Private Dublin

Private #20

by James Patterson, Adam Hamdy

In L.A., a star-studded movie premiere descends into chaos when a shooter opens fire on the crowd.

The culprit escapes and boards a plane to Dublin, Ireland.

Jack Morgan, the head of the world’s largest private detective agency, is at the premiere and his partner Justine is badly wounded in the shooting.

Following the gunman to Dublin, Jack soon realises that this is much bigger than a single shooter. What Jack thought was a random act of violence was actually a targeted attempt on his life.

To ensure the safety of those he loves most, Jack must find the person who is so intent on his downfall ­– and eliminate them once and for all.

Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2025

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

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s quite a common occurrence lately for me to be halfway through a book, and then somehow realise it’s part of a series and I’m not reading the first book. Usually I find myself reading the second or third book and then I’m kicking myself for not reading the series in order… well… part-way through this banger from one of my favourite authors ever, I find out that I’m reading the TWENTIETH book in the series! How does this actually happen?! 😂 I loved this book - the action sequences, the car chases, the gun battles (yes, I love a good gruesome killing too) … but now I have to go back to the start and work my way through the other nineteen books. I guess there are worse problems to have - 5 solid stars for James Patterson, as always!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Patterson and Adam Hamdy return to collaborate on the latest Private installment. After a shooting at an LA event, Jack Morgan is faced with the dire news that his partner is seriously injured. He tracks the shooter to Dublin and makes his way to the Emerald Isle to ensure justice is met. While there, things get more intense than a Guinness tasting and soon Morgan finds himself in the crosshairs of a powerful group that wants him dead. Patterson and Hamdy deliver another great piece that kept me reading well into the night.

Jack Morgan is at a star-studded event in Los Angeles, when a shooter opens fire and leaves everyone in a panic, as eco-terrorism tag lines are shouted amidst the bullets. While Morgan tries to find somewhere safe to be, his partner and romantic interest, Justine, is struck and sent to the hospital, clinging to life. A few calls and scanning of the CCTV footage shows Morgan that the shooter may have left LAX on a flight to Dublin, his connection to a powerful group Morgan has been chasing down for months.

Hopping on the first plane to Ireland, Jack Morgan connects with his local Private team to work all the angles. While it would appear Morgan was personally targeted by a cabal of powerful men who will stop at nothing from ensuring Jack Morgan does not see the light of day. He travels across Dublin, being tailed by many who will think later and shoot immediately. It would seem that every move Morgan makes, this group has anticipated it. There's something going on and Morgan needs to see if a leak has been feeding them intel.

Locating the name of the shooter, Morgan works to locate him and neutralise the group who is seeking to eliminate him. There is little time for questions, even as the Irish countryside impresses Jack Morgan everywhere he goes. It is a fight for what's right and Jack Morgan has a personal vendetta, while trying to keep his professional composure. James Patterson and Adam Hamdy create a great addition to the Private series and keep the reader hooked until the final pages.

I have long enjoyed the Private series, which has Patterson showcase key locations around the world and, for a time, international collaborators. Adam Hamdy has stepped in to flavour the stories with international spice and balances the sometimes rushed nature of the Patterson publication. The narrative flows well and keeps the reader hooked. There is a great deal of action and a few moments of momentum-building action. Characters serve to provide the reader with an exciting addition to the story, flavoring them with some Irish perspectives, though not leprechauns. Twists and tense plot points provide the reader with action and an unpredictable journey that keeps things intense until the final turn. I am eager to see what’s next for Private, as Patterson tends to show some great skills with Adam Hamdy in this series.

Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Hamdy, for another stellar international thriller!

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

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

love travelling the world with Private. another thrill ride from start to finish

[Natalie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like reading a Mission Impossible instalment.

I’ve now read all 20 in the series so I know what to expect but this one was really average,

Jack Morgan is very much a lone operator in this read and as much as I enjoy a good gun fight/knife fight/ambush/car chase, this was over the top with no back up. I missed the deep interactions that have been evident in past novels.

Get it from you library, know it’s the same as previous books (but set in Ireland) and go along for the short chapter, fast moving, easy ride.

[Kaylene Asimus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have read all the 'Private' books, very same, same, will not buy another in this series.

[Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This reads like a 10 ct, 13 in a dozen, 'AI' created story, with plenty of lines that could come straight from a Dublin tourist booklet.
OK for a mindless holiday on the beach read, but not worth the € 14,99 (eBook price).
I read it to the end, but just because I paid good money for it.
A lot of unbelievable, over the top action, like very close escapes after stumbling mistakes for the hero and sentence repetitions that look very familiar throughout the book.
If this is how James Patterson's book factory now works I stop buying them.

For example check out these snippets from Chapters 30 and 71...

Benefit of an eBook when you think 'where did I read that before', you can search.
Like 'test of the upper limit' that sounded familiar a 2nd time around:
(Page numbers can differ due to eBook scaling).

Main character arrives at two different horse race courses throughout the story, describes them and how busy it is ...


CHAPTER 30
Page 96

Dating back to the nineteenth century, Leopardstown Racecourse is built around a large grandstand and has capacity for up to 10,000 fans.
Judging by the crowds thronging toward the complex, today would be a test of the upper limit.
With more than 200 acres of course and training facilities, Leopardstown is a respected course that hosts some significant lrish racing fixtures.

CHAPTER 71
Page 216

Dating back to the eighteenth century, the Curragh Racecourse is built around a large grandstand and has capacity for up to 30,000 fans.
Judging by the crowds thronging toward the complex, today would be a test of the upper limit.
With more than 1,500 acres of course and training facilities, the Curragh hosts some of the most iconic Irish racing fixtures.

------------

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

was a boring book. speed read it. Was the worst book in the series. gee, they need to get their act together for the next one. would not bother reading this one - give it a miss

[Jo Doyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately this Private series is getting boring time to put an end to it or spice it up. This book was just repetitive with the same dull plot line.

[Cgcang · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been a passable book had it been written 40 years ago.

[Kali · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Laura-leigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Should have used AI. Someone found the action set of word magnets and threw them on the fridge.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book just like the rest of this awesome series. I have one small niggle. I would love to have heard a bit more about mobot and sci in this one instead of Jack trying to be killed every 5 min. Still an awesome book.

[Tony O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Patterson is a one man book factory. Unfortunately like most mass produced products his many books lack any real uniqueness. One for the beach, or if you’re reading in Ireland (why else would you read Private DUBLIN) one for the couch 😴

[Glynn Donnelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Patterson is treating his readers like idiots . This book is just a load of ludicrous nonsense from start to finish.

[Adam Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably the last I will read in the Private series.

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will forever remember this book… for all the wrong reasons :(

[Georgie Bark · Rating 1 out of 5]

I struggled to get into it. I normally love this kind of book. It felt quite boring and not that different to other books out there.

[John Duignan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Title: Private Dublin: A €17 Insult to Thriller Craft and Ireland’s Beating Heart
Rating: 1/5 stars

Quoth Hemingway, “Writing is easy; you just sit at your typewriter and bleed.”

We live in a world of cheap knockoffs. I own a genuine Tag Heuer that cost me three euros, bought in Pisa from a street seller. The Tag Heuer label on the face is off center, and the unit is so insubstantial that,were it not tied to my wrist, it would float off into the ether.

I never thought this cultural disintegration—a matter of eroded social and cultural trust—would affect the likes of James Patterson and an esteemed publishing house like Penguin Random House.

Private Dublin (2025, with Adam Hamdy) is a case study in this decline. It is an offense against craft, authenticity, and—let’s face it—trust. Books are pricey these days, and Penguin Random House, like Patterson, has long been a trusted benchmark. If I slap down seventeen euros for a book, I expect the author to have made a decent effort.

I paid for a steak dinner and got a soggy McMuffin, a €17 betrayal peddling cheap tropes, cardboard characters, and stale Boomer politics. No self respecting author would put his name to this rubbish. Every page screams algorithm, not author. Hamdy—or some intern—fed Patterson’s formula into a knockoff AI that spat out plot and prose so flat it might serve in lieu of a spirit level. Consider this closing line from the Patterson-Hamdy collaboration: (Minor spoiler for closing line) “They lifted their glasses and responded in unison, ‘To Justice.’” Lads, that is not Patterson; that might pass as a closer in a 1970s Enid Blyton Famous Five children’s paperback, not a Patterson thriller.

This pains me to say, but this is not an authored work; it is a ChatGPT churn-out. Take a typical Patterson plot, throw in TripAdvisor recommendations for an Irish holiday, blend recent Guardian editorials, stir, and voilà, you have a 375 page manuscript in a fraction of the time it would take a real author.

This, I fear, is publishing’s death rattle. Where Lee Child’s Reacher carves stakes from grit, or Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther bleeds history, Private Dublin serves clichés as insubstantial as the morning fog over the Liffey. Jack Morgan is to John Connolly’s Parker as Tom Cruise is to Sir Ian McKellen—a cardboard cutout, devoid of soul.

AI can’t craft characters. It’s a research tool, awesome for writers’ support, seeking patterns and chewing through libraries of information in nanoseconds. But it is not human. It does not feel pain, loss, despair, joy, or love. Asked to reproduce those, it produces a spreadsheet, not a gut wrenching Irish lament.

Private Dublin shamelessly panders to Boomers clutching The Guardian and wearing COVID masks on dog walks, scoffing at small-town migration fears. Here the migrant is painted as a victim, and genuine fears about rapid migration from Asia and North Africa are scoffed at. Denizens of smalltown Ireland are dismissed as racist bigots. This book might have been produced by Ireland’s deeply flawed coalition government.

My workmates—Kenyan, Congolese, and Nigerian—are coworkers and friends, nearly all with Cork accents. But in 2020, my childhood town of Carrigaline saw a teen stabbed by a youth gang, their “gleeful” attack filmed on Snapchat, a viral wound to a quiet town. Private Dublin papers over this and other similar incidents while masquerading as social commentary.

This novel targets calcified Boomers, Trinity elites, and self-entitled D4 nepo-babies. It’s propaganda for the Leinster House’s bubble: some 5,000 or so politicians, media types, judges, and Garda brass—who’ve sold out Ireland since the De Valera administration took the reins.

Our hero, Jack Morgan, is a plot device. The Patterson-Hamdy Dublin is a TripAdvisor collage—cobbles and Guinness, a mere brochure, no pulse. Where Tana French’s Dublin breathes, or Kerr’s Berlin haunts, Hamdy’s city is a postcard, not a place.

It is not the punter’s job to fix the mess that publishing houses like Penguin Random House have got themselves into. Their job is to provide irresistible products, not AI mashups. I’m pretty sure the publishing execs looked at their bottom line and annual growth figures, saw Patterson’s 375 million sales, tossed him and Hamdy enough cash to shut them up, and set an intern loose on an AI.

Skip this dud. Grab Tana French’s The Hunter for Dublin’s truth or Connolly’s The Instruments of Darkness for craft. Private Dublin insults your intelligence and steals your hard earned cash. It leaves you feeling a bit nauseated. It is that bad.

About the Author: A former Scientology Sea Org escapee, John Anthony Duignan published his 2008 memoir, a 5,000copy bestseller. With a BA Hons in English Lit and Italian, he splits time between Italy, dog walks on Irish beaches, and writing when the world’s wrongs—like this book—ignite his fury.

[Brielle "Bookend" Brooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

★☆☆☆☆ (1 star)

Best for: Airport impulse buys, beach towels, and readers who prefer action over introspection.
Skip if: You value originality, character depth, or anything beyond brochure-grade writing and bullet-point plots.

Pity the postcard. It didn’t ask to be turned into a plot device.

James Patterson’s Private Dublin—the 20th in the Private series—is a slickly packaged, tourist-sanitized whirlwind that trades craft for convenience and soul for set pieces. Co-written with Adam Hamdy, it follows Jack Morgan, head of the world’s most powerful private detective firm, as he chases a shooter from L.A. to Dublin. What follows is a blur of foot chases, hollow gunfights, and dialogue you could recite with one eye on a Guinness commercial and the other on autopilot.

The pacing, as always in Pattersonland, is breakneck. Short chapters. Big font. Bullet-speed exposition. There’s no doubt it’s a page-turner—but so is a train schedule when you’re late.

The real issue isn’t what’s here. It’s what isn’t.

Dublin is treated like an exhibit in an Epcot Center pavilion: Guinness, cobblestones, a pub brawl or two. If you’ve ever been to Ireland—or, hell, read Tana French or John Connolly—you’ll feel the pulse missing. There’s no grit, no ghost in the alley. Just carefully Googled factoids arranged like tripwires in a screenplay draft.

Jack Morgan himself is less protagonist than vehicle. He reacts. He survives. He quotes action clichés like they’re prayer. You could swap him for a sock puppet in a tactical vest and the plot would still function.

Then there’s the politics—an attempted stab at relevance so clumsy it might trip over its own boots. The book gestures toward topical issues like migration and terrorism but flattens them into tired binaries: lone shooter bad, tech firm good, mission complete. It’s a thriller afraid of its own reflection.

Perhaps the most galling sin is repetition. Phrases, sentence structures, and even full descriptions of racecourses are recycled verbatim from earlier chapters. It’s not just lazy—it’s mechanical. And while the AI accusations in one review may be exaggerated, the book certainly feels like it was written by a team of exhausted interns chasing a quarterly deadline.

There are those who’ll defend Private Dublin as a fast, pulpy thrill ride—and in fairness, the opening 20 pages do deliver a cinematic jolt. But that adrenaline quickly gives way to déjà vu, with dialogue that clangs and a plot that never digs deeper than a rain-slick street.

If you want a Dublin that breathes, read The Hunter by Tana French. If you want your thrillers to bleed instead of beep, pick up Instruments of Darkness by John Connolly. But if you want a thriller as prefab as an IKEA shelf, assembled with an Allen key and no instructions—well, Private Dublin is waiting on your Kindle.

[Sam]

Private Dublin reads like an action-packed Hollywood movie and that's what makes it exciting. Head of Private (an agency of highly trained personnel investigating and solving crimes committed by the worst kinds of people) Jack Morgan and his partner (professional and personal) are caught in the midst of a mass shooting at a movie premiere they were invited to in Los Angeles. Jack survives uninjured, but Justine is left with a critical injury. This fuels Jack's desire for revenge and begins investigating the shooter, only to discover that he and Justine were actually the intended targets and the mass shooting was a cover to hide Propaganda Tre's (criminal organisation that Jack has dealt with before) involvement. Jack, high on vengeance for his lover and guilt for the loss of casualties that died because of the circumstances of his job, flies to Dublin in pursuit of the perpetrators.

Just like a typical Hollywood movie, the novel is full of clichéd punchline dialogues, fight scenes every few minutes and death-defying car chases. But it's fun! It also acts as a travel guide to some of Dublin's more popular tourist spots and provides an insight into Ireland's horse-racing scene. It's a quick read, but captivating enough for you to want to get to the end.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flew through this book, but was that a good thing?

The latest installment in the Private series- Private Dublin, thrusts Jack Morgan and his girlfriend, Justine Smith, into yet another near-death ordeal. When Justine is gunned down and left fighting for her life, Jack launches a relentless hunt for those responsible. His pursuit takes him all the way to Dublin, Ireland, where he faces off against dangerous adversaries and navigates a series of tense showdowns, emerging victorious each time, as fans of the series have come to expect.

Along the way, Jack uncovers a traitor within his own firm. While the reveal is meant to shock, I personally found it rather predictable. Still, the fast-paced action and high-stakes drama kept me turning the pages.

This was an easy, engaging read that didn’t demand the full use of my “detective hat” the way some thrillers do. Perfect for a relaxed afternoon on the couch, it delivers exactly what you’d expect from the Private series, quick twists, familiar characters, and satisfying resolutions.

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

Dublin is the next branch of Private we are about to immerse ourselves in as we join Jack Morgan and gang as they are involved in a dangerous shooting at a movie premiere and the reemergence of an old enemy.

Realistically, the fact this was set in Ireland didn’t add much, which was a bit of a shame because it could really have been explored. But the action, and the sheer volume of it, showed the location was secondary any. Fast-paced, a really advancement in making the enemy believable and a huge supporting cast that all played a part. I’ve been a fan of the Private series for years and years and this will be amongst my favourites. Nicely done, just don’t go expecting Dublin to play too much of a role.

[Ellen Schoenfelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sole reason I picked up this book was the fact it had Dublin splayed across the front. The story kicks off in LA but is later moved to Dublin. I enjoyed the wander through the streets of my old home.
The story is very fast-paced. Every other page you turn some is punched, kicked, shot at, shot dead, knocked-out cold. For a man running a massive world-renowned private investigation firm, I was surprised how many times he was caught by surprise with a gun to his head, a knock on the head,...
It was all a bit too much action for me, too many dead people, but it was a fast read anyway and did I mention I loved that it was set in Ireland? 😉

[Patricia Ann Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Private, thank you

Another great Private book. I’ve read them all so far, but this was the quickest, about two and a half days. The characters are so life like I can see them in my minds eye and love everyone of the team. I’ve only been to Dublin once but reading about it took me back to a pleasant time. Can’t wait for the next Private adventure with Jack, Justine, Mo-bot and Sci.

[John Coote · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jack Morgan is caught in a shooting that leaves someone close to him gravely ill. He is on a mission to ensure this cannot happen again. The web that interweaves another previous combatant and their evil crew has Morgan on the run and wondering how deep the evil has burrowed into Private. Trust is elusive but the roller coaster brings out friends from high places to help solve the case and hopefully shut down a character from the past.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm pleased to say this appears to be the end of the Popaganda Tre trilogy. Rome was fine, but in essence, Dublin is pretty much the same as Monaco. It was fine, but basically just a collection of action scenes. I enjoyed the previous Moscow/Rogue/Beijing trilogy much more. The student politics that got shoehorned in was laughable, but easily skipable, and I don't think I ever really understood how they identified the shooter at the beginning, which setup the whole novel.

[Rhona Arthur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack Morgan of Private is under attack. What’s more his girlfriend, Justine, is dreadfully injured in a broad daylight attack at a red carpet event. Jack is raging and follows the perpetrator to Ireland where he almost single handed fights most of the population who have armed combat experience (not sarcasm, honestly).

Really, it is a case of suspending all incredulity and just enjoying the sound of someone reading to you.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

🚁Private Dublin by James Patterson & Adam Hamdy🚁
This was such a fun, quick read. The characters were easily remembered, the steaks were high and the plot was clear and easy to follow. In this book, we follow private detective Jack Morgan as he chases after the man who shot the love of his life. However, there end's up being more than one life on the line. We see him navigate who he can and can't trust, what is happening, why. if you're in need for a fast paced thriller, look no further.

[P · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rated a much more honest 1.8 on Spotify. Bad guys = nasty 'right wing thugs' Good guys = 'poor illegal immigrants'. That's it. That's the storyline.

After years of enjoyment, particularly of Patterson's 'Private' Series I'll now move on to find authors brave enough to resist the current trend of pandering to woke ideologies.

[Mike Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

the hero’s life hangs by a thread in every chapter

Jack changes phone so often he keeps an entire factory busy.

There is death defying action in every chapter. If you want action this is the book for you.