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Don't Blink
Join reporter Nick Daniels as he uncovers deadly secrets in a page-turning thriller from the "unstoppable" James Patterson ( USA Today ).
Seated at New York's Lombardo's Steak House, reporter Nick Daniels is conducting a once-in-a-lifetime interview with a legendary baseball bad-boy when an assassin strikes. In the chaos, he accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces. NYPD captains, district attorneys, mayoral candidates, media kingpins, and one shockingly beautiful magazine editor are all pushing their own agendas-on both sides of the law.
Back off-or die-is the clear message Nick receives as he investigates for a story of his own. Heedless, and perhaps in love with his beautiful editor, Nick endures humiliation, threats, violence, and worse in a thriller that overturns every expectation and finishes with the kind of twist only James Patterson can deliver.
Seated at New York's Lombardo's Steak House, reporter Nick Daniels is conducting a once-in-a-lifetime interview with a legendary baseball bad-boy when an assassin strikes. In the chaos, he accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces. NYPD captains, district attorneys, mayoral candidates, media kingpins, and one shockingly beautiful magazine editor are all pushing their own agendas-on both sides of the law.
Back off-or die-is the clear message Nick receives as he investigates for a story of his own. Heedless, and perhaps in love with his beautiful editor, Nick endures humiliation, threats, violence, and worse in a thriller that overturns every expectation and finishes with the kind of twist only James Patterson can deliver.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2010
1301 people are currently reading
9378 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
940 books354k 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 1,515 reviews
July 17, 2023
Sees a journalist get caught up in a city-wide conspiracy starting with the very public murder of a mob lawyer. A wide raging conspiracy possibly involving the local criminal organisations, the law enforcers and sports stars! Don't blink or you might miss something?
A bit off the mark compared to his earlier frenetic work, but still worth a quick holiday read maybe, perhaps; but to be honest you probably can blink quite a few times. 4 out of 12, Patterson factory Two Star read.
2011 read
A bit off the mark compared to his earlier frenetic work, but still worth a quick holiday read maybe, perhaps; but to be honest you probably can blink quite a few times. 4 out of 12, Patterson factory Two Star read.
2011 read
May 31, 2012
An absolute revelation!
One star: one cliched, hackneyed, gadawful star.
It was around page 250 that this book changed my life. I couldn't understand before then. No way, no context. No truth. Now my eyes are open.
People who watch Bridezillas and SpikeTV need something to read while they poop!
And every chapter here is somewhere between tinkle-length and the span of a satisfying bowel movement. (Although if you're approaching your impending evacuation with a wet compress for your forehead and at minimum seventy-five pages of Joyce's Ulysses, this is NOT the book for you.)
All hail King Patterson, the Henry Ford of fiction, he of 200+ million books served, the number that changes every time you drive past the sign (hell, the dust jacket said 180+ million, the blurb at the end 200+). I see now: this is the McDonald's of prose. It's no surprise that he would have franchised the brand (in this case, I suspect, 90% to 'co-writer' Howard Rougham).
The story is predictable, because what's promised is nothing more than what's on the menu board. That's the whole idea. So everything is easy, safe, and reiterated frequently enough that you can refresh yourself on the plot as far as you got during that last time you locked the bathroom door.
The authors' observations are assiduously non-original. New ideas would get in the way of easy reading. So instead, they offer retreads of others' creativity:
"playing Hollywood Hamlet... Rehab or not rehab? That is the question."
"Say it ain't so, Dwayne."
"Cue Paul McCartney and the Beatles: I'm not half the man I used to be."
Ummmm... Those are other people's thoughts, guys.
One character is described as looking just like Niles Crane from Frazier. Another like a slimmed-down version of Boris Yeltsin. Why create a character? Just pick one from TV. Your readers will feel more comfortable that way.
This is Reading for Dummies, the images and ideas carefully counted out like Chicken McNuggets in cardboard clamshells. I get the feeling that Patterson read through Rougham's synopsis, gave him the green light to write, and then mentioned: "now, if you have any great ideas that come up while you're writing this, Howard, that might make this an even better book, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE DON'T USE THEM! SAVE THEM FOR THE NEXT ONE! WE'VE GOT A QUOTA HERE, BROTHER!"
After all, you only get six nuggets of chicken in a six piece meal.
One star: one cliched, hackneyed, gadawful star.
It was around page 250 that this book changed my life. I couldn't understand before then. No way, no context. No truth. Now my eyes are open.
People who watch Bridezillas and SpikeTV need something to read while they poop!
And every chapter here is somewhere between tinkle-length and the span of a satisfying bowel movement. (Although if you're approaching your impending evacuation with a wet compress for your forehead and at minimum seventy-five pages of Joyce's Ulysses, this is NOT the book for you.)
All hail King Patterson, the Henry Ford of fiction, he of 200+ million books served, the number that changes every time you drive past the sign (hell, the dust jacket said 180+ million, the blurb at the end 200+). I see now: this is the McDonald's of prose. It's no surprise that he would have franchised the brand (in this case, I suspect, 90% to 'co-writer' Howard Rougham).
The story is predictable, because what's promised is nothing more than what's on the menu board. That's the whole idea. So everything is easy, safe, and reiterated frequently enough that you can refresh yourself on the plot as far as you got during that last time you locked the bathroom door.
The authors' observations are assiduously non-original. New ideas would get in the way of easy reading. So instead, they offer retreads of others' creativity:
"playing Hollywood Hamlet... Rehab or not rehab? That is the question."
"Say it ain't so, Dwayne."
"Cue Paul McCartney and the Beatles: I'm not half the man I used to be."
Ummmm... Those are other people's thoughts, guys.
One character is described as looking just like Niles Crane from Frazier. Another like a slimmed-down version of Boris Yeltsin. Why create a character? Just pick one from TV. Your readers will feel more comfortable that way.
This is Reading for Dummies, the images and ideas carefully counted out like Chicken McNuggets in cardboard clamshells. I get the feeling that Patterson read through Rougham's synopsis, gave him the green light to write, and then mentioned: "now, if you have any great ideas that come up while you're writing this, Howard, that might make this an even better book, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE DON'T USE THEM! SAVE THEM FOR THE NEXT ONE! WE'VE GOT A QUOTA HERE, BROTHER!"
After all, you only get six nuggets of chicken in a six piece meal.
September 8, 2025
sometimes you feel the need for a thrillride that does Engage you but leaves your braincells in peace. The James Patterson writing collective does offer you just that great entertainment with minimal mental challenge.
As always short chapters and a lot of cliffhangers were you to put down the novel at any moment. That said these books are truthfully beach or airplane literature. But in a good sense.
Nick Daniels comes all the way from Darfur to New York to speak with a legendary baseball player and do an interview with him in New York's Lombardo Steak House when somebody kills a mob lawyer at the next table and Nick unknowingly tapes the whole thing so a big New York mobster finds himself looking accused of murder. So far, so fine.
Everything starts to go off the rails when Nick thinks that the accused mobster might be set up. Then everything Goes haywire and anytime Nick blinks the story seems to change. Hence don't blink.
An entertaining literary ride that feels like being written for the movie of the week. Its title resonated for me with the famous Doctor Who episode with the Angels, alas no angels but the mob in all its scariness.
Good adult fun and easy to read.
As always short chapters and a lot of cliffhangers were you to put down the novel at any moment. That said these books are truthfully beach or airplane literature. But in a good sense.
Nick Daniels comes all the way from Darfur to New York to speak with a legendary baseball player and do an interview with him in New York's Lombardo Steak House when somebody kills a mob lawyer at the next table and Nick unknowingly tapes the whole thing so a big New York mobster finds himself looking accused of murder. So far, so fine.
Everything starts to go off the rails when Nick thinks that the accused mobster might be set up. Then everything Goes haywire and anytime Nick blinks the story seems to change. Hence don't blink.
An entertaining literary ride that feels like being written for the movie of the week. Its title resonated for me with the famous Doctor Who episode with the Angels, alas no angels but the mob in all its scariness.
Good adult fun and easy to read.
July 30, 2011
Perhaps it's time for Patterson to stick to his already created series. Not a great read!
September 29, 2016
Don't Blink is the first James Patterson novel I've read in more than two years and his formula for delivering a fast-paced murder mystery was there in [Sam] Spade[s].
Written in the first person through main character Nick Daniels, Patterson and co-author Howard Roughan deliver what his loyal readers expect, non-stop plot movement, chapter endings that demand readers flip the page, uncluttered writing, and twists and turns aplenty.
All of this, of course, comes at the expense of character depth, thought-provoking ideas, and prose beyond a clever turn of phrase. But that's precisely what Patterson's brand aims for and delivers to the millions killing time en route or lolling poolside, nothing less and nothing more.
Right off there's the de rigueur lunch hour murder of a mob lawyer at a chic steak house, very public and very bloody including precision knife slashes to remove both of the victim's eyes.
The public execution and the assassin's on-the-spot utterance of he who sanctioned the hit were intended to misdirect and create conflict between rival Italian and Russian mobs, the purposeful machinations of those seeking conflict – the fictional culprit, and of course Patterson.
I admit to ulterior motives for reading Don't Blink. As a less-than-best-selling author, I've been tempted to take the ubiquitously advertised James Patterson Writing Master Class - less for what I'd learn than for owning a ticket in the big lottery. Patterson will select one of the students to co-write a novel.
For authors who didn't shell out the $90 and want Patterson's knowledge, Don't Blink [$10 kindle version] is a guidebook on how Patterson constructs his popular thrillers – danger, escape, a love interest lost, a love interested gained, heck, even an endangered child.
Mind you, you need to deconstruct the book to lay the elements bare. If you do, I think, like me, you'll gain a great appreciation for the art of James Patterson.
As a novel, I've given Don't Blink three stars but as a thriller formula guide, it rates five stars.
Written in the first person through main character Nick Daniels, Patterson and co-author Howard Roughan deliver what his loyal readers expect, non-stop plot movement, chapter endings that demand readers flip the page, uncluttered writing, and twists and turns aplenty.
All of this, of course, comes at the expense of character depth, thought-provoking ideas, and prose beyond a clever turn of phrase. But that's precisely what Patterson's brand aims for and delivers to the millions killing time en route or lolling poolside, nothing less and nothing more.
Right off there's the de rigueur lunch hour murder of a mob lawyer at a chic steak house, very public and very bloody including precision knife slashes to remove both of the victim's eyes.
The public execution and the assassin's on-the-spot utterance of he who sanctioned the hit were intended to misdirect and create conflict between rival Italian and Russian mobs, the purposeful machinations of those seeking conflict – the fictional culprit, and of course Patterson.
I admit to ulterior motives for reading Don't Blink. As a less-than-best-selling author, I've been tempted to take the ubiquitously advertised James Patterson Writing Master Class - less for what I'd learn than for owning a ticket in the big lottery. Patterson will select one of the students to co-write a novel.
For authors who didn't shell out the $90 and want Patterson's knowledge, Don't Blink [$10 kindle version] is a guidebook on how Patterson constructs his popular thrillers – danger, escape, a love interest lost, a love interested gained, heck, even an endangered child.
Mind you, you need to deconstruct the book to lay the elements bare. If you do, I think, like me, you'll gain a great appreciation for the art of James Patterson.
As a novel, I've given Don't Blink three stars but as a thriller formula guide, it rates five stars.
June 19, 2012
I pre-warn you, I am on a serious case of getting on my soap box here so if you don't want to listen to 50% opinion and a 50% rant to the author then please feel free to read no further.
The fact that I read this in a day and a half, and then spent a 20 minute walk moaning about it to my sister speaks volumes. You read the jacket and find yourself thinking "it sounds pretty good". How wrong could I have been?
The story is the most important part of a book closely followed by the writing style and talent of the author. Clearly James Patterson though both these things were irrelevant. There has been a lot of hype over the deal between JP and his co-authors with some people claiming that JP contributes very little to these books, however nothing has ever been confirmed or denied from the Publishers.
This story was just awful and to be truthful so far fetched and ridiculous it made the plot from the film Crank look realistic! I have to mention in particular the fist major scene which is the murder of a mob lawyer. Now you have to bear in mind that this scene is set in one of New York's most `happening' restaurants which is full to the brim. This `assassin' manages to walk in (obviously he knew the Maitre De) walk past all the packed tables and manages to approach the table and cut this mans eyeballs out. I have no knowledge, but I am guessing that this sort of killing in real life takes a little more than a minute or so. But still this killer manages to do all of this in an exceedingly short space of time. Once the task is complete, the whole restaurant is screaming but luckily there are two off duty police officers who `draw their weapons'. However, the killer manages (with two guns pointed at him remember) to produce two guns of his own. Not only does the killer manage to retrieve his two guns before the police discharge their weapons, he also manages to kill them both with a single bullet to the middle of the forehead. Following his miraculous shots he exits the building through the kitchen and vanishes!
Now do you see what I mean about the ridiculous storyline?
Aside from the major flaws of the story being so far fetched it's ridiculous it also lacked any real oomph. The characters are one dimensional and the dialogue between them is laughable. The only good thing about this whole book is the fact that the chapter layout and style is the typical Patterson special. Short and sharp, it's just unfortunate that it's the only positive I can find. The ending was predictable and everything wrapped up like a perfect Christmas gift.
Never before have I read a Patterson and hated the characters as much as I did in this one. The main character Nick Daniels is like a modern day Indiana Jones but even Indiana doesn't get as unlucky as this guy. nearly every chapter produces a scene where the guy is 'nearly killed'. His so called relationship with another character in the book Courtney was like something out of a teen flick and made me cringe. Never one to give up I read the book from cover to cover and found that the nearer to the end I got the happier I felt. The sooner I finished this mess of a book the better. If this was a debut novel with no authors name on the front I would be surprised if many readers bothered finishing it, let alone reading another.
This may seem ridiculous to people that I feel so strongly about a book, but I just feel.....well robbed would be the best description. I have personally contributed a lot of my hard earned cash to a man that is an excellent writer with an extreme talent, who insists on producing far too many books. In turn I feel like he is cheating his fans into buying anything with his name on it.
I still believe that James Patterson is a very talented man that can produce books that all his readers would love. However, I am beginning to think that JP maybe doesn't care what his readers/fans think. I mean he is hardly doing this for the money now so why his continues to co-write such a vast number of books is beyond me. I would rather have to wait a year for one book that would be his work and his work alone. Mr Patterson, your readers deserve a refund!
The fact that I read this in a day and a half, and then spent a 20 minute walk moaning about it to my sister speaks volumes. You read the jacket and find yourself thinking "it sounds pretty good". How wrong could I have been?
The story is the most important part of a book closely followed by the writing style and talent of the author. Clearly James Patterson though both these things were irrelevant. There has been a lot of hype over the deal between JP and his co-authors with some people claiming that JP contributes very little to these books, however nothing has ever been confirmed or denied from the Publishers.
This story was just awful and to be truthful so far fetched and ridiculous it made the plot from the film Crank look realistic! I have to mention in particular the fist major scene which is the murder of a mob lawyer. Now you have to bear in mind that this scene is set in one of New York's most `happening' restaurants which is full to the brim. This `assassin' manages to walk in (obviously he knew the Maitre De) walk past all the packed tables and manages to approach the table and cut this mans eyeballs out. I have no knowledge, but I am guessing that this sort of killing in real life takes a little more than a minute or so. But still this killer manages to do all of this in an exceedingly short space of time. Once the task is complete, the whole restaurant is screaming but luckily there are two off duty police officers who `draw their weapons'. However, the killer manages (with two guns pointed at him remember) to produce two guns of his own. Not only does the killer manage to retrieve his two guns before the police discharge their weapons, he also manages to kill them both with a single bullet to the middle of the forehead. Following his miraculous shots he exits the building through the kitchen and vanishes!
Now do you see what I mean about the ridiculous storyline?
Aside from the major flaws of the story being so far fetched it's ridiculous it also lacked any real oomph. The characters are one dimensional and the dialogue between them is laughable. The only good thing about this whole book is the fact that the chapter layout and style is the typical Patterson special. Short and sharp, it's just unfortunate that it's the only positive I can find. The ending was predictable and everything wrapped up like a perfect Christmas gift.
Never before have I read a Patterson and hated the characters as much as I did in this one. The main character Nick Daniels is like a modern day Indiana Jones but even Indiana doesn't get as unlucky as this guy. nearly every chapter produces a scene where the guy is 'nearly killed'. His so called relationship with another character in the book Courtney was like something out of a teen flick and made me cringe. Never one to give up I read the book from cover to cover and found that the nearer to the end I got the happier I felt. The sooner I finished this mess of a book the better. If this was a debut novel with no authors name on the front I would be surprised if many readers bothered finishing it, let alone reading another.
This may seem ridiculous to people that I feel so strongly about a book, but I just feel.....well robbed would be the best description. I have personally contributed a lot of my hard earned cash to a man that is an excellent writer with an extreme talent, who insists on producing far too many books. In turn I feel like he is cheating his fans into buying anything with his name on it.
I still believe that James Patterson is a very talented man that can produce books that all his readers would love. However, I am beginning to think that JP maybe doesn't care what his readers/fans think. I mean he is hardly doing this for the money now so why his continues to co-write such a vast number of books is beyond me. I would rather have to wait a year for one book that would be his work and his work alone. Mr Patterson, your readers deserve a refund!
June 6, 2011
I really enjoyed this book, but since I'm a diehard James Patterson fan I wasn't surprised. When I first started reading it I wasn't sure I'd really like it. It starts out in the first person, then several chapters later changes to third person. It threw me off at first, but I got used to. Some previous reviews didn't like the fact that at times Nick (the main character) is talking directly to the reader, but it didn't bother me. I just loved the fast pace of the book. But then, you know me, I read for pure enjoyment so you know the more escapist, the better I like it.
May 20, 2019
the word is shallow. and in a way the writing is so fluid that as a writer i can just envy. it seems like coming so easy with plenty of inventions. but on the whole if you want to block your mind in a flight, which i did, it is ok. i read much better Petterson thrillers so going to put it aside as sort of mistake.
February 5, 2013
Typical Patterson novel with a bit more gruesomeness than normal and required. Interesting throughout for the most part. 8 of 10 stars
May 3, 2023
পাঠ-প্রতিক্রিয়া:
জেমস প্যাটারসনের লেখা এই প্রথম পড়া হলো 'ডোন্ট ব্লিংক' বই দিয়ে। গল্পের প্রথমেই শুরু একটা খুন দিয়ে। যা অনেক বীভৎস ছিলো। সেই খুনের প্রমাণ পায় নিক ড্যানিয়েলস নামে এক তরুণ। এর পরেই শুরু হয় সাপলুডুর মতো খেলা। নিক এক দান মেরে মই বেয়ে উঠলে সাপের মতো মাফিয়া চক্র তাকে আবার নামিয়ে আনে নিচে। কে জিতবে এই দৌড়ে তা নিয়ে আগায় বইটা।
বইয়ের সবচেয়ে ভালো দিক হচ্ছে অতিরঞ্জিত নায়ক নেই। নিক ড্যানিয়েল সাদামাটা একজন সাংবাদিক,লেখক,আশাহীন প্রেমিক পুরুষ যে তার খবরের জন্য গিয়ে এসব কিছু তে জড়িয়ে পরে। অন্যান্য নায়ক চরিত্রের পণ থাকে যে আমি থাকতে কেউ মারা যাবে না কিন্তু নিক এখানে ব্যাতিক্রম। তার মাঝে রাগ, দুঃখ, আতঙ্ক, ভয়, হতাশা,দ্বিধা সকল আবেগই প্রকাশ পায়।
নিকের মতো আরো দারুণ কিছু চরিত্র ছিলো বইয়ে । নিকের পর ডেভিড সোরেন, ডাগলাস কেলার আর ব্রুনো টরেঞ্জির চরিত্র গুলো ভালো ছিলো। প্রথম থেকেই ভালো অ্যাকশন আর সাসপেন্স নিয়ে এগুচ্ছে আর ছোট ছোট সব টুইস্টের মাঝে অবাক করছে। শেষে একটা বড় টুইস্ট অনুমান করতে পারলেও সমাপ্তি সুন্দর ছিলো। যেভাবে সকল জাল গুছিয়ে এনেছেন লেখক তা দেখে ভালো লেগেছে। রাজনীতির লড়াইয়ে কতো ধরণের মার প্যাচ তা উপলব্ধি করা যায়। কয়েকটা প্রশ্ন রয়ে যায় বই শেষ করার পরেও তাও সুন্দর সমাপ্তির জন্য মানা যায়।
বদরুল মিল্লাত স্যারের অনুবাদ আমার প্রথম পড়া হয়েছে। সুন্দর ও সাবলীলভাবে অনুবাদের ফলে জেমস প্যাটারসন এর যে দ্রুত গতির লেখনী সেটাও ধরে রাখতে পেরেছেন সেজন্য তাড়াতাড়ি শেষ হয়েছে বইটা। একটা জায়গায় একটু অবাক মানে বন্দুকের গুলির শব্দের অনুবাদ করা হয়েছে সেটা তেমন দরকার মনে হয় নি আর সেই শব্দটাও বইটার সাথে মানাচ্ছিলো না।
প্রডাকশন এভারেজ ছিলো। আশা করি নহলী জেমস প্যাটারসন নিয়ে আরো কাজ করবে।
জেমস প্যাটারসনের লেখা এই প্রথম পড়া হলো 'ডোন্ট ব্লিংক' বই দিয়ে। গল্পের প্রথমেই শুরু একটা খুন দিয়ে। যা অনেক বীভৎস ছিলো। সেই খুনের প্রমাণ পায় নিক ড্যানিয়েলস নামে এক তরুণ। এর পরেই শুরু হয় সাপলুডুর মতো খেলা। নিক এক দান মেরে মই বেয়ে উঠলে সাপের মতো মাফিয়া চক্র তাকে আবার নামিয়ে আনে নিচে। কে জিতবে এই দৌড়ে তা নিয়ে আগায় বইটা।
বইয়ের সবচেয়ে ভালো দিক হচ্ছে অতিরঞ্জিত নায়ক নেই। নিক ড্যানিয়েল সাদামাটা একজন সাংবাদিক,লেখক,আশাহীন প্রেমিক পুরুষ যে তার খবরের জন্য গিয়ে এসব কিছু তে জড়িয়ে পরে। অন্যান্য নায়ক চরিত্রের পণ থাকে যে আমি থাকতে কেউ মারা যাবে না কিন্তু নিক এখানে ব্যাতিক্রম। তার মাঝে রাগ, দুঃখ, আতঙ্ক, ভয়, হতাশা,দ্বিধা সকল আবেগই প্রকাশ পায়।
নিকের মতো আরো দারুণ কিছু চরিত্র ছিলো বইয়ে । নিকের পর ডেভিড সোরেন, ডাগলাস কেলার আর ব্রুনো টরেঞ্জির চরিত্র গুলো ভালো ছিলো। প্রথম থেকেই ভালো অ্যাকশন আর সাসপেন্স নিয়ে এগুচ্ছে আর ছোট ছোট সব টুইস্টের মাঝে অবাক করছে। শেষে একটা বড় টুইস্ট অনুমান করতে পারলেও সমাপ্তি সুন্দর ছিলো। যেভাবে সকল জাল গুছিয়ে এনেছেন লেখক তা দেখে ভালো লেগেছে। রাজনীতির লড়াইয়ে কতো ধরণের মার প্যাচ তা উপলব্ধি করা যায়। কয়েকটা প্রশ্ন রয়ে যায় বই শেষ করার পরেও তাও সুন্দর সমাপ্তির জন্য মানা যায়।
বদরুল মিল্লাত স্যারের অনুবাদ আমার প্রথম পড়া হয়েছে। সুন্দর ও সাবলীলভাবে অনুবাদের ফলে জেমস প্যাটারসন এর যে দ্রুত গতির লেখনী সেটাও ধরে রাখতে পেরেছেন সেজন্য তাড়াতাড়ি শেষ হয়েছে বইটা। একটা জায়গায় একটু অবাক মানে বন্দুকের গুলির শব্দের অনুবাদ করা হয়েছে সেটা তেমন দরকার মনে হয় নি আর সেই শব্দটাও বইটার সাথে মানাচ্ছিলো না।
প্রডাকশন এভারেজ ছিলো। আশা করি নহলী জেমস প্যাটারসন নিয়ে আরো কাজ করবে।
November 29, 2023
I had no intention on finishing this book in one day. I’m a mom with stuff to do right?…sigh. But holy cats!! I couldn’t put it down.
A NYC journalist gets mixed up with some mafia people. Right up my alley. I LOVE mob related stuff. I don’t care if it’s fiction or not. So a mafia book by James Patterson…double word score!!!
You never see the ending coming. Is it good? Is it bad? You won’t know unless you read it. But you won’t see it coming.
Awesome book. Totally recommend!!
A NYC journalist gets mixed up with some mafia people. Right up my alley. I LOVE mob related stuff. I don’t care if it’s fiction or not. So a mafia book by James Patterson…double word score!!!
You never see the ending coming. Is it good? Is it bad? You won’t know unless you read it. But you won’t see it coming.
Awesome book. Totally recommend!!
November 25, 2014
My first James Patterson book after a friend recommended him to me and I wasn't disappointed. To be honest, I was quite surprised. Short chapters with. very interesting story line that kept me guessing. The thing I liked most about it was the story was fast paced and kept me interested the whole time. Now I'm excited to read more of his books
July 9, 2018
Finished this in one day. Not sure how I managed to miss this Patterson book but I really enjoyed it.
February 27, 2016
I’m going to be honest and admit that this was my first encounter with James Patterson. For the longest of times I’d been debating whether or not to read his books, unsure of whether or not I would enjoy his work. In the end a relative of mine let me borrow this book as she is a massive James Patterson fan and wanted me to give him a go.
I will say that for me the book took a while to become truly interesting, but once I was partway through it did become quite gripping. Despite the fact that it was a gripping piece of work there were quite a few obvious aspects within the story. In fact, from the moment some characters were introduced I managed to work out where things were going to go. That being said, not everything was painfully obvious but for the most part such was the case which really disappointed me.
Due to the predictability of the story and the fact that it took me quite a while to get into I’m unsure whether or not I wish to read more of his books. If my relative offers me more of his books to read I will not decline (just to see whether it is more of the same or if this book simply doesn’t represent his best work) but I cannot see myself going out and buying his work by choice. Sadly, this book didn’t fall into my favourite work of this genre leaving me even more tentative about picking up more James Patterson books.
Another small point I feel as though I need to make is the Alex Cross reference within the book. Whilst I do love literary references within books a pet peeve of mine is for authors to make references to their own work. I know it’s only a small thing but it’s just something that grated on me and I felt as though it further lessened my enjoyment as I had a moment of sitting there thinking ‘really’ instead of enjoying where the story was going.
All that being said, it was not the worst book I have ever read and I did manage to enjoy it. Still, hindsight being what it is, I can say that I would have enjoyed my reading time more if I’d picked up a different book.
I will say that for me the book took a while to become truly interesting, but once I was partway through it did become quite gripping. Despite the fact that it was a gripping piece of work there were quite a few obvious aspects within the story. In fact, from the moment some characters were introduced I managed to work out where things were going to go. That being said, not everything was painfully obvious but for the most part such was the case which really disappointed me.
Due to the predictability of the story and the fact that it took me quite a while to get into I’m unsure whether or not I wish to read more of his books. If my relative offers me more of his books to read I will not decline (just to see whether it is more of the same or if this book simply doesn’t represent his best work) but I cannot see myself going out and buying his work by choice. Sadly, this book didn’t fall into my favourite work of this genre leaving me even more tentative about picking up more James Patterson books.
Another small point I feel as though I need to make is the Alex Cross reference within the book. Whilst I do love literary references within books a pet peeve of mine is for authors to make references to their own work. I know it’s only a small thing but it’s just something that grated on me and I felt as though it further lessened my enjoyment as I had a moment of sitting there thinking ‘really’ instead of enjoying where the story was going.
All that being said, it was not the worst book I have ever read and I did manage to enjoy it. Still, hindsight being what it is, I can say that I would have enjoyed my reading time more if I’d picked up a different book.
July 16, 2010
James Patterson is known for writing fast paced mysteries that are very easy to lose yourself in. Don't Blink was different and not for the better. The book is written in the first person through the eyes of Nick, a reporter. The book carries on in the usual style until all of a sudden, Nick is talking to the reader directly. Once his pointing out of key background details is over, the story resumes in normal first person perspective. Until he does it again. This back and forth - breaking the fourth wall on multiple occasions - was unnecessarily distracting and drew me completely out of the story.
The plot of Don't Blink takes a long time to make sense. Nick is in Africa, then Dubai, and just as he is about to travel to Paris, he's called back to New York so the reader can experience the same scene that was included as the prologue. The scene in New York, now shown twice, is the first thing that is really relevant to the mystery. All that traveling beforehand? Its only purpose seems to be in showing the reader that Nick is a worldly and experienced reporter.
There was a romance between Nick and his editor that was predictable and didn't do much to add to the excitement of the story. The mystery is where we see Patterson return to form, with a lot of unexpected twists and proves to be the one thing to make the book worth reading. The buildup and surrounding elements weren't the best and slowed the momentum of the book considerably. While not terrible, Don't Blink is not on par with Patterson's earlier books. One has to wonder if Patterson's huge output of books each year is taking a toll on his writing or if Howard Roughan isn't the best writing partner for his style.
The plot of Don't Blink takes a long time to make sense. Nick is in Africa, then Dubai, and just as he is about to travel to Paris, he's called back to New York so the reader can experience the same scene that was included as the prologue. The scene in New York, now shown twice, is the first thing that is really relevant to the mystery. All that traveling beforehand? Its only purpose seems to be in showing the reader that Nick is a worldly and experienced reporter.
There was a romance between Nick and his editor that was predictable and didn't do much to add to the excitement of the story. The mystery is where we see Patterson return to form, with a lot of unexpected twists and proves to be the one thing to make the book worth reading. The buildup and surrounding elements weren't the best and slowed the momentum of the book considerably. While not terrible, Don't Blink is not on par with Patterson's earlier books. One has to wonder if Patterson's huge output of books each year is taking a toll on his writing or if Howard Roughan isn't the best writing partner for his style.
March 12, 2013
I listened to James Patterson's DON'T BLINK on CD so I will address the narrator first and then proceed to the story itself. The narrator, David Patrick Kelly appeared to have an almost Southern lilt to his voice at the outset of the story that came across like an attempted impersonation of Matthew McConaughey, but as the story progressed he did gather momentum as he changed the tone and inflection of his reading and ultimately did a pretty good job with the material he was given.
And now - on to my opinion of the story itself. I can probably sum it up in one concise word, LACKING. It is lacking in character development, lacking in a cohesive plot and definitely lacking in credibility. Why even the "romance" is lacking from what I assume is intended to be the romantic aspect of the tale.
What is not lacking in this telling is a seemingly indestructible protagonist who has more lives than Bruce Willis in a Die Hard movie as well as a plethora of scenarios depicting guts and gore. If folks dying via gunshot wounds, car crashes, being thrown from a balcony, having a bomb strapped to their back or having their eyeballs expertly cut out in the middle of a busy restaurant are things that get your juices flowing- well then, this is the book for you. As for this reader, I believe Patterson has managed to hit an all time low with this offering and I advise you to save your hard earned dollars and spend them on something with more substance......like a burger and fries or a large pizza.
And now - on to my opinion of the story itself. I can probably sum it up in one concise word, LACKING. It is lacking in character development, lacking in a cohesive plot and definitely lacking in credibility. Why even the "romance" is lacking from what I assume is intended to be the romantic aspect of the tale.
What is not lacking in this telling is a seemingly indestructible protagonist who has more lives than Bruce Willis in a Die Hard movie as well as a plethora of scenarios depicting guts and gore. If folks dying via gunshot wounds, car crashes, being thrown from a balcony, having a bomb strapped to their back or having their eyeballs expertly cut out in the middle of a busy restaurant are things that get your juices flowing- well then, this is the book for you. As for this reader, I believe Patterson has managed to hit an all time low with this offering and I advise you to save your hard earned dollars and spend them on something with more substance......like a burger and fries or a large pizza.
July 26, 2010
Like most of Patterson’s works, it’s a quick read with short chapters that never seem to end with a good place to put the book down - meaning I kept reading until it was over. Also true to the Patterson recipe, there’s an underlying theme of good guy versus bad guy mixed with a whole lot of death, a dash of an interesting setting, and a pinch of bittersweet romance thrown in for good measure.
Set in New York City, protagonist Nick Daniels is a journalist who seems like a likable enough guy, but has a knack for finding trouble. With Nick caught in the middle of a Russian/Italian mafia war, I lost track of how many times he just barely escaped certain death. Good the first few times, but by the end I found myself rolling my eyes and wishing he would at least sprain an ankle to make this all a bit more believable.
But really, who reads Patterson for a dose of reality? You know what you’re getting before you even crack open the book - a page-turner that’s perfect for killing an afternoon.
Set in New York City, protagonist Nick Daniels is a journalist who seems like a likable enough guy, but has a knack for finding trouble. With Nick caught in the middle of a Russian/Italian mafia war, I lost track of how many times he just barely escaped certain death. Good the first few times, but by the end I found myself rolling my eyes and wishing he would at least sprain an ankle to make this all a bit more believable.
But really, who reads Patterson for a dose of reality? You know what you’re getting before you even crack open the book - a page-turner that’s perfect for killing an afternoon.
November 11, 2018
Another quick interesting intriguing read. I figured out who the "bad guy" was fairly early but did lose interest because I wanted to know how he would be found out.
September 23, 2015
Having read Patterson's Kill Me If You Can, I thought at first that this book was going to be more of the same. The first few chapters are filled with the sort of ham-fisted dialog that makes English teachers cringe and Hollywood producers drool. The entire section of the book where Nick Daniels is in Africa are full of guns and action and car chases (well, jeep chases)... and such literary gems as "We're being attacked. I'm serious, man." "Faster, Alan! We've got to go faster! You can go faster, can't you?" Somebody alert the Nobel and Pulitzer people, we have a contender!
But as soon as Daniels returns to New York, and the main story arc begins, the quality of the dialog (and the writing in general) improves. It's clear-cut and obvious when one of the co-writers passes the story on to the other. (Do we have Patterson to blame for the Africa story? His co-author Howard Roughan? Perhaps we'll never know...) I'm not saying that Patterson shouldn't write with co-authors; it's obviously worked well for him, and I've been happy with the team efforts on the Women's Murder Club mysteries. But when one part of a book is really pretty good, and another part is so terribly bad, it says one of two things: either Patterson is writing the crummy stuff, and his lesser-known co-author is the one that should be making the big bucks; or Patterson is writing the good stuff, and he (and his agent) needs to do a better job of choosing co-authors. And, maybe, do a little bit of clean-up editing?
Overall, I did enjoy this story. It's not a mystery; I mean, there are some whodunit aspects to the story, some questions that need to be answered. But the book is more about the action and suspense, with mobsters and hired killers and little girls with bombs tied to their chests, for crying out loud! That brings up another point that needs to be made: this book has some pretty gruesome moments in it. When the prologue of the book has a mob lawyer getting his eyeballs cut out at a New York steakhouse, you kinda get a feel for the gore factor. Suffice to say that some people are killed (some in really grotesque ways - I'll never stick my head out of a limousine's sun roof); some mobsters' plans are foiled, the little girl is saved from blowing up, and Nick gets the lady in the end.
But as soon as Daniels returns to New York, and the main story arc begins, the quality of the dialog (and the writing in general) improves. It's clear-cut and obvious when one of the co-writers passes the story on to the other. (Do we have Patterson to blame for the Africa story? His co-author Howard Roughan? Perhaps we'll never know...) I'm not saying that Patterson shouldn't write with co-authors; it's obviously worked well for him, and I've been happy with the team efforts on the Women's Murder Club mysteries. But when one part of a book is really pretty good, and another part is so terribly bad, it says one of two things: either Patterson is writing the crummy stuff, and his lesser-known co-author is the one that should be making the big bucks; or Patterson is writing the good stuff, and he (and his agent) needs to do a better job of choosing co-authors. And, maybe, do a little bit of clean-up editing?
Overall, I did enjoy this story. It's not a mystery; I mean, there are some whodunit aspects to the story, some questions that need to be answered. But the book is more about the action and suspense, with mobsters and hired killers and little girls with bombs tied to their chests, for crying out loud! That brings up another point that needs to be made: this book has some pretty gruesome moments in it. When the prologue of the book has a mob lawyer getting his eyeballs cut out at a New York steakhouse, you kinda get a feel for the gore factor. Suffice to say that some people are killed (some in really grotesque ways - I'll never stick my head out of a limousine's sun roof); some mobsters' plans are foiled, the little girl is saved from blowing up, and Nick gets the lady in the end.
August 11, 2012
Don’t Blink is a story of a good old fashioned news reporter, Nick Daniels who suddenly finds himself with the biggest story of his career. Right before his eyes, Daniels witnesses a “hit” and a cryptic message “Justice is Blind” that is left behind.
Now both Nick Daniels and the Italian and Russian mob are trying to figure out who committed the murder, the newest District Attorney David Sorren pushing Daniels to the front lines in an attempt to gain some publicity for his run for New York's Mayor. If he can put the head of the mob, Eddie Pinero behind bars, that is one step closer to winning this election. Only someone is out for Daniels and they aren't going to stop until he is dead.
There is no where he can hide and no one to protect him until he either solves the case or winds up in the river. The inquisitive journalist is shown to be brave without meaning to, that is, he gets himself in plenty of scrapes. How he manages to get out of them is often accidental for him and amusing for the reader.
Once again, James Patterson does not disappoint in his latest novel with Howard Roughan.. It does everything a Patterson book is supposed to do - amuse, titillate, scare, and a twist. He rarely disappoints. If you like crime action stories, you should like this for its twisting mystery, humor, touch of romance and lots of action. Never have I seen someone being as hunted and chased as Nick is from sunrise to sundown and just when you think you've got it figured out, you are left holding the bag once again. A page-turner that’s perfect for killing an afternoon.
July 27, 2010
Believe it or not, this was my very first James Patterson book! I have heard about him many, many times but never actually read any of his books. I'm guessing that most of his books are better than this one. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't bad. It just wasn't all that good. The plot moved quickly, and I was able to read this in an afternoon/evening. With this in first-person when covering Nick Daniels, there was little suspense regarding how he would fare. In what could've been suspenseful moments, it was too easy to remind myself that he couldn't have died, or it wouldn't be in first person. That said, I did like the occasional third-person view of what was going on elsewhere.
Am I glad I read this? Eh. Sure. I'm not sorry I did. Will I read it again? No. I don't see a need to. While, yes, there were some surprising plot twists, there wasn't anything shocking. There's nothing that makes me want to read it again to see if I missed any clues.
If you're like me and you've never read James Patterson, don't start with this one. Choose one of the Alex Cross books, as I hear those are really good.
Am I glad I read this? Eh. Sure. I'm not sorry I did. Will I read it again? No. I don't see a need to. While, yes, there were some surprising plot twists, there wasn't anything shocking. There's nothing that makes me want to read it again to see if I missed any clues.
If you're like me and you've never read James Patterson, don't start with this one. Choose one of the Alex Cross books, as I hear those are really good.
August 1, 2017
By my count this is the 46th James Patterson book I have read. And my reviews for them all look pretty much the same except for the Alex Cross novels which are my absolute favourite.
Why I love them:
1)Short chapters
2)Fast paced
3)Freaking unbelievable
Now although Patterson is criticised for joining up with other authors and writing several books a year, I find that I don't really care. I still really enjoy them and can read one in a day. I like that! As I have hundreds of books at home and I want to read them all. If they were all Patterson, they'd be done in no time at all. I do take a break from them time to time as I find myself turning into a bit of a detective. Plus then I want to trust no-one....
These co-written books aren't as good as the original Patterson ones but as long as they can hold my interest, I find that I don't care much. All in all, a decent book by my standards. (Now to save this and copy and paste it for the next 20 Patterson books I have on my TBR)
Why I love them:
1)Short chapters
2)Fast paced
3)Freaking unbelievable
Now although Patterson is criticised for joining up with other authors and writing several books a year, I find that I don't really care. I still really enjoy them and can read one in a day. I like that! As I have hundreds of books at home and I want to read them all. If they were all Patterson, they'd be done in no time at all. I do take a break from them time to time as I find myself turning into a bit of a detective. Plus then I want to trust no-one....
These co-written books aren't as good as the original Patterson ones but as long as they can hold my interest, I find that I don't care much. All in all, a decent book by my standards. (Now to save this and copy and paste it for the next 20 Patterson books I have on my TBR)
August 16, 2011
This is a great book. You will enjoy reading it. James Patterson writes amazing books.
June 14, 2015
Fast-paced. Enjoyable main character. Just wish there was more thrillerish moments in the book. That would have drove it home for me.
May 2, 2018
Don’t Blink
James Patterson & Howard Roghan
2010
Had I already read this book? Yes, no, no, maybe, NO!
It was a first read.
It is a classic James Patterson summer time read.
Good guys.
Bad guys (lots)
Twists, turns and double backs.
Interesting lead character, Nick Daniels – has Patterson done other male reporters? But he is not too developed – yet, has he returned?
How about a Nick Daniels with his very perceptive niece?
The good
New York's Lombardo's Steak House is famous for three reasons--the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Effortlessly, the assassin slips through the police's fingers, and his absence sparks a blaze of accusations about who ordered the hit.
The bad
Seated at a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels is conducting a once-in-a-lifetime interview with a legendary baseball bad-boy. In the chaos, he accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces. NYPD captains, district attorneys, mayoral candidates, media kingpins, and one shockingly beautiful magazine editor are all pushing their own agendas--on both sides of the law.
And the dead
Back off--or die--is the clear message Nick receives as he investigates for a story of his own. Heedless, and perhaps in love with his beautiful editor, Nick endures humiliation, threats, violence, and worse in a thriller that overturns every expectation and finishes with the kind of flourish only James Patterson knows.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JTHY0I/...
Notes:
52: The party was a benefit for New York Smarts, a citywide tutoring program for grade-school students.
• Why do grade school students need tutors? Something to research.
63: Gallup poll: candidate + cigarettes = less trustworthy. Obama didn’t go the patch just for health reasons.
66: …taking careful notes to string together an outline. Note to any kids reading this: outline – always.
70: …she was with her finance….so instead I ordered in a Hawaiian pizza, popped open a Heineken and watched some TV
82: Any self-respecting writer has a local bar that doubles as his second home.
89: Torenzi’s preference was for Italian girls, but the ones on this side of the Atlantic were like eating at the Olive Garden: you would never mistake the experience for a home-cooked meal
107: “Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitate” Because as theories go, Occam’s razor isn’t foolproof. Sometimes the simplest solution isn’t the best.
133: Keep this up and they’ll have to name an action figure after you.
147: Crime does pay after all. Boy does it ever
• Is it worth the pain?
150: Americans have always loved a good mob story.
• Why is that?
188: The truth may set you free, but it’s the little while lie that save your ass.
322: Actually, I’ve noticed that before about professional in Europe. They work hard; they learn their craft – even the hit men, apparently.
#DonotBlink
#JamesPatterson & Howard Roghan
James Patterson & Howard Roghan
2010
Had I already read this book? Yes, no, no, maybe, NO!
It was a first read.
It is a classic James Patterson summer time read.
Good guys.
Bad guys (lots)
Twists, turns and double backs.
Interesting lead character, Nick Daniels – has Patterson done other male reporters? But he is not too developed – yet, has he returned?
How about a Nick Daniels with his very perceptive niece?
The good
New York's Lombardo's Steak House is famous for three reasons--the menu, the clientele, and now, the gruesome murder of an infamous mob lawyer. Effortlessly, the assassin slips through the police's fingers, and his absence sparks a blaze of accusations about who ordered the hit.
The bad
Seated at a nearby table, reporter Nick Daniels is conducting a once-in-a-lifetime interview with a legendary baseball bad-boy. In the chaos, he accidentally captures a key piece of evidence that lands him in the middle of an all-out war between Italian and Russian mafia forces. NYPD captains, district attorneys, mayoral candidates, media kingpins, and one shockingly beautiful magazine editor are all pushing their own agendas--on both sides of the law.
And the dead
Back off--or die--is the clear message Nick receives as he investigates for a story of his own. Heedless, and perhaps in love with his beautiful editor, Nick endures humiliation, threats, violence, and worse in a thriller that overturns every expectation and finishes with the kind of flourish only James Patterson knows.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JTHY0I/...
Notes:
52: The party was a benefit for New York Smarts, a citywide tutoring program for grade-school students.
• Why do grade school students need tutors? Something to research.
63: Gallup poll: candidate + cigarettes = less trustworthy. Obama didn’t go the patch just for health reasons.
66: …taking careful notes to string together an outline. Note to any kids reading this: outline – always.
70: …she was with her finance….so instead I ordered in a Hawaiian pizza, popped open a Heineken and watched some TV
82: Any self-respecting writer has a local bar that doubles as his second home.
89: Torenzi’s preference was for Italian girls, but the ones on this side of the Atlantic were like eating at the Olive Garden: you would never mistake the experience for a home-cooked meal
107: “Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitate” Because as theories go, Occam’s razor isn’t foolproof. Sometimes the simplest solution isn’t the best.
133: Keep this up and they’ll have to name an action figure after you.
147: Crime does pay after all. Boy does it ever
• Is it worth the pain?
150: Americans have always loved a good mob story.
• Why is that?
188: The truth may set you free, but it’s the little while lie that save your ass.
322: Actually, I’ve noticed that before about professional in Europe. They work hard; they learn their craft – even the hit men, apparently.
#DonotBlink
#JamesPatterson & Howard Roghan
February 24, 2020
After a long hiatus with fiction in general and James Patterson in particular, I picked up “Don’t Blink”, and suffice it to say the experience was on expected lines. Racy, intriguing and thrilling, Mr. Patterson engages his readers from start to finish with a plot that is tight and a narrative that progresses at a breathless tempo before finally climaxing in a crescendo of converging impossibilities.
Nick Daniels is a journalist who plies his wares for the “Citizen” publication. Headed by Courtney Sheppard an enterprising and ambitious journalist heads the paper. Nick, harbours an unrequited love towards his boss. Nick whilst on a trip to South Sudan, is saved by the skin of his teeth, from being skewered- literally – by the militant Janjaweed, when Dr. Alan Cole, the pioneering humanitarian doctor cum adventurer extraordinaire whisks Nick away to safety in a rickety jeep that is pursued by a hailstorm of Janjaweed bullets.
However, the encounter in South Sudan is made to look like a game of hide and seek played by a bunch of egregious kindergarten kids, compared to the perils faced by Nick on his return to the United States of America. Having offered the interview of his life, Nick heads to Lombardo’s Steak House in Manhattan. Waiting for him at the glitzy restaurant is Dwayne Robinson a.k.a The Bronx Bomber. The once darling of every Yankee fan, Robinson is an ostracized soul having walked off the pitcher’s mound—with no explanation at all—after game six of the World Series many years back, costing the city the win. Being a man who bleeds the Yankee stripes, this is an irresistible opportunity which Nick would be a madman to refuse.
But for a small glitch. Just when Nick pulls out his tape recorder and waits for the tarnished legend to spill his guts, a pair of eyes belonging to a patron next table is nonchalantly scooped out (yes you read that right) by a man who while maintaining an ice cold veneer while performing this macabre deed also proceeds to make corpses out of two policemen in plain clothes.
Being an inadvertent witness to this mayhem, Nick’s life takes the most unenviable arc curving towards the fire from the frying pan. A phalanx of characters, each one more notorious in both appearance and acts then his (there are no femme fatales in the novel, sorry for the spoiler) predecessor, haunt and hunt Nick, not necessarily in that order though.
Will Nick extricate himself from what seems to be a certain road to perdition forms the bulk of this fictional pot boiler from Mr. Patterson. Mixing his usual with corny punchlines, Mr. Patterson intersperses morbid humour with high octane action sequences. During the process, as may be expected, both logic and reality take a back seat – as they necessarily should!
“Don’t Blink” as the title suggests is a one-sitting read as the pages disappear in a frenzy of conundrums and dilemmas. In the event you are exhausted after a tryst with some heavy reading, and are looking for a relaxing evening to spend with a book in tow, “Don’t Blink” might just be the perfect antidote.
PS: You also might want to arm yourself with a Laphroaig 15-Year-Old Scotch Whiskey. You will know why when you read the book.
Nick Daniels is a journalist who plies his wares for the “Citizen” publication. Headed by Courtney Sheppard an enterprising and ambitious journalist heads the paper. Nick, harbours an unrequited love towards his boss. Nick whilst on a trip to South Sudan, is saved by the skin of his teeth, from being skewered- literally – by the militant Janjaweed, when Dr. Alan Cole, the pioneering humanitarian doctor cum adventurer extraordinaire whisks Nick away to safety in a rickety jeep that is pursued by a hailstorm of Janjaweed bullets.
However, the encounter in South Sudan is made to look like a game of hide and seek played by a bunch of egregious kindergarten kids, compared to the perils faced by Nick on his return to the United States of America. Having offered the interview of his life, Nick heads to Lombardo’s Steak House in Manhattan. Waiting for him at the glitzy restaurant is Dwayne Robinson a.k.a The Bronx Bomber. The once darling of every Yankee fan, Robinson is an ostracized soul having walked off the pitcher’s mound—with no explanation at all—after game six of the World Series many years back, costing the city the win. Being a man who bleeds the Yankee stripes, this is an irresistible opportunity which Nick would be a madman to refuse.
But for a small glitch. Just when Nick pulls out his tape recorder and waits for the tarnished legend to spill his guts, a pair of eyes belonging to a patron next table is nonchalantly scooped out (yes you read that right) by a man who while maintaining an ice cold veneer while performing this macabre deed also proceeds to make corpses out of two policemen in plain clothes.
Being an inadvertent witness to this mayhem, Nick’s life takes the most unenviable arc curving towards the fire from the frying pan. A phalanx of characters, each one more notorious in both appearance and acts then his (there are no femme fatales in the novel, sorry for the spoiler) predecessor, haunt and hunt Nick, not necessarily in that order though.
Will Nick extricate himself from what seems to be a certain road to perdition forms the bulk of this fictional pot boiler from Mr. Patterson. Mixing his usual with corny punchlines, Mr. Patterson intersperses morbid humour with high octane action sequences. During the process, as may be expected, both logic and reality take a back seat – as they necessarily should!
“Don’t Blink” as the title suggests is a one-sitting read as the pages disappear in a frenzy of conundrums and dilemmas. In the event you are exhausted after a tryst with some heavy reading, and are looking for a relaxing evening to spend with a book in tow, “Don’t Blink” might just be the perfect antidote.
PS: You also might want to arm yourself with a Laphroaig 15-Year-Old Scotch Whiskey. You will know why when you read the book.
August 25, 2017
This is my first James Patterson read. It's impossible not to know him, and in my preferred genre, I felt the need to finally breakdown and read a book from the man who manages to publish a new book every month.
From reading this, I can see why he's able to put out so many books. This follows a very specific recipe, and despite me not being a big fan, I can see why many people can pick up his books time and time again. He leaves a lot to be desired in character and plot development, and delves right into action. Chapters are extremely quick and short. Actually, I don't even know if they can be called chapters. It can be nice to move quick and have frequent page breaks, but you also need to move along the plot and develop characters. It's easy to follow along with the action, but I found myself losing interest and unable to fully gear myself to be excited for the finish.
It was a very quick read. I'll give it that!
From reading this, I can see why he's able to put out so many books. This follows a very specific recipe, and despite me not being a big fan, I can see why many people can pick up his books time and time again. He leaves a lot to be desired in character and plot development, and delves right into action. Chapters are extremely quick and short. Actually, I don't even know if they can be called chapters. It can be nice to move quick and have frequent page breaks, but you also need to move along the plot and develop characters. It's easy to follow along with the action, but I found myself losing interest and unable to fully gear myself to be excited for the finish.
It was a very quick read. I'll give it that!
June 5, 2022
4 sterren- Nederlandstalig Ebook
Het voordeel van een ereader is dat je een James patterson in je tas mee kan nemen. In één adem uit was door tijdgebrek niet mogelijk. Wel elk vrij moment ooggetuige als e-book lezen..... t kostte even moeite de verhaallijnen aan elkaar te rijgen, maar toen werd het weer een echte Patterson Spanning tot de laatste bladzij. Zonde dat ie uit is! Spanning met meerdere verhaallijnen en je weet niet waar het eindigd.
Het voordeel van een ereader is dat je een James patterson in je tas mee kan nemen. In één adem uit was door tijdgebrek niet mogelijk. Wel elk vrij moment ooggetuige als e-book lezen..... t kostte even moeite de verhaallijnen aan elkaar te rijgen, maar toen werd het weer een echte Patterson Spanning tot de laatste bladzij. Zonde dat ie uit is! Spanning met meerdere verhaallijnen en je weet niet waar het eindigd.
May 29, 2022
My third read by James Patterson.
Wow,I was mesmerized by how I was constantly kept on the edge of my seat almost "not blinking" because the story unfolded at a very fast Pace with all the action and plot twists.
Wow,I was mesmerized by how I was constantly kept on the edge of my seat almost "not blinking" because the story unfolded at a very fast Pace with all the action and plot twists.
September 17, 2023
really, really enjoyed this book- but i love all james patterson books. so i’m giving it a 3 bc i loved it but it didn’t send me into a spiral like his other novels have
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