The Paris Detective

An absolute and complete waste of time with this discombobulated and marginally coherent story. 0 of 10 stars

I didn't finish this.<br />It's bad. The main character is smug and unlikable.<br />The narration changes from first person to third person for no reason.<br />The second novelette had the mystery solved halfway through the book and the story just kind of keeps moving forward, trying to get you to like the unlikeable rich kid that is the central character. <br />I just stopped reading it after that.

<b>Finer Things</b><br /><br />Three stories about the Paris detective, Luc Moncrief, who is on loan to the NYPD. These novella length stories are well paced with twists and turns. Delving into the personal life on Moncrief is as interesting as the cases he cracks. <br /><br />I didn't like the first collection of Book Shots from Patterson that I listened to but this collection is a different story. Moncrief and K.Burke were relatable and enjoyable. The stories are often bittersweet with personal loss for Moncrief a couple of times and case that was close to him.<br /><br />Here are my individual reviews for each book. Happy reading! ??<br /><br /><br /><u><b><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/29605492.French_Kiss__Detective_Luc_Moncrief___1_" title="French Kiss (Detective Luc Moncrief, #1) by James Patterson" rel="noopener">French Kiss</a></b> ??? .5 - More Than Just a Feeling</u><br />I liked this more than I expected. I used to like everything by Patterson that I read but then I read another bookshot collection that didn't sit well. I didn't realize that's what I was getting into here until I'd already started listening to it.<br /><br />Detective Luc Moncrief experiences heartbreak like I can only imagine in the opening book to the series. It humanized him as we walked through part of his past and his present investigations. He's cocky and operates by his own rule book. He's isn't completely fast and loose with police procedure but he also is okay with skirting them a bit.<br /><br />I also like his name for his partner, K.Burke. He's not in the right place for her to pursue as more than a work partner but time will tell on that.<br /><br />The bulk of the book is told from Luc's point of view (1st person) with the occasional chapter from another's viewpoint. I don't mind that but those chapters were told in the third person, which I wasn't as fond of when listening.<br /><br /><br /><u><b><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/29605481.The_Christmas_Mystery__Detective_Luc_Moncrief___2_" title="The Christmas Mystery (Detective Luc Moncrief, #2) by James Patterson" rel="noopener">The Christmas Mystery</a></b> ???? - Art of Survival</u><br />The danger is real for Luc Moncrief as he colors outside the lines of police procedure (again). I liked this a lot more than book one as Moncrief and K.Burke continue their partnership that shows signs of potentially developing into something deeper.<br /><br />I liked the case that this followed but it's what happened after the case wrapped that I enjoyed the most. Hearing about his childhood and learning more about his family makes him more endearing.<br /><br /><br /><u><b><a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/32191606.French_Twist__Detective_Luc_Moncrief___3_" title="French Twist (Detective Luc Moncrief, #3) by James Patterson" rel="noopener">French Twist</a></b> ???? - Dying for Beauty</u><br />Luc Moncrief and K.Burke (often referred to as simply Burke in this installment - which I don't like as much) are on the case as beauties drop dead in public places. They find themselves in the thick of things as they investigate not just this but also serious events related to friends of Moncrief's. I do like the pace and twists of the cases. <br /><br />Moncrief's attitude is often very laissez-faire and would drive many crazy but I find it humorous. Also, there is the building attraction between Moncrief and K.Burke that takes root from Moncrief's side - K.Burke acknowledged it in the first book so that's established.<br /><br /><br />I was happy to listen to Jean Brassard. I am a sucker for an accent and I really like his French accent. ? <br /><br />Stories: 4 stars<br />Narration: 3.5 stars

Readers of James Patterson’s books are well aware that he has been collaborating with other writers for a number of years, many of whom have gone on to successful careers of their own. In THE PARIS DETECTIVE, Patterson teams up with Richard DiLallo, an author with whom I was not familiar. The end result is something wonderful.<br /><br />In almost all of these collaborations, you can see the Patterson influence and where it comes into play. In this collection of three novellas, the styles of the two writers blend so smoothly that it felt like an entirely different voice was speaking to me. It was quite exciting and elevated these stories to a new level. I loved each piece, but perhaps my favorite is the first one, “French Kiss.”<br /><br />French detective Luc Moncrief has joined the NYPD on a temporary basis. He is teamed with Detective Maria Martinez, a sharp pro with a knack for detection and undercover work. Their definitions of work differ greatly. He believes in long lunches at expensive French restaurants, likes to shop at upscale stores, and spends as much of his off-duty time as he can with his Norwegian model girlfriend, Dalia.<br /><br />Everything is going well with Moncrief’s NYPD stint until he gets a call from his chief to examine the body of a woman. He is shocked to see that the tarp is covering the bloody torso of Maria, who was working undercover as a call girl on an assignment with which he was not involved. A grieving Moncrief is determined to catch the killer and is now working with Detective Katherine Burke. Just as this new partnership is taking off, Moncrief is dealt a second major blow when he learns that Dalia has been stabbed to death in an unrelated incident.<br /><br />With his personal life and psyche spinning out of control, Moncrief holds it together just enough to catch Maria’s killer. He pulls this off by using his expert detecting skills, which match well with the initially resistant K Burke.<br /><br />In the second story, “The Christmas Mystery,” Moncrief gets to spend his first Christmas in New York City, with all the hustle and bustle of Manhattan and the anticipated tourist blitz. At the center of the mystery here is a popular art gallery that may be dealing in awfully expensive forgeries. Moncrief and K Burke are on the case, but what starts out as a search for forgeries grows into a bigger bust involving a huge supply of drugs being trafficked.<br /><br />In a somewhat related matter, elderly debutante Ramona Dunlop passes away in her Park Avenue apartment, and the first thing Moncrief notices is that her walls are bare. Where did all her artwork go? It looks like Moncrief and K Burke will be having a busy holiday season.<br /><br />The final story is “French Twist,” and it’s a remarkably close second favorite of mine. Moncrief and K Burke are enjoying an expensive meal when they are informed that a dead woman has been found in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman. When they arrive at the upscale department store, they find an extremely attractive young lady who is showing no outward signs of death. The game is afoot! (Ah, wrong country and detective.)<br /><br />As the friendship between Moncrief and K Burke is blossoming, he treats her to a ride on a plane that he purchased to the Kentucky Derby, where old Parisian friends of his have a horse in the race. Though a mighty underdog, Vilain Garçon wins. But the celebration is somewhat muted when the owners share a mysterious note stating that their horse had better win…or else. The combination of the two mysteries keeps this story spinning at a frenetic pace.<br /><br />“French Twist” wraps up in Paris itself, with Moncrief and K Burke talking about a potential future there. I so enjoyed spending time with these two that I eagerly hope Patterson and DiLallo bring them back for more adventures.<br /><br />Reviewed by Ray Palen

I was glad when I finally finished this. Didn’t care for it

read this if you hate women and yourself

Rich French guy comes over and becomes a sharp homicide detective in New York while still addicted to the finer things in life. It was all a bit silly but charming in a Pepe Le Pew way. I wasn’t sure what was going on and it was really more like three novellas rather than one novel. All that being said I enjoyed the main characters and their high-life approach to solving cases, and I would read the sequels if there are any.

Alright this book is kinda dumb. The main character is very unlikeable and the cases seem to be all over the place. There are about 4-5 chapters (so ~10 pages) of interesting happenings. The rest of the book throughout all three cases just follows the thoughts of the arrogant Moncrief. Definitely won’t be reading anymore James Patterson books that are actually written by/with someone else.

I believe I have liked all James Patterson books written by him alone. His collaborations are hit and miss for me. This is a miss. As much as anything else, this review is to remind me to skip any others in this series. The characters nor the plot lines were interesting to me.

It feels rushed and unfinished. Too many side plots that take away from the main mysteries and I saw the villain of the last one as soon as they were introduced.