This was one of those books that I was well aware was likely to be bad even before delving into it, yet I still felt an odd compulsion to read it. I have read a substantial amount of James Patterson's works, so it seemed almost necessary to witness his starting point. It's truly a minor miracle that this book managed to get published. I'm straining my brain to think of a more pointless story that I've ever read, but alas, I can't come up with anything.

The story is divided between Thomas Berryman, the assassin, and Oaks Jones, the reporter. The basic premise is Oaks penning a story or book about Berryman, and it progresses at an excruciatingly slow pace through an assassination. You mainly follow Oaks, and the issue is that you mostly have to endure listening to people drone on and on to him without getting many breaks or any real insights into how he pieced things together. Nothing is ever truly explained in a satisfactory manner, and all of the time in the book is wasted on the boring and the mundane.

When you finally reach the end, this supposedly awesome assassin Berryman simply shoots the guy using his windbreaker to conceal the gun right in the middle of a crowd. Then, incredibly, he and his girlfriend go grocery shopping because he didn't bother to make a getaway plan. They then sit in the darn car for what I assume is hours. Finally, another guy shows up and shoots him. And that's the end of the story.

This book was a disaster almost from start to finish.

The audio book, on the other hand, was decent for the most part.

I think I'm being rather generous when I give this book two stars.

The writing within it is truly excellent. However, it unfortunately lacks fluidity.

While I did enjoy parts 3, 4, and 5 a great deal more than the other four parts, overall, I found the book to be mostly boring and extremely confusing.

Fortunately, it's a relatively short read.

Now, was there some sort of twist at the end?

If there was, it completely escaped my understanding.

I simply couldn't keep most of the characters straight in my mind.

As a result, the ending fell completely flat for me and added even more to the confusion that I felt throughout the entire book.

Needless to say, I'm not at all impressed with this particular work.

But at least I'm well aware that James Patterson is a good writer, and I've derived a great deal of enjoyment from many of his other books in the past.

Reading "The Thomas Berryman Number" by James Patterson was truly an interesting experience. As his debut novel, it stands out as being quite distinct from his later, more fast-paced thrillers. The story centers around Ochs Jones, an investigative journalist who is determined to untangle the web of conspiracy behind the assassination of Nashville's first black mayor. The character development in this book is particularly strong. Take, for instance, the enigmatic hitman, Thomas Berryman. His character is full of mystery and intrigue, making him one of the most captivating aspects of the story. However, the non-linear storytelling and slow pacing can make it a bit of a challenge to follow at times. There were moments when I found myself getting lost in the narrative. Additionally, the ambiguous ending left me yearning for more closure. It felt as if there were still many loose ends that needed to be tied up. Overall, though, it's a decent read for those who have a penchant for a more methodical and character-driven mystery.

James Patterson is widely regarded as an outstanding author, and when I decided to read this particular book of his, I was convinced that it would be a remarkable experience. I was truly looking forward to it, believing that it would offer me the kind of engaging and well-crafted story that Patterson is known for.

However, to my great disappointment, I was completely wrong. The book was filled with scattered thoughts that seemed to jump from one idea to another without any clear coherence. The writing was disorganized, making it difficult to follow the plot and understand the characters' motives. It was a far cry from the high standards that I had come to expect from Patterson.

Although there were a few good analogies here and there, they were not enough to salvage the overall quality of the book. In fact, I would not recommend this book to anyone. It was a major letdown and a departure from the author's usual excellent work. I hope that Patterson will return to his former glory and produce books that are worthy of his reputation as a great author.

I was deeply engrossed in reading James Patterson’s autobiography titled “James Patterson.” In it, he vividly mentioned that this particular novel was his very first recognized work as an author.

The novel in question is a thrilling suspense crime novel. It is centered around the captivating story of a southern journalist who is delving into the life and actions of a hit man named Thomas Berryman. The journalist is also covering the killing of a black southern politician, which adds an extra layer of mystery and intrigue.

The narrative is filled with interesting twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat. It also provides unique perspectives on the workflow of both the journalist and the hit man, as well as his paramour. These different viewpoints offer a comprehensive look into their respective worlds and the complex relationships that exist within them.

Moreover, the novel reflects the experiences that Patterson recounted from his days as a youthful worker in a mental health facility in Massachusetts. These personal experiences seem to have influenced and added depth to the story, making it all the more engaging and thought-provoking.

I am an avid Patterson reader and to be honest, I have to say that I really hated this book.

It was truly strange, with a storyline that seemed to be all over the place, making it both sporadic and confusing. There was no clear flow or direction, and it completely lacked that special something that usually reaches out and grabs you, pulling you into the story and making you eager to turn the page.

There was no allure of the things that were yet to come, no sense of anticipation or excitement. Instead, it felt like a never-ending struggle, and all I could do was pray for the end to come.

In conclusion, this was NOT a good read at all. I was extremely disappointed, especially considering my love for Patterson's other works. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

This was the very first book that was published for James Patterson.

Thomas Berryman is a hired gun. He earns his livelihood as a professional assassin, yet he has no ties to the mob or any other organized crime syndicate.

Ochs Jones, the narrator, is a reporter for a Nashville newspaper who dreams of making a name for himself by delving into the mysterious past of Berryman. All of this is in the wake of the assassination of Jimmie Horne, the first African American mayor of Nashville. The assassination is then followed by the killing of the assassin himself by another professional. Jones views this as an opportunity to prove what a great reporter he is. His journey takes him to New York and across the South in the hope of gathering more information about the professional killer. The big question is whether Jones can obtain the information he is seeking before Berryman strikes again.

I did indeed find Jones to be an interesting narrator. I relished listening to him talk about his family, his daily life, and his investigation. Scattered throughout his professional journal are notes interspersed by Jones himself.

Unfortunately, the book suffers from a significant drawback as there simply isn't a strong enough plot to sustain the length of the book. It is quite surprising to read this, considering Patterson usually crafts such excellent books. I suppose it just goes to show that everyone has to start somewhere and has things to learn.

I have never come across a Patterson book that was so difficult to get through as this one. In fact, I almost gave up numerous times, despite the fact that it was less than 300 pages long. However, I made a real effort not to be a quitter. :-) I understand that this was from the very early stages of his career, but it lacked all the characteristics that I adore about Patterson novels.

Many reviews claimed that there were too many characters, but I didn't consider that to be a problem. The issue was that none of them truly developed into anything substantial. What I cherish the most about Patterson's stories is the fast pace and the way he concludes each chapter in a manner that compels the reader to eagerly continue. This book had none of that. The story was disjointed, and I found the structure extremely confusing, right down to the spacing. It was definitely not to my taste!

Overall, I was quite disappointed with this particular offering from Patterson. I had high expectations based on his other works, but this one simply didn't measure up. I hope that his later novels will recapture the magic that made me a fan in the first place.

One has to wonder why this book managed to get into print. It is Patterson's first novel, and what leaves much to be desired is the method employed to tell the story.

Right from the start, for the first 100 pages or so, it keeps the reader completely off balance, struggling to figure out what on earth is going on. This is mainly due to the rather lame style of storytelling.

Once the reader finally manages to figure out what is happening and what the book is all about, unfortunately, the story turns out to be just plain boring. This lasts until the last 50 pages or so.

However, by this time, the way the story is being told starts to fit together and begins to make more and more sense.

It just goes to show that sometimes, things that might not seem all that great can still make it into print.

The book was 272 pages long, with rather short pages, so it read relatively fast.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't recommend it as a good read. There are definitely better books out there, even by lesser known authors.

Constantly throughout all my reviews on Patterson books, I have continuously stated that I have yet to find a "bomb," so to speak. The Thomas Berryman Number was my 21st Patterson novel, and how ironic it is that the "bomb" I would discover planted within the Patterson bibliography would be his very first book ever??!!

Now, everyone embarks on their chosen profession in life on a trial and error basis. Given that I am nowhere near the point where I would say, "Well, that's it, hands down... no more Patterson." However, if The Thomas Berryman Number was the very first book I had ever read of Patterson's, I would have definitely thought very hard about reading any more of his work.

This book was so difficult to follow that I can't even, with a clear head, come up with a proper review on the synopsis as I usually do. A black senator has been elected, there's an assassination plot, and an author who is writing about Berryman the killer??? I'm so sorry, I just can't. Once again, for the record, this was James's first novel, and hell... I have never even attempted to write a book, let alone as many as he has. So who am I to criticize?

In my journey through his books from A-Z, I have enjoyed every single one of them up to reading this. He definitely gets a pass this time around! So in short, if you are, like me, reading through his works, you can either pass this one, as I should have, or read it just to say it's done, as I also did, but just be forewarned, that's all!

I am a huge fan of James Patterson. I have a great passion for his numbered series such as "1st to Die", "2nd Chance", and so on. Therefore, I made up my mind to undertake the task of reading all of his books in the order of their publish date.

"The Thomas Berryman Number" was his very first book, and unfortunately, it is easily one of his worst. This story is filled with an overwhelming number of characters, numerous side story arcs, various locations, and complex background stories. As a result, you have to take notes while reading it. I was constantly confused about the timeline in which the story took place (whether it was in the past or the present), which character was related to whom, and what exactly was happening.

Not only is it confusing, but it also has many slow parts that made it extremely difficult to maintain the desire to finish the book. Now, I am getting ready to read his second book titled "Season of the Machete" next. I am hopeful that Patterson has realized his mistakes and will make this book a much better read than his debut book. I am looking forward to seeing if he can improve and deliver a more engaging and enjoyable story.

This book has truly NOT aged well.

In a nutshell, the plot revolves around a reporter who is delving into the assassination of a Tennessee politician. The reason for his murder? He is Black.

Aside from the frequent use of racial slurs and stereotypes (yes, I am well aware that this was penned in the 70s and the subject matter cannot entirely avoid some of that when it comes to the "bad guys"), this book was simply... BAD.

The storyline was extremely convoluted and difficult to follow. Numerous plot threads were either abandoned midway or tied up in a very sloppy manner.

Moreover, the most significant event in the entire book was written in such an anticlimactic way that I wasn't even certain what was transpiring.

A 2-star rating from me might seem harsh, but this book firmly deserves it.

It fails to engage the reader, and its flaws overshadow any potential merits it might have had.

Overall, it is a disappointment that does not hold up well in today's literary landscape.