Manhunt

Michael Bennett #10.5

by James Patterson, James O. Born

Michael Bennett, be grateful you're alive.

Someone attacked the Thanksgiving Day Parade directly in front of Michael Bennett and his family. The television news called it "holiday terror"--Michael Bennett calls it personal. The hunt is on....

BookShots
LIGHTNING-FAST STORIES BY JAMES PATTERSON
- Novels you can devour in a few hours
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Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Suspense

145 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2017

About the author

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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

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

While BookShots can be a real gamble, it’s sure money when James Patterson and James O. Born team up and offer a new instalment to the Michael Bennett series. As is their annual tradition, the Bennetts are preparing for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Eager to secure a decent spot, they leave before dawn and take in all the festivities along the streets of New York. When, during the middle of the parade, Detective Bennett notices a vehicle crashing through the parade route, he arms himself for the worst. After crashing into one of the floats and pressing a detonator switch, the driver utters a baffling Arabic phrase and rushes off while mayhem ensues. Bennett leaps into action and chases down the driver, whose powerful fighting skills see him escape the clutches of the NYPD’s finest. For his heroics, Bennett is loaned to the FBI Taskforce to determine who the driver might be and what motive might explain this recent terrorist attack. Paired with Russian Embassy official, Darya Kuznetsova, Bennett is baffled as to why the Feds are utilising foreign countries to handle this investigation. After studying some of the tape from the event, its determined that the driver hails from Kazakhstan and has ties to Russia, though seems to have been turned by an Islamic terror cell for reasons yet unknown. Bennett and Kuznetsova seek to learn a little more about the man and how he might have masterminded this attack, as well as whether there is more to come. Bennett will not let up as long as the terrorist is on the loose, even if that means bending the rules set out for him. Bennett learns a little more about the driver and is baffled to learn some key information that might better explain what happened along the parade route. Might there be more to the story than meets the eye? With the Feds itching for answers and the Russian Mob on the hunt, Bennett must rush before everything disappears into a puff of smoke. Patterson and Born do a masterful job and show just how powerful a BookShot can be in the right hands. Lovers of these short stories and Michael Bennett fans alike will surely find much to enjoy in this.

Just as I have said that James Patterson ought to stick to a few key series (Michael Bennett being one of them), I also feel that there are a handful of collaborators who bring out the best in this super-rich author. James O. Born is one of those men, who has started to help steer the Michael Bennett series towards renewed success. Born is also wonderful in his BookShot submissions, dazzling the reader with high quality and succinct writing, which Patterson surely enjoys in whatever capacity he has. Tying in nicely to the previous full-length novel, the Bennetts are out in full force for Thanksgiving. Michael Bennett is, as always, a powerful character and receives a peppering of backstory here, though the number of past novels and the brevity of this piece do not leave much time for thorough expansion. The use of Darya Kuznetsova proves an interesting addition to the story, which works on many levels to add a new flavour to the over-utilised terrorist theme prevalent in the genre. Some of the twists these two discover only add to an already intense narrative, pushing the story along at breakneck speeds. The number of secondary characters also complement the story’s direction without weighing it down and forcing the reader to synthesise too much. The story is exciting and allows the reader to discover a new angle in the War on Terror, while also flirting with some of the new revelations about the former Cold War nemesis. Paced well with short chapters and just enough for an afternoon of reading, this Michael Bennett piece delivers in all the right ways!

Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Born, for another superior collaboration. I can only hope that you have more lined up for BookShot fans in the coming months.

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/...

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Oh, Michael Bennett <3 For a Bookshot, I thought this was a satisfying read even though it was a very condensed novel! It has the thrill, suspense, and all the kids in an afternoon read.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Michael Bennett had a rare day off and attended the Thanksgiving Day Parade with Mary Catherine and his children. But the terrorist attack which occurred right in front of his family left everyone in shock – Michael’s chase of the suspect was an immediate reaction to the carnage. With the hunt on and the combination of agencies working together, the hope was to find the perpetrator quickly. But would they? Could they?

Manhunt is #10.5 in the Michael Bennett series by James Patterson, and though a novella, it’s just as fast paced and intense as the full-sized novels. I was annoyed with myself to realise, when part-way into Manhunt, that I hadn’t read #10 yet! I will rectify that soon… I thoroughly enjoy this series and look forward to both #10 and #11 which is due out in October 2018. Highly recommended.

[JR · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mini story or book shot in between books 10 and 11 of the Michael Bennett series. This was a quick 140 page read that didn’t really turn my crank one way or another.

This definitely set up a future book with the Russian counterpart and as I looked ahead at the future books I see one is named the Russian. So I can only imagine she’s tied into that book.

This was a fast just okay read. 3 stars

[Suzzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

My first take was that these little BookShots are great fixes to get a reader through to the next book. However, now that I have binged read the Mike B. books for the most part, the BookShots books on this series are nothing but the equivalent of dangling a chocolate Crunch bar in front me on a stressful day.

I need more Michael Bennett books. The Mike B (Go Seahawks!) series is by far my favorite James Patterson co-authored series. In this short book, Mike B. witnesses a terror attack at the Thanksgiving Day Parade with his family in tow; which leads him on an investigation that readers will enjoy and some very interesting characters and dialogue. This was actually a really good read for a small book, and I think this could have been a great plot for a full length novel.

My quick and simple overall: I need more Michael Bennett series books.

[RM(Alwaysdaddygirl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars:

-This is one of my favorite characters. However, this is not good. There are many questions that are not addressed. I only gave it 3 for Michael Bennett love for his family and his dedication as being a cop. Otherwise, I would give it 2 stars.



🇺🇸💀🦋🐼

[Linda Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael Bennett and his entire family, except for Brian, are positioned on the streets of New York to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

What happens next is something that, sadly, we're seeing way too much of as "Breaking News". A truck plows through as many people as possible, killing several before coming to a stop. When he gets out of his truck, he yells, and then detonates a bomb.

Michael takes it personally .....

This is one of this author's short stories (Book Shots) packed with fast-paced action without a lot of fluff. The characters are credible and I always enjoy reading about the Bennett family. It's well-written, but not up to par as the older books in this series.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Manhunt is book 10.5 of Michael Bennett series by James Patterson. Michael Bennett took his family to the local Thanksgiving parade when his law enforcement training step in when a Ford step-van truck barreled down on the spectators. After Michael Bennett save his daughter Shawna, he organises the law enforcement officers looking after the parade and then started to chase the truck driver. The readers of Manhunt will continue to follow Michael Bennett investigation to find the truck driver and the reason for the death of the young people at the parade.

I love reading books in the Michael Bennett series, and Manhunt did not disappoint. I like the way James Patterson and James O. Born portrayed their characters and interact them with each other. I love that James Patterson and James O. Born describes Michael Bennett a loving father of 10 children and the family also participates in the plots of all the books in this series. Manhunt is well written and researched by James Patterson and James O. Born. The plot and the description of the setting of Manhunt ensure that I became engaged from the first page.

The readers of Manhunt will learn about running multi-law enforcement agencies investigation. Also, Manhunt highlights how spectators at large events are so easy to be attacked by moving vehicles.

I recommend this book.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually always enjoy the Michael Bennett series. I love reading about his huge family. This book just didn't hit home like the others. It didn't seem to end right, it was abrupt and kind of dull.

[Miloš · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast and enjoyable read. 😀

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started out with a rocket start but slowly dribbled down to a dull, flat ending.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Immature narration and this will be my last Michael Bennett, if not James Patterson.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good quick story

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, fun read. A nice Michael Bennett follow-up....

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent story, but I'm just not a big fan of the Bookshots format, I guess. There's just not a lot of depth to them because of the short length, and they're pretty predictable. Still, it held my interest, though with many interruptions as I haven't had time to read much in the past few days. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I'd actually sat and read it in one "shot". :)

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

There had to be one quick and easy book in the group. A terrorist attack at the Thanksgiving Day parade? Right in front of Detective Micheal Bennett and his family? Let the book began. It’s fast paced and action but this one doesn’t compare to a lot of the others. It feels it was written quickly and the author was brain fried trying to complete it.

[Wendy Venza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointing ending. I love the Michael Bennett and Family series. This one had a nice flow but such an abrupt non-ending.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off with a bang and ended with a blank.

[Tiffany PSquared · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenseful, action-packed and written well enough to keep you guessing. Manhunt is a great addition to the Michael Bennett saga.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m surprised that a story about a bombing in NYC during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade can be completely investigated and cleared in 114 pages. Well done!

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Patterson’s Michael Bennett series is one of my favourites of his. Along with the Women’s Murder Club they are by far the best co-written books that he releases. That said, I am a few books behind and reading Manhunt was my first experience of Michael Bennett being written by James O Born.

The planning for the co-written stories intrigues me. I remember reading somewhere that Patterson comes up with the ideas and the co-author writes the stories but does a new author coming in to a series know the characters well? I always fear a change of author (like with Clive Cussler’s co-written novels) might be a bad thing for a series but it isn’t here. I’d assume that the co-author would have to read the series or at least be given a tonne of information about the character first. James O Born’s portrayal of Bennett felt believable and it was just liking meeting up with an old friend again like it always is with Lindsay Boxer and co in San Francisco.

I haven’t read many of the Bookshots however that’s something I am changing in 2018 as I attempt to read them all (yes, really) and so Manhunt is definitely one of my favourites. Patterson puts a bit of a spin on the overdone terrorist storyline, making for an unpredictable read and also quite a thought-provoking one too that makes you really think about how far you would go to protect your family. If in the same situation as this supposedly evil terrorist (as assumed at the start of the novel), how would you react? The whole storyline felt fresh and exciting and not simply a rehash of stories that have been done over and over again.

Because it was a novella I enjoyed how most of the focus was on the story. I have never really taken to Mary Catherine and the scenes between her and Bennett in the main series have always been nauseating. This time around Bennett is accompanied by a mysterious Russian who certainly brightened the book up and added tension to the story. With the FBI involved the usual my dick is bigger than yours scenario came into play when Bennett goes off and does his own thing (well, that is kind of what he’s known for) and whilst that part of the story was a little predictable, it’s always fun to see Bennett get the last laugh. The FBI aren’t always shown in the best light in Patterson’s novels.

Overall this was a real entertaining read and I love the Bookshots format because I did finish Manhunt feeling quite exhilarated after a fast-paced read full of action and plenty of drama. Usually with novellas they can fall a little flat as author’s attempt to pack too much stuff (or sometimes not enough) into such a short amount of time however here with the action being solely on the story, it worked very well and I can’t wait to read some more Bookshots.

[Donna Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a softy when it comes to reading a book when I have said many times that I am no longer interested in reading this particular genre. So it is with Patterson’s Michael Bennett books. And this wasn’t even a real book. It was something called a “book shot!” In other words, a short story. I do like reading about NYC, but, my instincts are to stop with the book shots...

[Mike Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novella involving Michael Bennett. Bennett takes his family to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. As they are watching a van bursts into the parade and the terrorist jumps out then exploding a bomb in the back. Bennett spends the rest of the novella chasing down the suspect on an FBI Taskforce along with an observer from the Russian Embassy. Not bad for a short novella, keeping with my theory that many of Patterson’s book fit better into this size.

[Laur · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short story…I’m a fan of the character Michael Bennett, and Patterson writes this series without foul language and sex. Unfortunately, this short story, I felt left too many loose ends & unanswered questions in the end.

[Jay Pruitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little short story about the chase to catch a Russian terrorist. Fast paced with interesting characters.

[Anna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time Bennett's family was involved in the crime. A bomber trys to take out the crowds at the Macy's parade. Who is behind it and why. Can he find the bomber before it's too late.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This condensed book was another enjoyable read!

[Misbah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't real care for Michael as a character. For a seasoned cop his narrative sounded quite childish.

Michael is at the thanksgiving parade when a car runs into the crowd and a bomb goes of. Michael pursues the driver and man's to get a good look at his face. He's called in by the FBI to assist on the case and partner up with a liaison from Russia after learning the suspect may be Russian. They all around and find the suspect and learn he had been blackmailed into performing the attack. The Russian officer thinks the suspects going to shoot Michael so she spots him first and he dies. There aren't anymore leads so the case is closed.

[Ginger · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up from the library for a few reasons: I enjoy this series, I'm trying to stay current on the Michael Bennett series, I knew it would be a quick read, and I needed something to read while waiting for my "holds" to arrive.

It started off so strong and then went completely and utterly downhill! Ugh! Very disappointed.
In fact, I'm so disappointed, I'm canceling my hold at the library for the next one in the series.
I think I may have to give up the Michael Bennett books completely. :(

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very good. There was no real resolution to the story and I am a bit over the number of terrorist attacks that poor NY has to deal with courtesy of these books. If the city really did have to contend with the amount of death and deatruction that Patterson reigns down on it, no one would live there; they would all be dead.