Author: James Patterson, David Ellis
Genre: Thriller, mystery
Published on: March 11, 2014 by Grand Central Publishing (latest paperback edition)
Ben isn't like most people. Unable to control his racing thoughts, he's a man consumed by his obsessions: movies, motorcycles, presidential trivia-and Diana Hotchkiss, a beautiful woman Ben knows he can never have.
When Diana is found dead outside her apartment, Ben's infatuation drives him on a hunt to find out what happened to the love of his life. He soon discovers that the woman he pined for was hiding a shocking secret. And now someone is out to stop Ben from uncovering the truth about Diana's illicit affairs.
In his most heart-pumping thriller yet, James Patterson plunges us into the depths of a mind tortured by paranoia and obsession, on an action-packed chase through a world of danger and deceit.
I’m fully aware of James Patterson’s fame in the book world. He’s up there with J.K. Rowling among the most successful authors of all time. I haven’t read one of his many books yet, but Mistress has been on my radar for some time. I was finally able to get it for Christmas last year. The cover art was intriguing, and so was the synopsis. Was it any good? Read on to find out.
The book’s protagonist and narrator is Ben. He’s a rather unique, eccentric guy. Ben’s thoughts go eighty miles an hour and take sharper turns and more one-eighties than a crook under pursuit. I haven't read about any fictional character quite like him. You never know what he’s going to do next. Ben’s mostly obsessed with movie and presidential trivia. His biggest obsession, though, is the focus of the book: Diana Hotchkiss. She’s said to be a strikingly beautiful woman. Ben is friends with Diana, but he sees her as a woman he can’t have.
After a strange request from Diana, Ben is on his way out of her apartment. He hasn't left the place, though, before Diana falls to her death from her balcony. Ben is flabbergasted when he finds her. His obsession for Diana leads him to investigate what happened to her. And Ben’s serious. As you’ll see, this guy is as stubborn as one gets. You can hold him at gunpoint and he still won’t give up. Ben soon appears to be in way over his head. How will he get to the bottom of it all?
Diana’s death is ruled a suicide. However, Ben wants to prove the police wrong. He has no idea that he has rattled a dangerous cage, though. Diana has been leading a double life that Ben knew nothing about. He’s about to go against men worse than he thought. Only Ben’s determination and quick thinking can get him through unscathed. Pursued throughout Washington, DC, Ben will stop at nothing to uncover the truth behind Diana Hotchkiss’s death. For that, he will have to use all his cunning and every resource at his disposal.
Part riveting, part hilarious, and part suspenseful, this book is a fabulous thriller. If you haven’t read James Patterson yet, you can’t go wrong with Mistress. It doesn’t quite reach the thrills and compulsion of something like Marcia Clark's Killer Ambition, though. The characters aren’t too well developed, but at least they’re engaging. Diana herself is enigmatic, and the reader will be as eager to learn about her life as Ben is. The conspiracy also comes close to ballooning to The Dark Knight Rises proportions. Luckily, they don’t. With few faults, this book might just be your favorite read of the year.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
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