James Patterson won an Edgar for this book in 1977.

However, I have to admit that while reading it, I found myself confused at times.

The story had a certain complexity that made it a bit challenging to follow.

Moreover, what struck me was that the best parts seemed to occur off stage.

It was as if the most exciting and crucial events were happening behind the scenes, leaving the reader with a sense of anticipation and a bit of frustration.

Perhaps this was a deliberate choice by the author to add an element of mystery and keep the reader engaged.

Nevertheless, despite these drawbacks, the book still had its merits.

James Patterson's writing style was engaging, and he managed to create a vivid world and interesting characters.

Overall, while it wasn't a perfect read for me, I can understand why it won the Edgar award and why it has a following among readers.

This is James Patterson's first novel.

In my opinion, it is not his best work. However, thankfully, he does show improvement with each successive book.

As an author, Patterson has come a long way since his debut. His writing style has evolved, and he has become more adept at creating engaging stories and well-developed characters.

While this first novel may have its flaws, it also serves as a foundation for his future success. It is interesting to see how his skills have grown and how he has continued to refine his craft over the years.

Overall, although this may not be the most outstanding work in Patterson's bibliography, it is still an important part of his journey as a writer.

I have read a substantial amount of James Patterson's works, particularly those in the Alex Cross and Women's Murder Club series, and I have usually derived great enjoyment from them.

Recently, I made the decision to explore some of his older books. However, this particular book turned out to be an absolute and incredible disappointment.

The narrative was fragmented, with the story jumping around in a haphazard manner that made it extremely hard to follow.

The lack of a coherent and flowing storyline made it a chore to read, and I found myself constantly losing interest.

Based on my experience with this book, I would not recommend it to others.

It fails to live up to the high standards that I have come to expect from James Patterson, and I would suggest that readers stick to his more recent and better-written works.

It has been an extremely pleasant experience to listen to James Patterson's very first book. I truly relished it a great deal. In fact, I almost listened to the entire book in one go! However, I did have to pause it from time to time, so strictly speaking, I can't claim that I listened to it all in one sitting. But regardless, it was really good!

The story was engaging from the start, and Patterson's writing style immediately captured my attention. The characters were well-developed, and I found myself easily getting attached to them. The plot had its fair share of twists and turns, which kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the listening experience.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story. Whether you're a fan of mystery, thriller, or just a great read in general, James Patterson's first book is definitely worth checking out. I'm already looking forward to listening to more of his works in the future.

That was an extremely arduous task!

I'm truly glad that I didn't come across it when it was first published.

If I had, I might never have had the opportunity to read and relish the 20/25 books of his that I have.

Each of those books has been a unique and enriching experience for me.

Their stories have captivated my imagination, taken me on thrilling adventures, and made me reflect on various aspects of life.

I am so grateful that I discovered his works later on and was able to embark on this wonderful literary journey.

It just goes to show that sometimes, missing out on something initially can lead to even greater rewards in the end.

I had to create a "Hot Mess" shelf specifically for this book.

Despite presenting a rather atmospheric and true-to-life setting, where the Southern charm of the various locations like Texas, Tennessee, and Kentucky felt extremely genuine, this book had several major flaws. It lacked a discernible point, had gaping plot holes that left the story feeling disjointed, inconsistent characterization that made it difficult to connect with the characters, and a timeline that was almost impossible to follow.

I'm not overly impressed with James Patterson as a reader in general. Nor do I hold him in high regard as a professional. It's hard to ignore the continuous stream of Pattersons filling the library shelves month after month, and the concept of "quality over quantity" keeps coming to my mind. Additionally, as a person, those ads on TV really irritate me. How egotistical can one get? So, it's challenging to be completely unbiased in my rating. However, it's safe to say that Patterson's debut novel fails to make a significant impression on me.

I read this book for the 2015 PopSugar reading challenge in the category of the 1st book by a popular author. Despite my personal distaste for the man, Patterson is indeed one of the most popular authors in the U.S. at the moment. This fact says a lot about the general quality of the books being read by the American public.

The first of Patterson's novels had raving reviews emblazoned on the cover.

I'll be the first to confess that I have a penchant for devouring his works like candy. I'm particularly drawn to his non-killing books. However, this particular one was TERRIBLE.

I find it难以置信 that it won awards, let alone gave birth to a career that seems to have no end.

There are three main characters, and the only means of distinguishing one from another is by the setting. It has a southern feel, which was sort of nice, but otherwise, it was abysmal.

I'm on vacation, and despite my efforts over several days, I just couldn't be bothered to finish it. It should really only take a few hours to complete.

Overall, this novel was a major disappointment, and I'm left wondering how it could have received such accolades.

We often have the perception of James Patterson as a producer of modern, easily consumable novels. However, his debut novel achieved something remarkable by winning an Edgar.

At the beginning, it appears to be a rather cliched story about rural law enforcement, similar to that of "All the King's Men." But as the book progresses, by the end, I came to the conclusion that Jim is truly worthy of the title "Master of the Red Herring."

Even now, I still hold the same opinion. Patterson's ability to mislead and surprise the reader is truly impressive. His debut novel shows that he has the talent and skill to create engaging and thought-provoking stories.

It is not just a simple potboiler, but a work that deserves recognition and praise. This novel serves as a testament to Patterson's writing abilities and his potential to become a great author in the mystery and thriller genre.

Overall, it is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or thriller.

Wow.

Had I read the reviews first, I may have saved myself a lot of time.

Even with Patton reading the book, it wasn't enough to save it.

This is the first and only book I thought was a horrible read by James Patterson.

I was really disappointed when I read this book.

The story didn't grip me, and the characters seemed flat.

However, then I discovered it was his first book.

I realized that every author has to start somewhere, and he must have fixed something in his writing over the years.

After all, he is still one of my favorite authors.

I guess this just goes to show that even the best authors have their off days, and we should give them a second chance.

Maybe I'll pick up another one of his books and see if it's any better.

The story was extremely difficult to follow.

I really did not like this book at all.

Thankfully, this is not the first Patterson book that I have ever read.

If it had been, I would never have read another one.

The plot seemed convoluted and confusing, making it a real struggle to keep up with what was happening.

I found myself constantly losing interest and having to force myself to continue reading.

I was disappointed with this particular offering from Patterson and hope that his other books are of a higher quality.

I will definitely think twice before picking up another book by him based on this experience.

Having delved into a few of James Patterson's series lately, I've come to the conclusion that his writing is highly formulaic.

His characters lack depth and development, his plots are overly burdened, and his writing style remains largely unchanged. However, this formula seems to work for him, as his books consistently sell in large quantities and are released multiple times a year with various co-authors.

When I had the opportunity to read his debut novel, "The Thomas Berryman Number," I was curious to see how his writing was before he became a household name and needed to impress publishers.

In this novel, Nashville's first black mayor, Jimmie Horn, who was running for the Senate, has been murdered. The initial suspect is a local crazy man named Bert Poole, who is later shot by a state trooper. However, it soon becomes clear that the supposed state trooper is himself a killer who has murdered the real owner of the uniform.

The Nashville Citizen-Reporter then receives a call about a mental patient named Ben Toy, who had been talking about Jimmie Horn's murder a week before it happened and names Thomas Berryman as the actual killer. The newspaper sends Ochs Jones to speak to Ben Toy, and this novel follows his investigation into Thomas Berryman.

"The Thomas Berryman Number" provides some insights into the writer that James Patterson would later become. His imagination is evident, with the unique perspective of an assassination being approached from the point of view of a reporter and the involvement of a mental patient adding an interesting touch.

However, the novel also has its flaws. The character building is poor, with a large cast of characters but little information provided about any of them. The timeline is also disjointed, switching between Ochs Jones' investigation in the present and the events he is investigating without clear transitions.

Despite winning the Edgar Award for the best debut novel, I found "The Thomas Berryman Number" to be a slow and difficult read. It has not left a lasting impression on me, and I cannot see it as an auspicious beginning to Patterson's career.

As others have pointed out, this book is truly a chaotic mess.

I am actually quite furious that I squandered my precious time reading this. I really should have put an end to it after just the first twenty pages, but somehow I managed to persuade myself to give it a shot and see if it would develop into something better.

The fact that Patterson was able to continue publishing subsequent books after this fiasco remains a complete mystery. The excuse that it was his first book simply doesn't hold water. There are numerous other young writers out there who have produced outstanding works right from the start. Patterson's debut, on the other hand, reads as if it was penned by a drunk individual.

Thankfully, his writing and storytelling skills did improve over time, because this initial offering was an extremely frustrating read. It serves as a reminder that even established authors have their rough beginnings, but it's how they grow and learn from their mistakes that truly matters.