“The Red Book” by James Patterson and David Ellis
Review by Yvonne Selander, collection development librarian
In general, librarians like to pick on James Patterson because the author is just so darn prolific! But I’ll admit to loving the style: short chapters, big cliffhangers, oodles of suspense, and great characters. Patterson also works with awesome co-writers and talented voice actors. So as much as I have joined the ranks of those who pick on this bestselling author, I do enjoy a Patterson book; most especially ones co-written with David Ellis.
Detective Billy Harney is back to work after recovering from his brain injury, a false murder charge and a shake-up in the Chicago PD that turned his life upside down. He expects a job pushing paper or directing traffic. Instead he’s assigned to an elite strike force. He doesn’t have a second to wonder if he’s being set up for failure when gunfire rips through a drug dealer’s house and one of the victims of the drive-by shooting is an adorable little girl.
The city is ready to explode into violence if it isn’t solved immediately. But is the drive-by the rival drug gang war it initially seems? Or is there something else happening in the streets of Chicago?
This is a sequel to “The Black Book,” one of my favorite thrillers of 2017. While you can read this one without reading the first in the series I wouldn’t recommend it. Why miss out on such a great thriller? This is a must listen — the audiobook is great with Harney’s and other characters’ distinctive Chicagoan and other accents coming through and placing you in the middle of the action. You won’t know who to trust, and that makes the read even better.
Need a quick read you can’t put down? Look no further.