Hmmmm... what to say. It's an odd one this.

I can clearly see that he is a highly skilled writer. In fact, I even have the impression that the prose in this particular work was significantly better than that in his more recent ones. Here, it seemed as if the words had a certain texture to them, as if they were alive and breathing. In contrast, his later work feels completely stripped back to the bare necessities, lacking the richness and depth that this piece possessed.

However, it was also a rather confusing piece of work to follow. The dates seemed to jump around erratically, the settings changed abruptly, and the perspectives shifted constantly. As a result, I often found myself struggling to pick up on many of the little references and subtleties. Perhaps this was because I'm from the other side of the world and not as familiar with the cultural context. I'm really not sure.

Despite all of this, I was still intrigued enough to keep reading right to the end. But I have to admit that I had to put in a little bit of extra effort.

Moreover, I also don't understand the ending at all and was left feeling rather unsatisfied. I never want to have to guess at "what just happened?" If I've come this far and invested so much time and energy into reading a book, I want it to be served up nice and clear, with perhaps a few surprises in the plot or form thrown in to keep me on my toes.

Overall, it was a good book, but it required just a bit too much work on my part to really allow me to relax and fully enjoy it.

I tried. I really did. I just don't get what all the hype is about.

James Paterson is no Agatha Christie. He said on some interview show that he felt this was his best book. And I will grant that you go through the whole book thinking you know what is going on and you are wrong. However, the little stuff annoys me.

Referring to African Americans as “blackmen” seems outdated and inappropriate. References to household items that may no longer exist can be confusing and take away from the reading experience. The use of the girl in a certain way also gives an icky feeling.

Moreover, it took forever to get the plot going. It felt like I was wading through a lot of unnecessary details before finally getting to the good part. If you like this kind of thing, enjoy it. But for me, it's just not my cup of tea. I prefer books that are more engaging from the start and don't have these kinds of flaws.

I guess everyone has different tastes when it comes to literature, and this one just didn't hit the mark for me. Maybe I'll give James Paterson another chance with a different book, but for now, I'm disappointed.

I have been a devoted fan of James Patterson for an extended period.

Particularly, I am deeply enamored with his Alex Cross & Women's Murder Club series.

For quite some time, I hadn't delved into any of his works. However, I recently came across this book, which happens to be his very first published work.

I had long been eager to read it. It turned out to be quite fascinating.

It was evident that it was his debut work as one could easily observe that he was still in the process of developing his unique style.

Nevertheless, it was also easy to perceive the great potential for remarkable things to follow.

This particular story centered around a news reporter who was conducting an investigation into the assassination of the black mayor of Nashville, with whom he had been acquainted.

The reporter stumbled upon information suggesting that the man believed to have committed the assassination might not actually be the culprit.

Consequently, he embarked on a long and arduous process of investigation and discovery in an attempt to unearth the identity of the real assassin.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this early work and comparing it to all the immensely popular books that came subsequent to it.

It provided a captivating insight into the evolution of Patterson's writing prowess.

I'm not entirely sure if my opinion of James Patterson has changed (as it's been quite a few years since I last delved into any of his works), or if this particular book was distinct from the ones I read long ago, or perhaps it's just me. However, I must say that this reading experience was neither good nor pleasant.

I really didn't take a liking to the writing style. The rhythm felt off, and I often found myself getting lost among the numerous characters and the convoluted timeline. Additionally, a significant number of the references made absolutely no sense to me (obviously, this isn't the author's fault).

Anyway, I didn't enjoy this book at all. In fact, I found it extremely difficult to finish and almost gave up on several occasions. It's a shame because I had high hopes for it, but unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations.

"Random Observation"

This book truly sucked. It was an absolute disappointment.

Look, I generally have a great liking for Patterson. I have devoured his Woman's Murder Club series, the Alex Cross series, and the Michael Bennett Series. However, this particular book was just awful. It was so bad that it's extremely hard to fathom how Patterson managed to get a second opportunity at writing after this debacle.

Surprisingly, it does give me a glimmer of hope that one day I could become a writer. Because I am completely certain that I could come up with something far better than this. I mean, how hard could it be to write something more engaging and interesting than what was presented in this book? It makes me believe that with dedication and practice, I could achieve my dream of being a successful writer.

Overall, this book was a huge letdown and a prime example of what not to do when writing.

As someone with a penchant for mysteries, it stands to reason that I would have perused one or two of James Patterson's extensive collection of hundreds of books over the years. However, curiously enough, not a single title springs to mind. During his recent book interviews with Bill Clinton, he exhibited a remarkable blend of intelligence, humor, and entertainment value. This led me to take the leap and explore this particular older work. I might give another one a try in the future, but nothing within the pages of this book compels me to immediately immerse myself in more of his oeuvre.

The references to the 1960s - '70s in The Thomas Berryman Number added an element of interest to the story. However, the overall narrative itself was far from enjoyable. The characters all seemed to blend together, lacking distinctiveness. Ochs Jones, the newspaper reporter and narrator, was the sole "good guy" amidst a sea of irredeemable "bad guys" (or in this case, truly despicable ones). The disjointed revelation of the multiple misdeeds among the various bad guys eventually came together to expose a web of interrelated murders. Nevertheless, the reading experience was tiresome. The story was disjointed to such an extent that it was effortless to lose interest with all the jumping around in their respective storylines. Moreover, the phonetics intended to render the southern dialect left much to be desired.

I never completed it.

It was extremely difficult to follow.

It was so boring that it made it even more challenging to keep up with the characters or engage with them.

I had come across the reviews on Amazon stating that this book was terrible.

And indeed, it was.

This is the first Patterson book that I have not liked.

The story seemed to lack a clear direction, and the characters failed to capture my attention.

Maybe it was just not my cup of tea, but I found it a real struggle to get through.

I was disappointed as I had expected more from Patterson, especially after hearing good things about his other works.

However, this particular book just didn't do it for me.

I'm not sure if I'll give his books another chance in the future.

I was skeptical about this book due to the reviews that I had perused. However, thank God those reviews did not dissuade me.

It is not as briskly paced as what one might be accustomed to. But considering it is one of his earliest books, that is quite understandable.

The writing style is commendable despite the back and forth between the past and the present. This unique approach better facilitates one's understanding of the story.

All things considered, it is a good read. It offers a different kind of experience compared to some of the more contemporary and fast-paced novels. The author's ability to weave a tale that jumps between different time periods in a seamless manner is quite impressive.

Although it may not be the most action-packed book, it makes up for it with its engaging narrative and well-developed characters. I would definitely recommend this book to others who are looking for a good story that is a bit off the beaten path.

1 Star, and I’m being rather generous here.

As a reader, I possess two distinct flaws. Firstly, if I develop an affinity for an author, I feel compelled to attempt to read all of their works, even when I'm well aware that some of them might not be worthy of my precious time. Regrettably, this particular book fell into that category. It simply wasn't worth my time investment.

Secondly, I have this unwavering determination to finish every book that I commence. No matter how abysmally bad it might be. In my entire life, I have only failed to complete two books. This one truly should have been the third. It was completely devoid of any excitement or entertainment. There was nothing even remotely fun about it.

Despite all of the above, Patterson still manages to remain one of my all-time favorite authors. I'll simply choose to forget about this particular offering. I suppose one could argue that since it was his first book, there is a certain degree of leniency that can be extended regarding its quality.

I had read numerous James Patterson books before delving into this particular one, which happens to be one of his first published novels. To be completely forthright, if I had come across this book before any of his others, I highly suspect that I would never have bothered to pick up any of his other works.

The truth is that I simply didn't have a great affection for it. In fact, I couldn't seem to engage with it in the slightest. There was something about the story, the writing style, or perhaps the characters that just didn't click with me.

It's not that the book was terrible; it just didn't have the same allure and captivating power that I had come to expect from James Patterson based on his later novels. Maybe it was a sign of his early development as a writer, or perhaps it was just a matter of personal taste. Nevertheless, this particular book left me feeling rather underwhelmed and uninterested in exploring more of his earlier works.

I had heard great things about this author. People seemed to rave about his writing and his unique style. So, I thought that I would take the plunge and read one of his early books. I was excited to start this literary journey and make my way through his works, hoping to discover the magic that everyone was talking about.

However, this book was an absolute nightmare to read. It was excruciatingly painful. I almost gave up on it numerous times. The story jumped around all over the place, making it extremely hard to follow at times. I found myself constantly confused and lost in the chaos of the narrative.

Despite my numerous attempts to abandon it, I eventually managed to finish the book. But there was absolutely nothing satisfying about finishing it. It felt like a chore that I had finally completed, rather than a fulfilling reading experience. There was no sense of closure, no emotional connection, and no enjoyment whatsoever. This book was a huge disappointment, and it has definitely made me think twice about reading any more of this author's works.

Finished on 21st January 2023.

Good read. Three stars. I liked it. Kindle library loaner. (They actually have a few stories you read instead of the pages of audio. Wtf? Over... whiskey alpha drop sinc say again over.)

This is Patterson's first published novel? Apparently. It has a different style. Noir-ish. Somewhat sparse. Maybe journalistic at times. Like what? What happened? A journalist for a Tennessee newspaper is on the beat. Some mayor, turns out he is black, is shot killed. Others are killed before that. Somehow it all relates. I didn't quite get the assassin's sidekick. What that was all about seems out of place considering it now other than school chums. Okay, there's that. Berryman is the paid killer. One of several. Ochs is the journalist. I didn't really get a feel for the time of the story until late. Shortly after Watergate 't'would appear. For one of the best selling novelists out there, the digital library is sparse on reading material. Unless you're lazy and have time to listen to a story. Me, I figure why do that? If I have time to listen, I'm going to read. It works for me. Shakespeare, sure. Until then, keep your ears on.