Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Vision (2012), Edition: Reprint, 448 pages
Description
"Private, the world's most renowned investigation firm, has been commissioned to provide security for the 2012 Olympic games in London. Its agents are the smartest, fastest, and most technologically advanced in the world, and 400 of them have been transferred to London to protect over 10,000 competitors who represent more than 200 countries. The opening ceremony is still hours away when Private investigator and single father of twins, Nigel Steele, is called to the scene of a ruthless murder. A high-ranking member of the games' organizing committee and his mistress have been killed. It's clear that it wasn't a crime of passion, but one of precise calculation and execution. Newspaper reporter Karen Pope receives a letter from a person who calls himself Cronus claiming responsibility for the murders. He also proclaims that he will restore the Olympics to their ancient glory and will destroy all who have corrupted the games with lies, cheating, and greed. Karen immediately hires Private to examine the letter, and she and Nigel uncover a criminal genius who won't stop until he's ended the games for good. "America's #1 storyteller" (Forbes) delivers an exhilarating, action-packed thriller that brings the splendor and emotion of the Olympics to a wildly powerful climax"--… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member TomWheaton
I liked this book as it dealt with a current subject-the 2012 Olympic Games in London. It will fun to see if any of the venues described in the book are actual ones at the real games. This was a typical Patterson book w/ short chapters and page-turning suspense. This is the 3rd in the Private
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Investigation series but, deals with the London branch of the company even though the head of the conpany comes over from the states to supervise. Show Less
LibraryThing member adpaton
Cigarettes, soap operas, champagne, potato crisps and James Patterson: none of them benefits you in any way but all are compulsively addictive and, as any addict knows, avoid them altogether because once you start, it’s very difficult to stop.
I’ve just enjoyed [if that’s the right word] a
The prolific Mr. P has already brought out six of a projected twelve books this year but three was my limit. Until next time… The good thing about products from Patterson and Co. [he uses a team of ‘with’ writers] is that you know what to expect: the books are machine-written to a strict formula which includes entirely predictable twists but bars any real surprises.
First up is Private Games, set around the upcoming Olympic Games in London, where ‘Cronus’, a deranged killer, and his three female accomplices, determine to ruin the games which they see as a corruption of the old Olympic ideals. Plus they really enjoy killing people. Their first mistake however is the murder of security consultant Peter Knight’s putative step-father.
Peter is a widower with brattish twins and no nanny who has to balance his private and professional lives when Cronus starts murdering and maiming Olympic athletes. Is the identity of Cronus a stunning surprise? Is the closing ceremony sabotaged by a massive bomb? Are Knight's twins kidnapped and used as leverage? Does the story end happily with even a promise of future romance? Sorry, no spoilers – you’ll have to read it for yourself.
Next is the June release, I, Michael Bennett, fifth in the Michael Bennett series. Now Michael is a widowed New York cop with ten – count them, TEN – adopted children. He has a beautiful [naturally] live-in Irish nanny to take care of the brood and [no surprise] there is an unmistakable but unstated sexual frisson between them.
Bennett is, of course, of Irish descent, went to Catholic school and frequents Irish pubs where he sings mournful Irish songs: when the head of a drug cartel has his old friend [also an Irish cop] killed Michael is enraged and ‘takes him down’, making New York a safer place but unwittingly pinning a target on his own back.
A year later and, quelle surprise, Michael’s family is threatened. He takes the brood out of town to the family cabin but the drug dealer escapes and, mad-dog killer that he is, exacts terrible vengeance on anyone involved in his downfall. Top of the list is Mike and the kids, and the nanny, and even Mike’s grandfather. Gosh!
Finally we have Guilty Wives, a stand-alone book which is unusual in the Patterson canon: lest the reader dismiss Patterson for writing only Dick-fic, he does sneak in the occasional nod to chick-fic, as in this book where the protagonist is a woman, Abbie Elliot, who together with her three best friends goes for a weekend break in Monte Carlo. The ‘ladies’ are middle aged, gorgeous, affluent and unhappily married so its no surprise when the action moves to a private yacht and things get a tad steamy – don't worry, nothing x-rated enough to cause a girl to blush.
They are woken in the morning by French militia who haul them to shore in a state of sexy dishabille: two of the previous night’s party playmates were murdered and, even worse, the dead men were actually the President of France [whom no-one recognized in his toupee] and a bodyguard!
Abbie and her gang are labeled terrorists and slapped into a women’s prison: corrupt warders, girl-on-girl action and lesbian rape beckons, and prison uniform is no substitute for sexy designer clothes. Really, Abbie had no option but to escape and prove who the real killer is. That he’s a homicidal maniac is undoubted – Patterson doesn’t write them any other way.
Oh, and one of her posse is a beautiful black South African, married to an ugly short but very rich Afrikaner who beats her, is obsessively jealous and has a penchant for calling other men ‘my brar’. Oh my, could he possibly have had anything to do with the murders?
Paragraph-long chapters, as many twists as a Free State road, cardboard characters and indifferent writing laden with clichés are hallmarks of the Patterson style – but I’m not slating it. He has had over 80 books published in the last ten years and while his literary talents might not rank much above those of, say, Barbara Cartland, the man is a gifted story teller with a positive genius for getting you to turn the next page. I read three in one sitting so I know.
I’ve just enjoyed [if that’s the right word] a
Show More
‘lost weekend’ of my own recently: I managed to stay away from the cigs, champers and crisps, but made up for it by consuming three James Pattersons one after the other, chain-smoking them as it were, over two days. The prolific Mr. P has already brought out six of a projected twelve books this year but three was my limit. Until next time… The good thing about products from Patterson and Co. [he uses a team of ‘with’ writers] is that you know what to expect: the books are machine-written to a strict formula which includes entirely predictable twists but bars any real surprises.
First up is Private Games, set around the upcoming Olympic Games in London, where ‘Cronus’, a deranged killer, and his three female accomplices, determine to ruin the games which they see as a corruption of the old Olympic ideals. Plus they really enjoy killing people. Their first mistake however is the murder of security consultant Peter Knight’s putative step-father.
Peter is a widower with brattish twins and no nanny who has to balance his private and professional lives when Cronus starts murdering and maiming Olympic athletes. Is the identity of Cronus a stunning surprise? Is the closing ceremony sabotaged by a massive bomb? Are Knight's twins kidnapped and used as leverage? Does the story end happily with even a promise of future romance? Sorry, no spoilers – you’ll have to read it for yourself.
Next is the June release, I, Michael Bennett, fifth in the Michael Bennett series. Now Michael is a widowed New York cop with ten – count them, TEN – adopted children. He has a beautiful [naturally] live-in Irish nanny to take care of the brood and [no surprise] there is an unmistakable but unstated sexual frisson between them.
Bennett is, of course, of Irish descent, went to Catholic school and frequents Irish pubs where he sings mournful Irish songs: when the head of a drug cartel has his old friend [also an Irish cop] killed Michael is enraged and ‘takes him down’, making New York a safer place but unwittingly pinning a target on his own back.
A year later and, quelle surprise, Michael’s family is threatened. He takes the brood out of town to the family cabin but the drug dealer escapes and, mad-dog killer that he is, exacts terrible vengeance on anyone involved in his downfall. Top of the list is Mike and the kids, and the nanny, and even Mike’s grandfather. Gosh!
Finally we have Guilty Wives, a stand-alone book which is unusual in the Patterson canon: lest the reader dismiss Patterson for writing only Dick-fic, he does sneak in the occasional nod to chick-fic, as in this book where the protagonist is a woman, Abbie Elliot, who together with her three best friends goes for a weekend break in Monte Carlo. The ‘ladies’ are middle aged, gorgeous, affluent and unhappily married so its no surprise when the action moves to a private yacht and things get a tad steamy – don't worry, nothing x-rated enough to cause a girl to blush.
They are woken in the morning by French militia who haul them to shore in a state of sexy dishabille: two of the previous night’s party playmates were murdered and, even worse, the dead men were actually the President of France [whom no-one recognized in his toupee] and a bodyguard!
Abbie and her gang are labeled terrorists and slapped into a women’s prison: corrupt warders, girl-on-girl action and lesbian rape beckons, and prison uniform is no substitute for sexy designer clothes. Really, Abbie had no option but to escape and prove who the real killer is. That he’s a homicidal maniac is undoubted – Patterson doesn’t write them any other way.
Oh, and one of her posse is a beautiful black South African, married to an ugly short but very rich Afrikaner who beats her, is obsessively jealous and has a penchant for calling other men ‘my brar’. Oh my, could he possibly have had anything to do with the murders?
Paragraph-long chapters, as many twists as a Free State road, cardboard characters and indifferent writing laden with clichés are hallmarks of the Patterson style – but I’m not slating it. He has had over 80 books published in the last ten years and while his literary talents might not rank much above those of, say, Barbara Cartland, the man is a gifted story teller with a positive genius for getting you to turn the next page. I read three in one sitting so I know.
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LibraryThing member KimSmyth
A quick read. The ending is just not plausible. However, I did think the imaginary opening ceremony for the Olympics was WAY better than the actual opening ceremonies!
LibraryThing member skinglist
I really enjoyed this, although I found the back story of the plane crashed that killed the Private London team to be a little too rushed. I liked the twists -- as well as the tie in to history with the Furies. A good, quick read
LibraryThing member claireh18
Really enjoyed this book from the Private series - found it engaging and held my interest throughout. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series.
LibraryThing member JeffV
I'm sure I would have liked this book better had I read it BEFORE the London Olympics. It's not as engaging afterward when you know everything that happened in the London Olympics played out differently.
As in Private Berlin, another flaw in the book are easily compromised agents. Another Private
As in Private Berlin, another flaw in the book are easily compromised agents. Another Private
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agent is faced with the decision to save his children from a pathological killer nanny that is a diversion to a climatic attack during the Olympics seminal event. It works out in the end, but for an allegedly elite firm as Private, the lead agent sure was having his strings played the entire book. Show Less
LibraryThing member plaeski
I would have given this book 4 stars, but the ending was a bit too cheesy for my tastes. There was a lot of great action and some curve balls I didn't see coming. But seriously now, lightning striking Lucern was just a bit too far fetched for my liking. Well to be honest, a lot of the plot was
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pretty far fetched but that went a bit too far. Show Less
LibraryThing member whybehave2002
This book started out dreadfully slow but as I am I true fan of Patterson's I slogged on. I'm so glad I did! He brought everything but the fireworks to the finale.
LibraryThing member Carol420
A very quick read with short chapters but plenty of action. A very good book.
LibraryThing member bostonterrio
Still not sure I am hooked on this series. Wasn't crazy about the story line in this one but it did keep me guessing.
LibraryThing member jothebookgirl
Private Games is an entertaining thriller and fairly fast paced. The Private of the title is a security charged with providing said security during the London Olympic Summer Games. As the book opens in July 2012, a Very Bad Man is about to disrupt the games in cruel ways, although very clever. As
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athletes begin to be murdered, can the Olympic Games be stopped to potentially save lives or is there too much else at stake. Show Less
LibraryThing member MHanover10
This was entertaining and fast paced like any JP book. Made me wonder though if someone could really get away with something like that at the Olympics.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-02-13
Physical description
7.5 inches
ISBN
1455512974 / 9781455512973