You've Been Warned--Again

by James Patterson

In this thrilling story from the world's #1 bestselling author, Thanksgiving takes a dark turn in this supernatural thriller where going home for the holidays can be murder.

Joanie was dreading Thanksgiving with her family at their strange new house. And that was before she saw her brother Alan standing in the kitchen. It was hard to know what to say to him, seeing as he'd died five years ago ...

BookShots—original, lightning-fast stories by James Patterson, designed to be devoured.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Horror, Short Stories, Mystery, Audiobook, Novella

Audible Audio

First published October 5, 2017

About the author

Official 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.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back to try another Patterson-Nikitas collaboration, which pushes the BookShot into the realm of the paranormal. That being said, this one was at least palatable. Joanie Whitmore is dreading this Thanksgiving gathering in rural Rhode Island. Her family is quite pretentious and judgemental, just what she wants for her new fiancé, Nate. As they arrive in a storm, Joanie’s fears are soon substantiated, with a cold-shoulder greeting by her father and an equally stiff mother. As the storm gets worse, Joanie and Nate are unsure if now is the time to make their announcement, but with the wedding only a month away, they have little other time, if at all. When a knock comes at the door, a stranger appears, wondering if he might be able to use the phone, as his car’s broken down. Reluctantly, the Whitmores invite him in, only to discover that the phone lines are down, which is soon followed by all the power in the house. As Joanie begins to scour the house, she discovers that its history is anything but uplifting, having been where an entire family met their fate in a murder-suicide. Soon, members of the house begin to follow that same path adding a creepier element. This will surely be one Thanksgiving Joanie Whitmore will never forget, though it may also be one she never survives. Patterson and Nikitas fare well with this piece, though some of the paranormal aspects seem more subdued than one would expect in a short story. A well-crafted piece for those who like the genre and open-minded fans of the BookShot collection.

I admit that my previous attempt with this collaborative team proved to be a disaster of epic proportions. Perhaps it was that the story rang truer as a psychological thriller than completely paranormal, but it might also have something to do with the fact that I was less on edge while reading. Joanie Whitmore’s character serves the story well, pushing it in many directions as her emotions seem to shape the way the narrative turns. There are times of high drama and others of absolute fear, which are usually seen effectively through the filters Joanie presents the reader. While a short piece, the secondary characters and the interactions they have with our protagonist prove key to pushing the narrative away from a simple A to B scenario. From loving fiancé to standoffish father to this mysterious stranger who appears at the door, all of these types of characters pepper the narrative in interesting fashion. The story was fairly strong and the reader can lose themselves in the slow development of the plot, but there comes a time when things take a turn away from the normal and into a realm of pure oddity. Still not my favourite genre of BookShot, but it’s growing on me.

Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Nikitas, for this better effort. I can see some stronger potential with this and hope you’ll keep working together to hone your skills as a team.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be honest this book is pretty bad - way over the top characters, silly scenes in the basement, the devil appearing (eventually) as himself and then performing a highly unlikely act of kindness. However who said a book had to be well written to be enjoyable.

Well usually it does but in this case the enjoyment was in the sheer speed of the action and the absolute lunacy of nearly everyone who took part. The author, whether it was Patterson himself or his sidekick, had a ball with the writing of it and consequently I had fun reading it.

I think this is the first of Patterson's Bookshots I have read. Are they all this exciting? If so I will need to read more of them.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not your typical James Patterson - more supernatural and The Shining-esque (it feels blasphemous to type that..), but I think it was well-done and creepy. A quick read for a winter night.

[Lackof_shelf_control · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review coming soon

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

You've Been Warned--Again

This is not my type of book. Thank goodness it was a short read because I don't think I would have stayed with it for long. I guess it won't be that bad if you enjoy this kind of thing. Horror is not for me.

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was like an attempt at a quirky corny version of The Shining mixed with a dysfunctional family and Thanksgiving.

[Donna Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can’t believe I fell for it. “The devil made me do it.” The book starts out alright but devolves into a heap of unbelievable drivel. At least it was short.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much exposition & too many changes in POV. It was somewhat reminiscent of Storm of the Century with pieces of an over done soap opera, thrown in.

It was not my favorite, but it was OK.

[Angie · Rating 1 out of 5]

A very strange short book - not your everyday James Patterson story. Not worth the read.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Since I utterly hated the original novel, you wouldn't think I'd be down for more. But by switching co-authors, embracing the BookShot format, and introducing an all-new cast of characters, Patterson baited me into giving this "series" another try. I was hoping the book would turn out like Patterson's ZOO 2, an entertaining BookShot sequel to a novel I found virtually unreadable.
But while this novella is certainly an improvement over Part 1, it still fails to be any good. The first two-thirds keep you guessing just enough to stay interested, but the story falls apart once all the pieces are in place. James Patterson and Derek Nikitas seem like a couple of hacks who've seen THE SHINING one too many times and are trying to emulate it in the shallowest, clumsiest way possible. Yes, the book manages to entertain up to a certain point, but the incredibly lame ending guarantees you'll walk away from it disappointed and deeply unsatisfied.
Fool me twice, shame on me.

[Teresa Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick little read. Horror/Supernatural? Not Patterson's norm. Definitely creepy for sure.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not your usual James Patterson book, it really spooked me out, glad it was a short story lol! Don't think I could have coped with it being much longer and in depth!

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is wicked messed up. But keeps you on your toes

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

haunted house and family story.

[William Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God wat a ride through hell. Great story and great characters and a setting to chill you to the bone.

[Candy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. A quick read.

[Sue Keawe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth reading!

I thought this might be a good story but it turned out to be a total waste of time! I can't believe that James Patterson had anything to do with it! It reads like an essay written by a college freshman who hasn't yet learned to develop his characters or the storyline! Save your money and pass this one by!

[Christine D · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've learned my lesson --again.
Bookshots are really hit or miss.

I guess if you have an hour to spare on Halloween night and want to read something creepy/stupid, this would work.

SPOILER:::

The devil resides in the house and compels people to kill their 'unworthy' or 'corrupt' family generation after generation?
Oivee...

[Shellylovesbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanie Whitmore is traveling with her boyfriend Nathan Catalano to spend Thanksgiving with her family who just moved into the Thorpe House a mansion with a dark history. Her father Carter bought it  as his retirement property all of the family is gathering for Thanksgiving their mother Martha and her sister Stella and her teenage daughter Chole. She has exciting news to share but a sudden snowstorm and the appearance of a mysterious stranger claiming car trouble puts this on hold. As the day progresses it becomes apparent that the Thorpe House and the mysterious stranger have plans for the Whitmore family and soon who will pass the cranberry sauce is the least of their worries.This is a dark thriller with paranormal elements and a gothic feel . It has many twists and turns I couldn't put it down.

[Karen Shelton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be Warned - This Is Not A Typical James Patterson Masterpiece.

The writing is clean and crisp with sleek descriptions and well-written dialogues. Its the type of writing I’ve come to expect from master storyteller James Patterson. But, the story is not what I would normally expect it. The story definitely felt more like a Stephen King horror story, but without the intensity and mind/bending hooks. I liked the book, but I got bored and skipped to the end. Which is definitely not what I usually do with either James Patterson or Stephen King books. Its not terrible, it’s just not Patterson great. Some readers and Patterson fans may like it better than me, but I couldn’t in good faith give it more than 3 stars. Just trying to be honest with my feedback.

[Mary Lou Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Something about this book bothered me, almost like I'd seen this on a true crime show. While the book is technically well-written and edited, I couldn't connect with the characters. I didn't care what happened to the main character in the end, so I would have accepted an ending in either direction. The POV shifts bothered me, too, since the third person view wasn't describing somewhere the main character wasn't. The story would have been more cohesive if the author stuck to one POV. It's an okay read, but I could have easily put it down at any time.

[Tj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some people dread the holidays and spending time with their families. Some would prefer having dental work without a numbing agent. Too bad Joanie wasn't one of them and avoided Thanksgiving!

Joanie takes her fiancee and heads to a house her father bought that is off the beaten track. Joanie gets a weird vibe before they ever enter the house and face her family. Never ignore your sixth sense.

The terror and hell that rains down is unimaginable and leaves only one witness alive who knows what truly happened.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The evil in the old Thorpe house has struck again. Carter Whitmore retired and moved to the remote house overlooking the Atlantic. His daughters have come for Thanksgiving and his mind has finally snapped. Detective Medeiros and the crime scene techs remember the murder that happened 10 years ago when Stephen Thorpe killed his family and then himself. Medeiros feels an aura of evil about the house and says the house needs to be burnt to the ground or torn down and thrown into the sea.

[Pat Harmer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book. The plot was non existent. I don’t actually think I have read any James Patterson books, I’m not keen on collaborations. It may have been cathartic for the authors as in their minds they were killing off people they didn’t like. That’s all it seemed to be a random selection of people getting murdered for no reason, or perhaps I missed the reason. 200 pages of nonsense.

[Brittney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great. The usual haunted house plot where the dad goes crazy and kills the family. That type of plot is overdone in the horror genre. I thought it would be good at the beginning, but it got worse as the book progressed. As someone else mentioned, hard to tell who was dead and who wasn’t halfway through the book. Of course, by the end of the book I figured that out. Was not expecting the “devil” though. Yikes…at least she got away.

[La'Jacinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird Lesson In Being Honest

This book is a great book in being truthful and real about your actions. What I love most about the story is the warning you get long before it unfolds....it sort of holds true about life....always listen to your gut...it never leads you wrong....and you are always being warned and watched.

Great book!!!! Loving these Bookshots!!!!!

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

A family is slaughtered 10 years ago, and now a new family has moved into the Thorpe house. They are planning a Thanksgiving celebration when a stranger comes up to the door asking for shelter. What follows is a lot of death.
This is basically a ghost story about the Devil who is coming for you. Quick read but it is gory and hard to believe.

[Vivian Byfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not finish

I am a great Patterson fan, but this book for me was just not in his style. Normally even if the book starts slow by the second chapter I am hooked. Not so this book 6 chapters in and I'm bored to sleep. I never read to go to sleep. Really disappointing for a bookshops. Don't waste your money on this one.

[Maximiliane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A chilling grizzly quick read in typical James Patterson style. Considering how short the book is, it's amazing how much character development and plot he squeezes into it. For people who don't like cliche happy endings, and who like books that get to the point quickly it's a great read. For those who like a slower pace, and a happier ending this is not the right read.

[Cricket · Rating 1 out of 5]

My rating might not be fair because I realized too late this tied into “You’ve Been Warned”. So maybe there was some context I lacked? Either the writing for this was just…woof. I’ve only read Maximum Ride by James Patterson 15 years ago…so if this is indicative of his writing I don’t think I’ll be reading anymore.