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Truth or Die

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D. C. attorney Trevor Mann is about to discover a shocking secret... and to uncover the truth, he must solve the most shocking mystery of his life.

After a serious professional stumble, attorney Trevor Mann may have finally hit his stride. He's found happiness with his girlfriend Claire Parker, a beautiful, ambitious journalist always on the hunt for a scoop. But when Claire's newest story leads to a violent confrontation, Trevor's newly peaceful life is shattered as he tries to find out why.

Chasing Claire's leads, Trevor unearths evidence of a shocking secret that — if it actually exists — every government and terrorist organization around the world would do anything to possess. Suddenly it's up to Trevor, along with a teenage genius who gives new meaning to the phrase "too smart for his own good," to make sure that secret doesn't fall into the wrong hands. But Trevor is about to discover that good and evil can look a lot alike, and nothing is ever black and white: not even the truth.

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 4, 2015

1572 people are currently reading
7554 people want to read

About the author

James Patterson

955 books356k followers
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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.

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5 stars
3,465 (26%)
4 stars
4,880 (37%)
3 stars
3,588 (27%)
2 stars
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1 star
274 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 953 reviews
Profile Image for Gary.
3,045 reviews425 followers
July 30, 2015
A stand alone novel by James Patterson and Howard Roughan that ticks all the boxes as far as action thrills and spills but somehow failed to keep me interested. I have read many Patterson novels, but these days I seem to have more disappointments than thrills. This book is a decent read but once you have finished it you will soon forget it. I used to eagerly await the release of any James Patterson novels but now I fear the worse every time I start one. How I wish he was still more about quality than the money making writing factory he promotes. How can he still be taken seriously as an author when he releases books by the dozens each year under every possible genre with his name emblazoned on the cover.
Profile Image for Brenda.
5,092 reviews3,020 followers
February 7, 2017
Claire Parker was a top New York Times journalist – she and Trevor Mann, attorney-at-law were together late one night when she received a call on the phone she used only for her sources. Her regret at having to leave Trevor was real, but he could see her excitement at what she’d heard was intense. He was convinced the story she was pursuing was a big one. And so it seemed – until the phone call notifying him of her death in a random mugging…

Slowly Trevor gathered clues – and gradually the momentum increased until he realised there was far more at stake than predicted. And he knew the danger was real – the people who had everything to lose if it got out would kill to keep the secrets. And Trevor was in their line of fire. As Claire had been. He had to be careful who he trusted – he had to find the truth, or die…

Truth or Die by James Patterson is another fast paced, action packed thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. The usual snappy chapters make it easy to read, the action makes it hard to put the book down. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for April Thompson Freeman.
407 reviews73 followers
July 16, 2015
Another run of the mill, push out another book for Patterson. It really pains me to give this two stars. He has such great potential.
Profile Image for Divya Darshani.
59 reviews30 followers
February 11, 2024
3.4/5


Can anyone tell me what or why this happened in the end?
To be honest it turned out to be a good sleeping device for me (I don't know why). Everytime when I used to start reading this book late at night after a busy routine, it never took me more than 15 minutes to fall asleep. Unexpectedly, it failed to keep me interested. You see, it's been 1 month since I started reading. This usually happens when a writer associates multiple characters with the main story that do not have a specific role. I sometimes think that Patterson portrayed that kid, Owen, as talented, cool, and smart and no doubt he was more interesting than the main character Mr. Mann. I hope my next James Patterson book won't be like this.

Looking for suggestions? Well, I don't have any specific recommendations for this book. I believe it depends on your taste. Choose it if you are willing to waste your time successfully.
Profile Image for Lorrea - WhatChaReadin'?.
641 reviews103 followers
June 7, 2017
Trevor Mann is a professor at Columbia Law School in New York. Soon after his girlfriend leaves him to meet an important source for an article she is doing for the New York Times, he gets a call from her sister letting him know she is dead. Trevor is determined to find out who the source was she was going to see and why it got her killed. But will he be able to find out the truth or will he die as well?

Another gripping tale from James Patterson. Yes, I know he turns out books like an assembly line, but I can't seem to tear myself away from them. Most of his books really grip my attention and I have to find out what is happening next.

In Truth or Die, Trevor Mann is working with a genius from the CIA named Owen. Owen was helping to develop a serum that he thought would be used to help cure Alzheimer's, but the government was using it as a truth serum instead. The only problem is that everyone they used the serum on ended up dead. Claire, Trevor's girlfriend was about to bust this story wide open when she was killed. And now whoever killed Claire is after Trevor and Owen once they are able to find each other and figure out what is going on. From the President to the CIA, NSA and all of those other initials in Washington, the story unfolds and the more it unfolds, the more Trevor fears for his life. Using his legal skills and Owen's sharp mind, they are able to uncover a lot of secrets, secrets that even Trevor is surprised about.

All that being said, Truth or Die is a very interesting book, that I will recommend to others.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
67 reviews6 followers
December 31, 2016
I listened to the audio book. There were some hilarious, laugh-out-loud one-liners in this book. I really enjoyed it. I'm loving these shorter audio books from James Patterson, they are entertaining and fast-paced.
Profile Image for Matt.
4,838 reviews13.1k followers
September 2, 2015
Patterson is back with one of his co-authors, Howard Roughan this time around, to present a one-off book with much potential. Trevor Mann has suffered through some setbacks in life, but chooses to look ahead to a better future, grounded with his girlfriend Claire Parker. Claire leaves suddenly one evening to meet a source for a story she's investigating and ends up murdered by a masked assailant. Trevor cannot rest until he finds answers, beginning with whom Claire tried to meet. Trevor follows the few leads Claire left and discovers both the man he thinks murdered her and the source, a young man whose genius is off the charts. Owen Lewis held the key to an explosive secret that could be a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. Trevor and Owen soon realise that they are targets and must stay one step ahead of the killers. As the depth of the weapon's abilities becomes known, the group seeking to silence this unlikely duo becomes clearer, with a key member at the top who will stop at nothing to guarantee silence. An interesting story that Patterson and Roughan present, with potential and a fair amount of drama, though at times its delivery may leave the reader with a tepid feeling of the final product.

As with many Patterson novels, there is a great idea embedded in the storyline, which, given the proper direction, can germinate into a wonderful novel. However, many of his recent projects, the idea falls short and the reader is forced to suffer through some subpar work. It seems, as I have bemoaned many times before, that the one-off novels tend to fall significantly flat, as the characters are not as well-rooted and the backstories less developed. It could just be me, or even the way the audiobook was presented, but I felt little attachment to both the characters and the story. It did not pull me in and I felt as though I only ever skimmed the surface on what could have been an explosive novel that kept me up well into the night. Alas, it came close to lulling me to sleep at times. That said, Patterson can put out a gem here and there, forcing long-time fans like myself to keep reading and hoping for the best.

Decent work, Messrs. Patterson and Roughan, though I did not feel the electricity that this novel should have brought. Perhaps it is the victim of too much on the topic that failed to lure me in.

Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Profile Image for Dana Aldee.
18 reviews
January 1, 2018
Picked up this book on a whim after reading the first couple of pages, and oh boy have I not put it down ever since. This book captivated me. It gripped me for so long, it felt akin to watching an action packed movie. Every..Single..Chapter was better than the other, this book was done to perfection no doubt in my mind about it. I see more James Patterson books being read in my future for sure!
Profile Image for Monnie.
1,629 reviews789 followers
July 15, 2015
My expectations for books by James Patterson and his co-author du jour admittedly have been lowered over the past few years as a result of a few too many ho-hum entries, but overall, I usually end up enjoying them (for the most part, anyway). This one fits that description perfectly; there's nothing to stand up and cheer about, but neither is it anywhere near awful (my actual rating is 3.5 stars, BTW).

Early on, I had my doubts; I just couldn't get into it - mostly, I think, because the characters just weren't all that interesting. The book begins when attorney Trevor Mann's hot-shot journalist girlfriend, Claire Parker, meets a tragic but suspicious demise. She was working on a big story, but as journalists are wont to do, she never shared any details with anyone else including Trevor. Being clueless doesn't deter him from trying to get to the truth, however, and that effort leads him to the discovery of something so powerful that governments and terrorists alike would kill to get it - literally.

Then, he meets up with a teenage genius named Owen, one of Claire's sources who apparently has a working knowledge of what went down and why both he and Trevor now are in the rifle sights of some pretty nasty dudes. The truth, they believe, will set them free and needs to be told, but is there anyone they can trust? Who are the real players, and how far up the political ladder is the one who's really pulling the strings?

In the end, the whole thing smacked more of a romp through the park to me than the serious, danger-filled action adventure it probably is supposed to be. For my part, I'll call it a reasonably entertaining, non-brain taxing read for the beach or to hold in one hand while you're cooling your toes in a backyard swimming pool with an umbrella drink in the other. And that's the truth.
Profile Image for Mike French.
430 reviews110 followers
August 14, 2015
Excellent one off book featuring Trevor Mann! Keeps you on the edge of your from beginning to the end. A must for all thriller fans.
Profile Image for Mahoghani 23.
1,337 reviews
February 2, 2018
When you put together an ex-lawyer, a genius, a cop, an ex-CIA agent, the White House, a doctor and death it all equals up to trouble. Trevor Mann, an ex-lawyer now professor finds himself in a deadly situation when he seeks to find the truth concerning his girlfriend’s death. Now he’s the target and they will do anything to kill him, including killing a cop. Without knowing who to trust, Trevor is determined to get to the person behind all of the mayhem even if it kills him.

This book was so good that I finished it it too soon. There’s a lot of lucky coincidences in the story and unbelievable situations but overall, it’s a book to be read for entertainment purposes only.
Profile Image for Melanie.
1,478 reviews16 followers
June 26, 2015
I read this one because I read almost every Patterson. It wasn't part of any of the regular storylines. It features a man whose girlfriend is murdered in a cab, but he quickly realizes it's not just a robbery, she was the target. He goes on the hunt to find out why and gets much deeper into a dangerous, political secret than he had expected.
This book was a quick read, as they usually are, but it wasn't my favorite. It read like a bad tv crime show, with each chapter ending in a dramatic pause, as if it was about to go to commercial. There was a lot of action, and a lot of plot twists, but it actually didn't have a lot of character development or plot. It was difficult to follow at times, and difficult to get very invested in the characters.
Profile Image for Scott A. Miller.
632 reviews26 followers
May 22, 2020
I’m being a little generous here because the whole thing was WAY out there but it was fun. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, rolling my eyes the entire way.
Profile Image for (NurseLisa) Square Granny from Ohio.
876 reviews50 followers
July 15, 2015
Title: Truth or Die (stand alone novel)
Authors: James Patterson and Howard Roughman
Published: June, 2015
Genre: fiction, crime, murder, mystery, thriller, NYPD, legal/lawyer, political, intelligence. (VERY limited adult situations & act silly, not much swearing).

Read: June, 2015
Format: ebook via Samsung Galaxy 4 Nook (Barnes and Noble) ereader.
My GoodReads Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars.

Brief remarks:

What a very fast-paced and fast-moving novel! Great storyline with fascinating main characters. Right from the beginning I was HOOKED.

I will admit, I felt the ending was tidied up a wee bit too quickly and cleanly, but my questions were still all answered so I'll not fuss much :-).

As usual, Patterson and company have another best seller, I'm betting.

Thank you and enjoy another homer by JP!

Cheers,
Lisa (@NurseLisainOhio)
Profile Image for Wendy.
564 reviews18 followers
July 8, 2015
Truth or Die

This wasn't the best James Patterson book I've ever read but it wasn't all that bad. I couldn't really get into it when I started reading but it got better as it went on. It is definitely not a book I would read again. All and all it is just what I expect out of a James Patterson book these days, his writing is just not what it use to be.
Profile Image for Sharon Mccall.
39 reviews10 followers
July 20, 2015
At times a severe critic of the number of books James Patterson churns out I have to say hats off for this one.

Sticking with a format that has worked for him over the years Patterson sticks a superb bait on the line hooks the reader then reels them in and manages not to leave them floundering but keeps up the pace in this fast and furious ride through more twists and turns than a roller coaster!

Trevor Mann's reporter girlfriend is killed in an attempted robbery that turns out to have been an assassination for a story she was working on. Mann traces her source then finds himself working with the stranger to save both their lives.

What follows is a mad dash through a story that often has you wondering what else can these people go through and when can we stop to catch our breath? The answer to the second part is definitely the end of the book. I think I was in the epilogue before I remembered to blink.

An engrossing tale that I am glad I took the time to read and would thoroughly recommend to Patterson fans and non-fans alike. This book takes me back to why I started reading this guy in the first place!

Profile Image for Sandra Jackson - Alawine.
1,023 reviews13 followers
December 30, 2017
Great book, the best Patterson I have read in awhile.

When a boy genius (he isn't even old enough to drink) discovers that his work is being used by the CIA to torture and kill people he contacts Claire (a reporter) to get the story out. But on the way to meet Owen Claire is killed in a carjacking.

Her boyfriend Trevor Mann doesn't buy it was a random carjacking and is able to discover the address Claire was going to. To his surprise he finds the man who carjacked Claire's taxi dead in the bathtub, in the hotel room Claire was headed to. More convinced then ever that something fishy is going on he sets up a meet. But the people he intends to meet are playing for keeps. Owen warns him and the two go on the run trying to stay ahead of the people (CIA) who want them dead, while gathering enough evidence to put the bad guys away.
Profile Image for Maryann Bosah.
Author 12 books23 followers
September 26, 2015
Another story that keeps you reading right through to the end. Filled with a thrilling plot masterfully written
Profile Image for John Mirmina.
49 reviews4 followers
December 29, 2024
Good book to end the year. Fast-paced, and a better one than usual from Patterson.
Profile Image for William.
1,045 reviews50 followers
September 15, 2017
audio book..... this was definitely a miss for the Patterson collaboration publishing machine. It wasn't so bad to listen to, but I am writing this a dozen days after finishing it and I had to read GR's synopsis to try an recall if I had read it.
Profile Image for Tracey.
263 reviews98 followers
June 3, 2021
I didn't enjoy this one as much as his others. I found it difficult to keep up with.
Profile Image for Judi Haley.
1,347 reviews6 followers
June 19, 2015
Always read anything new by James Patterson as they always keep me interested and turning pages.

Trevor Mann is an honest lawyer. He was disbarred because he told the truth. Starting any day with his girlfriend Claire always made things better though. She was a top reporter for the New York Times and when she receives a call on her latest story, she leaves to check it out.

Claire is murdered and thus begins the adventure that Trevor begins trying to find her killer. As Trevor has access to her phones (she had three) he finds the person that called her to track down what story she was working on. As with any Patterson novel, thus begins the chase.

Trevor's hunt for the killer will take him all the way to the White House and a cover up. Is the President involved?

I think you will love the story, keeps you turning pages.
6 reviews
July 1, 2015
Disappointed again. I love James Patterson. I thought this book was seriously lacking in story and plot. At times I felt like I was going in circles. I might add that Number 14 of the women's club was lacking also...
Is it that Patterson has let these co writers take complete over his writing? I hope not.
Profile Image for Dave.
211 reviews2 followers
July 1, 2015
Boring, another dud by Patterson and company. I have no idea what the readers that rated it five stars saw in this book. I agree with the two and three star ratings which is still generous.
Profile Image for Greg Courtney.
92 reviews3 followers
September 8, 2015
Come on Patterson, write your own books. Earn that paycheck. Mr Roughan did a good job on this book. Mr Patterson will be cashing another big check.
Profile Image for Heather.
142 reviews25 followers
September 23, 2015
Eh, not the best pick for my 60th book of the year! Yay! Fast paced and kept me up late late late last night, but eh.
Profile Image for Udara Madushanka.
38 reviews
June 12, 2022
His stories always have the capability of keeping the curiosity of the reader from chapter to chapter till the end. That's why people read his books so fast because we want to know what's going to happen.
I like how the story starts. It starts with a murder of a journalist and also abducting a doctor, and then things start to surface when Owen and Mann start digging deep in to the story to find the answers while hardly managing to stay alive.
But in the final part of the book, the story is all over the place with connections which should have been more concrete and realistic and not fast-forward. In the end, one of the main characters (Owen) completely disappeared from the story just to be there in the end. No sense there. The story could have been more realistic, and it would have made it more interesting
Displaying 1 - 30 of 953 reviews

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