Killer Instinct

Instinct #2

by James Patterson

Dr. Dylan Reinhart and Detective Elizabeth Needham reunite to stop the most sinister plot against New York City since 9/11. The murder of an Ivy League professor pulls Dr. Dylan Reinhart out of his ivory tower and onto the streets of New York, where he reunites with his old partner, Detective Elizabeth Needham. As the worst act of terror since 9/11 strikes the city, a name on the casualty list rocks Dylan's world. Is his secret past about to be brought to light?As the terrorist attack unfolds, Elizabeth Needham does something courageous that thrusts her into the media spotlight. She's a reluctant hero. And thanks to the attention, she also becomes a prime target for the ruthless murderer behind the attack.Dylan literally wrote the book on the psychology of murder, and he and Elizabeth have solved cases that have baffled conventional detectives. But the sociopath they're facing this time is the opposite of a textbook case. There's no time to study for the test he's about to give them. And if they fail, they die. 

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

401 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 9, 2019

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
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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]

In another thrilling collaborative effort, James Patterson and Howard Roughan bring another thriller full of geo-politicking and some criminal elements to readers who have been hungering for another stellar novel. Dr. Dylan Reinhart is still living off the glory of uncovering a serial killer when a new situation makes his blood run cold. There has been another terrifying attack on New York City (shocking, no?!) and the casualty count is quite large. One name in particular causes Reinhart to squirm, but not simply because of the loss of life. Reunited with his old partner, Detective Elizabeth Needham, Reinhart begins to sift through the rubble—both literal and figurative—in order to find out who might be behind the attack. There are whispers that an apparent auto-erotic event that left an Ivy League professor dead could be tied into all this, though the parallels are weak. However, any time ‘Iran’ and ‘nuclear’ can be put into the same sentence, there is at least some red flag being raised. With Reinhart and Needham working every angle, they soon learn that the strike could be more than a simple act of terror, but an international play to move policy in a certain direction. However, it would seem the blast was only the beginning, with more attacks planned at unknown locations. As time ticks away, Reinhart and Needham will have to use all the resources at their disposal to get answers, but there’s a wrinkle or two they could not have expected, which sends the entire case in new and troubling directions. Patterson and Roughan do well to develop a strong story and keep the reader engrossed until the final page-turn. Recommended for those who enjoy some light thriller reading, especially the reader who enjoys Patterson when he’s on his game.

While it is sometimes a risk when James Patterson’s name appears on a book jacket, this novel is a strong collaborative effort. Everything seems to come together nicely and the end result is a book the reader can enjoy, even if they are forced to endure some cheesy jokes along the way. Dylan Reinhart and Elizabeth Needham are strong co-protagonists, working angles independently and together with much ease. Mixing some of their great personal backstories with strong character development allows the reader to feel a connection to them both, while not being left that the case is left on the back burner. The plethora of secondary characters offer wonderful tangents in an already strong piece. Patterson and Roughan serve up interesting interpretations of those working the case and stirring up trouble, including their own spin on geo-politics. The story emerges from these strong characterisations and keeps the reader engaged with the plot. Using Patterson’s short chapters and constant cliffhangers, the reader cannot help but want to forge onwards to get to the core of the story at hand. Well-paced and with just the right amount of sarcasm, this is one of Patterson’s stronger novels of the year. One can hope it is not lost in the shuffle.

Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Roughan, for a strong collaborative effort. I enjoy how well you work together and look forward for other joint ventures soon.

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/...

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is better than most from the Patterson factory, but still leaves the reader wanting more. 6 of 10 stars

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ex-CIA agent Dr Dylan Reinhart and Detective Elizabeth Needham were confident of finding the killer of a professor, but the terrorist attack on Time Square put anything but that in the background. As the agencies combined to stop the terrorists' next attack, Reinhart and Needham turned to friends who had skills which would lead them to the killers. When Reinhart discovered an old friend and colleague from long ago days had been murdered in the attack, he was angry, and more determined to stop the terrorists in their tracks. But could it be done? None of them cared if they died - martyrs to the cause - but their leader was the one Reinhart wanted...

Killer Instinct is the 2nd in the Instinct series by James Patterson and Howard Roughan and I enjoyed it. Fast paced, electric and intense, the action was full-on. Elizabeth is a strong, courageous and determined character - I'm looking forward to reading #3 in the series. Recommended.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a pretty consistent reader of James Patterson. However, for the purposes of honesty, I get his books from the library because I don’t find him good enough to buy and keep in my library. He’s “mind candy” – simple, fast-paced, detective and mystery- oriented adventures that can be read in about two to three days and easily left behind. Nice escapism, but nothing super memorable.

“Killer Instinct” is a follow-up to “Murder Games” (also co-written with Howard Roughan), published back in June, 2017. The first book introduced Dr. Dylan Reinhart, an Ivy league professor and published expert on criminal behavior who becomes directly involved in a series of serial killings in New York when he is recruited by Elizabeth Needham, an aggressive NYPD detective in charge of the investigation. Together, they form a uniquely successful partnership while successfully catching a deadly serial killer.

The second book, “Killer Instinct”, starts off with the murder of a respected Ivy League professor made to look like an accident. Elizabeth, in her new task role, is assigned to investigate and brings Dylan in to help her figure out how to analyze the evidence. However, her case takes a back seat when an extreme act of terrorism rocks New York city. A name on the casualty list brings Dylan’s secret CIA past back and exposes his family to deadly risk.

Again, Elizabeth and Dylan are brought together to try and stop a terrorist madman, known only as the Mudir, or the Governor, who plans to decimate their beloved city. As they race against time and an adversary that no textbook Dylan has ever written has prepared them for, they will need the help of others with special skills including a reluctant mayor; a secret computer hacker who’s drinking only strengthens his skills; Dylan’s old CIA boss who always hated him, and still does; Dylan’s retired father, and a legendary Mossad ghost agent.

Like a typical Patterson mystery, the plot is fast-paced with a lot of running around New York city as Dylan and Elizabeth try to find and capture the terrorist leader and members of his different cells. As the mystery unfolds, Dylan’s secret background is revealed including his various assignments and relationships with several agents who worked with him. I was especially drawn into the character of Sadira Yavari, a mysterious killer who plays a key role in the storyline. Although most of the plotline follow’s Patterson’s usual developments, there a couple of fresh twists that make the outcome a bit more interesting than usual.

Even though the terrorist angle started off a bit cliché and worn, the multiple arcs helped provide some complexity and creativity to the story, and there was the usual tension filled moments of action and violence that is essential to Patterson’s formula. And although the storytelling suffered a bit from jumping around and being choppy, the pacing still moved along at Patterson’s machine-gun rapid-fire style, with several twists and turns along the way.

It seems like the first book focused more on Elizabeth’s character and the second one focused on Dylan and his background. However, what is interesting to me is that the enjoyment of “Killer Instinct” was provided more from the creative quality of the secondary characters that Elizabeth and Dylan interacted with, including Julian, Foxx, Dylan’s father, the Prophet, and of course, Sadira. They were really the glue that gave the story depth and made it interesting throughout.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable, “mind candy” read. Not his best, nor his worst. Like most of his, a solid formula that provides a nice weekend escape.

[Adrienne]

DNF did not get my attention

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

Loved this one! Dylan is such a fantastic character and Lizzie the perfect partner. This was go go the whole time. Didn't want it to end. Hope we get a 3rd book Mr Patterson!!

[Suzzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, quick story with an entertaining plot that moves quickly and characters that are interesting to read about. There is still a lot to happen and questions that need to be answered for these characters so I am sure there will be many more books for this series. I will for sure keep reading this series as it begins. If you like the Michael Bennett and Alex Cross series, you will be interested in picking up the current two books of this series.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not like this one. 50% done and still couldn’t get into it.

[Rissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep reading James Patterson and keep feeling this overall dislike. Yet i keep picking him up.
I was intrigued because i love sherlock and watson and thats how this book was portrayed but i felt disconnected from the characters and wasnt pulled into the mystery. Too much standing around and not enough action.

[Laura Wonderchick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like this series and he characters. This one was edge of your seat excitement until the very last pages! Hope to have more from this series soon

[Charlotte Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An book hard that was hard to put down and an even better ending.

[L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I keep saying that I won't read any more of Patterson's co-authored books but I'm running out of choices from our library and I keep hoping they will get better. No chance with this one. Every line has been written/read before, no surprises. no plot twist. Found myself saying out loud several times "dumb move" when the characters did something stupid yet expected a different outcome.
In the past I read and loved everything Patterson wrote, couldn't wait to get a new story, but no longer.
Its one thing to be named the most prolific writer ever but if the stories are not good and your reputation is being ruined your name becomes MUD and people stop buying based on your name.
Patterson does a lot of outreach work, supporting new writers, children's reading programs, and his writer's workshop however, he should let a new author's book stand on its own. He can endorse it, praise it, edit it, but stop putting his name on the covers because his readers can tell its not his writing.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not think I would ever finish this book. The first story in the series was pretty good, but this one went in a much different direction. It deals with some terrorist bombings in New York City, and the hunt for the terrorists, as opposed to hunting a serial killer in the first book. The story just seemed full of holes, lacking details, and just implausible. I’m not sure if they were trying to be humorous with the sarcasm throughout, but it came across as cocky and arrogant to me. Plus, nobody can do hunting terrorists with sarcasm like Nelson DeMille’s John Corey. I was really disappointed with this and I’m mad at myself for shelling out the money for it.

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first James Patterson joint written novel, actually my first ever James Patterson, and I'm not convinced that I'll read anymore.

The story was well paced, but so unbelievable and not particularly well written, that it sort of poured over me, rather than me absorbing it.

Perhaps I should try one of his book, which he has written by himself.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average Patterson book. The beginning was slow for me and it took me awhile to get into the story.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an absolute corker of a thriller! I find James Patterson's thrillers a bit hit and miss but this one is definitely a hit and one of my favourites of his. An exhilarating (and troublingly believable plot), strong characters (who have the power to surprise the reader) and a pace that doesn't let up for a minute. All that I could want from an action thriller, really. 4 stars rather than 5 because, while I loved every page, it doesn't linger in the mind, once read. Which doesn't really matter at all.

[Donna Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually I liked this book. Great for a long airplane flight. Although many of Patterson’s books are not memorable, some are still exciting to read...like this one. I loved that the baby is a Beatles fan. That also is my grandson’s lullaby choice. I also loved the Kierkegaard quote: “Truth always rests with the minority,” and the Robert Frost quote: “In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.” Much better than the first “Instinct” book.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if it’s the co-writers influence, but I had almost given up on Patterson a few years back but the last few I have really enjoyed. Killer Instinct is no exception. I love the main characters and the story felt relevant with the terrorist plot angle. I did get a little confused in a couple of places toward the end but it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the book.

[kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got half way through Killer Instinct and decided not to read any more because I have a stack of better books I want to read. Not worth my time.

[Anne Zeisler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not worth your time!

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Dylan Reinhart and Detective Elizabeth Needham—now known to audiences from the top-rated CBS series—reunite to stop the most sinister plot against New York City since 9/11.

The murder of an Ivy League professor pulls Dr. Dylan Reinhart out of his ivory tower and onto the streets of New York, where he reunites with his old partner, Detective Elizabeth Needham. As the worst act of terror since 9/11 strikes the city, a name on the casualty list rocks Dylan's world. Is his secret past about to be brought to light?

As the terrorist attack unfolds, Elizabeth Needham does something courageous that thrusts her into the media spotlight. She's a reluctant hero. And thanks to the attention, she also becomes a prime target for the ruthless murderer behind the attack.

Dylan literally wrote the book on the psychology of murder, and he and Elizabeth have solved cases that have baffled conventional detectives. But the sociopath they're facing this time is the opposite of a textbook case. There's no time to study for the test he's about to give them. And if they fail, they die.

Dr. Dylan Reinhart and Detective Elizabeth Needham–now known to audiences from the top-rated CBS series–reunite to stop the most sinister plot against New York City since 9/11.

As the terrorist attack unfolds, Elizabeth Needham does something courageous that thrusts her into the media spotlight. She’s a reluctant hero. And thanks to the attention, she also becomes a prime target for the ruthless murderer behind the attack.

Dylan literally wrote the book on the psychology of murder, and he and Elizabeth have solved cases that have baffled conventional detectives. But the sociopath they’re facing this time is the opposite of a textbook case. There’s no time to study for the test he’s about to give them. And if they fail, they die.

Great book and a wonderful effort with Patterson and Roughan. Narration was excellent with Edoardo Ballerini. Highly Recommend.

[Baje Bookclub - Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Advice: Never start a James Patterson book late at night. I started this book late one night with the intention of reading a few chapters and ended up reading 16 chapters - action from page 1.

This book is the second book in the series called Instinct.

The first book is called Instinct (previously published as Murder Games).

In Killer Instinct, Dr. Dylan Reinhart continues to mess with his students who are preparing for exams and enjoy his life this his partner and their addition to the family. In walks Reinhart’s past and secrets are revealed. Once again he’s working with Elizabeth (who has a new job) as a ruthless killer seeks to “put some hurt” on New York City. What will destroy Dyalan ?
- his secrets?
- their secrets?
- the killer
- his gut Killer Instinct

Thank you James & Howard!

[Between The Pages (Gemma M) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book two in the instinct series but read perfectly fine as a standalone. Apparantly this has been turned into a tv series so will have to check that out and try grab book one. I'm a huge fan of anything by James Patterson and this didn't disappoint.
This book mainly focuses on terrorist attacks and trying to prevent them. A great team working together, putting themselves at risk. A gripping, tense and action packed read which has you turning the pages for fun. Enjoyed it! Brilliantly written. A well deserved four stars from me. Highly recommend.

[Kostas Kanellopoulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dylan Reinhart is such a great character. The tv series were awesome

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the short chapters but sometimes i felt like there were a little too short. also the plot got a little confusing halfway thru but ending was satisfying and it all worked out

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killer In stinct by James Patterson and Howard Roughan is the second book in the Instinct series. A terrorist attack in Times Square sees Professor Dylan Reinhart join forces with his previous partner Detective Elizabeth Needham in a race to prevent further attacks. This is one of my favourite television series and I loved this book. Plenty of action, fast paced with plenty of thrills and excitement. I'm hoping there will me more books in this series.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dont didn't dislike it, it was just not up to par for me. Whoever asked the question are they the new Sherlock Holmes and Watson? I would say NO!

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very typical Patterson book. Fast read! Nothing spectacular, but it was okay.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the best in the series.....Love main character!