Red Alert

4.5*<br /><br />This is my favorite NYPD Red story yet. The crime plots in this one all thoroughly gripped me, whereas most times one of the plots will really be interesting me and the other ones, I would not be as into. In this installment all of them entertained me, though the Davenport case was my favorite of the plots. This would have been a five star review for me, but Kylie was pretty obnoxious. I feel like she is pushing the buttons with Zach to the point of jeopardizing his personal relationship with Cheryl. In my opinion, she is trying to stir up drama (plane trip scenario). It just annoyed me to the point that I had to take half a star off. <br /><br />My quick and simple overall: very awesome and only took a few hours to read because I did not want to put it down!

Detectives Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan were members of the elite NYPD Red task force and were in protection mode for the city’s mayor at the charity event when the bomb went off, killing one of the millionaires as he was about to give a powerpoint presentation. Hussling the mayor out of danger, they then went into full cop mode – until they were called across town to the death of a filmmaker.<br /><br />NYPD Red’s lives were about to get much more complicated as they chased down killers in two separate cases. What Kylie and Zach uncovered in their investigations would lead to multiple players, with underground drug cartels, corruption in the highest levels of society and danger to anyone who came close. But would they expose the killers?<br /><br /><i>NYPD Red 5</i> (5th in the series) by James Patterson is another gritty thriller that kept me guessing as I raced through the pages. With the author’s usual short chapters (which I love) the novel was an easy read which I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended.<br />

Working to continue their successful series, James Patterson and Marshall Karp return with a fifth novel in the NYPD Red series. The premise of NYPD Red is to protect or investigate the city’s most elite, offering a protective barrier from the masses. Detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald are well versed with the job and have seen almost everything the city has to offer. While serving as part of the mayor’s security detail, Jordan and MacDonald witness a bomb explode at a fundraiser, killing one man and sending shrapnel all over. Working with few leads and at a significant disadvantage, Jordan and MacDonald try to find answers where none exist. As they are headed home, awaiting some of the evidence to be processed, the detectives are called to the scene of another potential crime. A high-profile New Yorker known for her kinky sexual interests may have died during auto-erotic asphyxiation, though there are a few indications that the safety measures were not in place and she was murdered. Dog-tired and unable to piece anything together, Jordan and MacDonald agree to meet after a few hours’ rest, when they can think straight. Upon returning somewhat rejuvenated, they learn that wiring at the scene is the trademark of a well-known Aussie bomber who has been locked away in a Thai prison for over a decade. Soon another bomb explodes and all hell breaks loose. While Jordan and MacDonald try to make sense of it all, their ‘sensual’ case gains legs when a video surfaces involving the victim and a respected judge with a request for blackmail money. The judge seems not to care, proud that he’s been caught on tape but NYPD Red cannot let this go without some action. A bumbling attempt to pay the random and trap the killer goes wrong, but there is little time to waste, as a new lead sends Jordan and MacDonald to the other side of the world for some interviews they never thought possible. With two key crimes on their plate and the mayor screaming for closure on both cases, NYPD Red will so whatever it takes to up their solve rate, even if it costs them their jobs. Patterson and Karp are brilliant in their delivery and series fans will surely love this story that does not let up until the final page.<br /><br />I have long been a fan of the series and feel this is one that Patterson has done well over the last few years. The delivery is both succinct and detailed at the same time, keeping the reader engaged and guessing as the cases unfold. As always our protagonist detectives offer up their witty repartee while also finding themselves in the middle of some personal development. The platonic and sexual tension builds throughout and keeps the reader wondering if something will happen and both sides will finally acknowledge what has been brewing for so long (and was in place for a while). The secondary characters keep the crimes charged and permit the reader to see the cases develop in unique ways, allowing the story to ebb and flow as needed. Newer crimes and unique presentations keep the story from going stale. Patterson’s trademark short chapters allows the reader to push through this piece in short order, keeping them entertained without being too fanciful. Karp does well in the collaboration and the reader can surely hope for more in the coming years by these two, who have a wonderful series that continues to gain momentum. <br /><br />Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Karp, for another great addition to the series. I hope to see more in the series soon, which seemed to take a hiatus for a while.<br /><br />Love/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><br /><br />A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons">https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...</a>

Typical Patterson of late. Not continually exciting. Thanks to the end, just ok. 4 of 10 stars

*after 3 times reading/listening to this, I officially give it 5 stars*<br /><br /><br /><b> ORIGINAL REVIEW </b><br />KYLIE: "Zach, you know what I hate about this job?"<br /><br />ZACH: "A**-kissing. But on the plus side, you're getting very good at it."<br /><br /><br />first off, it's been awhile since I've had some music playing in the background while I write a book review and I've been in a HUGE mood for Keith Urban's GRAFFITI U album and so, thank you Alexa for playing this amazing album while I write this review but also cause I'm too lazy to hook up my phone to my blue-tooth speaker haha. it's also a good thing no none's around in my kitchen cause I'm dancing really weird and singing off key so yeah... which idc about the off key thing UNLESS I have to sing for something. but in general, I'm singing off key for fun ;) (despite being a singer even though I think I suck haha)<br /><br />ONTO THE REVIEW:<br /><br />Okay so after NYPD Red 4 came out January of 2016, and after A LONG TIME of no news of a 5th book because of all the open holes, I was STOKED and so excited to read this 5th book last year when it was announced to come out last March. BUT it changed to the end of March this year and I was PISSED of course. But after waiting a year and two months PLUS an additional month in a half of being on the library hold list for this book, I can say it was worth the wait. <br /><br /><br /><br />WHY 3 1/2 STARS WHEN I REALLY LIKED ALL THE OTHERS<br /><br />Now, 3 stars is good for me in my rating system which is an "okay" but still enjoyable enough. the storyline just wasn't perfectly as executed as I would have liked it to be, but it was still a fun read. There were a few things I thought were kind of random, and felt like one of the stories with the second case Zach and Kylie had to take on was unnecessary and the story of Zach looking up a particular person without a friends consent (only to protect them) was an okay add on, but three separate stories, plus having to go out of the country for 5-6 chapters or so... it felt like Patterson and Karpp didn't know what to do with this story, but it's a good thing they've created great and fun detectives: Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald. I seriously freaking LOVE these two! so they pretty much saved this story for me. <br /><br />but I guess overall, it wasn't quite my favorite, but still a fun read and I DID find myself laughing and grinning from ear to ear once in awhile which is a good thing. But I'm still hoping we get at least one more or a few other book in this series or better yet, as I keep saying a crime show with Zach and Kylie just cause they're seriously two of the greatest characters and I'm so glad I picked this series up back when book 2 was just about to come out years ago. I would seriously LOVE LOVE LOOOOVE to see these characters and a few others in here come to life on screen on a tv series. it would be so much fun!

James Patterson’s NYPD Red series is another favourite of mine and is something different given that it focuses on police officers who are tasked with protecting New York’s elite. It’s hard to believe that this is the fifth book in the series already. It was an enjoyable read and without doubt one of my favourites in the series so far. I love Zach and Kylie and felt that the storyline here was one of the best out of the five books. <br /><br />As is usually the case with a James Patterson novel, there’s multiple different story arcs to contend with and thankfully it didn’t become too confusing. The rich and famous of New York are gathered at a public event when a bomb goes off, a bomb designed to kill only one person. With the mayor also being at this event, it becomes one of the most high-profile cases of Zach and Kylie’s careers and needless to say their superiors want it solved ASAP. Meanwhile on Roosevelt Island a well-known film producer is found dead and our duo at NYPD Red soon have their work cut out for them working these two cases. <br /><br />One thing that has always been prominent in this series is the political element to NYPD Red. Here in NYPD Red 5 we see Zach questioning just what their role is in protecting the elite and also the everyday public of the city. Do their superiors want justice or do they just want the crimes solved in any way possible? It makes for an uncomfortable read in places and features some hateful characters who make you sit and think about whether that justice should be served or not. It’s easy to see why they were targeted and why somebody would want revenge against them and it leaves a sour taste in the mouths of the two detectives who must work alongside these people to find out who was responsible. <br /><br />I enjoyed following along with the various cases, and enjoyed that our duo had a brief sojourn in another country which added a new dynamic to the story. In the case of the murdered film-producer, we have a timely case in the wake of the #MeToo movement and this is a storyline that could have been lifted straight from the newspapers. It makes for shocking reading and allows a gripping tale to play out on the page with a few twists and turns along the way. Both storylines here are very strong and had me gripped. There’s a lot going on in NYPD Red 5 and it was a whole lot of fun reading it all. Returning readers will know about the relationship between Zach and Kylie and whilst it should be stale by now, there’s some developments here that may finally offer that closure that was needed. As characters go they are two of my favourites to read about. NYPD Red 5 is a great addition to this series that I hope we will still be reading into double figures. It was one of my favourites in the series so far and I can’t wait to read the next one.

Though I’ve been a very long time fan of Patterson’s books, both his standalones and his many series (Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Lindsey Boxer, I’ve read them all) I made the switch from reading his physical books to listening solely on audio a couple of years ago. It kind of happened by accident, I was browsing Overdrive for a new listen and grabbed the latest Women’s Murder Club installment and realized what an amazing narrator January LaVoy is. All of that to say, having now listened to several of Patterson’s books I have to tell you guys that he has THE best narrators I’ve come across, and Ballerini is no exception. I say that because I know many people don’t enjoy audiobooks for various reasons but if you ever wanna give one a try just grab any Patterson one and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.<br /><br />The Red series follows partners Zack and Kylie who work as part of the NYPD and their unique task force is assigned cases pertaining to the rich and famous. These two have a history that always seems to come in play at some point even though their past was several years ago, you never quite know what’s going on between them at any given moment. They have an undeniable chemistry and their banter is on point, it’s snappy and funny and lightens the mood in an endearing way.<br /><br />Per his usual style the author(s) have included several subplots that keep things moving at a rapid pace. There’s a bombing at a high profile event, the murder of a controversial filmmaker and a robbery at a high stakes poker game among other things, plenty to keep you on your toes, I can’t say I was ever bored for one minute.<br /><br />Again, Ballerini is an incredibly talented narrator, I don’t know if I would be enjoying this series as much as I have been if I was reading myself, he has an engaging voice that also demands to be heard, it’s fantastic!<br /><br />Red Alert in three words: Explosive, Interesting and Exciting.<br /><br /><br />

James Patterson churns out so many books throughout the year that sometimes it's hard to keep up. So far I've not managed to read any of the NYPD Red series. <br /><br />I didn't mind the story but I'm not sure I like the characters. Neither of them seemed overly sympathetic and they had a real abrasive way of talking. I think (and I may be wrong) that it's just the New York accent but I'm sure that most New Yorkers don't always sound so harsh. I wanted more variety in the speech, some emotions now and again. <br /><br />The story itself is short and sharp with Patterson's typical short chapter style (I know nothing of the other author so it's hard to comment). A series of bombs going off killing a set of rich friends and a murdered woman who's video is used to blackmail a judge. There's no real mystery here as the as the blackmailers are quickly identified. As is the bomber. It's then a (short) race to capture him. <br /><br />Because the book is so short I felt there could have been so much more added to make it richer. I think it's more a quick read for the beach than anything. Overall not bad but doesn't stand out as anything different from any of the other works. <br /><br />Free arc from netgalley

The best book in the series so far with a solid plot and very interesting subplots.<br />The main story involves several murders by the means of surgical explosions committed by<input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="148dba7f-859f-4ade-90d7-7e034c4c16d1" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="148dba7f-859f-4ade-90d7-7e034c4c16d1"> a freaking American muay thai champion who was betrayed by his friends and wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years in Thailand</label> , then there is the sex addict who gets murdered during auto-erotic asphyxiation , a lecherous old judge who gets blackmailed by a sex tape , a high poker game robbery... So there was never a dull moment in this read, add to it Zack and Kylie's shenanigans and you get yourself a very decent book .

Not bad ... 3.5 stars.