first-person narrative, but then it is not, but then it is again. There are uncomfortable sex scenes strewn throughout. Mostly uncomfortable because I am pretty sure that whoever wrote them had not yet experienced sexual intercourse. It might be cliché to talk about how writing is cliché, but this shit is cliché. Like, laughably so. A bag of diamonds. A bag of DIAMONDS! A Russian bad guy. A Russian bad guy named CHUKOV! The level of corporate sponsorship is astounding. Since when were novels used to hock products. "Since now, bitch!" says Patterson, proud supporter of Tom's of Maine (it keeps my breath fresh for hours). It is ridiculous. It is senseless. It is drivel.
And it is genius.
Tag Heuer. I will wear a Tag Heuer watch. And, my novel will be about a professional killer... named Tag Heuer. Watch out, Patterson!
First of all, it has made me look at all of the other books that I have given a one-star rating too. Yeah, The Shack was bad, but was it THIS bad? It has also made me think of how many people might be out there reading books like this, or any other books which appear to have been written as a sixth-grade writing assignment, and live to turn the pages and get wrapped up in the action. It makes me immeasurably sorry for them. It has also made me think about what kind of money I could be making if I got into writing a brainless book over the course of a weekend. Or, better yet, have someone else entirely write the book and put my name on it and slap a picture of me looking rather smug and dapper with a really nice watch on the back cover. It has made me consider what watch I want to display when I am rich and famous.
There are many things that can be said about this book, but none of them should be said. It probably shouldn't exist. The fact that it does leaves me and Faulkner weeping for the future.
It is typefaced in 24 point font. It has over 100 chapters, none of which extend beyond four pages. There is also no purpose to the chapters other to advance the reader along so that they feel a sense of accomplishment in what must be their very dreary, multiple-cat-filled lives. It is written in first-person narrative, but then it is not, but then it is again. There are uncomfortable sex scenes strewn throughout. Mostly uncomfortable because I am pretty sure that whoever wrote them had not yet experienced sexual intercourse. It might be cliché to talk about how writing is cliché, but this shit is cliché. Like, laughably so. A bag of diamonds. A bag of DIAMONDS! A Russian bad guy. A Russian bad guy named CHUKOV! The level of corporate sponsorship is astounding. Since when were novels used to hock products. "Since now, bitch!" says Patterson, proud supporter of Tom's of Maine (it keeps my breath fresh for hours). It is ridiculous. It is senseless. It is drivel.
And it is genius.
Tag Heuer. I will wear a Tag Heuer watch. And, my novel will be about a professional killer... named Tag Heuer. Watch out, Patterson!
May 15, 2018
A poor art student, Matthew Bannon, stumbles on a stash of stolen diamonds worth millions belonging to a Russian syndicate. In possession of the gleaming gems at the time is a dealer named Walter Zelvas who is slain inside New York’s Grand Central Terminal leading to Bannon discovering (and stealing) the gems. Zelvas is an employee of the syndicate from which he has been stealing, and is also a killer himself. Before being slain, he is on the run and the syndicate is hot in pursuit.
A true edge-of-your-seat thriller, Kill Me If You Can has genre fans flipping the pages (pardon the cliché’s.) I finished the book in three days, the whole 350+ pages of it. Matthew starts off seemingly a weakling—young, poor, and in love—but actually hides something tough: he is an ex-marine. His fighting ability and survival instincts, however, don’t show until well into the story, and for that reason, I initially wanted to put the book down thinking he could not stand against the bloodthirsty cabal but boy was I mistaken. He becomes a true beast in the end. The grand finale is nothing short of spectacular.
My only problem with the book is the use of worn Russians-are-the-bad-guys stereotypes plus the really unbelievable twist that swings the narrative into a completely different gear around the book’s middle. The romance bit does add a sweet complicating element, but the damsel in distress bit is predictable and clichéd. I shelve the book as a four-star read.
A true edge-of-your-seat thriller, Kill Me If You Can has genre fans flipping the pages (pardon the cliché’s.) I finished the book in three days, the whole 350+ pages of it. Matthew starts off seemingly a weakling—young, poor, and in love—but actually hides something tough: he is an ex-marine. His fighting ability and survival instincts, however, don’t show until well into the story, and for that reason, I initially wanted to put the book down thinking he could not stand against the bloodthirsty cabal but boy was I mistaken. He becomes a true beast in the end. The grand finale is nothing short of spectacular.
My only problem with the book is the use of worn Russians-are-the-bad-guys stereotypes plus the really unbelievable twist that swings the narrative into a completely different gear around the book’s middle. The romance bit does add a sweet complicating element, but the damsel in distress bit is predictable and clichéd. I shelve the book as a four-star read.
January 15, 2018
Kill Me If You Can is a fast paced action thriller which leaves little time for the reader to catch their breath. Each scene is a near shot of adrenaline as authors Patterson and Marshall tell a deep and engrossing story encompassing assassins, art students, blood diamonds, and the Russian Mafia.
The accidental hero is Matthew Bannon, an art student who stumbles upon millions of dollars worth of diamonds at Grand Central Station. His easy conformance to the poor, struggling art student stereotype gone in an instant thanks to this life changer; only, the change takes a turn he didn't see coming.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It's got all the Patterson hallmarks; rapid fire chapters, brisk action sequences, blind turns, and a likable protagonist. The Russian Mafia angle is a real highlight with some nicely developed characters and well written brutal scenes.
My rating: 5/5. I listened to the audio edition with had two narrators; one focusing primarily on Bannon, the other on the Russian Mafia - each narrator in Jeff Woodman and Jason Culp delivered solid performances which complimented the story.
The accidental hero is Matthew Bannon, an art student who stumbles upon millions of dollars worth of diamonds at Grand Central Station. His easy conformance to the poor, struggling art student stereotype gone in an instant thanks to this life changer; only, the change takes a turn he didn't see coming.
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It's got all the Patterson hallmarks; rapid fire chapters, brisk action sequences, blind turns, and a likable protagonist. The Russian Mafia angle is a real highlight with some nicely developed characters and well written brutal scenes.
My rating: 5/5. I listened to the audio edition with had two narrators; one focusing primarily on Bannon, the other on the Russian Mafia - each narrator in Jeff Woodman and Jason Culp delivered solid performances which complimented the story.
April 17, 2015
This book is filled with every cliche I could possibly think of - Russian mobsters, "oo-rah" Marine buddies, cougar professor girlfriends, German "ice-queen" former model turned assassin, crooked cops, you name it. The descriptions of sex between Matthew and his professor girlfriend were gratuitous and cliched as well.(And entirely unnecessary to the plot.) Most of the dialogue is cliched, as well. There is a major plot twist halfway through the book, and the story starts to get better then, but not enough to make up for how bad the first half was.
I had wanted to try out some James Patterson, because my parents are big fans, but I held off until now. This particular book was on my sister's to-read list, so I read it in her memory. I don't think she would have liked it much more than I did. I talked to my dad about the book yesterday, and based on the synopsis on the cover, he doesn't remember reading it. Probably just as well, as it might have turned him off of Patterson before he had the chance to read one of his better books.
I had wanted to try out some James Patterson, because my parents are big fans, but I held off until now. This particular book was on my sister's to-read list, so I read it in her memory. I don't think she would have liked it much more than I did. I talked to my dad about the book yesterday, and based on the synopsis on the cover, he doesn't remember reading it. Probably just as well, as it might have turned him off of Patterson before he had the chance to read one of his better books.
October 21, 2018
Pengungkapan twist pada bab 53 membuat saya pengin bersumpah serapah tanpa henti.
"Kuraj! Kuraj! Ternyata......................."
Seru sih bukunya. Ala-ala film action Hollywood yang bertema perburuan, kejar-kejaran: membunuh atau dibunuh. (Sayangnya saya nggak bisa mengingat satu judul pun sebagai pembanding.) Bagi yang sudah sering nonton film Hollywood semacam itu pastinya nggak asing dengan cerita semacam ini. Tipikal yang seru saat ditonton di bioskop, bikin menahan napas, tapi ya sudah, selepas dari bioskop akan cepat menghilang dari kepala. (Nggak se-wah Mission Impossible, sih.)
Cuma itu tadi: the twist. Asdfghjkl. I didn't see it coming at all.
Saya nggak pernah sekali pun meragukan kekayaan intelektual James Patterson; tulisan dia sudah memikat saya sejak saya masih bocah SMA yang tergila-gila pada Maximum Ride sampai nggak bisa tidur gegara menamatkannya. James Patterson punya jangkauan genre yang sangat luas dan selalu bisa memberikan apa yang pembaca harapkan. Novel ini memberikan semua yang diinginkan seorang pencari cerita perburuan yang twisty dengan elemen klise: romansa menggebu-gebu, drama ini dan itu, kejar-kejaran di kota eksotis Eropa, sindikat penyelundup, berlian ilegal, pembunuh bayaran, mafia Rusia vs mantan marinir Amerika, hubungan terlarang, penyamaran tingkat dewa, peretasan data, you name it. Paket lengkap bangetlah, yang mana kalau dijadikan film pasti akan membutuhkan banyak sekali biaya haha. Tokoh-tokohnya sangat banyak, dengan gaya penceritaan yang selang-seling antara POV orang pertama dan orang ketiga yang memperkaya sudut pandang penyajian cerita.
Seru memang... tapi dibilang "banget", nggak juga. Mungkin karena paket klise yang terlalu lengkap itu ya. Satu-satunya yang menonjol dari cerita ini--yang hanya bisa diberikan dalam bentuk novel, nggak bisa kalau film--cuma twist-nya yang sangat kurang ajar.
"Kuraj! Kuraj! Ternyata......................."
Seru sih bukunya. Ala-ala film action Hollywood yang bertema perburuan, kejar-kejaran: membunuh atau dibunuh. (Sayangnya saya nggak bisa mengingat satu judul pun sebagai pembanding.) Bagi yang sudah sering nonton film Hollywood semacam itu pastinya nggak asing dengan cerita semacam ini. Tipikal yang seru saat ditonton di bioskop, bikin menahan napas, tapi ya sudah, selepas dari bioskop akan cepat menghilang dari kepala. (Nggak se-wah Mission Impossible, sih.)
Cuma itu tadi: the twist. Asdfghjkl. I didn't see it coming at all.
Saya nggak pernah sekali pun meragukan kekayaan intelektual James Patterson; tulisan dia sudah memikat saya sejak saya masih bocah SMA yang tergila-gila pada Maximum Ride sampai nggak bisa tidur gegara menamatkannya. James Patterson punya jangkauan genre yang sangat luas dan selalu bisa memberikan apa yang pembaca harapkan. Novel ini memberikan semua yang diinginkan seorang pencari cerita perburuan yang twisty dengan elemen klise: romansa menggebu-gebu, drama ini dan itu, kejar-kejaran di kota eksotis Eropa, sindikat penyelundup, berlian ilegal, pembunuh bayaran, mafia Rusia vs mantan marinir Amerika, hubungan terlarang, penyamaran tingkat dewa, peretasan data, you name it. Paket lengkap bangetlah, yang mana kalau dijadikan film pasti akan membutuhkan banyak sekali biaya haha. Tokoh-tokohnya sangat banyak, dengan gaya penceritaan yang selang-seling antara POV orang pertama dan orang ketiga yang memperkaya sudut pandang penyajian cerita.
Seru memang... tapi dibilang "banget", nggak juga. Mungkin karena paket klise yang terlalu lengkap itu ya. Satu-satunya yang menonjol dari cerita ini--yang hanya bisa diberikan dalam bentuk novel, nggak bisa kalau film--cuma twist-nya yang sangat kurang ajar.
July 23, 2015
I really liked this book. It was fast paced and action packed. Which is exactly how I love my thrillers.
January 1, 2012
My second of Patterson's reads. Well i will start this review by saying that he is rapidly becoming one of my top 5 favorite authors of all time! I love his style of writing and the fact that he has what i like to call 'quick chapters' just a little over 100 in this short read. In this Patterson tale that is also co-written by Marshall Karp, the story starts with a hitman doing battle with his quarry in the public washroom of Grand Central Station in New York. This fight ensues as the hitman who we find out is named the Ghost nails his prey with a shard of the bathroom mirror sending him fleeing out into the grand central station. The prey who is named Walter Zelvas stumbles over to a locker and quickly opens up the locker frantically trying to reach and grab a bag that he had stashed in there, he doesnt make it and quickly dies due to the wound inflicted on him earlier. A art student passing by sees this and goes over to see what Zelvas was trying to reach up inside the locker much to his delight it was a doctor's type leather bag filled with diamonds.
We find out the student's name is Matthew Bannon, Matthew after the coast is clear, takes off with the booty filled bag. Let the chase begin as Bannon finds out that a whole bunch of no do gooders are now tracking him . The ghost has now been hired also to track Bannon but he is not alone as the russian diamond syndicate has also hired a professional killer only to make sure that Bannon gets captured. Ghost gets into a cat and mouse type game vs Bannon and his competition as well.
This is yet another fantastic edge of your seat thriller read. I have read alot of negative posts on this book and alot of Patterson's work for that matter. I personally love his writings to death and no he isnt going anywhere as Guiness Book Of World Records has named him the author to have the most books reaching bestseller's status and looking at his books written list he must have a million of them done! I for one look forward to reading and owning as many as possible! Bravo James!
We find out the student's name is Matthew Bannon, Matthew after the coast is clear, takes off with the booty filled bag. Let the chase begin as Bannon finds out that a whole bunch of no do gooders are now tracking him . The ghost has now been hired also to track Bannon but he is not alone as the russian diamond syndicate has also hired a professional killer only to make sure that Bannon gets captured. Ghost gets into a cat and mouse type game vs Bannon and his competition as well.
This is yet another fantastic edge of your seat thriller read. I have read alot of negative posts on this book and alot of Patterson's work for that matter. I personally love his writings to death and no he isnt going anywhere as Guiness Book Of World Records has named him the author to have the most books reaching bestseller's status and looking at his books written list he must have a million of them done! I for one look forward to reading and owning as many as possible! Bravo James!
June 25, 2025
I can normally finish a James Patterson book in a day, but this one didn't grab me at all, and I took nearly a week to read it.
Two stars.
Two stars.
September 6, 2015
Matthew Bannon is a poor art student living in New York who finds s bag of diamonds after a man, known as Walter Zelvas is murdered in a vicious battle.
Zelvas stole the diamonds from the Russian mob. They hired a contract killer, simply known as the Ghost to kill Zelvas.
Bannon is in love with a woman named Kathrine who reciprocates his love. After finding the diamonds he decides to take her on a trip to Paris. Unbeknownst to Bannon, the mob has hired the Ghost to retrieve the diamonds at any cost.
James Patterson has written a great story with lots of surprises. I really enjoyed the read.
Zelvas stole the diamonds from the Russian mob. They hired a contract killer, simply known as the Ghost to kill Zelvas.
Bannon is in love with a woman named Kathrine who reciprocates his love. After finding the diamonds he decides to take her on a trip to Paris. Unbeknownst to Bannon, the mob has hired the Ghost to retrieve the diamonds at any cost.
James Patterson has written a great story with lots of surprises. I really enjoyed the read.
December 21, 2014
Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
It has been rumored among the more unfeeling of my "friends" that Jesse is a cynical man. "Jesse," they say, "is a bloke" (I give all of my friends British accents so I don't feel badly for hating them); "Jesse," they say, "is a bloke who, when confronted with a beautiful, short, single, Calvinistic paedobaptist redhead with a flurry of freckles on her cheeks and a copy of Chesterton in her hands, assumes that she'll either turn out to be his sister, in favor of low-church liturgy, or she'll get hit by a truck. But probably two out of three."
True, not one among them is necessarily the brightest Guinness in the fish tank: I glum no puddles; I wiggle no marsh. I sail the ocean (usually) beating Lucy. Have they not heard my life motto? When I am faced with evils too great to be borne, such as Briana prevailing against me at chess, or Andrew shaving, or Dave, I say "Why so downcast, O my soul? Why so disquieted within me? This shadow too shall resolve into beauty, for if it didn't, then it wouldn't, and that would just straight-up suck." Am I not joyful? Is not this optimism at it's absolute, fatalistic finest?
I say all of this as a prelude to my review of Patterson. If any of you are aspiring smithies of the words, should any of you meander through Anglo-Saxon dictionaries looking for gems to glean, should any of your fingers be as inkstained as Jo March's and you know who I'm talking about because you read everything no matter what kind of feministic drivel with wretched sentence-construction it is, then buy this book. Don't read it yet, but buy it. Five years from now a moment will arrive. You will re-read that first chapter of yours and realize with horror and despair that some thirty-five year old greasy-haired, unemployed twit sleeping till two pm in his mom's basement, that twit, still living off of Doritos and Coco-Puffs, the one who spends his time on-line gaming with twelve-year-olds, he, spawn of the devil that he is, wrote a blog post in ten minutes maintaining that Counter-Strike was totally way more awesome than Halo and his blog post was better written than your chapter. That moment of terrifying clarity will arrive. When it does, and you realize that you write like a twelve year old Pakistani immigrant who learned English for the sole purpose of compiling a phone book, that you can't put your pen to paper without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge, when your only hope seems to be gainful employment or suicide—at that moment, pick up this book, say audibly "this man is a NY Times best-seller," and read it. When you're halfway through, you'll print your manuscript and send it to his publisher complete with a request for an advance and a promise of two new books for him next week.
It was the worst book I've ever finished, and I've read Rick Joyner, Left Behind and Twilight. Was it train-of-thought? Three hundred pages, two hundred chapters? His characters have the depth of a mud puddle on a newly paved street after a drizzle and I know damned well which one I'd prefer spending my time with. Especially if worms are involved. I got it for a dollar, read it in an hour and felt as incredulous as Goliath looking at David, just fewer projectiles.
If prison libraries stock books like this then I think those against water-boarding as "cruel and unusual" have been straining out gnats through their teeth.
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
It has been rumored among the more unfeeling of my "friends" that Jesse is a cynical man. "Jesse," they say, "is a bloke" (I give all of my friends British accents so I don't feel badly for hating them); "Jesse," they say, "is a bloke who, when confronted with a beautiful, short, single, Calvinistic paedobaptist redhead with a flurry of freckles on her cheeks and a copy of Chesterton in her hands, assumes that she'll either turn out to be his sister, in favor of low-church liturgy, or she'll get hit by a truck. But probably two out of three."
True, not one among them is necessarily the brightest Guinness in the fish tank: I glum no puddles; I wiggle no marsh. I sail the ocean (usually) beating Lucy. Have they not heard my life motto? When I am faced with evils too great to be borne, such as Briana prevailing against me at chess, or Andrew shaving, or Dave, I say "Why so downcast, O my soul? Why so disquieted within me? This shadow too shall resolve into beauty, for if it didn't, then it wouldn't, and that would just straight-up suck." Am I not joyful? Is not this optimism at it's absolute, fatalistic finest?
I say all of this as a prelude to my review of Patterson. If any of you are aspiring smithies of the words, should any of you meander through Anglo-Saxon dictionaries looking for gems to glean, should any of your fingers be as inkstained as Jo March's and you know who I'm talking about because you read everything no matter what kind of feministic drivel with wretched sentence-construction it is, then buy this book. Don't read it yet, but buy it. Five years from now a moment will arrive. You will re-read that first chapter of yours and realize with horror and despair that some thirty-five year old greasy-haired, unemployed twit sleeping till two pm in his mom's basement, that twit, still living off of Doritos and Coco-Puffs, the one who spends his time on-line gaming with twelve-year-olds, he, spawn of the devil that he is, wrote a blog post in ten minutes maintaining that Counter-Strike was totally way more awesome than Halo and his blog post was better written than your chapter. That moment of terrifying clarity will arrive. When it does, and you realize that you write like a twelve year old Pakistani immigrant who learned English for the sole purpose of compiling a phone book, that you can't put your pen to paper without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge, when your only hope seems to be gainful employment or suicide—at that moment, pick up this book, say audibly "this man is a NY Times best-seller," and read it. When you're halfway through, you'll print your manuscript and send it to his publisher complete with a request for an advance and a promise of two new books for him next week.
It was the worst book I've ever finished, and I've read Rick Joyner, Left Behind and Twilight. Was it train-of-thought? Three hundred pages, two hundred chapters? His characters have the depth of a mud puddle on a newly paved street after a drizzle and I know damned well which one I'd prefer spending my time with. Especially if worms are involved. I got it for a dollar, read it in an hour and felt as incredulous as Goliath looking at David, just fewer projectiles.
If prison libraries stock books like this then I think those against water-boarding as "cruel and unusual" have been straining out gnats through their teeth.
October 4, 2011
Not my favorite Patterson book. It was a little heavier on the sex than I'd like, and the (consensual) incestuous relationship of the bad guy and his daughter really wasn't a necessary or enjoyable part of the plot. I'm convinced Patterson acts as mostly just a consultant on most of these books he supposedly co-writes, and I don't think I'd want to read any more by Marshall Karp. The plot was interesting, but I found myself reminded of a recent movie plot and a less-recent movie plot when it came to the hitman "The Ghost." I won't add any spoilers, but the plot wasn't completely unique. I also believe these Patterson books use about half the words of a regular novel. Between the large font and the short chapters, it's hard to make it last more than two days. Of course, it was compelling and exciting, which is why I gave it three stars, but it's not the best book with James Patterson's name on the cover.
July 20, 2020
This was typical fun, fast, exciting Patterson. He held the mystery close and it worked great.
The Ghost was a great part, and a nice surprise. This standalone, too, could be a series. I’d like to see if Brannon and his boys have more in them.
The Ghost was a great part, and a nice surprise. This standalone, too, could be a series. I’d like to see if Brannon and his boys have more in them.
November 5, 2023
James Patterson never disappoints! I would categorize this is more of a suspense but the style of writing makes you want to keep writing! I like how short and direct the chapters were, the way the characters spoke as the narrator, and the plot was good. Would recommend!
October 12, 2017
Too violent for me! Didn't like at all.
July 19, 2019
This was sooooooooo good. I flew through it, reading it in one day at the beach. I’m so glad I took a step out of my typical reading patterns by choosing to pick up this one because it payed off big time. Definitely looking to read more of James Patterson’s similar books at some point.
January 28, 2025
Not bad, full of action, easy to read and pretty suspenseful. One of the main reveals was done really well and I didn't see it coming which is always nice. However there was an insect plot line, no thanks. The character development was ok I did like the main characters and the bad guys were unlikable but they didn't stand out from any other thriller.
I found the ending a little long, it ended but then wrapped up really slowly, we got closure on everything but I don't think I was that interested by then. This isn't a start of a series but it felt like one, I don't think I would have continued it if it was. I need a bit of a break from James Patterson.
I found the ending a little long, it ended but then wrapped up really slowly, we got closure on everything but I don't think I was that interested by then. This isn't a start of a series but it felt like one, I don't think I would have continued it if it was. I need a bit of a break from James Patterson.
January 19, 2019
salah satu hal yg bisa membuat seorang pembaca buku bahagia adalah saat mereka menemukan sebuah buku yg sangat menarik dan menyenangkan tanpa ada ekspektasi sebelumnya.
premisnya menjanjikan, sampai ada twists yg astaga nyenengin banget! ga nyangka kisahnya intens, pacenya juga cepet dan ga berteletele. suka! pleay, ada lanjutannya, please, i really love Ghost.
premisnya menjanjikan, sampai ada twists yg astaga nyenengin banget! ga nyangka kisahnya intens, pacenya juga cepet dan ga berteletele. suka! pleay, ada lanjutannya, please, i really love Ghost.
June 30, 2023
I thought I was going to LOVE this book based on the first 70 ish pages. It was interesting and fast paced, a mindless read, but it started going downhill after a while. It was still a fun read, hence the three stars, but some of the subplots were so disturbing (not the violence) and took away from the book in my opinion.
May 20, 2024
{2.75/3}
So if I had to summarise it,, Father and daughter are together,, and she keeps calling him Papa and its just.. weird,, and there's this guy who steals diamonds and he's being hunted by a guy called Ghost but turns out the guy who stole diamonds is The Ghost and he's just playing with the person who hired him and this man also miraculously survives a train running over him... nice.
So if I had to summarise it,, Father and daughter are together,, and she keeps calling him Papa and its just.. weird,, and there's this guy who steals diamonds and he's being hunted by a guy called Ghost but turns out the guy who stole diamonds is The Ghost and he's just playing with the person who hired him and this man also miraculously survives a train running over him... nice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2018
Matthew Bannon hanyalah seorang mahasiswa seni yg miskin, yang mencintai guru seninya, Katherine. Matt beruntung mendapatkan satu tas berlian yang bernilai 7 juta dollar. Tapi dia harus bergelut melawan mafia Rusia yang berlapis yang memburu mengejarnya hingga ke Eropa, bahkan mengirimkan pembunuh bayaran yang keji. Apesnya lagi, dia juga harus mengorbankan cintanya pada Katherine. Benarkah sesederhana itu hidupnya?
Di awal kisah kita sudah dibawa oleh ketegangan sesama pembunuh bayaran yang akan saling membunuh, Ghost dan Zelvas. Berikutnya plot cerita menuju hierarki para mafia Rusia dan kacungnya. Cerita makin seru karena para mafia ini tidak pernah percaya pada satu orang, mereka mengirimkan pembunuh bayaran cadangan yang tidak kalah sadisnya dengan para mafia. Saya suka cerita-cerita model mafia seperti ini, berliku-liku tetapi keren walaupun berlumuran darah dan balas dendam.
Saya suka tokoh utama di novel ini. Setelah identitas gandanya diungkapkan oleh author, kita makin asyik dengan sepak terjangnya, cara-caranya mengungguli sesama pembunuh bayaran, dan puncaknya saat pengejaran dan perburuan, mati-matian di terowongan kereta Grand Central, NY. Novel ini seperti gabungan tiga film thriller favorit saya, Mission Impossible pertama (Tom Cruise), Catch Me If You Can (Leonardo DiCaprio) dan Salt (Angelina Jolie).
Di awal kisah kita sudah dibawa oleh ketegangan sesama pembunuh bayaran yang akan saling membunuh, Ghost dan Zelvas. Berikutnya plot cerita menuju hierarki para mafia Rusia dan kacungnya. Cerita makin seru karena para mafia ini tidak pernah percaya pada satu orang, mereka mengirimkan pembunuh bayaran cadangan yang tidak kalah sadisnya dengan para mafia. Saya suka cerita-cerita model mafia seperti ini, berliku-liku tetapi keren walaupun berlumuran darah dan balas dendam.
Saya suka tokoh utama di novel ini. Setelah identitas gandanya diungkapkan oleh author, kita makin asyik dengan sepak terjangnya, cara-caranya mengungguli sesama pembunuh bayaran, dan puncaknya saat pengejaran dan perburuan, mati-matian di terowongan kereta Grand Central, NY. Novel ini seperti gabungan tiga film thriller favorit saya, Mission Impossible pertama (Tom Cruise), Catch Me If You Can (Leonardo DiCaprio) dan Salt (Angelina Jolie).
September 18, 2025
"The more the merrier", they say, but the fact that it took two writers to write this 200-pager makes me want to broadcast it as a tiresome juxtaposition and the perfectly distasteful converse to the above saying.
The laughable buffoonery of teenage brats high on pot seems utterly ridiculous, though, second only to the plot and expression of this novel. Sex is sprinkled in the story like the "special masala" they sprinkle on top of a dish they know doesn't have a good taste, just to make it sell.
Open door scenes have more than a cameo, but in poor taste, meanwhile raw, rough, and rogue language sincerely fails to highlight whatever the authors wanted to convey by use of the same.
ALL of the 1.5 stars given to this book are only due to the description of action sequences, which, though unimpressive in general, are the only sane descriptions in the book.
Lastly, I hate to mention this, but I think it's a necessary trigger warning: Paedophilia mixed with Incest. I didn't know it before reading. I regret picking it up.
The laughable buffoonery of teenage brats high on pot seems utterly ridiculous, though, second only to the plot and expression of this novel. Sex is sprinkled in the story like the "special masala" they sprinkle on top of a dish they know doesn't have a good taste, just to make it sell.
Open door scenes have more than a cameo, but in poor taste, meanwhile raw, rough, and rogue language sincerely fails to highlight whatever the authors wanted to convey by use of the same.
ALL of the 1.5 stars given to this book are only due to the description of action sequences, which, though unimpressive in general, are the only sane descriptions in the book.
Lastly, I hate to mention this, but I think it's a necessary trigger warning: Paedophilia mixed with Incest. I didn't know it before reading. I regret picking it up.
February 1, 2012
Matthew Bannon was a poor art student, albeit 30 years of age. He had been a Marine for 4 years, to satisfy his father, but now he was able to paint, as he had wanted to do as long as he could remember. He met Katherine at an art gallery, and as she was an art teacher, his future was set. The fact that they fell in love as well, was an added bonus!
But suddenly Matthew was in the wrong place at the wrong time.....or was it the right place at the right time? When a chaotic attack, which was construed as a terrorist attack, was executed at Grand Central Station, the ensuing panic created found him coming across a dying man, who was indicating the open locker above his head, where Matthew found a leather bag filled with diamonds! Visions of a worry-free future with Katherine and their art filled his mind, and when a cop appeared suddenly, he pretended to be a doctor, attending to the now deceased person on the floor. He quickly caught a cab to St Vincents Hospital, getting a free ride with another passenger who was going on to Jersey.
Little did Matthew realize that he was being hunted....people much bigger than he, wanted the diamonds back, and they would kill to get them! The international Diamond Syndicate didn’t like losing their property, and when the world’s greatest killer-for-hire, the Ghost, got involved, plus a rival assassin, things heated up considerably. Katherine was in danger, people started dying, horribly, and suddenly the future didn’t look so good after all!
The continuing full paced action is gripping, the plot twists and turns are riveting, the story is brilliant! Loved it!
But suddenly Matthew was in the wrong place at the wrong time.....or was it the right place at the right time? When a chaotic attack, which was construed as a terrorist attack, was executed at Grand Central Station, the ensuing panic created found him coming across a dying man, who was indicating the open locker above his head, where Matthew found a leather bag filled with diamonds! Visions of a worry-free future with Katherine and their art filled his mind, and when a cop appeared suddenly, he pretended to be a doctor, attending to the now deceased person on the floor. He quickly caught a cab to St Vincents Hospital, getting a free ride with another passenger who was going on to Jersey.
Little did Matthew realize that he was being hunted....people much bigger than he, wanted the diamonds back, and they would kill to get them! The international Diamond Syndicate didn’t like losing their property, and when the world’s greatest killer-for-hire, the Ghost, got involved, plus a rival assassin, things heated up considerably. Katherine was in danger, people started dying, horribly, and suddenly the future didn’t look so good after all!
The continuing full paced action is gripping, the plot twists and turns are riveting, the story is brilliant! Loved it!
October 25, 2011
When Patterson teams up with a new (to his collection) author, I never know what I am going to get. Sometimes you end up with a great thriller, yet other times it is a literary cookie cutter with some of the typical faux-thriller ingredients; manipulative main character, damsel in distress, killer chasing main character, missing item, and eventual death.
In this book, Patterson paints the picture of a starving art student who stumbles on a murder and ends up finding a bag of diamonds. Chase ensues, blood is shed before you get the daisies and toffee chocolates at the end. There, you've read the book in one sentence and I have saved you 400+ pages and hours of time.
Some of the character development is decent, but overall, it lacks the sensationalism of a Bennett or Alex Cross. I like the suspense that comes from those old faithfuls. I can't expect that this will expand into any sort of series, so I at least have that to ease my burden. I have said it before (see NOW YOU SEE HER review) and I will say it again; James Patterson, stick to what you are good at, Women's Murder Club, Alex Cross, and Michael Bennett.
Kudos James, and so happy Alex Cross is about to wow me again... at least I hope so.
In this book, Patterson paints the picture of a starving art student who stumbles on a murder and ends up finding a bag of diamonds. Chase ensues, blood is shed before you get the daisies and toffee chocolates at the end. There, you've read the book in one sentence and I have saved you 400+ pages and hours of time.
Some of the character development is decent, but overall, it lacks the sensationalism of a Bennett or Alex Cross. I like the suspense that comes from those old faithfuls. I can't expect that this will expand into any sort of series, so I at least have that to ease my burden. I have said it before (see NOW YOU SEE HER review) and I will say it again; James Patterson, stick to what you are good at, Women's Murder Club, Alex Cross, and Michael Bennett.
Kudos James, and so happy Alex Cross is about to wow me again... at least I hope so.
July 9, 2016
We took this 8 hour audio book on a long trip in the car. It was very engaging and an interesting story line. We didn't realize that it is also part of a series/serial. Though the main story line is concluded, it is left open at the end for a continuation. We listened to an unabridged version of the book. There are graphic action/murder scenes (blood, gore, and the like) and some sexual talk; so this is not a book that should be listened to when there are younger people present. The main character in the story is an art student in NY. He becomes involved in some shady business with the Russian mob when he comes upon so diamonds in a bus station locker and decides to take them. Now the Russians want them back and he is followed from the U.S. to Europe and back.
July 30, 2013
Was a great book but the incest was disgusting. I could have hated the criminals without the vivid sex scenes between father and daughter.
May 3, 2021
DNF -- Life it too short to listen to books you can't get into
August 21, 2018
bisa pinjam di bookabuku.com yaa..
=)
kereeeeeen..
:D
walaupun agak drama, nunggu novel ini dtg, 1,5bulan baru dikirim n dikasih bonus novel sbg permintaan maaf..
tapiiii, kl q sich kapok belanja online d olshop itu, cukup sekali..
:')
agak nggak nyangka banget sich sama ceritanya, kirain q mahh cerita romance biasa..
tapi ternyata action, menegangkan & memacu adrenalin..
pokonya seruuu dech, sukaaaa pake bgtzzz novel kayak gini..
terakhir baca yg menegangkan Pergi - Tere Liye, ada action'y juga..
dipertengahan novel, barulah terungkap rahasia besarnya..
berharap sich ada kelanjutannya, serius butuh lanjutan'y..
XD
=)
kereeeeeen..
:D
walaupun agak drama, nunggu novel ini dtg, 1,5bulan baru dikirim n dikasih bonus novel sbg permintaan maaf..
tapiiii, kl q sich kapok belanja online d olshop itu, cukup sekali..
:')
agak nggak nyangka banget sich sama ceritanya, kirain q mahh cerita romance biasa..
tapi ternyata action, menegangkan & memacu adrenalin..
pokonya seruuu dech, sukaaaa pake bgtzzz novel kayak gini..
terakhir baca yg menegangkan Pergi - Tere Liye, ada action'y juga..
dipertengahan novel, barulah terungkap rahasia besarnya..
berharap sich ada kelanjutannya, serius butuh lanjutan'y..
XD
July 23, 2025
Le livre a une intrigue intéressante et je dois l'avouer que l'auteur m'a eu avec le plot twist et la manière dont il a été exécuté. Malheureusement mes louanges s'arrêtent ici. Je n'ai pas aimé la manière dont à certains moments le personnage principal casse un peu le 4e mur, j'ai trouvé que la plume laissait à désirer. Bien que l'intrigue était intéressante, une fois le plot twist révélé ça s'apprêtait plus à un James Bond raté qu'à un vrai thriller. De plus ce livre est infesté de misogynie du début à la fin. Le deux seules personnages féminins, bien que décrites comme inteligentes et agiles ne sont là que pour être de la viande fraîche pour les personnages masculins. Elles ne brillent qu'à travers de leurs attributs physiques et par le sex et c'est insupportable. Par exemple, la petite amie du personnage principal bien qu'elle soit professeur d'art dans une école prestigieuse se voit attribuer presque que des scènes de sex avec le personnage principal; absolument écoeurant.
2/5 simplement parce que j'ai beaucoup aimé le début de l'intrigue malgré les problèmes du livre.
2/5 simplement parce que j'ai beaucoup aimé le début de l'intrigue malgré les problèmes du livre.
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