tick tock

tick tock
michael bennett #4
james patterson & michael ledwidge
fiction/suspense/thriller
little, brown & co.
published 2011

A bomb set in one of New York's busiest places is discovered before it explodes. But relief turns to terror when the police realize it is just a warning of greater devastation to come. The city calls on Detective Michael Bennett, pulling him away from a seaside vacation with his ten adopted children and their beloved nanny, Mary Catherine--leaving his entire family open to attack. Bennett enlists the help of a former colleague, FBI Agent Beth Peters. His affection for Beth grows into attraction and then something stronger, and his relationship with Mary Catherine takes an unexpected turn. Another horrifying crime leads Bennett to a shocking discovery that exposes the killer's pattern--and the earth-shattering enormity of his plan.

Despite having become disillusioned with James Patterson I continue to read his books.  More out of habit than any sort of excitement or anticipation.  However, since the first in this series I've enjoyed the Michael Bennett books.  I still continue to love Alex Cross, although the last few I read not as much as I used to.  Still, they're always a good read for me.

Now, fourth in this series we find Michael & his family on a beach vacation battling Westie bullies and catching some rays.  Michael's slow flirtation with Mary Catherine (the 'nanny') is starting to boil up a little more and life is pretty good for the Bennett clan.  But when someone leaves a bomb at the New York City Library it looks like this cop's vacation is about over.

The bad guy is your standard Patterson bad guy.  Crazy and lethal, the perfect killing machine.  Nothing really new and exciting there, but there are a few twists and turns that make it more interesting than boring.  And I have to say, I loved the ending.  It was good, I mean, good in an unexpected way.  At first I thought maybe it was a cop out (har har), but it fit the environment so perfectly.  I will admit that coming near the end I had a sneaking suspicion it would end similar to the way it did, yet I was surprised nonetheless.

And if I'm being perfectly honest I felt that the bad guy was a little too easy to find....but that's just me.

So I'm a happy camper with Michael Bennett's latest adventures.  Which is good considering I have the next one, I, Michael Bennett sitting on the shelf waiting for me.