New 09.06.03

Four Blind Mice by James Patterson came to our house as a gift about the time it was published. The copy I have is a first edition. It's one of those books that is famous about as long as the publisher's ad campaign goes on. I'd guess that Patterson sells lots of books really fast. But do the books have "legs"? I should ask at the library if they keep his books on the shelves for a long time. The publisher says this book is the author's "arrival at dazzling new heights of mind-bending suspense, explosive action, and lightning-fast plot twists." I second that. Matter of fact, for my tastes there was just a bit too much of all those things. Well, maybe not suspense. That was pretty good. Oh, and there was too much violence for me. (That's probably what the publisher meant by "explosive action.") If you like the blood and guts, action-based mystery, it's probably pretty good. Me? Ah, er, ah, well, I read the whole thing. I certainly hope that James Patterson has a terrific imagination. Maybe I'm a romantic, but I hope there's not really a world like the one he creates in this novel. Let us know if you have a reaction to this book.

• A James Patterson Web Page
• Readers' reviews posted at TheBestReviews.com