You've Been Warned by James Patterson and Howard Roughan

You've Been Warned, James Patterson and Howard Roughan. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2017. hardcover, 306 pps.

     Even living here in the middle of nowhere is not an adequate excuse for never having read any James Patterson until today. I don't know why I haven't either. But now that I've read this one, I will probably read more sometime.

     I've never read anything by co-author Howard Roughan either. But then again, I'd never head of Howard Roughan. Maybe I really am a country bumpkin.

     Kris is a woman with a dream. Several of them actually. A recurrent dream which wakens her screaming and her neighbors don't care for that much. And a waking dream of being a photographer. She shoots pictures, works as a nanny, dates, and eats lunch with her two girlfriends.

     She also seems to be going a bit over the edge. Reminiscent of the 1999 movie Sixth Sense, she begins to shoot dead people. Or is she? 

     Screaming in a taxi cab earns her an overnight trip to a local emergency room. Even her old shrink does not want her back in therapy with him. Why oh why is everyone picking on her?

sapphoq reviews says: Although set primarily in New York City, the descriptions of various places there littered throughout the novel was not evocative for me. I've ducked under subway turnstiles, prowled the streets at all hours, been exploring in places that my parents to this day don't know that I've been to. The real strength of You've Been Warned for me was in the character development. Every person in the novel had their own unique personality. And I liked that. Suspense building and the glimpses of the terror inside Kris' head were both also very satisfying to me. For those who like spooky psychological thrillers, highly recommended.

The Last Child by John Hart

The Last Child, John Hart. New York: Minotaur Books, 2009. e-book, 397 pps. including preview from a next novel.


     The Last Child captivated me from the prologue onward. The story opens with a thirteen year old boy named Johnny. He is no ordinary kid. He knows how to drive. To the consternation of the police-- one Detective Hunt in particular-- Johnny will not give up driving.

     Johnny is equally at home in the woods. He knows things. He is a keen observer of animal nature and this ability gets him into trouble.

     Trouble surrounds Johnny. After a family tragedy, a horn-dog named Ken moved on in and his mother is the worst for it. Ken is not a nice man. And Johnny does not trust Detective Hunt.

     There is a cast of characters in The Last Child who are devious and mean. There are murders and manslaughter, betrayals and tests of friendships. And there are the woods of course. Ancient woods with mossy fragrances and dead bodies.

sapphoq reviews says: John Hart delivers a finely-crafted story which transported me into the back country of North Carolina and held me there until the last page. I don't mind a thirteen year old dropping f-bombs in a work of fiction. If you do, then skip this book. Nasty people abound. The Last Child was pure magic-- a coming of age tale that will stay with me for a very long time. Highly recommended.