6 reviews for Private L.A.
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Private L.A.
by James Patterson & Mark Sullivan
Description:
Private Jack Morgan investigates the disappearance of the biggest superstar couple in Hollywood. Thom and Jennifer Harlow are the perfect couple, with three perfect children. They maybe two of the biggest mega movie stars in the world, but they’re also great parents, philanthropists and just all-around good people. When they disappear without a word from their ranch, facts are hard to find. They live behind such a high wall of security and image control that even world-renowned Private Investigator Jack Morgan can’t get to the truth. But as Jack keeps probing, secrets sprout thick and fast and the world’s golden couple may emerge as hiding behind a world of desperation and deception that the wildest reality show couldn’t begin to unveil. Murder is only the opening scene
About The Author
James Brendan Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an American author. He is largely known for his novels about fictional psychologist Alex Cross, the protagonist of the Alex Cross series. Patterson also wrote the Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Maximum Ride, Daniel X, and Witch and Wizard series, as well as many stand-alone thrillers, non-fiction and romance novels. His books have sold more than 300 million copies and he holds the Guinness World Record for being the first person to sell 1 million e-books. In 2016, Patterson topped Forbes’s list of highest-paid authors for the third consecutive year, earning $95 million. His total earnings over a decade are estimated at approximately $700 million.
Sullivan was born and raised in Medford, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. He earned a BA in English from Hamilton College in 1980. After graduating, he served as a volunteer in the Peace Corps, teaching English to children of Tuareg nomads in the Sahara Desert.
Sullivan returned to the United States in 1982 and studied at the Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University in Chicago
He began writing fiction at 30 and his first novel, The Fall Line (1994), was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. He has also written, as of December 2014, three novels with James Patterson.
Skryf Review
“Amazing Reading”
Krushali
I can’t fully explain it, but I have a hard time getting into the Private series in general, and LA is no different. I’m not sure if its the dual story lines; which unlike many Patterson novels actually do not connect back to each other in this work. I’m not sure if its due to the main character, Jack Morgan, who is missing the typical character flaw that Patterson so artfully puts into his characters that make them feel real. I’m not sure if its Private in general; a firm that is allowed to do essentially whatever it wants whenever it wants, breaking the reader’s understanding of government and police work that Patterson has spent so long evolving. Whatever the reason, Private doesn’t burn nearly as brightly, or as deeply, as any other Patterson novel.
Kaushal
This is the next book in the Private series (all of which I have done reviews for on my blog as well) but I have to admit, this was one of my least favourites. I absolutely adore this series so reading this it just didn’t live up to my expectations as the others have. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not terrible, nor is it even that bad but it just didn’t fit into my thoughts of what a Private book is like.Firstly, although not mentioned in the synopsis of this book, there is actually two stories running concurrently in this novel. The first is the one of Thom and Jennifer Harlow (as explained above) but there is also a terrorist story involving a group calling themselves ‘No Prisoners’. I actually found the terrorist plot more interesting and believable than the Hollywood power couple so the fact that it emphasised the other more was disappointing.Overall, I would have preferred if this book was written as two different cases in two separate books but I will say, I was glad for Jack Morgan to be back as the main character rather than having a stand-in for a different branch of Private. I also feel like the sub-characters were done very well and kept the reader interested in what was happening.
Jasmine
There was only 2 major plots going on. The first one about “No Prisoners” a group of men who are destroying the city of LA and killing a lot of innocent people in the process. The second story line is about Brad and Angelina, no wait, Tom and Jennifer Harlow, who are mega movie stars, known for their charity work and adopt children from around the world. Tom, Jenn and their 3 children go missing, but their personal team doesn’t want to get the police involved. Also in the story was some personal stuff with Justine, which seemed to be a filler. The first storyline was interesting. You didn’t know what No Prisoners were going to do next and you had no idea who they were. The disappearance was ok, but just seemed to drag on and on. There was some reveals that had me totally dumbfounded though.
Ira
‘Private L.A.’ is the seventh novel in the ‘Private’ series, though just the third to feature investigator Jack Morgan. In this outing, things are going from bad to worse for Jack: his twin brother has been charged with murder, a vicious killer called ‘No Prisoners’ is at large in L.A. and Hollywood power couple Thom and Jennifer Harlow have been kidnapped. The plot moves along at Patterson’s trademark fast pace and the three strands of the story are handled well and wrapped up satisfactorily. This book is absolutely the perfect weekend read.
Kahaan
I also like the idea of giving people that are looking for reassurance about a series an entry-by-entry look. The beginning novel to a series might be utterly sensational or complete crap, but that doesn’t mean future entries will be. I’m persistent, so I apologise for any monotony in reviews.Recently I’d been having fatigue over the series, so a little break has brought me right back to being in the mood for an easy-going suspense novel that I know will ratchet my heart rate right up. Private L.A. does that, and then some. Sure, there are some ludicrous elements that beggar belief, and some wildly implausible coincidences that push our characters to the right answer, but fun is fun.There are maybe too many instances of deus ex machina, but I can’t muster any real frustration to care. They aren’t bad examples of it, and they do wonders for moving the plot forward.As usual, short chapters keep things condensed but colourful, showcasing the authors’ ability to use minimal details to create incredible scenes. It’s simple.