Authors: James Patterson and Mark Sullivan
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
"Celebrate the glory of the Games--before a psychopathic killer extinguishes the flame forever. Private, the world's most renowned investigation firm, has been commissioned to provide security for the 2012 Games in London. Hours away from the opening ceremony, Private investigator Peter Knight is called to the scene of a ruthless murder. A high-ranking member of the Games organizing committee has been killed--in a crime of precise calculation and execution.
Reporter Karen Pope receives a letter from a person who calls himself Cronus, claiming responsibility for the murder. He promises to restore the Games to their ancient glory--and to destroy all those who have ruined the Games with corruption and greed. Now Karen and Peter must work together to uncover a criminal genius who won't stop until he completely obliterates the modern Games."
James Patterson, one of the most famous authors this generation has seen, is back yet again with Private Games, a mystery-thriller set during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Although this may seem like just another James Patterson thriller--with the usual villain who gives himself a mysterious name and goes on a killing spree (this time targeting athletes and coaches)--I must say that this is one is quite different and is surely one of the most exciting James Patterson thrillers I've read in a while, after Mary, Mary.
Fast-paced, straight-to-the-point and fairly easy to read with over a hundred short chapters that you could just breeze through (in typical James Patterson fashion), Private Games will definitely keep you hooked. James Patterson does a very good job of keeping the villain's identity a big secret, with little clues throughout the novel's beginning and middle that will leave you hanging and wondering up until the "big revelation" towards the end of the book. You might even feel tempted to take a peek at the last few chapters just to know who the villain really is. Coming from a reader who did give in to the temptation (the suspense was killing me!)--I advise you to just read on and don't peek; the curiosity is part of the reading experience.
To be quite honest, this is actually the first James Patterson thriller I've read in a while. Once you've read a few of his novels you will start seeing similarities and the stories sometimes start becoming predictable, which is exactly why I decided to take a break from reading his novels. During one of my trips to the bookstore, however, this book caught my attention. The fact that it was also set in a real-life event made it even more interesting. The mention of real-life personalities such as Elton John or Paul McCartney (who were, in the story, performers during the closing ceremony of the Olympics) and countless others made the book fun to read, too.
I still felt, however, that the book did have its share of disappointments. For one, I sort of wish the villain, Cronus, could have been portrayed as more "human"; the way he is portrayed throughout the book makes him nothing but a ruthless killer with no emotions whatsoever. His motivation for his evil actions? Vengeance over a past experience which changed his life forever. Really? How cliche can you get? The way by which Cronus meets his demise was a bit of a let-down, too--I won't say much (I suggest you read it yourself), but it seemed like something you would probably see in a children's movie or read about in a children's book.
Overall, however, I would still recommend this book to anyone. I don't think I remember the last time I felt my heart beat so fast while reading a thriller novel. With its surprising twists and turns at almost every chapter, James Patterson does a terrific job of keeping the readers engaged throughout the novel. The last thing a writer wants is to lose the readers' interest early on in the story.
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