James Patterson and Marshall Karp's "NYPD Red 6"

 

You can find this book here.

Patterson is a household name. Even if you have never read one of his books; you have at least heard of him. He has written books for adults mostly, but also youth fiction as well. He has stand-alone novels, but also multiple crime/thriller series. 

The book I am going to write about, is one book in one of those series: NYPD Red 6.

Now firstly, this is the latest in the series (number 6 of 6); but Patterson and Karp ensure that you don't need to have read the previous five to understand what is going on in this book. 

The book focusses on two detective, Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan (though the book is mostly from Jordan's perspective) and dealing with a case of a kidnapped "star". I use air quotes because Erin Easton is herself not famous for anything other than her social media activity and reality television to keep her fame alive. Does that make her a star in your eyes, or not? Though I am sure Influencers may see themselves as famous too. Perhaps it depends on perspective.

The flow of the narrative and the way the plot unravels feels standard. I was able to figure out the twists. But if you like a comfortable read, the household name of Patterson (and now Karp?) could still be a fun read for you. Outside of the major case the detectives follow, there is also a minor one about burglaries , which shows the busyness of these specialised detectives. This might add some meat to your read.

It is fast-paced, and the chapters are short and quick to keep you reading. I do not know whether you will find the characters as full as in other novels you may have read; however, as this is the sixth book, that could be why they perhaps seem two-dimensional. 

So why not read them from the beginning? ...

NYPD Red 1 = print books are here

NYPD Red 2 = print books are here

NYPD Red 3 = print books are here

NYPD Red 4 = print books are here ; the eBook is here

NYPD Red 5 = print books are here ; the eBook is here

Links for you

Title read-a-likes in the Library:

Bone collector

Jeffrey Deaver

This is also the first in a series that will be as fast-paced as Patterson and Karp's.

Sweet little lies

Caz Frear

Distant echo

Val McDermid

Holly Bourne's "Pretending"

 

You can find this book here.

April is kind, pretty, and relatively normal - yet she can't seem to get past date five. Every time she thinks she's found someone to trust, they reveal themselves to be awful, leaving her heartbroken. And angry. If only April could be more like Gretel. Gretel is exactly what men want - she's a Regular Everyday Manic Pixie Dream Girl Next Door With No Problems. The problem is, Gretel isn't real. And April is now claiming to be her. As soon as April starts 'being' Gretel, dating becomes much more fun - especially once she reels in the unsuspecting Joshua. Finally, April is the one in control, but can she control her own feelings? And as she and Joshua grow closer, how long will she be able to keep pretending?

This introduction is from the blurb at the back of the book. The reason I am giving you this as the introduction and not my own take is that this book is very emotional, raw and possibly confronting and so I have not much else to say in how to explain it well. 

The main reason for this type of explanation is that April is a rape victim. This doesn't give away anything in the book; but the emotional and mental aspects of the character are very strong; which keeps everything heightened. The way a character deals, or not deals, with trauma feels very real in this book and gives any reader the ability to see what it is like for anyone who has dealt with sexual assault. 

This is also the main point to this novel. Sharing that understanding of this one character. Whilst experiences, trauma and dealing with trauma is different for every individual; a perspective on something like this for readers shows how important an issue this is in the Western world.

The character is very real and the book focusses on her point-of-view. This does mean that everyone else is viewed through this light; but isn't that life? Seeing the world only through our own eyes? But this book also allows readers to see what it is like to be April. And this is the point of the novel.

There is romance in this book, in part. So whilst it is romance fiction, it is backgrounded. Maybe it should be classed as relationship fiction, as this is very important to April as a character in general. So, if you are looking for a romance-first book, this is not for you. If you would like to have an idea of what it could be like for a woman in London to live and relate in London, give this book a go.

Links for you

Bourne books in the Library:

The places I've cried in public

How do you like me now?

Bourne books in CloudLibrary:

Are we all lemmings and snowflakes?

It only happens in the movies

YF Highlight: Jilly Gagnon's "#famous"

 

You can find this book here.

This book not only focusses
on young adult life, but in particular social media and dating life. 

In Gagnon's book, Rachel takes a picture of a boy she likes and posts it on social media. The way it blows up on social media makes Kyle famous, but Rachel a target. 

The book is told from both the perspective of Rachel and Kyle, alternating each chapter respectively. The voices of the characters suit the age range, as does what seemed to be the behaviours and responses to situations. Like a lot of issues with relationships (romantic or otherwise), one things that always stands in the way is communication. So look out for how the characters communicate (or miscommunicate) with each other. 

Margaret Bearman's "We were never friends"

 

You can find this book here.

This book is adult fiction; but a lot of the perspective is of the protagonist when she was younger (so it may have the feeling of Youth Fiction, if that is something you want to be wary of). It follows Charlotte, known as Lottie, as she looks back at her life and friendships and the impacts of the past on the present and choices and lives we live. Its themes revolve around friendship, but also family dysfunction and what 'artistic genius' is. 

When I read this book, it seemed very raw and real. It seemed like the relationships fit with families and friendships not only in the past, but how they are dealt with now (just with less focus on social media). Charlotte summed up teens well and how they possibly relate as they move into adolescence. Whilst I didn't want characters to act or be the way they were necessarily throughout the whole novel; it showed how change, or its lack, can also impact on relationships. 

The setting is Canberra, so yay for Australian authors! Whilst characters had problems with the birds (I love hearing the magpies!), the setting does take a backseat for this novel. The protagonist's emotional journey is more important. 

Because the focus is on Lottie's emotional journey, the remaining characters are not necessarily well understood or fleshed out. I believe this could be because of the point of view it holds, which limits what we can see and know about the rest of the characters. and possibly adds to the self-involvement Lottie has about people in her life like Larissa who trumps, at that time in her life, relationships with her family. However, for this reason, it may not be a well-rounded read to some of you. 

The book is an easy, quick read. The author is Australian, and apparently has a great history in research as a professor at Deakin University. I like these points. I also recommend this book if you like rawness of emotion of characters as they try to work through life (or adolescence).

Links for you

Read-a-likes in the Library:

Husband's secret

Liane Moriarty

This is where I leave you

Jonathan Tropper

Read-a-likes in CloudLibrary:

Ask again, yes

Mary Beth Keane

This book looks at memory and the past and its impact on the future of adulthood. This book focusses more on the adult-side, unlike Bearman's.

We are water

Wally Lamb