Never Never

...As in you should never, never waste your time with this. 0 of 10 stars!

After their successful work together in a BookShot, Patterson and Fox combine their talents to expand on that short story, penning a great full-length novel. This is another collaborative team that has been highly successful, especially since each author has stunning independent abilities. Fox brings some great ideas and writing to this piece, which had me gladly returning for a re-read years later!<br /><br />Harriet 'Harry' Blue is stunned when she learns that her brother has been arrested as the prime suspect in the Georges River Killer case, which has attracted much attention in the Sydney area. Acting quickly and knowing her predisposition to argue with her fists before mouth, Blue's superior, Chief Morris, pulls some strings and has her sent to the Australian Outback to participate in an investigation of three missing miners. <br /><br />Bitter and argumentative, Blue reluctantly departs Sydney and heads into the great desert lands of her own country, unsure how she could use her sex crimes knowledge on such a case. Paired with Edward 'Whitt' Whittacker , a man with secrets of his own, Blue remains highly suspicious of him and refuses to play nice. <br /><br />Arriving at the temporary site, Blue and Whitt learn that three mine employees have disappeared over the past while, though the speculation is that they tired of the isolation and chose to return to civilisation. After the boot of one minor turns up, foot still lodged inside, forensic testing proves that he was dead before the foot left the body. With the staff refusing to help, feeling that there is nothing wrong, Blue and Whitt must conduct a hostile investigation, tapping into all parts of the mine, from its Head of Security, mining staff, through to the protesters seeking to close down the mine and the local prostitutes. <br /><br />Lurking in the shadows, the killer, using the moniker The Soldier, stalks their prey and waits for the dead of night. Blue and Whitt have a few chance encounters, though narrowly escape, with significant scars to prove it. When the bodies of the missing are found down a makeshift shaft, Blue and Whitt realise they have a killer within the mining compound, or at least someone close by, though the barren nature of the area, dubbed Never Never, makes it hard to fathom it is not someone with whom they cross paths daily. <br /><br />As more employees go missing, hunted down like animals, a request for a local forensic team and some police comes through loud and clear. As they continue to be stalked, Blue and Whitt try to whittle down their suspect list to something manageable, but time is running out. All the while, Blue is trying to keep her identity a secret as the Australian media outlets are splashing news of her brother across every medium possible. Will Blue be able to focus on this sadistic killer long enough to catch them, or will her personal troubles make her a choice victim? Patterson and Fox create a powerful page turner in this novel, sure to keep the reader up well into the night.<br /><br />Aware of Fox's own writing, I knew that I was in for a treat. Her work here with Patterson did not let me down, as her unique style permeated throughout the narrative and the story clipped along in a way that only Fox can deliver. Harry Blue is a wonderful character, though torn with her own secrets and inner angst. She does not want to open up to anyone, save her own Chief Morris, who has a mentor-mentee relationship with his star detective. That isolated nature works well in this story as Blue is foisted into a situation well outside her comfort zone, in the Outback, and partnered with a man she does not know or trust. <br /><br />Fox and Patterson build on this strain while delivering a wonderfully rich crime thriller, with a killer hiding in plain sight. Even as things seem to be clearly pointing to one person, twists occur and the reader is forced to rethink their previous ideas. I can see a lot of Eden Archer in the Harry Blue character, as well as some of Patterson's strong writing through short chapter cliffhanging moments. The reader will likely devour this wonderful book in short order. And, if there is a significant jonesing for something along these lines thereafter, Fox's own series awaits the reader for even more enjoyment.<br /><br />Kudos, Mr. Patterson and Madam Fox for this great novel. While the BookShot pulled me in and kept me wondering where Blue would go in her character, I can say that I really enjoyed this and would welcome more collaborative work down the road.<br /><br />Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at: <br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/">http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/</a>

2.5 stars<br /><br />My first Patterson (is it, though?) novel didn't make the best impression on me. <br /><br />When I saw that it was set in Western Australia, I had to request it.<br />A kick-ass, no messing around police woman? Yes, please. Her name is Harriet (Harry) Blue, she's a sex crimes detective. <br /><br />Honestly, there aren't many things to be complimentary about, unless being a quick read counts as a compliment.<br /><br />There were quite a few things that made me arch my eyebrow and scratch my head, figuratively speaking, I can't really arch my eyebrow. ;-)<br /><br />The action takes place in the Western Australian outback, at a uranium mining site, where Sydney-based (thousands of miles away, different state - for those unfamiliar with the Australian geography) Blue is sent to investigate the death of a miner. Because why not send a sex crime detective, from another state, investigate a murder (*arching my brow). She's joined by Detective Whittaker from Perth. As it's the case with most thrillers, there is animosity between the two. Speaking of Whitaker, his characterization is just awful. He's got no personality what-so-ever, he's scared and the way he dresses is so out of the norm, especially with people working in the field, it left me puzzled. (I'll tell you a little secret: Australians, especially Western Australians don't have much of a dress sense - shorts and flip-flops (thongs in Australia) are the norm. Don't shoot me!) The little background story about him was cliche and unconvincing. <br /><br />Then there's the mine site, where apparently there are no supervisors, everything goes, there is an abundance of drugs and prostitutes. I just didn't buy how the gang of drug dealers got away with so much, including abducting a police officer. <br /><br />The mine sites in Australia are strictly regulated, the occupational health and safety are paramount (damn, I almost sound like someone who is keen on mining - which is the exact opposite - but I like to be fair), yet detective Harry Blue was able to just wander in the mine whenever she felt like it. Although she had a partner, who shared a room with her, somehow he was never around or detective Blue just had to do things by herself because she "didn't trust him". Alrighty ...<br /><br />There were many other things that didn't ring true. I would go into details, but that would make this review too spoiler-ish.<br /><br />We are obviously set up and manipulated. It's not subtle at all. I didn't believe many aspects of this novel, the characterizations were either cliche or unconvincing, the descriptions were dismal and the whole thing just felt unpolished and hurried. And hey, it's only #1 in the series ... <br /><br />Who's to blame? Mr Patterson or Ms Fox? Well, I'm not going to read the follow ups.<br /><br /><b>Cover:</b> 4 stars<br /><br /><i>I've received this novel via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the publishers, Random House Australia, for the opportunity to read and review this thriller.</i>

I often have to suspend belief when I am reading crime novels but that usually is not too much of a problem. This one was tricky though. I asked my husband to read it -he has worked in Uranium mines in South Africa as well as Australia - and he suggested it was a tad under researched:) He was being polite. <br /><br />Anyway, if you ignore all the obvious nonsense there is a pretty good and easy to read story. Harriet Blue was an okay main character but it was a pity her partner was such a wash out. He had the makings though so maybe he improves in the next book. Will I read it and find out or not? I might just check the reviews first.

Detective Harriet Blue’s boss whom she called Pops ordered her out of town – away from the press and away from the most terrible thing to have happened to her in her life. Harry was sent to the Bandya uranium mine deep in the Western Australian outback and well away from Perth – her job; to discover the whereabouts of missing miners who seemed to have vanished without trace. Harry’s life had been centred on her job in the force in Sydney – the desert of WA was the complete opposite.<br /><br />Harry was joined by Detective Whittaker who would be her partner at the mine. But the volatile and short tempered Harry didn’t want a partner – her trust didn’t extend that far. As Harry and Whitt started the investigation, they met with resistance from everyone; from the everyday miners to the high-up bosses. The environment protesters who were there daily were also ordered not to speak to the cops. It seemed they had nothing to go on – so they would have to do it in an underhanded manner. <br /><br />Then when bodies were found, and the killer ramped up the campaign, Harry and Whitt knew that they had to force the issue – but could they? The dangers intensified, the killer’s targets seemed random. Harry was determined to find the perpetrator – she would get the killer or she would die trying…<br /><br /><i>Never Never</i> by James Patterson and Aussie author <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/7231864.Candice_Fox" title="Candice Fox" rel="noopener">Candice Fox</a> is #1 in the Detective Harry Blue series, and follows the prequel <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/29605514.Black___Blue__Detective_Harriet_Blue__0_5_" title="Black &amp; Blue (Detective Harriet Blue #0.5) by James Patterson" rel="noopener">Black &amp; Blue</a> which is #.5. It’s a fast paced and intensely action packed thriller which I zipped through in a few hours. Though I guessed the perpetrator about midway through the book, the plot twists and turns which took me to the conclusion were highly satisfying. I can’t wait for the next in the series – and it looks very much like I’ve just found myself <i>another</i> series to enjoy!<br /><br />With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital copy to read in exchange for my honest review.<br />

<a href="https://heresthefuckingtwist.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Book Blog</a> | <a href="https://instagram.com/thefuckingtwist/" rel="nofollow noopener">Bookstagram</a><br><br>Literally, two of my three book-related New Years Resolutions for 2018 were to stop reading James Patterson and I’ve already failed. It’s only March! What is wrong with me?!<br><br>Don’t answer that.<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1661877319ra/33330356.gif" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>My only consolation is that this wasn’t totally fucking awful.<br><br>Candice Fox is an excellent writer on her own. She’s obviously the reason this book is at least relatively well written. It maintains the typical Patterson style of short chapters and colourful characters who lack depth, plus the typical “detective chasing a serial killer” plot that doesn’t attempt to bring anything new to the genre. But hey, do you always need it to be new? Sometimes familiar is nice.<br><br>What this book <i>does</i> have, that other Patterson novels don’t, is more realistic dialogue and a female lead that doesn’t irritate me because she calls everyone “butterfly” and hugs her friends because she hasn’t seen them for a whole five minutes.<br><br>Detective Harriet “Harry” Blue has a more uniquely drawn personality; something fun and feisty, independent and purely reactionary, at times, which lends some emotion to her scenes. Harry, from Sex Crimes, has a bit of a Debra Morgan from <i>Dexter</i> vibe to her which works for me – both non-sexually and sexually. <br><br>All the characters around Harry, however, were entirely washed out and underdeveloped. Harry had nothing to play that attitude of hers against. And that’s the whole point of that kind of personality – the friction it causes with other people.<br><br>In the Outback, miners at a Uranium sight are going missing. Harry is sent out to investigate in order to get her away from the media shitstorm about to engulf her life when the media learns her brother has been arrested – he’s the worst serial killer in Australia’s history.<br><br>That’s some luck.<br><br>And it's also my biggest problem with this - Harry’s brother being a serial killer was <i>wayyyy</i> more interesting than some miners and a sniper in the desert. And unfortunately, it’s more of a plot device to get Harry into the Outback than it is an actual plotline. <br><br>This is super flat in spots, with Harry’s attitude being the only saving grace. The investigation into the missing miners is all-around boring and seemed to require a lot of filler scenes. So while it is a typical fast James Patterson read in terms of length and chapter size, the scene quality was pretty bland, creating a sedate pace.<br><br>And if I had to hear the word <i>donga</i> one more time...<br><br>I’m split on this one. It’s not as bad as the typical Patterson fair, but it also isn’t as good as what Candice Fox is capable of. Overall it kind of feels like a talented, smart female writer had to dumb herself down in order to produce something that fit the quality that the Patterson Machine is known for.<br><br>*fart noises*<br><br>⭐⭐½ | 2.5 stars rounded down.

Set in outback WA in a mining camp this promised to be an interesting novel. Several people are missing and detective Harriet (‘Harry’) Blue, needing to get away from a high profile case in Sydney, is sent to investigate. A detective from Perth, Edward Whittaker is sent to work with her.<br /><br />I found the plot a bit patchy and not very plausible. Harry is drawn as feisty and fearless but perhaps also somewhat imprudent as she tends to throw herself into action at the slightest chance without telling her partner or considering her own safety and predictably keeps getting into trouble. Whittaker seemed to be largely missing and I never got a good sense of him as a character. Mine safety and security seemed to be surprisingly lax despite it being a uranium mine (Harry seems to wander wherever she wants and prostitutes and drug dealers seem to have no problem gaining access to their clients) and I wonder if either of the authors visited such a mine or did much research on WA mining operations. The plot unfolded somewhat predictably with few moments of tension or suspense. I enjoy both James Paterson’s and Candice Fox’s books but this joint effort felt a bit flat and didn’t really work for me. <br /><br /><i>With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Random House for a digital copy to read and review</i><br />

Detective Harry (Hariette) Blue's brother is the prime suspect in several murders. Due to this case and her profile Harry is moved to the outback in Western Australia, away from the media looking into the disappearance of a young man. Harry starts to investigate this disappearance but soon three more young people have also disappeared, we have a murderer on our hands now as all three are found dead. Harry is then out to find the killer which is not easy in this remote area as there are several shady characters to contend with including the local drug dealer that will not let you cross into your home without some kind of fee. In this region the police turn a blind eye to this kind of activity, along with prostitution as it seems just to hard to manage and the people they are dealing with are quite dangerous and intimidating. <br />If you like James Patterson you will enjoy this book, the story moves a long at a fast pace and it is easy reading.<br />Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. In a bad way.<br /><br />People are tortured and thrown down a mineshaft and a sniper is randomly firing at people in the desert but the police can't get a warrant and have no reason to search anything or do anything or get any cooperation. No backup is sent. This is the dumbest story I have read in years.

Never Never is a funny and interesting short read. I actually really enjoyed Harry and Whitt a lot. I found the crime plot intriguing and the dialogue amusing. I need to go to the store soon and pick of up Fifty, Fifty ASAP! I am still so looking forward to finding out more on her brother’s situation. There really was not too much about it in Never Never. After reading Black &amp; Blue and Never Never, a reader gets fully engrossed with his story plot. I did deduct a star though because it was a very predictable book. <br /><br />My quick and simple overall: I actually like this series a lot! I hope for a long series with Harry and her amusing banter. <br />