The Quickie

by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge

When Lauren Stillwell discovers her husband leaving a hotel room with another woman, she decides to beat him at his own game. But while she's sneaking around, her husband is hatching a plan of his own. After a torrid quickie with a co-worker, Lauren hears a struggle outside her window and looks out just in time to see her husband loading her lover's limp body into the trunk of a car. When the body shows up in a pool of shallow water, she races to the scene of the crime. But Lauren Stillwell is no regular wronged woman. She's a NYC cop—and she's just been assigned to this case. Unable to tell anyone what she saw and unwilling to turn her husband in, Lauren is paralyzed by a secret that will tear her life apart. But as she attempts to point fingers away from her husband, she uncovers something shocking: her husband didn't have an affair—what he did was far worse than she could have ever imagined.

A gripping story of secrets and infidelities that begins where Adrian Lyne's movie Unfaithful leaves off, The Quickie will have readers' hearts pounding to the very last page.

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

222 pages, ebook

First published July 2, 2007

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

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyably convoluted and twist ridden tale starting off with a husband killing his wife's lover… and that's just the first few pages. Typical large font, short chapter, quick action, weak storytelling and continuity, but in this case it kind of works within the confines of a policewoman and world of infidelity! One of the few James Patterson's outside Alex Cross's that got me eager to turn the pages. 6 out of 12.

2008 read

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK... First off - If I could give LESS than 1 star - I would have! I don't normally add my "Books on Tape" to my Good Reads account. But, I had to "WARN" all my friends. This was absolutely the most ridiculous story I've ever listened to. It was SO FRUSTRATING. The characters were completely unlikeable and made the worst choices. There were SO MANY HOLES in this storyline - And, the worst part of the story is that I couldn't stop listening to it - because I believed it HAD TO GET BETTER... Guess what - It didn't:)

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off let me say that I am a James Patterson fan, but despite that fact this book was excellent. It is definitely a suspense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. I think what I like the most about it is the way in which the story is told from the begining of the novel. It is as if the introduction is laid before you piece by piece in such a unique format that it draws you in from the very begining. Definitely a great fun fiction book to read.

[Tea Jovanović · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ma koliko vam se činilo da je Patersonove knjige lako čitati u originalu i da su zasigurno lake za prevedom on zapravo uopšte nije mačji kašalj kada ga treba prevesti... Njegov jezik je pun zamki, frazalnih glagola, žargona i slično... I mala nepažnja prevodioca, pogrešno shvaćeno značenje može dovesti do materijalno veoma netačnog prevoda... Ova knjiga je odlično prevedena ali tekst ove knjige već godinama mi služi kao probni tekst za prevodioce s kojima ranije moj tim nije sarađivao... I neće verovati šta smo sve dobijali od prevodioca (i to diplomiranih filologa), koji kod nas nisu mogli da prođu ni po znanju engleskog ni po poznavanju maternjeg jezika... Zato nemojte olako misliti za pojedine pisce da su mačji kašalj za prevod... :)

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

2/19/08 - I got this in the mail today as part of a bookray from the other online bookclub that I'm a member of. I will be putting the remaining 3 books of The Bridesmaid Chronicles on hold until I read this one!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2/21/08 - WOW...this has been one of the best mystery/thriller book that I've read in a long time! I didn't put the book down much, as I've read this in 3 days! It was a real page-turner that I just kept being shocked about the turn of events! Get ready to hold on to the seat of your pants for this read...WOW!!

[Lana · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give -stars, I would. This is, by far, the most irritating book I've ever read. The prose reads like the convoluted script for a very bad Lifetime movie, and there's not one likable character in the whole mess. The main character is a composite sketch of the worst stereotypes of women. She's a cop, but the worst crime in the world is cheating on her. She's tops in her career field, but what she values most is being a submissive wife and mother. Ugh. I only hope that there was a very lucrative deal behind James Patterson's slapping his famous name on something this horrible.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 2 out of 5]

“What’s good for the goose is definitely good for the desperate housewife. Even if this never happened again”
― James Patterson, The Quickie



Sigh. When will I learn? Stop reading James Patterson!


Did not like it. At all. It was one of the first Patterson books I ever read but I kept going because I thought there had to be something. The Murder House, to date, is the only Patterson book I've loved.

This was a dark gritty piece of fiction that did not start off bad. It was a book club selection with a former book group of mine and at first I was pleased. But it just got awfully boring and the short chapters which he seems to do (but I did not know that then) irritated me. I finished it quickly but did not enjoy it. At all.

I just felt this could have been any mass marketed paperback mystery. There was nothing that pulled me in and as short as the chapters were they dragged. for whatever it's worth I am in the minority as my fellow book club members all loved it.

[Quinn Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

For years I've wondered what the big whoop about James Patterson was all about, but not enough to buy one of his novels. More recently, I've been downloading books via the Overdrive Media app from my local digital library and since so many of his titles were available, I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try. I noticed as I perused Patterson's vast archive of books that the majority were co-authored with other writers. In this case, Michael Ledwidge.

It is just me or is that strange? Are these co-authors actually ghostwriters and Patterson just puts his name on the cover or are these books are true collaborations. I bring this up because I'm not sure whose writing I'm actually reviewing. Hmm...

Now on with my notes. In general, I thought the book was okay. Not bad. Not good... just okay. The chapters are short. The pace is fast, but I didn't find a lot of depth in the characters. Take for instance, the story's protagonist, Lauren Stillwell, many of the choices she makes are purely to move the plot forward, but her motivations were completely unbelievable to me. For heaven's sake, she's a homicide detective that seems to have little to no interest in the book's initial crime. Yes, yes, I get it... she's in denial, but--

I'm trying real hard to not give anything away, but let's just say her behavior through much of the book wasn't credible and her supporting cast of characters were fairly one-dimensional as well. That said, I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy the novel's pace, plot twists, and some well written action scenes. You don't have to ponder any of life's existential mysteries in this novel. The title says it all. The Quickie is a simple, fast read.

If you like James Patterson, you'll probably enjoy this novel. For me, however, I'll continue to search for reads with a bit more substance to them.

[Sean McCoy, LMT · Rating 1 out of 5]

Spoiler Alert!

This book sucked. There is a method authors use to get themselves out of corners that they write their characters into, and that is to give the reader a surprise "Oh you didn't know this, but way back a long time ago, this happened which makes this happen which makes it so the hero can escape!"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That's bullcrap!

There's a "neat sheet" (like a picnic blanket) that is used to wrap a murder victim, and it gets blood on it - so we have evidence that the victim was indeed wrapped in the sheet. But now, how do we tie the neat sheet to the murderer? Oh well, you see we didn't tell you - but way back when the murderer first bought the neat sheet he and his wife went on a picnic, and had a lil sex on the sheet... and left a lil semen stain.

Gimme a damn break. Oh, how convenient!

Or how about character Paul, who turns out to be an evil sociopath who attempts to run down his wife & unborn child. We are talking heartless, cruelty here. This guy obviously doesn't give a shit about his wife. Well, if thats the case... why the hell did he risk life & limb to save her from a different bad guy 20 pages earlier???? Gah! This book was twisting & turning just for the sake of twisting and turning. More like writhing in its own inability to be coherent.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Quickie is written in very short chapters so it made it a fast read. I got hooked in the first part of the book but then became a little bored when “covering up” became a little too effortless for the protagonist. Towards the end of the book a new twist was introduced but was not really developed and left you really struggling to put it all together. It was as if Patterson came up with another plot at the end of the novel and tried to incorporate it into the existing murder mystery.

For me there were a few inconsistencies, especially with character development, that really ruined the overall plot for me. Although it was a good book I personally felt the falling action and conclusion did not fit with the main ideas of the plot.

[Celia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not my normal genre and it was my first James Patterson. I read it on a whim because I like to listen to audio while I am driving. It was on the library shelf so I checked it out.

The plot just seemed thrown together. Whenever I thought we had learned everything, the authors threw one more thing at me.

A married couple; she catches him cheating, she then cheats, he kills her lover. Obviously it is more complicated than that.

If you like this kind of book, you will probably like it better than I did.

2 stars

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

The difference between James Patterson, 2007 and the 2018 factory edition is as white-hot to ice-cold. 10 of 10 stars

[Aaron · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lauren Stillwell feels like her life is crumbling when she sees her husband coming out of a hotel room with another woman. They have already been struggling with their relationship recently, a problem she partially attributes to their inability to get pregnant. As you can imagine, she assumes that this is an indication that Paul is cheating on her. The book could easily have been called You Know What Happens When You Assume. From this point on, Lauren rashes from one irrational decision to the next, creating a destructive spiral that will change everything.

The first thing she does is an act of instinct. When a younger officer she works with at the New York Police Department indicates that she is interested, and they have a "quickie." Immediately afterward, Lauren steps out of the room and returns only to see Scott, the officer, murdered by what appears to be her husband Paul. At first she does not know what to do, particularly once she and her partner are assigned as the lead detectives to look into the murder of a fellow cop.

From here on, the tale spins completely out of control as Lauren, a woman who appeared to be a dedicated officer, messes with evident, implicates witnesses, and starts threatening officials at different levels to protect her husband, with whom she has yet to confirm his involvement. The question is where this whole thing will lead since the reader has already seen how quick she is to make assumptions.

I have to say this is the first book by Patterson that I hated. I know that it is purely me. I do not tend to like stories in which everyone in it has no ethical standards whatsoever. I have trouble having compassion for them, just wishing they would get their comeupance, and this story is exactly that. Everyone has a disreputable backstory that they are keeping quiet from those around them. I only kept reading because I was curious to see how everything would play out, only to find my disbelief at how outrageous the story kept getting. Soap operas have more realism.

OK ... now that you have heard my perspective, it is only fair to say that all of the professional reviews of this one that I have seen have praised this as being one of his best. I guess it goes to show that I can be off target on this one.

I will say the writing was up to Patterson's usual standards, and the story moves along at the usual quick pace. It is filled with tons of cliffhangers and lots of action.

[Unbridled · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this because a co-worker offered it and said she would throw it away if I didn't take it. She also said she loved Patterson books and could not stop reading them once she started. I, of course, can never let a book be thrown away, no matter how bad. So I took it and will leave it somewhere to be found, like the back of the airplane seat on my way home. Well, this was my first Patterson and it did not disappoint - it was as bad as I feared it might be. Each chapter is about 3-4 pages long - no exaggeration. I became slightly obsessive about counting the pages for each chapter. But what about the story? How about a scene? A dead cop's body is removed from a fountain and a red headed cop starts singing Danny Boy - in the rain, while the other cops, even the 'hard' ones, cry freely or barely hold back tears. I mean, I almost lost it - but when another cop notes that even the drug dealers were tearing up when they heard the red headed cop singing Danny Boy? I did lose it - I coughed on my water and nearly broke my face from smirking so hard. I almost felt guilty about how much scoffing I did in the company of my mind. I couldn't even imagine Hollywood trying to get away with a scene like that. A randomly selected line: "When the sleek black body of the hearse finally slid into view, you could almost hear the lumps forming in thousands of throats." Really? Or maybe: "The fluorescent lights above hummed in my ears like an angry beehive." I know malfunctioning fluorescent lights can hum and buzz, but dem dere is some excited Mercury vapor atoms, ma! And that's not even the worst of it - the prose is lazy, unimaginative, and awkward - cringe-inducing metaphors bloom everywhere like shrooms on cow patties (yes, I know, I know). But enough of this snark (I feel so dirty) - it's too easy to make fun and I already took too much of a sick pleasure watching his sentences stagger around the page like a punch-drunk boxer (I can't stop!). To be fairer, as with the fluorescent lights, every once in awhile, he gets kind of close - but he's just too brutish and inelegant to bring the right line to life. And he doesn't stop, like bludgeoning a steel box with a hammer is the best way to open it - and maybe it will open, eventually, if you can't find the key. What did he do right? Well, it moves, and I suppose at 3-4 pages per chapter it's going to move whether you want it to or not - but it moves. The dialogue is familiar and crisp because it's in the movies that get made out of books like this. And let's be perfectly clear - it's a talent to write as many books as he has and to entertain so many people so...expertly? Unfortunately, in this book, while he hits a narrative stride at the 3/4 point, the last 1/4 is an explosive splattering of merde on the wall. It's not exactly a shock or a thrill when the monkey does it every hour on the hour because a new crowd comes to look into his cage. I've spent too much time writing about this book - but what can I say, I'm on vacation.

[Jaime · Rating 1 out of 5]

Am I the only one who thinks Patterson falls ridiculously flat when he tries to write from a woman’s point of view? I didn’t believe for a second that Lauren was a competent NYPD detective. Her narration is flighty and shallow and exaggerated. She sleeps with a man once, this so-called quickie, but in narration she treats it like some long-established affair. And the writing here is ridiculously bad, something I would expect from a first-time author, not someone with 50ish books under his belt. The amount of “quoted words” drove me crazy. The saddest thing here is that the story had real promise, but very little is fleshed out. Instead we have a book full of shallow, selfish, unlikable characters and Patterson’s now-trademark white space. If you have ever been a Patterson fan, do yourself a favor and skip this one. If I hadn’t been stuck in a car for 7 hours, I wouldn’t have bothered.

[Peter Monn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished this! I really enjoyed the last half once I started speed reading it! My full review will be up on my boootube channel at http://YouTube.com/peterlikesbooks

[Sherri Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can always, ALWAYS count on James Patterson to rip the rug out from under my feet when I read one of his books. Even the ones I didn't really care for. With The Quickie, Patterson weaves a tale of betrayal and murder so tightly knit and intricate, the reader is left shocked and flabbergasted at the end. This book is definitely one of those that delivers an ending you never saw coming. Lauren Stillwell is a character any woman who has had an affair or a spouse suspected of having an affair can relate to. On the outside, she is a tough, hard as nails, take no prisoners, NYPD homicide detective. On the inside, she is a woman grieving over her inability to conceive and struggling with coming to terms with what her husband, Paul, is up to when she witnesses him entering a hotel with another woman. Unfortunately, she doesn't make wise choices and in a moment of poor judgment decides to have an affair out of revenge. Her spontaneous choice leads to disaster for Lauren at home and at work. I enjoyed how the story unfolds layer upon layer of bad luck with every decision or action Lauren makes. Just when you think you have figured it out, off comes another layer and once again you are blindsided by the result.

I enjoyed the complexity of the characters. Throughout the story, I found it difficult to decide whose side to be on as the lines delineating the heroes from the villains are not clear. This story may not be for everyone as Lauren does hold the blame for the mess she finds herself in, but many readers should enjoy the creative and interesting way she resolves it.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've loved almost every book I've ever read by James Patterson, and this book was no exception. Whilst I don't think it was as great as his Cross books, this was yet another book that I couldn't put down.

I liked the fact that the protagonist was directly involved with the murder, and trying to cover it up - most thrillers are based on someone trying to find the murderer.

I love that Patterson's books have really small chapters - this makes me want to read 'just one more' all the time. I do feel though, that the chapters in this book were maybe a little too short - most of them were only 2 pages long!

I wasn't expecting the twists at the end at all. I had a theory in my head, but I was completely wrong - I love it when that happens!

Another unputdownable novel from James Patterson. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ah yes, what to relate this book to other than a big steamy turd that James Patterson dropped? So hard to decide...

Really, I think he just needed to dump one off to his publisher and this is what they got...and as the title namesake says, you feel dirty and bad about yourself for indulging in such a thing afterwards.

Boring plot, which really...in the end I was really hoping the protagonist got it handed to her, I think she deserved it. Don't try to build me up buttercup with the "her husband was an asshole" excuse, SHE is an asshole too. And really..."chapters" that are barely two paragraphs are an insult to everyone's intelligence James. Nevermind putting it in the gigantic print to stretch that sucker out as long as humanly possible, hope they did the same with your paycheck James. Absolute tarp.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book at Walmart after reading several free chapters from James Patterson on his web site.
I have to tell you that this is my honest opinion of the book.
The Quickie to me is truly awesome and will keep you on the edge of your chair/seat. It has so many twist and turns in it that you never really know what is gonna happen.
It involves a young NY cop who sees her husband coming out of a hotel with another women and immanently believes that he having an affair. Then when someone is murder it looks like her husband had done it. So she tries everything to cover to up.
Now if I continue to tell you any more about the "QUICKIE"you won't go get the book. Which you really need to do . I rate this book a 15 star . The characters, scene,realize in the book. NOW GO GET THE BOOK!!

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

Whew! I'm finished! I'm exhausted! What else could happen in this wild and crazy book?

Sometimes I like to look ahead to reviews to see if this book would be worth my time. There were enough positives that it was a go! And go I did!

The Quickie, a book co-authored by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge (known for work in the Michael Bennett Series) and read by Mary Stuart Masterson. So, our authors are very adept at weaving a very intricate, complicated, and hair-raising story. Lauren Stillwell is our protagonist, found herself knee deep in attraction for another man in her precinct. She for 6 years has been a cop and finds that Scott is a cop in another area. Paul her husband has been quite aloof and not providing the attention she so badly wanted and needed. They had a one-night fling at Scott's friend's house that he was housesitting, and Paul who had followed them, beat Scott mercilessly took him to a location where there was pooled water after a huge rainstorm. They didn't know that Lauren had been watching from inside. Someone had shot Scott on top of that.

Lauren was put on the case, to solve Scott's murder and tried with all her might and love, to exonerate her husband. Her partner Mike has asked her to be the lead on this case. Lauren and Paul thought they couldn't have children together. The also go to Connecticut to see the new home development Paul had seen, and wanted to move Lauren to. Finally, some good news, Lauren finds she is pregnant (Paul's child) and at the moment they are so happy.

After Lauren learns more, makes it her personal mission to find out the complete truth about her husband. She finds event after event of misdoings he had done. We now know that Paul is a liar, a cheat, a murderer, and even more a two-timing fool. We learn he has another whole family with kids. She is overwhelmed at the information she gathered. She approaches Paul and they both have a show and tell about what they know about each other. Kinda rough. Better stop here. Spoilers ahead.

I did enjoy this book. Sorry a lot of you did not. If you like Patterson/Ledwidge entertainment, this book might be the one for you! Enjoy... Rate: 3.9 stars.

[Gloria ~ mzglorybe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
A “quickie” fast read that I enjoyed back in 2007 but never reviewed. I remember I liked it a great deal. It grabs your attention at the onset and held mine throughout.

Lauren Stillwell is a NYC cop who thinks her husband is having an affair and may have killed his lover. When the body shows up she’s assigned the case but is now wondering if in fact her husband did it and if he did, if she can turn him in. A fast paced read with twists I didn’t see coming.

I like Patterson’s short chapters making you want to read just one more before shutting out the light. The perfect summer read for fans of mystery thrillers.

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

:: 5 Thrilling Stars ::

My first thought after reading this book was “how have I never read a novel by James Patterson before?” WOW. This book was so good. It is suspenseful and thrilling from the very first page to the last. I had a very hard time putting it down and plan to read many more books by James Patterson in the future.

The story is about a woman named Lauren who learns a horrifying secret about her husband. He is a cheater and a murderer. But Lauren loves him and will do anything to keep him out of jail so she hides his secrets from everyone. But when more secrets come to light and continue to pile up around Lauren she has to make a choice. Save her husband from jail or go down with him.

This book is action-packed and thrilling. Simply put, it is one of the best thrillers I have ever read- and I have read quite a few! There are twists at every turn in this book and I could not put it down in fear that I would miss something good. If you haven’t read this one yet then I recommend you do so. It is VERY, VERY good.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having found out some of her husbands secrets she follows him to DC and with the help of a fellow detective tracks him down to his second home, his second wife and his daughter. When she contfronts him he admits to the robbery and his adultery. What he fails to mention his that his second wife is also pregnant with twins.
At this point she arrests him. He escapes and she and the Washington police pursue. He crashes in to the river and when she tries to save him he tries to kill her.
He dies she inherits his stolen money, well invested and now worth over $1.2m.
She is already retired and moves to the caribbean with her baby and her ex-partner.

[Lori Henrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lauren works in the homicide division in New York. She thought she was happily married until she saw her husband going into a hotel with another women. So she makes a decision that she will regret. Thus begins the twisted jaunt through what her life has become. There are more twits and turns in this story than I expected and as usual the journey is worth it. James Patterson had another hit with this story.

I love reading his books they are usually quick reads and great page turners. Characters are good and the plot was definitely a good one.

[iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - Engaging, good pacing - sufficient number of plot twists but nothing too deep or revelatory. Genuinely a ~quickie~

Note to self : stay away from reviews before reading! there might’ve been a higher shock value had the unmarked spoilers not, you know, spoiled it

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. This book had me on the edge of my feet.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an amazing read, i couldn't put this down and finished it in one go.
When Lauren Stillwell thinks her husband Paul is having an affair she takes drastic action, she in turn sleeps with a co worker she barely knows Scott Thayer.
Things take a dramatic turn when Paul shows up at Scott's house and when a fight erupts outside Lauren is secretly inside watching as her husband brutally clubs Scott to the point of near death then bundles him in his car, shocked and thinking he has found out about the affair Lauren races around the hospitals thinking Paul has taken him for help regretting his crime of passion.
But when the police department she works for calls Lauren in to investigate a homicide she is horrified to discover that the body is that of Scott, so did Paul take him away to finish the job and was it as she thought the discovery of her night of passion with Scott that caused Paul to turn violent or was it something more sinister altogether totally unconnected with the affair?
In fear Lauren tries to save Paul and her marriage by covering any tracks that lead to him but she doesn't bank on small bits of evidence turning up that not only make the police suspicious but also Lauren herself of Paul and even the mysterious Scott who is also leading a secret double life that Lauren uncovers in the course of the investigation.
Terrified and in fear of her life due to her inside knowledge its a cat and mouse game for Lauren as she struggles with her decisions and the consequences of the lies and deceit that she uncovers and her whole life tumbles down around her, can she save herself, the shattered remains of her life and the unexpected baby she is carrying or are those closest to her even more deadly that she even realised?

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but not as good as his Women's Murder Club Books. I'm finding that the stand alone books don't have nearly the impact that the series books--WMC and Alex Cross--have.

The book was filled with a rollercoaster ride of what was going to happen, and I never saw the twist at the end coming. I would have liked to have found out more about the new life, and that storyline that is presented at the end of the book.

It was definitely interesting to see a different side of a murder mystery novel where the police officer is actually trying to prevent a murder from being solved, rather than solving the mystery. It was interesting to read about the "dirty cops".

Overall, it was a good quick read, but not nearly as good as the WMC series.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of my least favorite book by James Patterson. I felt as though he hurried through this book while writing it. Instead of developing the plot, he just added another crisis. Instead of creating suspense and action, it felt choppy and exhausting.

The heroine in this book annoyed me too. She was constantly in a state of panic and Patterson's use of italics got old. I was not impressed with the main character's thought patterns as she worked her way through each crisis. The dialog seemed forced, not natural. I finished this book only because I felt I had to, not because I wanted to.