Sunday Synopsis

Haunted by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Detective Michael Bennett is back with crisis after crisis after crisis. First, his eldest son has been selling drugs. Second is grandpa Seamus's health. Last, well, the last one is very long and drawn out. Bennett, Seamus, Mary-Catherine and 9 of the ten kids go on vacation to Maine. They are offered a bargain on the rental of a Victorian home on the lake. It was arranged by his ex-partner Sandy.

While Maine seems idyllic, Bennett soon finds out that even small towns have their share of drug issues, and he gets pulled into it. There are some missing teenagers, kids selling and using drugs, and some shallow graves found not far from town. The problem? Dell Streeter, a drug-dealing Texan who has lived in town for only two years. How will Sandy and Michael figure out what is going on and how to stop it in time to prevent any more deaths?

So... I have read ALL of the Michael Bennett books, and I usually enjoy them. Usually. The new co-author working with Patterson on this one must have been completely in charge of authoring this story because it is was done very poorly.

First, it was extremely predictable. There was no mystery to it at all. The authors' attempt at foreshadowing was underwhelming at best. There were no surprises at all, and that is not typical of James Patterson. The language and syntax didn't even sound like his style. The disjointed plot was all over the place instead of flowing in a logical manner.

Several things did not make sense. There was a character named Sadie who was mentally and physically impaired, yet Sadie was doing things that most non-disabled people can't even do. And on a police detective's salary, it is unclear how Bennett can afford to feed a family 13, much less take them on two consecutive vacations. How does that happen?

And the title? Haunted? Where did that come from? Who is haunted? What is haunted? It was  unclear. I' sorry to say I was completely unimpressed with this novel.  Definitely NOT thrilling.


View all my reviews Subscribe in a reader