CONFESSIONS OF A MURDER SUSPECT by JAMES PATTERSON and MAXINE PAETRO

(Late post!)

Tandy Angel and her siblings have become suspects of the alleged murder of their very own parents. To prove her innocence as she was the primary suspect, Tandy conducted her own investigation which revealed a lot of discoveries about not just the deaths, but also about each family member. Tandy was surprised that she knew less than she thought about her parents and their means of nurturing their kids.

I’ve always enjoyed James Patterson's works because though they are all very easy to read and fast to finish, they still manage to give the readers excitement and keep their interest for long. This novel is no exception to that magic.

Though I said that Confessions of a Murder Suspect possesses some characteristics that are usually Patterson's trademark, I still somehow don't see this as a James Patterson classic. I’m not saying I’ve read a lot of his books, but I’ve already read some. If I were to compare this one to his other novels, I’d say this was different because there wasn't really a murder, which is basically what I always find in his books. Also, here, a teenager was the lead character and the primary investigator of the crime, not some adult cop. There wasn't also a series of death or killings which was common in Patterson’s previous works.

The play between science and crime in the plot was cool! Patterson integrated science by using human experimentations to show the parents’ frustrations for their kids’ perfection. I thought it was a pretty good touch to add to the plot. I mean, it was one good way of showing the depth of human’s behaviors and emotions. I found the motive very deep and intriguing.

One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters. – George Herbert

The fact that the narrator kept on addressing the reader was very nice. It was like having a casual conversation or confession. By doing so, the readers would easily be attached to the story and would feel like they were really part of the story. I also liked the idea that the author kept on stating directly that she was delaying more details while talking to the reader. It was about just as annoying as it was exciting. Haha!

Though I liked the story, I was still not satisfied with the ending. You see, there wasn't a closure to everything. I understand that sometimes we, the readers, should draw our own conclusions to the story, but it just didn't feel right with this one. A clearer and more-detailed ending could’ve been better. Tamara Gee's death for instance, was it really Matty's doing or not? What did it have to do with the story? I thought it shouldn’t have just been added to the story since it didn’t really help.

It’s one thing to ask someone if they’re guilty. It’s another to be asked. I was nonplussed. – Tandy Angel

Also, why was it that I often imagined the lead character as a guy and not a girl? Was it just me? Haha! In my opinion, it would be more effective and believable if the narrator were a “he.”

All in all, it was a nice and enjoyable book. This is a nice read if you just wanna pass the time. It’s something thrilling enough to make you want to finish it, but not too heavy to rob you of a relaxed mood. J

Are you done reading this book? Share your thoughts!

*photo source: http://crazyredpen.blogspot.com

THE BIG BAD WOLF by JAMES PATTERSON

Because I kind of missed reading a Patterson, I clumsily rummaged through my brother’s pile of books and randomly picked a paperback from the Alex Cross series – The Big Bad Wolf. Having a brother who likes the same author has its upsides, yannow. So happy! J

So here goes the story…

A delicate case comes up while Alex Cross is still in the process of wrapping his head around the job endorsement he got working from the Washington D.C. Police Dept. to the FBI and a family issue regarding his beloved Little Alex. There have been a number of abductions. It is believed the people who disappeared are being sold in the market. A Russian mystery mobstar named Wolf is suspected to be behind all the madness. Apparently, the Wolf has no plans of negotiating and surrendering. Alex and the FBI have to get to him first before he can strike back.

I have always liked Alex Cross because he’s a cop with good character. He has been such an accomplished guy professionally, what with all the criminals and socio/psychopaths he has already put behind bars. I admire the fact that he really is good-natured personally but can also be sneakily genius and ruthless when the need arises. I think James Patterson has done a great job of establishing a strong and relatable personality for the Alex Cross character, hence the series’ success.

As with the plot, I think there was an air of predictability in it, though there were still lots of surprises, one great reveal after another. There were parts where I could just tell it wasn’t what the FBI had been looking for yet. I couldn’t really pinpoint but that was just how I felt about it. I still liked it anyway.

The Big Bad Wolf showed the intricacies every Patterson book has. As a crime mystery case, it was able to play well with its cards. It used every possible hole and means to make the plot more complex than it already was, and that’s kinda cool. J

I especially liked the climax. The chapters close to the end when they got Pasha Sorokin in their hands was where the excitement got really pumped up. Wooooooo! It was when I just had to keep on turning the pages. The Wolf was too sneaky! Haha!

If anything, I wish the novel further discussed Alex’s personal issues. The thing about who gets Little Alex’s custody was brought up, so I think it should’ve been given enough attention in the book. The few chapters were not enough. I felt like it was just talked about in passing.

Bad news: the Wolf hasn’t been captured yet, and I still don’t have the next book, London Bridges. Not cool! Can’t contain being left hanging in the end. Haha!

Overall, I believe he still sealed this book with the classic Patterson signature. Surely, you can never go wrong with James Patterson. J

Photo source: http://www.reviewcentre.com/

3RD DEGREE by JAMES PATTERSON

102711. thursday.

there's no stopping now. haha! i am now catching up with everything that i missed when i was busy. books are piled up on my desk waiting to be read. 

right after reading 2nd chance, i started with james patterson's 3rd degree. as i said, there's no stopping now. haha. 

this is the funniest part. i read this name "hannah wood." eh we have this classmate joanah who we call "hannawoods." haha! coincidence.

2nd CHANCE by JAMES PATTERSON

102211. saturday. 

o yes. i just finished the second book in the women's murder club series by james patterson. haha! 

it's a great way to start my sembreak. opening another patterson novel is like getting back on track since i had been taking a break from all the brutal and quizzical stories. this semester had been an exhausting one so i felt like i couldn't handle it anymore if i'd be reading such complicated stories that would drain my brain. haha! if you remember, the most recent i've read were memoirs of a geisha and the wedding. both were far different from patterson's genre. haha! 

big thanks to julie and her cousin for lending the book. haha!

anyways, 2nd chance is another book you won't drop the moment you open page one. haha. it left me clueless until i reached the last pages. again, it makes you believe that you figured out everything but then you start realizing that no, he's not it. it's like you know the suspect is not the real killer but you just can't figure out who he really is which is oh so frustrating. haha! patterson is the man. haha! i can say that i really love this women's murder club series. i'm enjoying it. what makes me like it is how patterson puts emotional attachment with the story, may it be romantic or parental attachment, to think that these novels are about killings. he gets to find the balance between two contrasting themes. haha! i believe that's what makes the series more attractive to me. in 1st to die, it is lindsay's attachment to chris. here, it is lindsay's attachment to his father. see what i mean? haha!

2nd chance is about the case of numerous murders of black cops or anybody related to them. at first, they thought it was the cop who was jailed for killing a teenager. hell no. they were wrong. haha! here's where the story of lindsay and his father gets in the picture. haha! i don't wanna be the spoiler so better read if you wanna know. haha! 

CROSS by JAMES PATTERSON

i just finished reading this book today. it's been quite a long while since the last time i read a book. kinda' busy with school that's why. haha.

CROSS is obviously another novel from the cross series by james patterson.

well, what can i say? i didn't have a hard time reading it. maybe because the story moves quickly from one murder to another. and maybe because the twists were not that many, but that doesn't mean it was boring. i couldn't let go of the novel the moment i started reading the first page simply because i missed reading. haha. and since we're talking about james patterson here, brutality is common. i found the heartless and merciless killings in CROSS a bit lighter than those i've read before ( jack and jill & 1st to die). is it because i got so used to reading things like that? because of familiarity? i can't tell myself. the descriptions of the murder were cruel but not as cruel as in the other novels. there's just one thing. i didn't get too excited while reading it, not the adrenaline that i expected to have since this is a suspense and action novel. maybe it lacked something, something i can't identify which.

by the way, i borrowed this book from ago. haha.

i like the lead character, Alex Cross, as always. his character speaks of responsibility and upright authority. the story revolved around this hitman they call "the butcher" who rapes then murders women. he doesn't just kill, he mutilates, scrapes, and defaces. an incident with cross's wife connects alex to this hitman. through the story, i learned why "the butcher" became like that and why he is doing such crazy things.

1st TO DIE by JAMES PATTERSON

This is the first of the 10 in this series of James Patterson’s novels. I can say this one is way more exciting than Jack and Jill. 1st To Die shows girl power in fields that are most commonly dominated by males. HAHA! And just when I thought I had it all figured out, I guess I was wrong. Haha! I didn’t find out who the real killer was. I partially figured out though (just partially). The story was heavy and brutal but it was softened by the love story in it. When I started reading, I got so hooked. I did not stop until I get to the end. Can’t wait to read the next nine! I still have a long way to go. That’s all right. HAHA.

(imported from tumblr.)

JACK AND JILL by JAMES PATTERSON

i’d just like to say that this novel is “mind-boggling.” during the days i was reading it, i couldn’t sleep soundly simply because i keep on thinking and finding a way to know what’s gonna happen next. it only looked as though i won’t get to read his mind. up to the last pages, i was not able to count how many twists were incorporated with the story. that’s what makes him good. :)  alex cross and the two murder cases. one of great national interest and the other of no value (as to what the school killer thinks). one with pattern and the other without. the novel went on as to how cross unravels the motives behind the killings. there’s one thing i will never forget in this novel. it goes like this:

“JACK AND JILL WENT UP THE HILL

TO KILL, TO KILL, TO KILL.”

(imported from tumblr.)