Private by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Private by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

The police can't help you

Former CIA agent Jack Morgan runs Private, a renowned investigation company with branches around the globe. It is where you go when you need maximum force and maximum discretion. The secrets of the most influential men and women on the planet come to Jack daily--and his staff of investigators uses the world's most advanced forensic tools to make and break their cases.

The press will destroy you

Jack is already deep into the investigation of a multi-million dollar NFL gambling scandal and the unsolved slayings of 18 schoolgirls when he learns of a horrific murder close to home: his best friend's wife, Jack's former lover, has been killed. It nearly pushes him over the edge. Instead, Jack pushes back and devotes all of Private's resources to tracking down her killer.

Only one place to turn: Private

But Jack doesn't have to play by the rules. As he closes in on the killer and chooses between revenge and justice, Morgan has to navigate a workplace love affair that threatens to blow the roof off his plans. With a plot that moves at death-defying speeds, Private is James Patterson sleekest, most exciting thriller ever.

Jack Morgan owns Private Investigations, a firm he inherited from his father.  Private is the most elite investigative firm around. They hold the secrets of the very rich and the very famous. They have more resources and greater abilities to get the job done than anyone else. If you want things done right, if you want them done fast and if you want them done discreetly, you go Private!

 Jack is a former marine struggling with nightmares from his time in the war. While on a mission his chopper was brought down, saving some and killing others, haunting him still. Jack knows that he died that day and that his friend Del Rio brought him back, he just can’t remember the rest of it. He struggles to get those memories to surface so that he can deal with them and move on.  And that fact that someone keeps calling him in the middle of the night saying “You’re dead Jack” certainly isn’t helping much.

Right now Private is dealing with some very high profile cases.  Private has been brought in by the D.A. to help solve the Schoolgirl Killings.  Over the past two years, a child from one of the local schools has been killed, approximately once per month. Now though the killer is escalating and the murders are happening more frequently. Sometime after each kill the mayor gets a text message with the location of the “trophy” the killer has taken. Unfortunately after two years there is not one bit of evidence. But that won’t stop the Private team of investigators from doing what it takes to bring this psychopath down.  While walking the red carpet of an awards show with a client, Jack gets a call from his best friend Andy that Shelby, his wife, is dead, and Jack needs to come immediately! When he gets there he finds Shelby’s bloody body on the bed and Andy covered in blood. Jack is devastated, yet determined to take the heat off Andy as number one suspect and vows to find her killer. But can he stand to hear the truth? Next, Jack’s Uncle Fred, a football team owner, comes to him with two other team owners because they have a sickening suspicion that games are being rigged to throw the spread, thus costing the mob millions.  This could be the greatest gambling scandal in professional sports history. How could this be possible in professional football with hundreds of cameras and millions of people watching?  Then there is the mob boss who wants Jack to find his “missing” girlfriend (which he won’t touch with a ten foot pole), the two high profile couples that come to him because they want to switch partners and want Private to investigate each other fully before doing so, and finally there is his “evil” twin brother Tommy who seems to have gotten himself into a bit of a $600,000 gambling debt with the mob.  Tommy & Jack don’t get along, but that doesn’t stop Jack from doing what he can to help him. 

Jack puts his team on the three major cases – The Schoolgirl Killer, Shelby’s murder and the potential NFL gambling scandal, and handles his brother himself.  Justine is his forensic profiler who has let Schoolgirl Killer case overtake her life. She won’t stop until he does. “Sci” is his criminalist, scientific guru who has a very high tech lab that can run laps around the FBI. “Mo-bot” is the ultimate tech nerd who can find her way around an IP address faster than a hamster on a wheel.  Then there are Cruz and Del Rio. Marine buddies who are as dogged as Jack is and will always get his back, even if it means breaking the law.

With every potential resource at their disposal, the Private investigators will do whatever it takes to get their answers, legal or not. They will dig and prod and pull at threads to find that one little clue that will unravel the whole ball.  What surprises Jack, his team and the readers is that each thread that is tugged leads them to a clue in another one of their cases. Are they all related, or just some of them or is Private Investigation just in the middle of three major cases at once? What can a killer, a gambling scandal (that includes both the NFL and his brother) and the murder of a close friend, and former lover, possibly have in common?   The answers to these questions will surprise many, while at the same time destroy others.  And if all of that is not enough, Jack is also dealing with the potential consequences of an office romance and the realization of just who his mystery caller is.

Private will grab you from page one and force you to sit there until you turn the very last page.  The chapters are short and the reading quick. Some readers may not be a fan of this style, but I enjoy it as you are not bogged down by information you don’t need. You get what you’re looking for – the story.  And a good one at that.  Patterson & Paetro have introduced us to more wonderful characters-- giving the reader just a hint of who these new characters are-- and leave you yearning to know more.  A great start to new a series from the master of fast-paced thrill rides.

Release date:  June 28, 2010

W...W.....W..... Wednesday

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions!…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

What am I currently reading? ~

Private by James Patterson ~ The first in a new series featuring former marine turned private investigator Jack Morgan who holds the secrets of the rich and famous - and will do whatever it takes to keep them!   Release date: June 28th











What did I recently finish reading?

Overkill by Joseph Teller ~ I LOVE LOVE LOVE this series. The 4th book featuring attorney Harrison J Walker (known as Jaywalker) who will do whatever it takes to clear his clients.  Release date: August 1st.




What do I plan on reading next?

The Postcard Killers by James Patterson  ~ Another first in a new series. This time we meet NYPD detective Jacob Kanon on "vacation" in Rome, searching for his daughter's and her boyfriends killer. His calling card - a Postcard he sends to the local paper preceding each new kill. I get goose bumps just thinking about it!  Release date: August 16th.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

My "can't wait for" is.....

 

 

The Long Quiche Goodbye (CHEESE SHOP MYSTERY) 

 

Welcome to the grand opening of Fromagerie Bessette. Or as it's more commonly known by the residents of small-town Providence, Ohio-the Cheese Shop. Proprietor Charlotte Bessette has prepared a delightful sampling of bold Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, delicious tortes of Stilton and Mascarpone, and a taste of Sauvignon Blanc-but someone else has decided to make a little crime of passion the piece de resistance. Right outside the shop Charlotte finds a body, the victim stabbed to death with one of her prized olive-wood handled knives.  

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley
• ISBN-10: 0425235521/9780425235522
• Release date: July 6th
• Amazon Price: $7.99

Make sure to click on the link above to pre-order your copy today!

Book Giveaway - Hannah's List - WINNER

Congratulations

Lori

I've sent an email requesting their address. If I don't hear back in 48 hrs, I'll choose another winner. Thank you to those that have entered :)

Teaser Tuesday

It’s that time of week again, everyone, and time for the Tuesday Teaser.
Again the reminder of what this is all about. We are asked to:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Let the book fall open to a random page.
3. Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
4. Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from, so people can find the book if they like the teaser.
5. And again remember – avoid spoilers.

Here's mine ~

There it is again: the accident.  Jaywalker had warned her at least a dozen times not to use the term. He realized now she simply couldn't help herself, that she would go to her grave thinking of it as just that.

This teaser comes from Overkill by Joseph Teller.  What's YOUR teaser.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.

We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week.

Here's what I got ~


Hand of Fate (A Triple Threat Novel) by Lis Wiehl and April Henry (For Review) ~ Bestseller Wiehl and Henry's second Triple Threat novel (after Face of Betrayal) offers an exciting if familiar plot. When Jim Fate, a radio talk host in Portland, Ore., opens a padded envelope addressed to him shortly before going on air, he releases a poison gas, possibly sarin, that soon kills him. The package also contains a copy of Talk Radio, originally a play, later a movie, about the true-life murder of Denver talk show host Alan Berg. Caught in the subsequent investigation are three young professionals with links to law enforcement: federal prosecutor Allison Pierce, who's pregnant; FBI special agent Nicole Nic Hedges; and Cassidy Shaw, a TV crime reporter, who formed the Triple Threat Club after a high school reunion. Readers will identify with these very real women as they try to uncover Fate's killer, and each battles a personal demon—Allison her fear of miscarriage, Nic her fear of her daughter's criminal father, and Cassidy her prescription drug addiction. Release date: April 6th

Across The Table: Across The Table\Dancing On Sunday Afternoons by Linda Cardillo (For Review) ~ From her restaurant on Boston's Salem Street, and from her own kitchen, Rose Dante has served countless meals and built a tight-knit community of customers, family and friends. Her daughter Toni tried to create her own life, outside that circle-only to return with her daughter when her marriage failed and now Toni must face the bitterness of the past in order to taste the sweetness of the future. But she can't make such a journey alone. She needs the guidance of a mother, of her family. She needs Rose's recipes for happiness, learned by trial and error over sixty years of marriage. Release date: June 1st.

Chasing Lilacs: A Novel by Carla Stewart (For Review) ~ It is the summer of 1958, and life in the small Texas community of Graham Camp should be simple and carefree. But not for twelve-year-old Sammie Tucker. Sammie has plenty of questions about her mother's "nerve" problems. About shock treatments. About whether her mother loves her.
When her mother commits suicide and a not-so-favorite aunt arrives, Sammie has to choose who to trust with her deepest fears: Her best friend who has an opinion about everything, the mysterious kid from California whose own troubles plague him, or her round-faced neighbor with gentle advice and strong shoulders to cry on. Then there's the elderly widower who seems nice but has his own dark past. Trusting is one thing, but accepting the truth may be the hardest thing Sammie has ever done. Release date: June 17th.

White Heat by Brenda Novak (For Review) ~ A religious cult has moved into what was once a ghost town--Paradise, Arizona. And their actions are cause for concern. One woman who escaped from the compound was nearly stoned to death. Another has gone missing altogether. Private security contractor Nate Ferrentino is given the assignment of infiltrating the group. It's a challenge he welcomes...until he learns that Rachel Jessop, one of his colleagues at Department 6, has been chosen to accompany him. Nate's attracted to Rachel but because of their history, he prefers to keep his distance. Problem is, they have to pretend to be married. Only couples can participate in certain rituals, which Nate and Rachel need to do if they're going to pierce the veil of secrecy. But when they find proof that cult leader Ethan Wycliff is as twisted as they feared, they know they have to set aside their differences...or Ethan might take more lives. Maybe even theirs....Release date: July 27th

Overkill by Joseph Teller (For Review) ~ It's a case no one can win - which is exactly why he's going to take it. Harrison J. Walker - Jaywalker, to the world - is a frayed-at-the-edges defense attorney with a ninety-percent acquittal rate, thanks to an obsessive streak a mile wide. But winning this case will take more than just dedication. Seventeen-year-old Jeremy Estrada killed another boy after a fight over a girl: shot him point-blank between the eyes. No one disputes those facts. This kid is jammed up big-time, but almost unable to help himself. He's got the face of an angel but can hardly string together three words to explain what happened that day...yet he's determined to go to trial. All they've got is a "yesbut" defense, as in: "Did you kill him?" "Yes, but...." Jaywalker is accustomed to bending the rules - this will stretch the law to the breaking point and beyond. Release date: August 1st.

Saving Max by Antoinette van Heugten (For Review) ~ What would a loving mother not do for her child? Lawyer Danielle Parkman is at her wits' end. Her son Max, a whip-smart teen with high-functioning autism, has always been a handful. But lately he's shutting down, using drugs and lashing out - violently. Desperate, Danielle brings Max to a top-flight psychiatric facility for a full assessment. But rather than reassurance, Danielle receives an agonizing diagnosis describing a deeply damaged, dangerous boy - one she's never met. Then Danielle finds Max unconscious and bloodied at the feet of a patient who has been brutally stabbed to death. A fiercely protective mother instinct rears its head - and Danielle is arrested as an accessory to the heinous crime. In a baffling netherworld of doubt and fear, barred from contacting her son, Danielle clings to the thought of Max's innocence. But has she, too, lost touch with reality? Is her baby boy really a killer? With the justice system bearing down on them both, Danielle steels herself to discover the truth - no matter how horrifying. It's a path well on the wrong side of the law. But only finding the true killer will absolve her from having to choose between her son and her soul. Release date: September 28th

61 Hours: A Reacher Novel (Jack Reacher) by Lee Child ~ Jack Reacher is back in his element—Smalltown, U.S.A.—in bestseller Child's fine 14th thriller to feature the roving ex-military cop. When a tour bus on which he bummed a ride skids off the road and crashes, Reacher finds himself in Bolton, S.Dak., a tiny burg with big problems. A highly sophisticated methamphetamine lab run by a vicious Mexican drug cartel has begun operating outside town at an abandoned military facility. After figuring out the snow-bound, marooned Reacher's smart, great with weapons, and capable of tapping military intelligence, the helpless local cops enlist his assistance, and, as always, he displays plenty of derring-do, mental acuity, and good old-fashioned decency. While the action is slower than usual, series fans will appreciate some new insights that Child provides into his hero's psyche and background as well as a cliffhanger ending Release date: May 18th.

Forget Me Not: A Novel (Crossroads Crisis Center) by Vicki Hinze (For Review) ~ Benjamin Brandt, owner of the Crossroads Crisis Center, hasn't set foot in the center since his wife and son were murdered a few years earlier. Then Susan comes to the center, beaten and battered, suffering a case of amnesia, and also bearing a close resemblance to Benjamin's deceased wife, also named Susan, and wearing the dead woman's cross necklace. The two clash at first, but even as murders occur around them, the tension between them relaxes. Still, there is a mystery to be solved involving Susan's identity and a past that must be reckoned with before either can move ahead. Hinze's plot may have readers puzzling over how this tangled tale will ever resolve itself, but that underestimates the author's talent for transforming the unlikely into something beautiful.

Killing Me Softly by Maggie Shayne (For Review) ~ First you drink, then you die. The Nightcap Strangler, who terrorized the town of Shadow Falls fifteen years ago, has finally been executed. Case closed. Until Bryan Kendall's lover is murdered in the notorious killer's unique style and the rookie cop stands accused. Has someone committed the perfect copy-cat crime...or was the wrong man put to death? A continent away, Dawn Jones hears that her first love has been accused of murder and knows that only she can help him. But to do so, she'll have to face the very fears that drove them apart. Together, they'll work to uncover secrets someone's willing to kill to keep, and renew a love as dangerous as it is inevitable. And their best lead is the girl found dead in Bryan's bed, reeking of the whiskey poured down her throat before her killer squeezed it shut. A killer who thinks that Dawn, too, could use one last drink. Release date: June 29th.

The Postcard Killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund (For Review) ~ NYPD detective Jack Kanon is on a tour of Europe's most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren't what draw him--he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each restaurant through a killer's eyes. Kanon's daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have become victims of the same sadistic killers. Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter, Gabby Larsen. Every killing is preceded by a postcard to the local newspaper--and Kanon and Larsen think they know where the next victims will be. With relentless logic and unstoppable action, The Postcard Killers may be James Patterson's most vivid and compelling thriller yet. Release date: August 16th.

Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (For Review) ~ Former Marine and CIA agent Jack Morgan inherits his father's renowned security and detective business--along with a case load that tests him to the breaking point. Getting to the bottom of an NFL gambling scandal and an unsolved LAPD investigation into 18 school girl slayings would be enough. On top of all that, Morgan takes on solving the horrific murder of his best friend's wife. As Morgan fights the urge to exact brutal revenge on that killer, he has to navigate a workplace imbroglio that could blow the roof off his elite agency. And it's an especially explosive situation . . . because the love affair is his own. Release date: June 28th.

Book Blogger Hop

It's Friday! Time for another Book Blogger Hop!!

First things first, did you notice the new graphic!! Don't you just LOVE it?! I burst out laughing when I first saw it! Louise from Adori Graphics is such a talented artist and you should definitely check out her site!! (Check back here soon for the one she's making for me for my new Meme) :)

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU READ THE RULES BEFORE ENTERING YOUR LINK OVER AT CRAZY-FOR-BOOKS !!!

Now, don't expect everyone to visit and follow every single blog listed on the Hop MckLinky. Believe me, my Google Reader is out of control, as I'm sure everyone else's is! The Hop isn't just for you to throw your link in there and not visit any other blogs. It's all about networking and finding new blogs that are of interest. So, in the spirit of the Hop, try to make some time to visit other blogs and don't post your link if you are not planning on visiting other blogs in the Hop that week. This is a weekly event, so if you don't have time this week, that's fine! We'll see you next week!

If you sign MckLinky, please share the love and POST ABOUT THE HOP ON YOUR BLOG! How else will anyone else find out about it and come join the party? I've visited lots of blogs, but have seen quite a few not sharing the love and that bummed Jen out (and I just can't have that!)

About the Hop:

This is a weekly event, hosted at Crazy-for-Books, where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read. It's a great way to network with other bloggers and make new friends! Every day we seem to find another book blog that we start following. In the spirit of the Friday Follow, Jen thought it would be cool to do a Book Blogger Hop to give us all bookies a chance to connect and find new blogs that we may be missing out on! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed!

Jen's request: Pretty please - Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

If you start following someone through the Hop, leave a comment on their blog to let them know! Stop back during the week to see other blogs that are added! And, most importantly, the idea is to HAVE FUN!!

So, let's do the Hop!

I can't wait to get a break from work so I can hop around and see all the new blogs I can start following :)

Andrew Grant continues to build on his thriller reputation

In DIE TWICE Author Andrew Grant Continues
To Build On His Thriller Reputation
(Already Being Mentioned With The Best)

If your writing is to be discussed in the same sentence with the best, the proof must definitely jump off the pages. With DIE TWICE (Minotaur, mid-May release), thriller author Andrew Grant demonstrates in only his second novel the fast-pace story crafting that gets him mentioned with the likes of Robert Ludlum and Ian Fleming. The comparisons actually started with his heralded 2009 debut EVEN.

DIE TWICE brings readers back to the world of gritty hero David Trevellyan. He’s the British Naval Intelligence Officer and modern-day James Bond who was introduced to thriller/noir fans in EVEN.

Obliged to leave New York City in the aftermath of his previous mission, David Trevellyan is summoned to the British Consulate in Chicago. To the same office where just a week before his new handler was attacked and shot by a Royal Navy Intelligence operative gone bad. Assigned the job of finding the rogue agent and putting an end to his treacherous scheme, Trevellyan soon finds that once again, his only hopes of saving countless innocent lives lie not within the system, but in his instinctive belief – you’re bound to do what’s right, whatever the personal cost may be.

“Obviously it’s extremely flattering to be mentioned alongside the icons of the business,” said Grant. “I'm delighted if readers are making comparisons like that. But I just try to write the kind of books I’d like to read, and hope the characters and storylines are woven together in a way that people will enjoy. “

If authors are to write what they know then Grant has placed Trevellyan in a setting which he knows well. Grant resides in Chicago and the United Kingdom. “Chicago works as a location because the city is so diverse,” said Grant. "It enabled me to put Trevellyan in places that suited the action, from the glamorous center of the city to seedy nightclubs, prosperous neighborhoods and grimy back alleys - not to mention the kind of abandoned industrial complex you would not want to be caught in after dark."

Praise for the books of Andrew Grant

DIE TWICE “… deals with a crisis that is believable and compelling” according to RT Book Review.

a thriller that is pure entertainment....grippingly addictive ~ Vince Flynn

(a) pocket ride of a thriller ~ Lisa Gardner

Fans of 007 will be shaken and stirred ~ Sandra Brown

An Excellent thriller that feels like breaking news ~ Thomas Perry

A new author on the scene who writes action like a veteran ~ Ridley Pearson

About Andrew ~

ndrew was born in Birmingham, England. He went to school in St Albans, Hertfordshire and later attended the University of Sheffield where he studied English Literature and Drama. After graduation Andrew set up and ran a small independent theatre company which showcased a range of original material to local, regional and national audiences. Following a critically successful but financially challenging appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Andrew moved into the telecommunications industry as a 'temporary' solution to a short-term cash crisis. Fifteen years later, after carrying out a variety of roles including several which were covered by the UK's Official Secrets Act, Andrew became the victim / beneficiary of a widespread redundancy programme. Freed once again from the straight jacket of corporate life, he took the opportunity to answer the question, what if ... ? Grant , who is engaged to award-winning historic fiction author Tasha Alexander, is already at work on his next David Trevellyan thriller. Also visit www.andrewgrantbooks.com

Tasha Alexander signs new Minotaur Deal

Author Tasha Alexander Signs New Minotaur Deal
To Continue Popular Lady Emily Series

Award-winning historic fiction author Tasha Alexander has signed a new two-book deal with St. Martin’s Minotaur to continue her popular Lady Emily suspense series. The deal will extend the series to seven books.

“I’m excited to continue writing for St. Martin’s Minotaur,” said Alexander. “And to further explore Emily's world. When I began my first book seven years ago I hardly dared hope I could turn something I loved into such a long-running series. I have the readers to thank. They have stuck by Emily.”

Alexander has published four books in the suspenseful series set in the Victorian England period. The most recent, TEARS OF PEARL, came out last September, her first with Minotaur. Alexander’s fifth in the series, DANGEROUS TO KNOW, comes out in the fall.. The Notre Dame graduate also wrote ELIZABETH THE GOLDEN AGE, the companion book to the Cate Blanchett movie in 2007.

Alexander burst on the literary scene in 2005 with AND ONLY TO DECEIVE for Harper Morrow, also the publisher of the second and third Lady Emily books, A POISONED SEASON and A FATAL WALTZ.

Alexander resides in Chicago and is engaged to thriller author Andrew Grant.

Please visit Tasha at her website here





Where YOU can meet Tasha (More dates to come as the launch of DANGEROUS TO KNOW approaches.....)

17-18 April 2010

Murder 203

Easton & Westport, Connecticut

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14-16 May 2010

BookHampton Mayhem

Sag Harbor & The Hamptons, New York

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14-17 October 2010

Bouchercon

San Francisco, California