Escape: One killer. Five victims. Who will be next? (A Black Book Thriller 3)

Product Information

Chicago PD Detective Billy Harney was on the trail of a kidnapper, who as far as they knew, had a victim in the vehicle as they followed him. I didn't realise it was book 3 in a series and I haven't read the previous books but I don't think that took away from the story. Even when things appear to be clear-cut, there’s a twist and the story reaches a tense climax, with Harney in the middle. He has twenty-year-old advanced mathematics prodigy, Mason Tracy, that takes care of his books and keeps everything under the IRS thresholds for investigation. My other challenge with this one was there was so much going on with the many storylines and characters dropping and out.

He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Effing Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Princess Diana, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses.

With the loss of his partner fuelling him, Harney strengthens his resolve to find her killer - and to make sure the body count ends there. I had no idea where this story was going; it was all over the place at one point, but the authors did a phenomenal job of bringing everything together for a nice ending which included one hell of a surprise!

The ending was also set up like there might be a book 4 in the future so will definitely keep an eye out for that. Patterson and Ellis have worked well together on this series and this is another positive outcome, proving that there is still something to be said of books that bear the former’s name. He has written many other number one bestsellers including collaborations with President Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, stand-alone thrillers and non-fiction.Patterson and Ellis offer up a decent piece of writing here, sure to find a number of readers eager to explore Billy Harney a little more.

Bill does standup at the cop bar when he’s needing to unwind and is on the special assignments force handling the tough stuff. I would read another one of his and hope they improve their storytelling and develop him more in his own unique way.Decent characters pepper the story and provide entertainment throughout, though none standout as being stellar for me.

However, the daughter’s overheard her father plotting to kill her mom because of the damaging information she has. One that involves being the lead for a task force focused on a major gang bust, taking down Jericho Hooper, the leader of the Imperial Gangster Nation, the biggest and most powerful street gang in Chicago. I loved the super short chapters, the way all the moving pieces slowly came together, and the likeable hero of the story. Although the suspense and mysteries weren’t bad, there were some actions and outcomes that didn’t really make sense to me and hurt the plotting. This is easier said than done, as this is one conniving individual, happy to stay one pace ahead of the rest.The action is furious, and Patterson and Ellis use the investigation to introduce Billy to readers and give them a thorough tour of the Windy City and its suburbs. Hard-working and honest to a fault, he cannot be bought but is willing to circumvent procedures and policies that he believes would prevent justice from being administered. However, it’s a trap and the house is rigged, which leads to Harney’s partner dying and the kidnapper slipping through his fingers.