Series
Genres
Publication
Century (2017), 416 pages
Description
"Sam Blue stands accused of the brutal murders of three young students, their bodies dumped near the Georges River. Only one person believes he is innocent: his sister, Detective Harriet Blue. And she's determined to prove it. But Harry's outburst at her brother's trial earns her a reassignment -- to the Outback. With no choice but to leave Sam's case alone, she relocates to Last Chance Valley, population 75, where a diary found on the roadside outlines a shocking plan: the massacre of the entire town. And the first killing, shortly after Harry's arrival, suggests the clock is already ticking. Meanwhile, back in Sydney, a young woman holds the key to crack Sam's case wide open. If only she could escape the madman holding her hostage..." --
User reviews
LibraryThing member marykuhl
This book left me upset that I have to wait for however long till the next book is released!
LibraryThing member jfe16
Sam Blue, the accused Georges River Killer, is on trial. Harriet, determined to stand by her brother, finds herself exiled to a tiny outback town where she stumbles across a malevolent plan to massacre the entire town. Can she uncover the mastermind behind the nefarious plot and save the town? And
Picking up shortly after Sam’s arrest at the end of “Never Never,” the story, with its fast pacing, short chapters, and ample action, alternates between Harry’s partner trying to find evidence to clear Sam, the Last Chance Valley narrative, and a missing girl investigation.
Harry Blue is only slightly more likeable here . . . the snippets of backstory help to explain her violent tendencies, but they don’t necessarily allow the reader to empathize with her situation. However, her determination to stand by her brother and to protect the citizens of Last Chance Valley gives readers an intriguing glimpse of the hidden-away Harriet that rarely surfaces . . . and it’s to this Harry that readers could connect with in a meaningful way.
There’s plenty of storyline, but the book suffers from many of the same issues as its predecessor. The dark storyline fails to pull the reader into the narrative, there’s an overabundance of violence and gratuitous coarse language, and the ending is an unexpected cliffhanger that frustrates readers since it leaves far too many plotlines unresolved.
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what will happen to Sam?Picking up shortly after Sam’s arrest at the end of “Never Never,” the story, with its fast pacing, short chapters, and ample action, alternates between Harry’s partner trying to find evidence to clear Sam, the Last Chance Valley narrative, and a missing girl investigation.
Harry Blue is only slightly more likeable here . . . the snippets of backstory help to explain her violent tendencies, but they don’t necessarily allow the reader to empathize with her situation. However, her determination to stand by her brother and to protect the citizens of Last Chance Valley gives readers an intriguing glimpse of the hidden-away Harriet that rarely surfaces . . . and it’s to this Harry that readers could connect with in a meaningful way.
There’s plenty of storyline, but the book suffers from many of the same issues as its predecessor. The dark storyline fails to pull the reader into the narrative, there’s an overabundance of violence and gratuitous coarse language, and the ending is an unexpected cliffhanger that frustrates readers since it leaves far too many plotlines unresolved.
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LibraryThing member rob80ert
My first experience with Harriet Blue. I liked the way the story evolved and how there were two different plots at once.
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
Fifty Fifty continues the story of Detective Harriet Blue who was first introduced to readers in Never Never. However, it could just as easily be read as a stand-alone. I found Harry far more likeable in this novel because, even though she was still as tough as nails, she wasn't always trying to
There was plenty of action in this book, either at the remote township of Last Chance Valley, where Harry has been banished, or in Sydney as Whitt tries to prove Sam, Harriet's brother, innocent of the George River Killer rapes and murders. The movement between the two locations was done extremely well and kept me turning the pages.
Once again Patterson and Fox captured to harsh isolations of the Australian outback in this gritty mystery. Also, in typical James Patterson style, Fifty Fifty was a quick, fast-paced read with an enthralling plot and an unexpected ending! Can't wait for the third installment.
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prove herself and, at times, gave glimpses of a softer side.There was plenty of action in this book, either at the remote township of Last Chance Valley, where Harry has been banished, or in Sydney as Whitt tries to prove Sam, Harriet's brother, innocent of the George River Killer rapes and murders. The movement between the two locations was done extremely well and kept me turning the pages.
Once again Patterson and Fox captured to harsh isolations of the Australian outback in this gritty mystery. Also, in typical James Patterson style, Fifty Fifty was a quick, fast-paced read with an enthralling plot and an unexpected ending! Can't wait for the third installment.
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LibraryThing member ohgranny
Not as good as most of his books.
LibraryThing member purple_pisces22
Not my favorite Harriet Blue story. Seemed forced which is odd since it was written with Candace Fox. Sad story though.
LibraryThing member nbmars
This is the second book in a series featuring 36-year-old Sydney Detective Inspector Harriet “Harry” Blue. Four months have passed since the first book, when Harry’s brother Sam was arrested for being the Georges River serial rapist/killer.
Harry knows Sam is innocent, but doesn’t know who
Her boss sends her back to the desert to investigate a murder in Last Chance Valley, a town of seventy-five residents in New South Wales, Australia with only one active serving police officer, Senior Sergeant Victoria “Vicky” Snale. It was the previous chief of police, “Soupy” Campbell who was killed in an explosion at his house. In addition, Vicky found a diary at the side of the highway outlining a manifesto to kill all the residents of the town. Harry finds herself once again teamed up with another officer, this time Special Agent Elliot Kash, a federal counter-terrorism expert.
The residents in the town already blame someone for the killing, a 15-year-old kid, Zac Taby, who is Pakistani, and from the only nonwhite family in the valley. Kash is all over that idea, and he resists Harry’s efforts to get him to keep an open mind. One thing they all know for sure however is that Zac is in danger from other residents of the town, and Harry wants to protect him.
The story alternates between Harry’s investigation and that of her partner Whitt back in Sydney, who is helping Harry try to exonerate Sam. He is working with a friend of Harry’s, Tate “Tox” Barnes, an unconventional albeit effective detective. The two of them manage to identify someone who might be the real culprit of the Georges River killings.
Back in Last Chance Valley, the team discovers who is really behind the killing and threats, and why, and it is a truly horrific story. As the culprit explains to Harry, “Bad things happen because a couple of people do them and a bunch of people do nothing about it.” This inspires revenge, a desire that will affect Harry in this book as well.
As the two stories progress, all of the “good” guys come under threat of their lives, and it is not clear who will make it and who won’t. And it is clear the idea of revenge will continue as a theme in the series.
Evaluation: The bad guys in this series tend to be very non-nuanced and caricatured. The good guys are far from perfect, but at least they have layers. It’s not a subtly written series, but relatively entertaining.
Harry knows Sam is innocent, but doesn’t know who
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set him up or why. She has been attending his trial, and when the prosecutor taunted her, she punched him out. Thus she is issued a 9-day restraining order and has to leave town - yet again. Her boss sends her back to the desert to investigate a murder in Last Chance Valley, a town of seventy-five residents in New South Wales, Australia with only one active serving police officer, Senior Sergeant Victoria “Vicky” Snale. It was the previous chief of police, “Soupy” Campbell who was killed in an explosion at his house. In addition, Vicky found a diary at the side of the highway outlining a manifesto to kill all the residents of the town. Harry finds herself once again teamed up with another officer, this time Special Agent Elliot Kash, a federal counter-terrorism expert.
The residents in the town already blame someone for the killing, a 15-year-old kid, Zac Taby, who is Pakistani, and from the only nonwhite family in the valley. Kash is all over that idea, and he resists Harry’s efforts to get him to keep an open mind. One thing they all know for sure however is that Zac is in danger from other residents of the town, and Harry wants to protect him.
The story alternates between Harry’s investigation and that of her partner Whitt back in Sydney, who is helping Harry try to exonerate Sam. He is working with a friend of Harry’s, Tate “Tox” Barnes, an unconventional albeit effective detective. The two of them manage to identify someone who might be the real culprit of the Georges River killings.
Back in Last Chance Valley, the team discovers who is really behind the killing and threats, and why, and it is a truly horrific story. As the culprit explains to Harry, “Bad things happen because a couple of people do them and a bunch of people do nothing about it.” This inspires revenge, a desire that will affect Harry in this book as well.
As the two stories progress, all of the “good” guys come under threat of their lives, and it is not clear who will make it and who won’t. And it is clear the idea of revenge will continue as a theme in the series.
Evaluation: The bad guys in this series tend to be very non-nuanced and caricatured. The good guys are far from perfect, but at least they have layers. It’s not a subtly written series, but relatively entertaining.
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LibraryThing member rmarcin
This is an action packed thriller with a shocking ending!! The second installment in the Detective Harriet Blue series follows the trial of Harry’s brother, Sam, arrested as the Georges River Killer. When Harry does something, she is exiled to the Outback for 9 days to work on a case in the small
I was engrossed in the book and shocked by the ending. Very fast and enjoyable read, finished in a single sitting!
#FiftyFifty #JamesPatterson #CandiceFox
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town of Last Chance. The novel alternates between the Georges River Killer case and the Last Chance case. I was engrossed in the book and shocked by the ending. Very fast and enjoyable read, finished in a single sitting!
#FiftyFifty #JamesPatterson #CandiceFox
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
178089712X / 9781780897127