NYPD Red (NYPD Red, 1)

by James Patterson

Other authorsMarshall Karp (Author)

Paperback, 2014

Rating

½ (221 ratings; 3.6)

Series

NYPD Red (1)

Genres

Mystery

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Vision (2014), Edition: Reprint, 400 pages

Description

Detective Zach Jordan investigates a series of brutal, public crimes that coincide with the arrival of dozens of glamorous celebrities in town for parties and premieres. NYPD Red is a special task force charged with protecting the interests of Manhattan's wealthiest and most powerful citizens. When a world-famous movie producer is poisoned on the first day of a Manhattan film festival called Hollywood on the Hudson, they are the first ones called.

User reviews

LibraryThing member FerneMysteryReader

"NYPD Red" is the opening novel of a series and I found the story premise and plot to be potentially exciting. I simply didn’t find that the potential was successfully completed. Detective Character development of Detective First Grade Zach Jordan and his new partner and ex-girlfriend Detective

Kylie MacDonald was too much of a cliché in several ways for me. I had previously read "Kill Me If You Can" by James Marshall and Marshall Karp so in comparison this reading experience is a definite disappointment. Thankfully it was a quick read for me over two (2) nights as I wouldn’t have wanted to devote more time to this novel. Although I have a copy of "NYPD Red 2" I’m going to put both novels in my book donation box. The novels have been on my tbr shelves for so long I don’t even remember how I acquired them.

I would prefer to return to reading more novels by Louise Penny (best known for creating the character of Chief Superintendent Armand Gamache of the Quebec police), J.D. Robb (pseudonym used by Nora Roberts and best known for creating the character of NY Lieutenant Eve Dallas with the series beginning in 2058), and John Sandford [best known for creating the character of Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA)].

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LibraryThing member Eyejaybee

I have read well over four thousand books since I began listing them, so it is fair to say that I have probably several that are worse than this one, though none leap to mind just at the moment.

I know that James Patterson has been immensely prolific and commercially successful, selling millions of

books around the world. Indeed, 'James Patterson' is now really a brand, and he tends to work with collaborators, producing a synopsis of a storyline which a co-writer will then flesh out into a complete novel. I am therefore unsure whether it it Patterson or Marshal Karp who is more to blame for this miserable excrescence of a novel.

The characters are barely even two dimensional and the plot shows absolutely no shame, with no police story cliché knowingly overlooked. I am glad I read this on my Kindle as it would be an outrage for decent trees to have been sacrificed for such unrelenting pap.

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LibraryThing member pammykn

AUTHOR: Patterson, James & Karp, Marshall
TITLE: NYPD Red
DATE READ: 02/27/13
RATING: 4/B
GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS: Crime Fiction/2012/Little Brown & Co./368 pgs
SERIES/STAND ALONE: SA
TIME/PLACE: Present/NYC
CHARACTERS: Zach Jordan & Kylie MacDonald -- NYPD Red Detectives
FIRST LINES: It's the

height of the breakfast rush at the Regency's world-famous You-Can-Kiss-Our-Ass-If-You're-Not-Rich-&-Powerful dining room.
COMMENTS: I needed a quick read & this did the trick. NYPD Red is a division of NYC PD dealing w/ the elite. In an effort to promote NYC as a favorable location for film the Hollywood on the Hudson Festival is taking place. In addition to the celebrities there are many extras and behind the scenes movie workers. A famed producer appears to die from a heart attack but when it is discovered he was poisoned ...NYPD Red is on alert.

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LibraryThing member skinglist

More brain candy and fluff from Patterson and his army of co-writers. As a New Yorker, I was irritated at some of his inaccuracies -- I wonder how far his main characters got taking the D to Lincoln Center, where it doesn't go. I liked the undercurrent between Zach and Kylie (wtf? guessing his

cowriter is Australian) and their ability to work together. As a fan of Daniel Silva and his Gabriel (Allon), I found myself seeing some of him in Benoit -- what if Allon had turned wrong. Gabriel was an impressively through serial killer for a mental patient -- but I didn't find either he or Lexi very sympathetic. A good fluff read in which "good" (in this case the newly invented NYPD Red) wins out over bad in an impressive fashion if not a bit of a let down.

From the other reviews below I may give Marshall Karp a go as I'm not familiar with his work.

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LibraryThing member Pierced_Phoenix

A fast paced thriller. Good book.

LibraryThing member PIER50

A good read, romps along at a frantic pace

LibraryThing member maggie7484

Think that James Patterson needs to take a little break. He's books are getting to predictable. I know he writes with other authors, but enough for a while James. I will say that I do like
his Womans Murder mystery series.

LibraryThing member Kathy89

Enjoyable fast read. Hollywood comes to NYC to film a television but there is a madman, disgruntled wanna-be actor, on the loose. He's living out a drama he's writing in his head and murders are being committed on locations around town. Meanwhile, hero cop , Zach, is partnered with the long lost

love of his love while pining for the department's psycologist.

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LibraryThing member buffalogr

A quick read...Typical James Paterson ....Good but not his best. Characters were fun and we kept wondering when the two cops heroes would hop in the sack. It was a nice touch when the bad guy attacked Kylie's hubby... There's not a lot of thought provoking ideas and philosophy, just plain murder

mystery. I don't live in NYC, so I can't testify to the accuracy of the geography, but it's fiction...who cares? Good junk food novel.

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LibraryThing member TomWheaton

A typical Patterson read: page-turner w/ short chapters that can be read in 1 or 2 sittings. I don't know if this department exists in the real NYPD but, if not, it certainly could. This appears to be the 1st in another series from this author. How many series' can this author keep going?

LibraryThing member NewLiz

NYPD Red by James Patterson and Marshall Karp
NYPD Red brings together two of the biggest draws in the civilized world, New York City and the Hollywood elite. Beginning with the opening of Hollywood on the Hudson, a weeklong seduction of Hollywood moguls to consider New York as a setting for future

productions, Patterson and Karp weave an action packed tale.
“The Chameleon” has set out to attack the Hollywood bigwigs, bringing them to their knees and driving them away from New York. He has scripted a movie and begins to bring it to life while being pursued by the NYPD Red contingent of the NY police force. This group of top cops was created after 9/11 to handle high profile crimes with high profile defined as crimes against the movers and shakers who operate in the city. Officially they are the High Profile Victims Response Team and Zach Jordan is one of the seventy-five officers assigned to the team. While his partner is on the DL he is joined by former girlfriend Kylie MacDonald in working the case of the flashy serial killer who is making headlines.
Using the backdrop of NY and locations that are probably familiar to most people Jordan and MacDonald track the killer as he brings his script to life, literally. With a cast of characters that include Hollywood moguls and movie stars, a sexy police psychologist, and MacDonald’s husband who also happens to be part of the in crowd NYPD Red is a page turner. With some sexual tension, more action and excitement, and a lot of over the top adventures the story unfolds at a quick pace.
By no means is this book a literary wonder, but it is a lively, action packed police story that held my attention. I also found it interesting enough to have picked up the next adventure NYPD Red 2.

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LibraryThing member debavp

I don't know if I've changed as a reader or Patterson has changed as a writer but I am not enjoying his books as I used to. I've not expected great writing, but Patterson has always been able to provide an enjoyable story at a face pace and this was just the opposite. Drudgery and boring until the

final quarter of the book where then things make a bit more sense and move along a bit speedier. With enough decent series out there I think I'll take a pass on future books in this series.

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LibraryThing member MHanover10

A typical James Patterson book with a crazy person and smart and entertaining cops. It's fast-paced storyline keeps you on your toes. This can be a quick read if you have a quiet, rainy Saturday afternoon with nothing to do. I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series. Very enjoyable

book.

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LibraryThing member whybehave2002

Okay. So, I'm going to admit that this wasn't a favorite right of,f but it grew on me. It was still a good mystery with an odd character as the "bad guy". And it was still James Patterson so of course it was well written and makes it worthwhile to pick up the next book in the series.

LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc

Normally I don’t pick up books on audio unless I have read them before since I usually listen to them when I’m driving and I don’t want to get sucked into the story so much I become a bad driver.
The story was entertaining police procedural with an elite squad that works on cases that involve

the movers and shakers of New York. Zack’s regular partner is injured and he gets a replacement of someone new to the squad but not new to him. Kylie is Zack’s former girlfriend who is now happily married to a TV producer. They are on the trail of a killer that is targeting showbiz professionals in town. Kylie’s contacts help open doors and give the team an edge in hunting down the killer.

A fast fun entertaining read and I quickly picked up the next one to listen to as I worked on the computer.

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LibraryThing member Eyejaybee

books around the world. Indeed, 'James Patterson' is now really a brand, and he tends to work with collaborators, producing a synopsis of a storyline which a co-writer will then flesh out into a complete novel. I am therefore unsure whether it it Patterson or Marshal Karp who is more to blame for this miserable excrescence of a novel.

The characters are barely even two dimensional and the plots shows absolutely no shame, with no police story cliché knowingly overlooked. I am glad I read this on my Kindle as it would be an outrage for decent trees to have been sacrificed for such unrelenting pap.

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LibraryThing member cathyskye

First Lines: FADE IN:

INT. KITCHEN--- REGENCY HOTEL,

NEW YORK CITY--- DAY

Beginning this book with directions from a screenplay is quite fitting: New York City is geared up for Hollywood on the Hudson Week, a time to lure as many Hollywood directors and producers as possible to spend all their money

on filming in the Big Apple. This is a week when the city's special task force, NYPD Red, is on full alert. (The actual name of the task force is the High-Profile Victims Response Team, but the mayor knows that moniker-- strongly reminiscent of "the 47 Percent" remarks-- would be politically damaging.)

NYPD Red Detective Zach Jordan is first on the scene when a world-renowned producer drops dead at his power breakfast. He's accompanied by his new partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, who just happens to be his ex-girlfriend. They've barely begun their investigation when more Hollywood figures begin to bite the dust in ever more bizarre and public ways. Somehow Zach and Kylie are going to have to get ahead of a psychopath who's scripted his reign of terror down to the last detail. If they don't, it's going to mean a high body count and a city on the verge of chaos.

I'm probably one of the last people on the planet who's never read a James Patterson novel. To be quite honest I wasn't even tempted until one of my favorite writers, Marshall Karp, teamed up with him for this book. Patterson himself has said of Karp's Lomax and Biggs series: "Marshall Karp is the only writer I know who can get big laughs out of murdering someone," and I can definitely see Karp's wonderful sense of humor throughout NYPD Red.

If you're the type of reader who prefers deep, philosophical novels, I don't think you're going to want to pick up this one. However, if you're a reader who thoroughly enjoys a high octane thriller with lots of chases, explosions, a villain who's a master of disguise, and good-looking heroes who always have snappy dialogue at their command, this is most definitely the book for you. No, it doesn't break any new ground, but these two writers know how to work magic with a standard plot.

How do they do it? By that dialogue I've already mentioned, and by setting such a rapid pace that it's difficult to catch your breath. They also do it by creating memorable characters, and I'm not just talking about über competitors Zach and Kylie. Even characters with bit parts like desk sergeant Bob McGrath, the "black Quentin Tarantino" and Captain Delia Cates shine brightly. Karp and Patterson both know that you can have the best plot in the world, but if it's not peopled with interesting characters then that wonderful plot's just a waste of time.

If, like me, there are times when you want to pick up a book and just have fun, let me recommend NYPD Red.

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LibraryThing member soosthemoose

Enjoyable book. A fast and easy read.

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