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canada_matt's review
4.0
Working alongside Andrew Bourelle, James Patterson assists in crafting another of his popular BookShots that keep the drama coming as the chapters flow freely. Logan Bishop has a lot in his past he would rather forget. A thief living a life constantly on the edge, he chooses to opt out after a significantly profitable diamond heist. Scamming his partner, Logan goes off the radar in the remote community of Lake Tahoe. While out one day, he encounters Hannah, a perky woman he recognises from the gym, and agrees to join her on a little adventure on the outskirts of town. While out in a water taxi, they come across a drowning girl and Logan is able to save her with some quick thinking. Little does he know, but his companion is Hannah Ryan, reporter for the Lake Tahoe Gazette. Hannah uses her 'always on duty' gumption to compose a laudatory story about the rescue adding some photos and cellphone video footage to help with recognition. No longer living a solitary life, Logan panics that his two years in hiding might be blown and awaits his partner's return to claim the diamonds. After a fallout with Hannah over blowing his cover, Logan tries to pick up the pieces, only to meet Claire, another gym fanatic and hiker. They connect on many levels and Logan is able to relax, while still looking over his shoulder. When Logan's past collides with his present life, he realises that there is nowhere to hide and his must retrieve the diamonds to save Claire's life. However, he comes to understand that once the diamonds change hands, there is no reason to keep him around. Fast thinking will have to trump heroics if Logan wants to see another day, or will it? Patterson and Bourelle pen this high-energy piece that keeps readers flipping pages until the final sentence.
While not an entirely unique theme in the genre, Patterson and Bourelle make the story work. The short space offered in a BookShot forces the reader to latch on and develop a relationship with characters quickly, which is possible with both Logan and Hannah, though for entirely different reasons. The narrative must also be crisp and keep the reader wanting to push forward, which is accomplished with a mix of first- and third-person description (the former from Logan's perspective), while keeping the story from losing its momentum as the perspective alters. Even as the characters and narrative prove effective, without a decent plot, the entire project goes nowhere. The authors offer up a decent plot and utilise an introspective theme of who is 'pretending' and who shows their real colours. This allows the reader to feel something a little deeper in a story that does have its share of cheesy moments. Patterson and Bourelle keep things fresh and highly entertaining, precisely the recipe for success in a BookShot.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Bourelle for this interesting piece. I look forward to seeing if you will team up again, either with another short piece or a full-length novel.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
While not an entirely unique theme in the genre, Patterson and Bourelle make the story work. The short space offered in a BookShot forces the reader to latch on and develop a relationship with characters quickly, which is possible with both Logan and Hannah, though for entirely different reasons. The narrative must also be crisp and keep the reader wanting to push forward, which is accomplished with a mix of first- and third-person description (the former from Logan's perspective), while keeping the story from losing its momentum as the perspective alters. Even as the characters and narrative prove effective, without a decent plot, the entire project goes nowhere. The authors offer up a decent plot and utilise an introspective theme of who is 'pretending' and who shows their real colours. This allows the reader to feel something a little deeper in a story that does have its share of cheesy moments. Patterson and Bourelle keep things fresh and highly entertaining, precisely the recipe for success in a BookShot.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Bourelle for this interesting piece. I look forward to seeing if you will team up again, either with another short piece or a full-length novel.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
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