James Patterson Lifeguard, Step on a Crack, You've Been Warned

by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge

James Patterson Novels

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Mystery Thriller

373 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2008

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

[Nicole Alycia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storyline. Great characters. Great book.
This is, by far, my favorite James Patterson series.
That is all.

[Brett Tompkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first time with a Patterson novel, I had a difficult time getting into the story in the beginning. However, I eventually became engrossed with it and couldn't put it down. I read some reviews that said it was a typical Patterson and that they are all the same, however I would have to disagree with that. The story line was quite different in this book than the others of his I've read. Of course, if they are referring to it being a detective thriller, then yes it is like his others. I found that Patterson put a original twist on the played out bad guy/cops hostage negotiation story. By now we are all well versed in hostage negotiations via books and movies. Make contact with bad guy, try to calm him down, establish good rapport, try to get them to release some hostages in good faith, blah blah blah. Despite the cliche hostage foundation for this story, Patterson was able to make it original and put some good twists. Another good story from Patterson.

[Gary Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

35th book read in 2013.

Number 222 out of 325 on my all time book list.

Follow the link below to see my video review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF4ogL...

[Robby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patterson and Ledwidge team up in "Step On a Crack"; a new series introducing NYPD homicide detective, Michael Bennett. Not all that different than the ever popular series and now movie starring Alex Cross; yet, significantly enough to generate new interest in the crime fighting genre. For whatever reason I just never got into the Alex Cross series but find this intro to be an excellent start to a well written beginning. This has it all; good guy vs. bad guy, some signs of past and future romance, family, plenty of mystery and an interesting ending with a slight twist. For me, a solid read which I thoroughly enjoyed and will be starting the next episode soon. Highly recommend for all. By the way; I believe it's Ledwidge's input that drives home some intense emotional scenes that will stay with the reader thus setting the hook for this debut.

[Clint Read-Brittian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one!!!!!! This keep me on the edge of my seat the whole time! I have been looking for something to put me back in the Alex Cross/ Women's Murder Club Vibe and this book definitely did just that! I will most definitely be continuing on with this series! I also loved the whole Irish roots that Bennett has, which will help me as a reader connect a bit more to my Irish roots! And for crying out loud he is a cop with a dying wife and 10 kids to take care off! Like Bennett truly is a saint, yet he also was truly real as well. I sooooooooooooooooooooooo did NOT see the twist coming in the end which I loved! I'm always trying to figure out who the bad guys are. That's something I love about James Patterson in most of his books, he gives us the point of view of the bad guys which I love seeing! Now I must go get the rest of the series!

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I've ever read. Mystery books should have endings that make sense - it's not a good plot twist if it doesn't fit with the rest of the story.

[Oli-Nator Voss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entyeraining 3.5

[W.F. Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok story about hostage takers getting away and then later get caught. Bit similar to casa del papel escape...nice to read, but bit far fetched

[Kayla Townsend · Rating 3 out of 5]

This James Patterson book was not my favorite by him. He did not keep me on my toes the entire time. Some parts of the the book were just dry. Other than a few boring parts though, I did enjoy this book. I love the way that the chapters would go from the cops point of view then to the hijackers point of view. James Patterson's style of writing is my favorite because he does the alternating with chapters. Also because he makes his chapters so short! It makes it so easy to find a stopping place. The lead cop was Mike and the lead highjackers were the neat man and jack. I really enjoyed how deep the book went into the lead cop Mike's life. It told that he had 10 kids and a wife with cancer. So not only does he have the largest celebrity hostage situation known to man but also a difficult home life. Also what I liked about this book was how the reader knew the most about the hijacker Jack. Jack was not even a sick minded serial killer. He resented killing all the hostages that he had to. The cops never find this out though, only the reader is able to connect internally with Jack. This book was cool because it had multiple climaxes. There was not just one. The different climaxes were Mikes wife Meave dying,the hostage situation, arresting the hijackers, and much more. Overall this was an ok James Patterson book. I would reccomend it to a friend! I would never not reccomend a James Patterson book!

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I started to write this I was planning on giving it three stars and as I read through all the things that I didn't like about the novel I realized that three were too many stars. Patterson has often thrilled me with both the Alex Cross and Women's Murder Club series but this introduction to ridiculously bland Michael Bennett is too boring to care about. Where Alex Cross is interesting, Bennett's situation, not personality is interesting. The detective's abilities a crime solving are suspect sense this was solved by nothing more than a ludicrous whim and conjecture from an almost non-existent character. The there is the twist connection to the case which had little to no impact. Bennett's family, which should be ample ground for drama is anything but. Also, the inclusion of fictional celebrities that clearly have real world counterparts are on the nose where you can't help but think of them. Its lazy writing. Overall, there might be a good heist/caper story here but readers might've been better of seeing the story take place through the bad guys' eyes. I might read the next in the series because of Patterson's past reputation and it'll be such a quick read but this is not a good book.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love crime novels, and this one is a superb example of that genre. The plot is compelling. The former first lady is slain in a restaurant by her peanut allergy. Celebrities, politicians, and businessmen turn up for her funereal at the world famous St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. Hijackers take over the landmark, and release the common people, keeping the dignitaries and celebs and demanding their ransom. The standoff continues as the police try to round up the money to get the celebs released and the hijackers maintain control and incite fear by killing a few of the hostages. There is a daring getaways and a surprising reveal of who the culprits were. The plot grabs you and doesn't let you go. Equally, compelling is Det. Michael Bennett who is introduced in this novel. He's proves to be smart, resourceful, and compassionate. We also meet his family, and are compelled by their story. I highly recommend this book. James Patterson has done it again.

[Ronald Burkett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my 1st James Patterson book; and as far as I can tell the guy writes stories that lack in depth and generally are aimed at the masses more specifically people who don't really like to read. The book is 116 2-3 page chapters that are written to basically hook you and keep turning the page hoping that something will happen. As someone who isn't really a huge fan I did notice that this is co-authored with another person. I assume that means the other guy wrote the book and James was paid to use his name in order to sell more books. That being said I will read the next few book in this series but I wouldn't even consider paying money for this book. I suggest the library. I am going to read some of the Alex Cross books since I am sure they were actually written buy James Patterson himself and if I notice the same lack of depth and charter development I will just abandoned his books altogether.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is by far the best book ive ever read! it has action, adventure, and like an fbi thriller. there is nothing more that the author can do to make this book better. i heard about this book from my uncle. he reads a lot of the james patterson books, so you will be seeing alot more of these books for my reports. at first i thought this book was good, but then as i read on more my impression was that this book was exelent. to sum up this book in one sentence it would be " this is the all time best homicide thriller book written." (383 pages)

[Candice Neveu · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. it's my first by this author at a recommendation of a friend and I will definitely read more. the plot was fast paced and the ending was a surprise which is lovely as I often find genre fiction a little predictable. what I enjoyed most was the humanity of the lead character--facing the impending death of his wife, at Christmas, with a whole whack of kids. it may seem over the top but it works and I admit to crying a few times. If you are looking for a quick read with action and heart, I recommend this book.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't read a Patterson book in a long time. I started with "Along Came a Spider" and loved it and probably ended with "Violets are Blue", which was trash and still probably one of the top 10 worst books I ever read. But there's something about seeing those quick read chapters that had me come back and this one sounded promising.

I very much enjoyed reading this book, but I thought there might be something more "novel" in the hostage situation then there turned out to be. So the ending was a bit of a let down. Overall, a good start to a series of books.

[Ben Kindall · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a very good book, nothing groundbreaking but well written and with a good story. Despite the entire book taking place at just one location, Patterson does a good job of keeping the story fresh and not drag on too long. The criminals plan was intriguing and well executed. The personal like of Detective Bennett also was well written and pulled at the heartstrings. I do feel like the ending could have been fleshed out a little bit more, with a little more explanation as to why certain characters acted in certain ways. However, all around a very solid read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Step on a Crack is another typical James Patterson book with lots of action right from the beginning and little character development. He tries to give us insight into Bennett's life by adding his ten children and dying wife the novel. I suppose that addition was to givethe reader an emotional attachment to Bennett but for me it fell flat. Overall this was a decent read for an action packed novel.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I partially blame my sunburn on this book! I stayed on my stomach for way too long on the beach because I couldn't stop reading this one...a true James Patterson novel. I can't give it five stars because it just isn't the same caliber as the Alex Cross novels; but this is definitely a good read! True page-turning suspense and a twist worthy of Patterson.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually enjoy James Patterson, and this book was no different. However, there were a few times when the plotline seemed to stand still and I wondered if I would finish the book. Just as I thought I might not go on, the plot thickened and drew me back in. Thus, this novel had a slightly different pace than I am used to.

[Melanie Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't overly impressed with this book. I am a huge fan of James Patterson, so it pains me to give his work anything less than five stars, however; this book just didn't do it for me. I thought that it was much too easy to "figure out" and the "bad guy(s)" just weren't that evil. I wanted Gary Soneji bad, but what I got with this read was like Miley Cyrus on a bender.

[Cindy Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Michael Bennett novel. He's a great main character and I look forward to getting to know him better. Excellent book - I really enjoyed the short chapter format. It made picking up/putting down the story easier (I didn't have to re-read as much. I highly recommend this book

[Wan Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite stale, the begining was slow. The death of the detective wife worth finding out how its end especially with the 10 kids, the story end is so so. Yet it still passable can look out for more of Michael Bennett to come.

[Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a few years old, but I just found it. It introduces a new character for Patterson. It was a good story and typical Patterson. It keeps you guessing. I ca't wait to read the second book in this series.

[Ruby · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's just a good mindless read. I like the suspense of James Patterson books and they are easy, fast reads. Sometimes I need to reset my mindset after reading some heavy, thoughtful books and that is why I picked this one up.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 2 out of 5]

To compare James Patterson to a real author is like trying to compare the 3 Stooges to real actors. This is really bad. The only reason I gave it two stars was because it is a lot like watching The Jerry Springer Show. The entertainment value is only to see how bad it can get.

[Ashley]

#
NC
Own in paperback.

FS: "The back of the table captain's cream-colored evening jacket had just turned away when Stephen Hopkins leaned across the secluded corner booth and kissed his wife."

LS: "Daddy Peep does too, I said."

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book which introduced Detective Michael Bennett. The inclusion of his family of adopted children and his Grandfather, the priest, was a refreshing, humanizing break between the action of the main case. I look forward to more books with the detective.

[Bruno · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goed voor een vliegreis, maar daar eindeigt het ook bij.

[Dede · Rating 2 out of 5]

tolerable, i'm not a huge fan of Patterson's but it was a quick summer read

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good political thriller. I like the team!