PRIVATE

VISION

Written by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Copyright © 2010 by James Patterson



In the first book of a new series Jack Morgan, Private written by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro, has former Marine Jack Morgan running an investigation company called Private. Morgan and his investigation company are investigating an NFL gambling scandal and the serial slayings of schoolgirls. But the case that gets to Morgan - is the murder of his former lover, who was also his best friend's wife.

Considering that Morgan has a team of high-tech investigators in his company, but also that his company is worldwide, it is hard to believe that Morgan's company makes that much money to pay for all of that. Granted Morgan's father had started the company, and had provided the money to both Morgan and his brother in order for them to run their own businesses - but when you consider that Morgan's father had wound up in jail, this made such an inheritance to the brothers confusing. Was the money from Morgan's father legitimate or not? The book was not very clear on the reasons of why Morgan's father went to jail in the first place, nor of how Morgan's father had built up enough money to start such businesses for both of his children. Supposedly Private was started by Morgan's father as well, but I had no idea of that from reading the book.

Considering what kind of cases that were involved in the book, the cases portrayed did not seem as intense to me as they should have been. This is probably because Morgan has a team of qualified, high-tech cyber investigators that was working all of the cases, instead of just Morgan working the cases by himself. With Morgan not working the cases, it lessons the intensity of the story for me that Morgan does not personally experience the chance of failure for not directly working the cases. The cyber investigators were especially important in the book for the investigation dealing with the cyber-related serial killings. As a result of the team of investigators, I felt no sense of desperation or code of honor from Morgan in the solving of these cases. Morgan seemed to me more like he was someone who was just developing his portfolio with his business operations, rather than as someone who was really interested in solving the cases. I cared more for Morgan's Second-in-Command Justine Smith, since Smith was the one who was in the streets determined to catch the serial killer.

Actually, what I liked best about the book and Morgan was of Morgan's guilt when he was in the military and survived a helicopter crash - in which Morgan was forced to leave a man to die inside the helicopter crash. The military aspect of Morgan was much more relatable to me than his dysfunctional relationship with his gambling brother, of which I could never really understand why they became at odds with each other in the first place. Morgan's brother was a real jerk, and I could not believe that the two of them ever had any kind of loving relationship when they were kids.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

To Catch A Spy

An Otto Penzler Book





















Written by Stuart M. Kaminsky

Copyright © 2002 by Stuart M. Kaminsky



In Stuart M. Kaminsky's To Catch A Spy,  private investigator to the movie stars Toby Peters takes on a case for actor Cary Grant which involves Nazi sympathizers secretly operating in Hollywood.

After the exciting opening scenes with Toby's client Grant - of which the scenes reminded me of the final scenes from the movie North By NorthWest - I was waiting for the scenes that lead up to that dramatic point of the story at the beginning of the book, since after the opening scenes the book goes back to how Toby got started on this case. Cary Grant is being blackmailed and goes and asks Toby to meet his blackmailer at a park - where the person Toby is supposed to meet gets shot. Now Toby must find the person mentioned in the dying man's words. Soon Toby's friends, inept dentist Shelly Minck, wrestler/poet Jerry Butler, and Swiss little person Gunther Wherthman discover a Nazi link to a University.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

The Devil Met A Lady

ibooks

DISTRIBUTED BY SIMON & SHUSTER, INC

Copyright © 1993, 2000 Stuart M. Kaminsky

Afterword copyright © 2000 Stuart M. Kaminsky

In The Devil Met A Lady, written by Stuart M. Kaminsky and set during Hollywood's Golden Age, private investigator Toby Peters must protect actress Bette Davis from being kidnapped by a spy ring trying to get top secret plans from her husband.

While reading this book, I kept picturing Bette Davis as the girl on the cover instead of how the real Bette Davis looks - which shows how important a cover can be. Davis can be seen at the servicemen-only Hollywood Canteen, which Davis managed during World War II. Toby is just as funny as always, and his police detective brother hates Toby as always. The spy ring is practically comic relief so, despite their violence and guns, it is hard to take them too seriously. The sad part is the seriousness of Toby's sister-in-law's medical condition. Toby and his brother's relationship becomes civil when relating to Toby's sister-in-law, which shows their concern for her. I hope to see Toby's sister-in-law being well in future books. Having Davis vist Toby's sister-in-law in the hospital was a rather poignant touch.

Pancho

All people smile in the same language.