A review by booksthrilljessica
The Writer by J D Barker, James Patterson

4.0

Told across two timelines, this book unfolds as a gripping police procedural from the perspective of NYPD detective Declan Shaw.

Now – When Shaw is called to an apparent break-in, he quickly realizes there’s more to the crime scene than initially meets the eye. Shaw and his partner, Jarod Cordova, are called to the home of famous writer Denise Morrow, where she has discovered the brutal murder of her husband. As they dig deeper into the crime, both detectives sense something’s off and are determined to get to the bottom of it.

Then – Through short, interwoven snippets, we’re taken back to a case Shaw and Cordova worked on involving the brutal assault of a young woman, and the man they’ve sent to prison for the crime. The suspense builds as readers wonder how these two timelines will eventually connect.

While I did find the detectives’ portrayals to be a bit stereotypical of the NYPD, particularly in their initial impressions and internal dialogue (which sometimes veered into misogyny), it made sense for their character development and the eventual plot twist. The multiple twists at the end kept me on my toes, some I saw coming while others I never expected.

*Thank you James Patterson, J.D. Barker, Little, Brown and Company for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.