Thursday 10 July 2014

Review: NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson and Marshall Karp

**** 4 Stars

I was very excited when I saw that James Patterson was a releasing a 2nd book in the NYPD Red series. I really enjoyed the first book when it came out a couple of years ago and remember at the time hoping Patterson would turn it into a series.

NYPD Red is a special task force within the New York police department whose job it is to look after the high profile cases involving the rich and famous. In the first book we met Detective Zach Jordan and his beautiful new partner who is also his ex Detective Kylie MacDonald. Together they solve the case of The Chameleon a psychopath who is tormenting people connected to the film industry. Zach still has feelings for Kylie who is now married and her husband Spencer almost becomes one of the Chameleon's victims but Zach saves his life.

This book joins the detectives 3 months on when they are pulled onto the Hazmat Killer case by the Mayor who is just days away from an election and who is desperate when the latest victim is revealed as his opposition's campaign manager. So we enter the murky world of politics and cover ups with Jordan and MacDonald on the hunt for a vigilante serial killer who is targeting those he believed have not been punished for their crimes. He leaves each victim in a white hazmat suit somewhere really public. Throw in the mafia and the police are really up against it.

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to two teenage boys Dave and Gideon who are hell bent on getting revenge on a class mate responsible for the rape of Dave's sister, Meredith. Fast forward 12 years and that revenge is still strong with one or both of them possibly being the Hazmat Killer.

As with all of Patterson's books this one was a real page turner, I loved the chemistry between Zach and Kylie especially knowing that Zach still has feelings for Kylie and even though he is with Cheryl I am wondering where this partnership might lead to in the future. Yes this book isn't a work of literary fiction but I do love my James Patterson fix - the books allow me to completely switch off from the world and lose myself in the pages and this one was no exception. And OMG the twist- I just never saw that coming, I really did think that I had it all worked out. Fingers crossed there will be a book 3


No comments:

Post a Comment