Author: James Patterson and Marshall Karp
Genre: Mystery, thriller
Published on: October 8, 2012 by Little, Brown and Company
It's the start of Hollywood on Hudson, and New York City is swept up in the glamour. Every night, the red carpet rolls out for movie stars arriving at premieres in limos; the most exclusive restaurants close for private parties for wealthy producers and preeminent directors; and thousands of fans gather with the paparazzi, hoping to catch a glimpse of the most famous and beautiful faces in the world. With this many celebrities in town, special task force NYPD Red is on high alert-and they can't afford to make a single mistake. Then a world-renowned producer fatally collapses at his power breakfast, and top NYPD Red Detective Zach Jordan is the first one on the scene. Zach works with his beautiful new partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald-who also happens to be his ex-girlfriend-to discover who the murderer might be. But this is only the beginning: the most brutal, public, and horrifyingly spectacular crimes they've ever encountered are about to send all of New York into chaos, putting NYPD Red on the ropes. Zach and Kylie know there's no way of telling what a killer this deranged will do next. With the whole world watching, they have to find a way to stop a psychopath who has scripted his finale down to the last explosive detail. With larger-than-life action, relentless speed, and white-knuckle twists, NYPD Red is the next mega-blockbuster from "The Man Who Can't Miss." (TIME)
When I picked up NYPD Red, I'd been looking to read more James Patterson books. He's the world’s best-selling author for a reason. I haven’t put his novels off because I think I won’t like them. My reading backlog is just super long. NYPD Red is the first in a new mystery/police procedural series. The main characters are Detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald. They’re part of NYPD Red, a special task force that only handles high-profile cases related to wealthy or powerful people. At the start of the book, Kylie’s just transferred into Red. She’s replacing Zach’s old partner, who’s away on medical leave.
You learn right away that Zach and Kylie not only know each other. They have history, as in they dated a decade ago. Zach still has feelings for Kylie and finds her as beautiful as the first time he saw her. Kylie is married now, though. Her husband is Spence Harrington, a well-to-do TV writer and producer. The book avoids a cliché by not making Spence a douche. He’s a good guy, so it’s extremely unlikely for Kylie to leave him for Zach. That would be callous, not to mention boring.
The book follows a major event organized by the mayor of New York. It’s called Hollywood on the Hudson, meant to inspire producers to film in the city. Given how many of society’s elite are involved, NYPD Red’s job is to keep them safe. Only, someone else out there has different plans. The very morning that the event starts, a big-name producer drops dead. Zach and Kylie get to the scene to start investigating. At first it seems like the producer's death could be an isolated incident. Then an actor is shot and killed in a film set hours later. Evidence points to foul play in both cases.
Captain Delia Cates, the head of NYPD Red, declares that the unit will be active 24/7 until they catch the perpetrator. Yes, this early in, the unit already believes they’re looking for a lone suspect. I was a little surprised Detective Jordan arrived at that conclusion with the data he got so far. That the same man would be involved in both murders is not a huge leap, but it’s still unlikely. At least the unit is in high alert. They increase the security at the next part of the event. Zach is sure they’ll catch the suspect if he pulls another stunt.
The main antagonist is a guy with Hollywood connections, as you might expect. His identity is kept secret for a while, but he calls himself The Chameleon. This guy is one of those arrogant, holier-than-thou criminal types. He thinks himself much cleverer than the authorities. The Chameleon has planned his killing spree with meticulous detail. His goal is unclear at first. What’s clear is that Zach and Kylie will have to work hard to catch the bad guy. The Chameleon is not your average criminal.
Two supporting characters stood out to me. One of them is introduced as Popcorn Girl. I’d expected her to be a harmless, regular civilian. She ends up becoming something way different. Popcorn Girl is proof you never know someone from a first impression. And the other name she chooses for herself? It’s so over the top. The other character is Chuck Dryden. He’s the NYPD’s best CSI. Chuck is skilled and thorough, but his curt demeanor earned him the nickname "Cut and Dryden". This strongly reminded me of Dorian Struck, a similar (though female) CSI from Marcia Clark’s Rachel Knight series. These CSI characters are alike enough it leads me to wonder if they’re supposed to represent a stereotype.
I’ve read a few reviews that claim Patterson’s latest novels aren’t up to his usual standards. After finishing NYPD Red, I’m confused why people would think that. This book may not be a masterpiece, but it’s still a gripping page-turner. I found it fun to read about the protagonists chasing a criminal who thinks too highly of himself. The characters weren’t boring, either. About the only thing that gave me pause is that Zach has two stunningly attractive colleagues. What are the odds? Still, this wasn’t enough to make me deduct even half a star. NYPD Red is a great start to a new police procedural thriller series. I highly recommend it.
My rating: ★★★★ 1/2
4.5 stars - A fantastic page-turner!
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