Review: Run For Your Life by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

One man struggles to save a city.

A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful and the arrogant. His message is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York's elite, it is a call to terror. Only one man can tackle such a high-profile case: Detective Mike Bennett. The pressure is enough for anyone, but Mike also has to care for his 10 children-all of whom have come down with virulent flu at once! Discovering a secret pattern in The Teacher's lessons, Detective Bennett realizes he has just hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history.

Patterson books always seem to be quick reads with plenty of action and this one was no exception. Detective Mike Bennett and his family of ten children are back from the previous book Step On a Crack. This time he is battling a house full of sick children and a maniac lose in N.Y. City. The Teacher has set his plan into motion and is on a killing spree, hunting down rude, obnoxious people who need to be taught a lesson. He is intelligent and fearless with no plans to stop. Mike has recently lost his wife and is struggling to care for his family and maintain a career. Now he is under even more pressure to catch a killer and time is running out.

The pages flew by and it was an easy read. I liked Mike as the main character and enjoyed the chapters that included his family and personal life. His children kept him busy yet grounded and helped him through the loss of his wife. I didn't care for The Teacher but he did provide action. His story wasn't believable and the ending was far-fetched but it was suspenseful. I don't seem to enjoy Patterson books as much as I use to but I still find them entertaining and probably will continue to follow this series.

I also got the audio version from the library so I could listen to it while I was driving. It was well done and the characters came to life. I liked switching back and forth between reading and listening and it was very convenient.

Thank you to Hatchette Books for a copy of this book.

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Release date: 2/09
Pages: 304
Price/format: $27.99/hardcover
Type: mystery/thriller

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to :

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3 . Share 2 "teaser" sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser".
4. Please avoid spoilers!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Finally the deed was done. He was the Teacher, the world was his students, and class was about to begin.

~page 35
Run For Your Life by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Contest - mystery and crime stories

Closed - thank you for entering!

In honor of my 222 followers and my 1 year anniversary it's time for another contest! Hatchette Books has so graciously offered some of their great new November titles for my mystery, crime drama lovers. There will be one winner for each book and one grand prize winner will get all three books! So that's four big winners! You can enter for as many as you want but can only win one. Please let me know your preferences in your entry. You must follow to enter.


I ALEX CROSS by James Patterson

Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780316018784.htm


THE LINEUP edited by Otto Penzler

The World's Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives. Including Lee Child, Lincoln Child, Michael Connelly, Jeffrey Deaver, Laura Lippman, Ridley Pearson, Douglas Preston, Ian Rankin and more!

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780316031936.htm




HOLLYWOOD MOON by Joseph Wambaugh

Wambaugh once again masterfully gets inside the hearts and minds of the cops whose jobs have them constantly on the brink of danger. By turns heart-wrenching, exhilarating, and laugh-out-loud funny, Hollywood Moon is his most thrilling and deeply affecting ride yet through the singular streets of LA.

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/books_9780316045186.htm



Contest:
One copy of each book will be given away and a grand prize winner will get all three. There will be a total of four winners.

Rules:
- Leave a comment that has something to do with mystery/crime/drama. Your favorite book or author? Maybe a fascinating true crime? Hopefully not one that you committed yourself!
- You must be a follower in some way for your entry to count. Tell me how.
- Don't forget your email address! I've had people miss out on their prize because I had no way to reach them.
- Tell me which book(s) you would like, or enter for all four choices.
- Contest ends October 31st at 11:59 p.m. EST
- U.S. and Canada only (sorry!)
- Four winners will be drawn by Random.org

Extra entries: (can be put into one comment)
+1 new follower
+2 already follow
+2 extra entries if you promote this contest and leave a link.

Birthday Contest!

This is my birthday week so I'm giving presents! I hope there are a lot of mystery fans out there because this is for two James Patterson books, Run For Your Life and The 8th Confession. I can't wait to read these! Patterson books are always a quick read with lots of twists and turns. The perfect book to take to my hammock!


Run For Your Life also by Michael Ledwidge
A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful, the arrogant, the don't-give-a-darnst-about-anyone rich. For some New Yorkers it seems that the rich were getting what they deserve at last. For New York's social elite, it is a call to chaos and terror. The Teacher's message to the wealthy is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! Detective Mike Bennett is assigned the case. Managing the pressure from his Commissioner, the Mayor, and the New York media would be enough for anyone, but Mike also has to care for his 10 children-who are all under 12 and who all have the flu! Detective Bennett discovers a secret pattern in the Teacher's lessons-and realizes he has just hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. From the #1 bestselling author who introduced readers to Alex Cross and the Women's Murder Club-comes the continuation of his newest, electrifying series. Run for Your Life is his most heart-stopping thriller yet. (from Hatchette Books)

The 8th Confession (The Women's Murder Club)
also by Maxine Paetro
When a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless is found brutally executed, reporter Cindy Thomas knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim's history, she discovers he may not have been as saintly as everyone thought... Rich, beautiful, and powerful, Isa and Ethan Bailey were living in the spotlight as San Francisco's perfect couple--until they are found dead in their luxurious home. As the hunt for two criminals tests the skills of the entire Women's Murder Club, sparks begin to fly between Detective Lindsay Boxer and her partner, Rich Conklin, making it difficult to stay focused on the case. The electrifying new chapter in the Women's Murder Club series, THE 8TH CONFESSION serves up the mile-a-minute twists that only James Patterson can deliver. (from Hatchette Books)


Rules:
There will be three (3) winners.
*The first lucky winner will get both books.
*The second winner will get one copy of Run For Your Life.
*The third winner will get one copy of The 8th Confession.
If you aren't interested in one of the books please say so in your comments.

+1 entry - You MUST leave a comment about your favorite birthday gift (given or received) or tradition. It can be for your own birthday or for someone else, but you have to leave a birthday comment to be included in the contest!***
+1 entry - If you are, or become, a follower or subscriber. Leave a comment to let me know.

This will be for one week and will end 11:59 p.m. EST May 1st.


Thank you to Hatchette Books for providing these prizes. I'm sorry that they can only be shipped to the U.S. and Canada.