Private Rome

Private #18

by James Patterson

A priest is murdered and a Private agent is the number one suspect.

Jack Morgan is in Rome celebrating the opening of a new local Private office, when the party takes a deadly turn. Private agent Matteo Ricci is found at the party standing over the body of a dead priest with a gun in hand, swearing he did not kill the man.

As Jack tries to prove Matteo's innocence, he uncovers a much deadlier conspiracy - which leads him straight to the heart of the Vatican.

With corruption closing in on all sides, Jack must decide who he can trust before the city falls.

Genres: Crime, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

Audible Audio

First published August 31, 2023

About the author

Official US Site
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JIMMY Patterson Books
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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

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge James Patterson fan. I enjoy both his fiction and nonfiction books. Some of my favorite James Patterson nonfiction books include: The Stories of My Life, Against Medical Advice, Home Sweet Murder, The Last Days of John Lennon, The House of Kennedy, Walk in My Combat Boots, and All American Murder.

I love his fiction books, such as Kiss The Girls, The Black Book, and The Store.

However, I found Private Rome ho-hum. Very limited character development. Flat dialogue. The altercations felt like they were from a James Bond movie. Adam Hamby is the co-author and I am not familiar with his work.

Some of it might be because I had just finished reading two incredible books that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Jodi Picoult’s The Book of Two Ways and Karen Slaughter’s After That Night are captivating, action packed and I couldn’t put them down.

I struggled to keep reading Private Rome.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another instalment of the Private series kept me on my toes, with another collaborative work that James Patterson and Adam Hamdy present. They toss Jack Morgan into the heart of Rome, where nothing is as it seems. Attending the busy city to open another Private office, Jack is excited to enjoy the festivities. However, things soon turn sour for his new local station chief, pushing Jack into the middle of a crime scene. He’s trying to work the case and dodge the Italian police, who are tight-lipped with their own findings. As Jack tries to solve the case and protect a colleague, he discovers that he is the target of a larger plot. Patterson and Hamdy deliver a great story that has all the elements for a superior thriller.

The celebrations are on as Jack Morgan arrives in Rome. He’s here to help open the newest Private office, where a friend and fellow surveillance specialist is at the helm. However, the party atmosphere is dampened when the party takes a deadly turn. Matteo Ricci, the new head of Private Rome, is found standing over a dead priest with a gun in hand.

Ricci vows that nothing is as it seems and that he did not kill the priest, though no one is ready to believe it. Jack is pushed to help Ricci, if only to save the Private name. The local authorities are sure they have their man and begin closing the investigation, ignoring Jack’s pleas for help. This could be the end of Private in the Italian capital before things get started.

Jack soon finds himself ensconced in a larger conspiracy, one in which Ricci was but a pawn. The heart of the matter lies within the Vatican, where power and control are protected by a religious veil. Jack will have to uncover it all in time, proving that Matteo Ricci is innocent of the crime, as more priests turn up dead. A story that does not slow things down at any point, Patterson and Hamdy spin a tale like no other in this Private story.

I have followed the Private series from its inception, primarily due to its worldwide thrillers. Patterson has engaged with numerous collaborators to bring these to life, Adam Hamdy has been the latest co-author and shows his mettle once more. They develop a solid story with a narrative foundation that is able to withstand the various twists on offer. As with most Private novels, the action prevents any rest for the attentive reader, filling short chapters with development and many twists. The characters are flavoured with local perspectives and keep the reader feeling as though they are in the middle of it all. The story offers so many moments of uncertainty that the reader dare not blink or risk losing key elements.

Plot points in a Private novel tend to keep things moving without regard for common expectations. With an international setting, there is more of a chance for surprise, as nothing is predictable outside the reader’s comfort zone. Readers are faced with twists at every turn and provide a stellar pathway towards a curious ending that many likely would not expect. Patterson and Hamdy shed light on something well worth the reader’s time and effort.

Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Hamdy, for a story rich in history and thrilling drama.

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

[Jennifer (Jaye) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Havoc in Rome*

This is book 18 in the Private series. A series that centres around Jack Morgan. He is the head of the world famous Private Detective Agency that he took over once his father passed. He turned a failing business into what it is today with branches across the globe. He is a former marine and pilot and served in Afghanistan. Little does he know he will definitely need his special set of skills.

For me this series started really well but, it lost its way in the middle but this collaboration with Adam Handy also in the previous few books brought it back on track.

This instalment sees Jack in Rome to celebrate the opening of a new branch. As usual with Jack nothing is straightforward. His new head of Private Rome is ex police officer Matteo Ricci. A priest asks to have a confidential word with Matteo and as they leave to go into a room, the next thing is there are shots fired.

Jack as usual rushes headlong into what could be danger. What he finds is a dazed Matteo standing over the body of the priest holding the murder weapon.

Jack is shocked to think he may have had poor judgement appointing Matteo. But, Jack smells a rat. He then finds himself in a city that he does not know the language well and having to work out who he can trust. All hell lets loose as Jack is like a dog with a bone in search of the truth

A lot of action, near misses and his team in the USA will take no for an answer as they fly out to help him. Thrilling to say the least.

[Andy Wormald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plot, story, character, fast paced action, Private Rome has it all

I love James Pattersons books, a born storyteller and when you have a collaboration with a thriller writer of the quality of Adam Hamdy you can be certain of only thing, you are in for an explosive, adrenaline fuelled full on action thriller.

Private Rome for me does not disappoint on any level, I read for entertainment to be taken away from the everyday stresses, this book just transported me to that place of pure escapism.

From the opening pages, you are on a journey, a journey that will take Jack Morgan to some dark and dangerous places, in someways it becomes a story of trust, there is doubt with some of the characters as to which side they are on.

Here Jack is mostly alone in a foreign country with his colleagues back in the states, and you get that sense of lonliness within the writing, you also go on trip around Rome, not only the glamorous tourist areas, but also the seedier side where the gangs rule, giving a terrific sense of place

The book is wonderfully plotted and written in a way that keeps you guessing as you read, the pace is full on with little time to pause, the action moves seamlessly around, building in suspense and intensity as it does so, there are moments when you fear for the characters. I also found the use of technology interesting adding another dimension to the story

Twists and turns abound all to heighten the reading enjoyment.

You are also treated to a cast of characters written in a way that makes them believeable, they fit seamlessly into the story

The ending is sublime not only in creating a real sense of tension, but in its reveal

Murder an intrigue abound, loyalties are tested

With any story by James Patterson the chapters are kept short and pithy with that way of forcing to turn the page, moves along at breakneck speed

5* this is a more than welcome addition to a standout series, one which I can’t recomend enough

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a huge disappointment. I swear to god if I had to read about one more time of Jack being chased and getting away and dead bodies, I would’ve gave up on this book. How do you crash a vehicle into a tree and still drive it away? This book was over the top. Maybe a little more investigative work and you’re seriously going to open an office in Rome after all of that?

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

First time reading a James Patterson book. The book was ok but I was expecting a bit criminal thriller themes in the book but it was more of a gangster vibes. Overall it’s a decent a book and a good read.

[Brett Marsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t normally write reviews but I feel the need here. This book is nearly 400 pages. I would estimate that 250 of these pages are irrelevant. The 150 pages that are relevant represent what could be the bones to a good story. This is my first delve into a JP book for a long time. I grew weary of his older Alex Cross books and was given this on holiday. If I wasn’t on holiday I think I would have given up early doors.
It really does seem like a book that was written with the main action written out and then a load of AI information put in about Rome. And then there were the, what seemed like, 20 escape scenes that were just terrible.
I have given it an extra star due to it having a decent base story. Also it was an extremely easy read with the chapters being no more than 4 pages.

[Greer Andjanetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

An imagination-defying thriller in which the hero vanquishes dozens of foes, makes miraculous escapes from many deadly confrontations and emerges victorious in the end. Not great prose but easy to read and so repetetive that it starts to become boring after a while. Dozens of street names in Rome are inserted into the story, meaningless and entirely superfluous to most readers but supposedly provided to demonstrate the authors' ability to read a map or to provide some authenticity to an otherwise unbelieveable story.

[Russ Murlis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Love #Rome , having loved there, but this was a boring novel.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think a few of the reviews are slightly harsher in terms of the car crash, tree etc

Where I agree you’ll need some degree of realism it is a story. Who knows? Maybe it had a protective roll bar….

I think overall it was good, enjoyed the description of Italy and the book overall spun on what seems to be from the outside an innocent place and shows a dark undertone of Italy which was fun to read.

Interactions on the phone with the wife did cringe me out a bit, but overall did enjoy the read!

[Michael Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was a very familiar one for the Private series, so not a lot of surprises in the eventual twists but still entertaining to read.

The familiarity of walking the streets of Rome, as it was explained throughout the book, was a highlight. Made me feel like I was right there with him.

[Tracy Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy to read story for my train rides. Predictable though.

[Curlyhair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this from the ‘Private’ series as it’s been a while since I read one. This has Jack Morgan in and I think it’s better for it. Decent story, plenty of action as usual and an interesting setting in Rome.

[Peta · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5 - maybe it's because I've read so many of these now but I found the plot very predictable and this book was a bit boring/dull in places. There were too many different little groups involved, but still not that interesting. Like any James Patterson book though it was a quick, easy read.

[Unlimited Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was very underwhelming, not impressed at all, the series isn't going where I want it to. For the past four books or so, I've been waiting for more to be written about Jack's rivalry with his twin brother, Tommy, and I'm not getting it, so frustrating.

I found this one to be just...dull. With Patterson, it's very much being about quantity rather than quality. It was a very formulaic format, more so than usual and Jack Morgan just isn't as impressive as he used to be - let's hope the next one is better...

[Nigel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was attracted by the Rome setting of this would-be thriller though it didn’t seem to count for much other than showing off copious use the Rome A-Z for street name dropping. I have not read any others in the series but I’m not minded to after this dull affair. It’s serviceable as a by-the-numbers actioner but it is hardly imaginative or inspiring and sadly lacks tension or even thrills.

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great instalment of the Private series. This one had it all. Religion, criminal organisations, murder, deception and above all else loyalty and the drive to find the truth no matter what. A great read, I look forward to the next Private book.

[michael ohalloran · Rating 1 out of 5]

terrible

Why a man with Patterson’s talent would put his name to such rubbish baffles me , just pure greed I guess

[Andrew Sydenham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished it.
Not much else to say.

Entirely forgettable.

[Fiona · Rating 2 out of 5]

WOW! Not since The Davinci Code have I been so distracted by the child like formulation of thoughts into sentences. It is boring and formulaic.

[Elizabeth Sirett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Morgan is in Rome celebrating another addition to his private investigation business. But the party for the opening of a new Private office, takes a deadly turn, when a priest runs into the he room in fear for his life, He is subsequently found shot dead, with Private agent Matteo Ricci standing over the body, gun in hand, Matteo swears that he did not kill the man. Jack sets out to prove his innocence, in the process uncovering a deadly conspiracy which reaches to the heart of the Vatican.

His investigation leads him on a journey around Rome, including the tourist areas and the seedier parts. He calls in his close team of colleagues and together they try to unpick the threads of the conspiracy and identify the people involved. Powerful individuals are at work and they are prepared to do whatever it takes to defeat his inquiries. But who is to be trusted?

This is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller, with short chapters, high-stress chases and some interesting technological toys maintaining the tension. The descriptions of Rome provide a good sense of place. The recent focus on the Vatican City and the Catholic Church (following the death of the Pope and the election of his successor) has provided an interesting and colourful backdrop to the fictional events.
--------
Reviewer: Jo Hesslewood
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)

[Vincent Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Private is one of James Patterson's series that has held my interest. This instalment is still as thrilling as the first, and I always look forward to reading it. Apart from the thrill, I like following the characters' lives, and in this series, Jack Morgan has me going back.

In this instalment, a priest is murdered, and a private agent is the number one suspect. Jack Morgan is in Rome celebrating the opening of a new local Private office when the party takes a deadly turn.

Private agent Matteo Ricci is found at the party standing over the body of a dead priest with a gun in hand, swearing he did not kill the man. As Jack tries to prove Matteo's innocence, he uncovers a much deadlier conspiracy - which leads him straight to the heart of the Vatican. With corruption closing in on all sides, Jack must decide who he can trust before the city falls.

Grab a copy and read for yourself.

[Laura Molina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is not bad, but obviously neither one of its authors thought enough of the readers to do their research. One of the characters of the book does not disclose information trying to cover the possibility of a suicide because the victim would not be given the funeral rites of the Roman Catholic church. A simple internet search would have taught the authors and editors that since 1983 the "prohibition" of beign buried in consecrated ground, etc. has been struck from cannon law. Even prior to 1983 a lot of said rites were left to the parish/diocese's discretion. It is very sad when misinformation is published, but it is worse when it is included in a book by someone like James Patterson. Although I understand that he now "writes" wih other authors, his name is still on the cover. He should be more careful with what is published under his name... I know I will be more careful when choosing to buy or not to buy his books in the future

[Tom - Reader of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another city, another new branch of Private for Jack Morgan to establish. As is traditional fashion, it doesn’t go according to plan and Jack, and the Company are involved in a conspiracy involving the Vatican banks and a number of recent deaths amongst Priests. So when the future head of Private Rome is found in a room with a dead and the gun in his hand, Jack is needed to find out the truth.

There is the usual swashbuckling, adrenaline filled action ride to contend with but as is expected in this series, the best characters are around. The writing keeps the pace alive even if again the frequent four page characters stunts momentum more often than I’d helpful, whenever Morgan, Sci and Mo-bot are on hand, all will be always be well!

[Maddie Keller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Private Rome by James Patterson is a gripping, action-packed thriller that takes you on a wild ride through the beautiful and dangerous streets of Rome. I haven’t been to Rome myself, but Patterson’s vivid descriptions made it so easy to picture the city’s charm and grandeur. It felt like a whirlwind tour filled with suspense and intrigue.

The story is loaded with twists, high-stakes events, and non-stop action—exactly what you’d expect from Patterson. If you enjoy thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat, Private Rome won’t disappoint. As a fan of Patterson’s books, this one definitely hit the mark.

Highly recommended if you’re into fast-paced thrillers set against fascinating backdrops!

[Bibliophilic Word Nerd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Forgettable.

This may have been my 1st Private novel. If not, it was as forgettable as the one before. I see there are many, all "Private (insert city name here)". Why all the globe trotting? Why not set up shop and build on the characters in one city?

The names of all the streets in Rome and all the different parks and neighbourhoods? This felt like a new kind of Lonely Planet book. I think there was a story, but the disparate parts never seemed to become a single, discernable whole. There may have been loose ends but who could tell with all the chasing, shooting, running, fighting...
[There is only one Jack Reacher, and he's about done his dash anyway!]

This was a long book and hard to finish. Not JP's finest moment.

[Janet Balliet]

Before Jack can open the new office, his choice for head is arrested for murder! Jack tried to find evidence of his innocence. Jack meets mobsters, criminals & priests who point him in different directions. Jack keeps having attempts on his live & tries to unravel all the clues. he moves to various hiding places since the police want to blame him for crimes and arrest him. He can't even trust them! Justine & the crew come to Rome to help along with a Italian journalist. Jack finds has been hired by the bad guys & must be rescued by the mobster's men & his crew!

[Leanne Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another exciting book in the Private series that has you hooked from the first chapter.

Jack travels to Rome to investigate when the head of Private Rome is arrested for murder. His investigations uncover a deep conspiracy involving organised crime and the Vatican. Jack needs the help of his colleagues Justin, Mo-bot and Sci if he too is to avoid arrest.

This is my favourite of Patterson's book series. I particularly enjoy the characters and also reading about the different destinations.
This is a series I very highly recommend.

[Cheryl Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read quite a lot of these books, mostly out of order, but they are mostly stand alone books and it doesn't matter too much if you read them out of order. In this one Jack is launching the Rome office when a priest is murdered. It sets the scene for a lot of danger, criminals and the catholic church to be involved heavily in it all, plus the vatican bank. Cue mayhem and the police who think he is at fault for most of the murders that happen. Alls well that ends well however, even though he gets badly hurt. It's a fun read and a good book.

[Sam Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was decent. I feel it is my own fault why I cannot rate it 5 stars, as I understand it is quite late in a series which I have not read previously. The depth of information about Rome and the inclusion of the Vatican and the Church make for an exciting read which is also informative.

My one gripe is that the ending felt a bit rushed and predictable, and you knew that none of the main characters were in any real jeapordy. Which took away from some of the danger they were perceived to be in.

If I could I would rate this 3.5/5, but I’m feeling nice so we’ll round it up ;)