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Murder in Paradise
A lawyer survives an attempt on his life, a medical examiner uncovers murders in Napa Valley, and a woman hunts down a killer with her drone in this collection of three pulse-pounding thrillers.The Lawyer Lifeguard with Doug Are you the lawyer who got blown up with his girlfriend? Defense lawyer Brian Lord survived the car bomb that killed his fiancée. Out of work and out of his mind, he takes on a lifeguard job at the beach. But there's one wave he'll never see coming . . .The Doctor's Plotwith Connor Abi Brenner is the new medical examiner in the Napa Valley, a dream job in a dream location. But her fairy tale will take a terrifying turn when she uncovers a series of murders -- with one sinister thing in common.The Shut-In with Duane A woman who has solar urticaria, an uncommon allergy to the sun, watches the outside world through a flying drone as she is confined to her studio apartment. But when her high-tech toy records a vicious murder, she's determined to track down the killer -- a killer who knows she's being watched.
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 26, 2018
4571 people are currently reading
3732 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
955 books355k followersOfficial 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 467 reviews
November 22, 2018
This was a compilation of 3 short stories by 3 writers and James Patterson. The first, The Lawyer Lifeguard was the weakest of the 3 and I would give it 2 stars for lightweight characters, an unbelievable plot, and a story that didn't interest me much, in addition the author kept making statements as the protagonist, like, "This would be my last day to live." when it became evident it wasn't.
Number 2 was much better; The Doctor's Plot was a solid 3 with a well-written female main character and an intriguing mystery about a string of deaths from a sinister wine owner in Napa Valley. It was sort of sci-fi esque in its heavy doomsday feeling of 'everyone is out to get you.'
The best was saved for last, The Shut-In was tremendous, a sympathetic main character who can't go outside because she is allergic to the sun. She witnessed a murder and tries to tell someone before it's too late for her and whoever else the assassin has targeted. This was a 5 for sure and the author's name is Duane Swierczynski. I am going to see what else he has written.
Number 2 was much better; The Doctor's Plot was a solid 3 with a well-written female main character and an intriguing mystery about a string of deaths from a sinister wine owner in Napa Valley. It was sort of sci-fi esque in its heavy doomsday feeling of 'everyone is out to get you.'
The best was saved for last, The Shut-In was tremendous, a sympathetic main character who can't go outside because she is allergic to the sun. She witnessed a murder and tries to tell someone before it's too late for her and whoever else the assassin has targeted. This was a 5 for sure and the author's name is Duane Swierczynski. I am going to see what else he has written.
July 3, 2019
The second and third short-stories were not what I would consider 'classic' James Patterson. They were interesting, only a bit unexpected.
June 25, 2018
Stumbling across this new BookShot within the recently released Murder in Paradise collection, James Patterson is collaborating with Connor Hyde to come up with this spine-tingling story. Abi Brenner is excited to have been hired as a new medical examiner in the Napa Valley. A Wisconsin farm girl, Abi and her husband, Jeremy, are trying to settle in to the California lifestyle and the pile of cases left by the previous M.E. who died in a freak accident. As soon as she begins working, Abi discovers some oddities in a handful of the bodies awaiting her analysis, all of whom died in a similar manner. Meanwhile, working at a local free clinic, Jeremy also finds himself surrounded by inexplicable happenings that he cannot simply consider coincidental. When Abi begins to poke around, she soon runs up against a wall, but will not turn away until she has answers. There’s something not right going on and she needs to raise a warning flag to those in a position of authority. Abi also has something she needs to tell Jeremy, but is not sure if she’ll have the time before someone tries to silence her for good. Patterson and Hyde have crafted a wonderful short story that will keep the reader guessing until the final sentence. Perfect for those who love Patterson BookShots, particularly of the medical and criminal variety.
This is the first collaborative effort to my knowledge between James Patterson and Connor Hyde, but I hope it will not be their last. The authors seem to have a great literary chemistry, whatever their contractual obligation might be related to this piece. Abi Brenner is a great character and she has some real pizzazz, mixing medical practitioner with all-around sleuth. She may be young, but she holds her own in this piece, keeping it light and yet poignant throughout. Because of his role in the piece, I will also call Jeremy an essential piece of the puzzle and give him protagonist accolades, developing his own narrative to propel the story in a few interesting directions. The handful of secondary characters offer an interesting glimpse into the sinister side to whatever is going on (read to find out) and keeps the reader wondering how large this web of deceit might go. The story itself is strong enough to keep my attention while also entertain me in the short space on offer to do so. It’s a BookShot, but not simply slapped together to fill space. Patterson and Hyde have invested some research and used the short-chapter trademark style that keeps BookShots crisp and interesting for the dedicated reader. I’ll gladly read another collaborative effort, should these two work together in the coming months or years.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Hyde, for an interesting piece. Glad I took the time to check out this BookShot collection, as this story was sandwiched between two I had read before.
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/...
This is the first collaborative effort to my knowledge between James Patterson and Connor Hyde, but I hope it will not be their last. The authors seem to have a great literary chemistry, whatever their contractual obligation might be related to this piece. Abi Brenner is a great character and she has some real pizzazz, mixing medical practitioner with all-around sleuth. She may be young, but she holds her own in this piece, keeping it light and yet poignant throughout. Because of his role in the piece, I will also call Jeremy an essential piece of the puzzle and give him protagonist accolades, developing his own narrative to propel the story in a few interesting directions. The handful of secondary characters offer an interesting glimpse into the sinister side to whatever is going on (read to find out) and keeps the reader wondering how large this web of deceit might go. The story itself is strong enough to keep my attention while also entertain me in the short space on offer to do so. It’s a BookShot, but not simply slapped together to fill space. Patterson and Hyde have invested some research and used the short-chapter trademark style that keeps BookShots crisp and interesting for the dedicated reader. I’ll gladly read another collaborative effort, should these two work together in the coming months or years.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Hyde, for an interesting piece. Glad I took the time to check out this BookShot collection, as this story was sandwiched between two I had read before.
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/...
July 18, 2018
I didn’t realize til after I’d bought this book that it’s actually 3 Bookshots in one. And I had already read 2 of them. The one I hadn’t read wasn’t very good. I wish authors would stop repackaging books without a full disclosure as duh on the front cover. This one says “in print for the first time” but doesn’t mention that these were already in Kindle form.
July 23, 2018
I wish Patterson would go back to actually writing his own books and put out some QUALITY over QUANTITY. He has all these different co-writers pumping out books that are nothing like Patterson's old books. I miss Alex Cross and the original crime/murder mysteries like along Came a spider and Big Bad Wolf and Kiss the Girls. Go back to writing your own books and put some heart and effort into it. This will be the last Patterson Co Author crap i buy. When theres an actual book completely written by this guy i will purchase again. For now ill stick with Jonathan Kellermans Alex or other authors that take the time and effort to write their own novels
August 17, 2018
Been in a slight reading slump lately. Just been wanting to be out enjoying the sun and hiking lately. This was a quick read in general with three different small stories co-authored by James Patterson.
I really enjoyed The Lawyer Lifeguard. It was entertaining with some good twists about a lawyer returning home to the beach he was a lifeguard at in his younger years.
The Doctor’s Plot wasn’t bad at all but I did not get as into it as I did the Lawyer Lifeguard. There was a twist right at the end but the characters were just ok to read about.
The Shut-In I really was not into much. I actually found it very bland to read which I really hate having to write here.
My quick and simple overall: pretty good, short read. Would be a good beach read for sure.
I really enjoyed The Lawyer Lifeguard. It was entertaining with some good twists about a lawyer returning home to the beach he was a lifeguard at in his younger years.
The Doctor’s Plot wasn’t bad at all but I did not get as into it as I did the Lawyer Lifeguard. There was a twist right at the end but the characters were just ok to read about.
The Shut-In I really was not into much. I actually found it very bland to read which I really hate having to write here.
My quick and simple overall: pretty good, short read. Would be a good beach read for sure.
June 26, 2022
I loved the first short story and the last short story, but the middle short story I didn't love. I really enjoyed this book overall.
October 2, 2018
I've been a Patterson fan for years but I feel like I've been sold a pup with this one. Partly my own fault as I didn't research anything about this book but just decided to read it whilst on vacation. I didn't realise it was a collection of (3) short stories (unrelated in anyway) and each weaker than the other. Short stories don't work for me as they are either too short or they are rushed or are incomplete. These stories were poor by Pattersons usual standard. it's commendable to be giving your name to give budding talents a leg up but this collection is at the expense of the reader as the stories fall well short.
May 16, 2020
Three fast paced and entertaining short story mysteries.
July 5, 2018
This book includes three short stories by James Patterson and three other authors. The first story is okay. The second one is awful unless you want the good guys dead and the bad guys prospering. For that scenario, I usually watch the news. The third story was mediocre at best. I wouldn't recommend this book if you have anything else to read. Very disappointing.
February 21, 2019
I liked the first two stories, the killer in the third one was a little far fetched.
July 21, 2018
As others have mentioned, this "book" is really a collection of 3 short stories. While I liked the first story, I have to wonder how it got past the editor. Luka went from being the arms dealer to one of the arms dealer's hired hands. I reference pages 121, 139, 143, and 144. It's really sloppy to have this kind of error period and even worse when you consider that it wasn't corrected even though that short story was previously published. Minus that continuity error, I liked the overall story and wish more pages would have been devoted to fleshing out the story. Still I was thrilled when one minor character got what was coming to him because I couldn't bear to have him be in the story for its duration.
March 3, 2019
3 short novels (bookshots) that could put you off reading for life!
The first story warrants no more comment than I’ve read better from high school students than this drivel. The second instalment is marginally better but gross inaccuracies and inconsistencies make for such a far-fetched plot it becomes laughable.
The final story tries at least but when you have a young woman allergic to the sun who can’t go out at night, it just goes from bad to worse.
Save your time and money!
The first story warrants no more comment than I’ve read better from high school students than this drivel. The second instalment is marginally better but gross inaccuracies and inconsistencies make for such a far-fetched plot it becomes laughable.
The final story tries at least but when you have a young woman allergic to the sun who can’t go out at night, it just goes from bad to worse.
Save your time and money!
July 9, 2018
The first one was ok (there are three stories in this book) the second one was stupid and the third one got me to read about 25 pages... and decided I've read enough. For murder/mystery you need so much more development in plot and characters that this just fell flat. If I had realized BEFORE I got it from the library that it was three stories in one book, I would have passed.
February 3, 2019
I only needed to read the second story in this book as I’ve already read the first and the third as Book Shots and reviewed them separately. I found “The Doctor’s Plot” enjoyable. It really did not feel like a short story to me. This is one of those times when Mr. Patterson gets it right and puts just the rights amount of detail into the story to make it work and not feel rushed.
July 13, 2018
While James Patterson is my favourite author, I find it difficult to enjoy these 3 mini books in one. Not enough time to fully develop a character or the plot line which he does so well with his regular books. But it was still an easy “by the pool” read
August 11, 2018
3.5 stars. Overall I enjoyed these three stories.
December 6, 2020
When the Napa Valley coroner is shot down with a group of tourists while hot air ballooning, the authorities give his job to a nice, eager, young coroner named Abi Brenner. Unfortunately, Brenner is not the lightweight, easily manipulatable type. Other seemingly related murders occur, Brenner gets in way over her head. It is difficult to say more without spoilers. Suffice to say the ending to The Doctor’s Plot by James Patterson and Connor Hyde is a stunner.
The Shut-In by Duane Swierczynski borrows a bit of Rear Window (which he immediately acknowledges) in The Shut-In. Tricia Celano has solar urticaria which makes her allergic to the sun and cannot go out at night because of her agoraphobia. She lives vicariously through a flying drone andshe sends out a drone to keep an eye on the city. She watches a woman kill a vagrant with a device that shoots an arrow. The police do not believe her account. During a second murder the
Perhaps because I am partial to Swierczynski but I found The Shut-In the best of the three. This however by a very, very thin margin as The Doctor’s Plot is really solid as is The Lawyer woman spots the drone and now homebound Tricia Celano is in a game of cat and mouse with a very clever and determined killer. This tale is told in collaboration with James Patterson and Connor Hyde.
the Lifeguard.
James Patterson holds the Guiness World Record for the most #1 New York have sold more than 355 million copies worldwide. He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and funds over four Hundred teacher Education scholarships at twenty four colleges and universities. He has donated millions to independent bookstores and school libraries.
These are amazing people that have accomplished amazing things. I admire them all.
The Shut-In by Duane Swierczynski borrows a bit of Rear Window (which he immediately acknowledges) in The Shut-In. Tricia Celano has solar urticaria which makes her allergic to the sun and cannot go out at night because of her agoraphobia. She lives vicariously through a flying drone andshe sends out a drone to keep an eye on the city. She watches a woman kill a vagrant with a device that shoots an arrow. The police do not believe her account. During a second murder the
Perhaps because I am partial to Swierczynski but I found The Shut-In the best of the three. This however by a very, very thin margin as The Doctor’s Plot is really solid as is The Lawyer woman spots the drone and now homebound Tricia Celano is in a game of cat and mouse with a very clever and determined killer. This tale is told in collaboration with James Patterson and Connor Hyde.
the Lifeguard.
James Patterson holds the Guiness World Record for the most #1 New York have sold more than 355 million copies worldwide. He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and funds over four Hundred teacher Education scholarships at twenty four colleges and universities. He has donated millions to independent bookstores and school libraries.
These are amazing people that have accomplished amazing things. I admire them all.
July 25, 2018
Three short stories. The Lawyer Lifeguard with Doug Allyn is about an attorney who survived a car bomb that killed his fiancé but he is now under suspicion by the police. He has to deal with the jealous husband of one of his clients, the mob, and a crooked attorney before he returns to a less-stressful job as lifeguard. The Doctor’s Plot with Connor Hyde is about a group of people reporting to a multi-billionaire who wants to control the people living nearby by eliminating those who disagree with them. The Shut-In with Duane Swierczynski is about a woman unable to go outside due to sun allergy. She uses a drone to view the outside world and watches a murder. The murderer notices the drone and causes it to crash and finds and terrorizes the woman.
The Doctor's Plot was a terrible story. Awful way it ended.
The Doctor's Plot was a terrible story. Awful way it ended.
July 8, 2021
The lawyer lifeguard story was weak with a “story book” ending. The cabal story set in nearby Napa Valley kept me interested and the surprise ending made it worthwhile. The last story combining a woman allergic to the sun, drones, and assassins was okay. Basically, this 3-part book was uninspiring.
November 11, 2018
NOTE : This review relates to “The Doctor’s Plot” - don’t know why this has changed to the 3 stories in 1 book!
This was a good story but I think it needed to be longer. The plot had potential to really twist and turn if it had been novel length. Dark ending though which I liked!
This was a good story but I think it needed to be longer. The plot had potential to really twist and turn if it had been novel length. Dark ending though which I liked!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2018
The ending took me by surprise. That changed my rating from 3 to 4.
April 14, 2025
_________________________
Format:
📖 Paper book
Ratings:
Book 1 - The Lawyer Life Guard: 4/5
Book 2 - The Doctor’s Plot: 5/5
Book 3 - The Shut-in: 2/5
_________________________
Book 1: The Lawyer Lifeguard
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Summary: Defense attorney Brian Lord survives the car bombing that took his fiance. Brian helps local police and detectives get to the bottom of who the real target was.
_________________________
Book 2: The Doctor’s Plot
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Summary: Abi (medical examiner) and her Jeremy relocate to Napa to find very suspicious behaviors. The elites in the community are sterilizing and “cleansing” people who don’t “belong” in their community.
_________________________
Book 3: The Shut-in
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️
Summary: Tricia has an allergy to the sun, which forces her to stay indoors. In an effort to “explore” she flys a drone around her neighborhood…and one day witnesses a murder.
Why a 2? This book went on a on. It quite literally could have been an email. The ending was super blah.
Format:
📖 Paper book
Ratings:
Book 1 - The Lawyer Life Guard: 4/5
Book 2 - The Doctor’s Plot: 5/5
Book 3 - The Shut-in: 2/5
_________________________
Book 1: The Lawyer Lifeguard
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Summary: Defense attorney Brian Lord survives the car bombing that took his fiance. Brian helps local police and detectives get to the bottom of who the real target was.
_________________________
Book 2: The Doctor’s Plot
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Summary: Abi (medical examiner) and her Jeremy relocate to Napa to find very suspicious behaviors. The elites in the community are sterilizing and “cleansing” people who don’t “belong” in their community.
_________________________
Book 3: The Shut-in
Rating: 2/5 ⭐️
Summary: Tricia has an allergy to the sun, which forces her to stay indoors. In an effort to “explore” she flys a drone around her neighborhood…and one day witnesses a murder.
Why a 2? This book went on a on. It quite literally could have been an email. The ending was super blah.
July 9, 2019
3 short stories . None of them appealed to me at all .
June 27, 2019
Short stories some were good or ok and some really interesting
August 2, 2018
A trilogy of previously released e-books compiled into one. Not JP at his best. Each short story is co-written by a different author. The Lawyer Lifeguard takes a look at what all of us would like to do: go back to simpler times, but there's a murderous twist of course; The Doctor's Plot is an unrealistic look at the Napa Valley run by a Hitler-esque gestapo who will go to all lengths to keep their town pure and at the expense of the newly minted Medical Examiner; The Shut-In is an almost comedic look at a "boy in the bubble" type millenial gal who views Philly from her drone and discovers a sinister serial killer and what she does about it from the sanctity of her ivory tower apartment.
August 22, 2018
This James Patterson book is a little different from his usual ones. It's 3 short stories wrote by him and 3 others. The first story is about a lawyer whose fiancee is murdered. I didn't really care for it. The second one is about a Doctor who moves to Napa valley, and ends up trying to figure out what is going on in the town. It ended kind of weird. I felt it was lacking. The 3 story is about a shut-in which lives thru her drone. She's trying to solve a murder. That was the best one to me. Happy Reading 😊
January 11, 2019
This is another bound book of bookshots. I had already read 2 out of 3, so just read the 141 pages of "The Doctor's Plot". It is well worth the read, even though you can pretty much figure it out in the first 1/3 of the book. Some interesting twists at the end. the other 2 bookshots are also well worth the read.
October 8, 2022
I am a true James Patterson fan. His book, Murder in Paradise, is amazing. Three short stories that I wish were longer. Great read although I "read" it auditory. The readers were amazing, and I loved all three stories, although one a little less than the others due to the ending. I highly recommend this book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 467 reviews