Book Review: Private

**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**

This is a review of Private, by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $27.99. ISBN 978-0-316-09615-7.

Synopsis (from the publisher):

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.

Analysis:

It’s no secret, if you’ve read my book reviews, that I love mystery-thrillers. As one of the premier experts in creating tales of suspense and intrigue, Patterson, with Paetro, is continually on my reading list. This newest story takes its place among Patterson’s long line of terrific mysteries, and I sincerely hope the Patterson/Paetro team brings us more of Jack Morgan.

The story opens with a bit of Jack’s background – we learn that he was in the military, that he saw combat, and that he died. Intrigue? Check. We also learn that Jack is sort of the black sheep of his family – his father was in prison, and his brother is the “bad twin. “ Jack is smart; he’s not afraid of hard work, and he puts everything he has – mind, body, soul, and finances – into building his private investigation company into a worldwide resource of the rich and famous. He’s tough, but kind, and inspires the trust of both his clients and his employees.

But we learn that Jack, despite the above, is not perfect. He has commitment issues, and a guilty secret that weighs on him…even though he can’t remember the details. This story brings Jack enlightenment in several different ways – he learns uncomfortable truths about himself, his family and his friends, all while solving crimes and “whodunits” on several fronts.

This book is a fast-paced page-turner, perfect for reading at the beach, by the pool, or on the road. I cannot wait for a sequel...and a movie (Ryan Reynolds has my vote for the lead role).

Book Review: Love in Mid Air

**This book review is purely my opinion of the book after having read it. I would love to start some discussions about other readers opinions. Thanks.**


This is a review of Love in Mid Air, by Kim Wright. Copyright © 2010; fiction. List price: $23.99. ISBN 978-0-446-54044-5.

Synopsis (from the publisher):

A chance encounter with a stranger on an airplane sends Elyse Bearden into an emotional tailspin. Suddenly Elyse is willing to risk everything: her safe but stale marriage, her seemingly perfect life in an affluent Southern suburb, and her position in the community. She finds herself cutting through all the instincts that say "no" and instead lets "yes" happen. As Elyse embarks on a risky affair, her longtime friend Kelly and the other women in their book club begin to question their own decisions about love, sex, marriage, and freedom. There are consequences for Elyse, her family, and her circle of close friends, all of whom have an investment in her life continuing as normal. But is normal what she really wants after all? In the end it will take an extraordinary leap of faith for Elyse to find--and follow--her own path to happiness.

An intelligent, sexy, absorbing tale and an honest look at modern-day marriage, Love in Mid Air offers the experience of what it's like to change the course of one's own destiny when finding oneself caught in mid air.

Analysis:

There is something both liberating and frightening about this book. It was difficult for me to read – not because it was trite or wasn’t well-written; in fact, the opposite is true. This book is very well-written, with exceptional plot and character development, and the subject matter is anything but trite. The reason this book was a difficult read for me is that I could see people I know in its shadows. In fact, I have been the person who has, on several occasions, watched someone she cares for make it through the destruction of a loveless marriage. I have seen firsthand the consequences of affairs and betrayal; of two people falling out of love; of the mild madness that settles upon overwhelmed, overworked, undervalued women.

The fact that Elyse and her band of friends are middle class suburbanites brings this story even closer to home, since this is my circle of friends. WE laugh, we cry; we complain about our husbands and our kids, but we never come right out and say that we feel claustrophobic in our lives. I think every mom, working outside the home or not, has felt the panicky suffocation of too much to do, too few hours in the day, and not enough of whatever it is that makes us more than “just a mom,” or “just a wife.” As women, we give ourselves over to our families, beginning with our husbands, trying to fit into a mold of what we think they need, and continuing with our children, destroying our bodies to give them life. We put ourselves last in every aspect of life, and over time, our relationships can fray. While this isn’t necessarily the central theme in the book, Wright’s ability to piant this into the background of the story creates depth and empathy in the story.

What this story does is move beyond the overwhelming life of a mom, into the rarely visited, but no less prolific, life of a dissatisfied wife. Interestingly enough, Elyse doesn’t mind being a mom – she doesn’t use her daughter as a pawn or excuse, and she doesn’t complain about the responsibility. I love that both Elyse and her husband, Phil, are such good and devoted parents; it brings balance, and tells the reader that the problem does, in fact, lie in their dysfunction as a couple.

Wright uses Gerry as the vehicle, the spark that lights the fire under Elyse, spurring her to move beyond simply existing. I like that Wright leaves the ending so open; that Elyse has no illusions or delusions of the nature of her relationship with Gerry, and that she is content with this as it is. I also like the fact that Elyse does not move directly from one dysfunctional relationship into another – too often, I’ve seen real-life examples of this co-dependency, and its consequesnces. Namely, people simply end up with the same type of person, in the same type of life, with the same type of problems that they left. Instead, Wright implies that Elyse is evolving into a new person; that she is stretching and growing, and hopefully, improving.

The friendships between the four women is also true-to-life, from what I’ve seen of people in the world. For the most part, the relationship between the four as a whole is somewhat superficial. In pairs, however, the friendship is deep and meaningful – each individual has a “BFF” with whom she has bonded, and with whom she shares and relies upon more than she does the group as a whole. I think Wright truly understands the nature of women – we are strong and somewhat self-reliant, but we all need that one friend who is there for us, regardless.

This book was well-written, and the story was wonderful.