I have been a devoted James Patterson fan and reader for a considerable length of time. So, I truly wanted to fall in love with this book. Lately, however, I haven't been as excited about his work, especially some of the collaborations. But when it was announced that he and Dolly Parton (yes, the famous Dolly) were co-authoring a book, I was overjoyed. Having lived the majority of my life in Nashville, Tennessee, it was impossible for me not to be a Dolly fan. Her lyrics, music, and stories are all beautiful, touching, and extraordinary.

Therefore, I was eager to read the first book that this Vanderbilt graduate produced, which was set in part in Nashville. However, it was a bit of a struggle. Some of the writing was really good, but it didn't reach the level of excellence he achieved later. Oh well! Just because of all those factors, I'm still upping my rating to three stars. I guess it's a combination of my love for the authors and the potential I saw in the book that led me to this decision.

I'm still looking forward to seeing what else they have in store for us in the future. Maybe the next collaboration will be even better and will truly capture my heart. Only time will tell.

I saw that Patterson had won an Edgar award for this book, so I decided to journey back to 1976 to check it out. It is a good news/bad news situation. There are some fun and exciting parts, which really grab your attention and make you eager to turn the page. However, there are also some confusing parts that might leave you scratching your head. And then there are some downright dull parts as well, where you might find yourself losing interest for a moment. This was Patterson’s very first book, and the award he won was for debut mystery. He has certainly come a long way from here. He is a man who changed the whole world of how books were marketed and produced. I have seen him speak, and he is a really smart and entertaining guy. But back to this book, it is good, not great. It's just OK stuff. It has its moments, but it doesn't quite reach the level of excellence that some of his later works have achieved.

I just heard of this first book written by James Patterson.

So of course, I had to read it. After all, I have read every one of his books that I could get my hands on.

It is truly hard to believe that he wrote this particular work. The story was rather difficult to follow, and the different characters seemed a bit jumbled.

However, it is a good thing that something changed in his writing style. As a result, the books that followed are interesting and manage to grab the reader's attention from the very start.

This early work might not have been his best, but it shows the evolution of his writing and how he has developed into the successful author he is today.

Despite the challenges with this first book, I still look forward to seeing what else he has in store for his readers in the future.

Let me see. What can I say about this book?

I have had this book sitting on my shelf for quite some time.

I initially started reading it and kept pushing myself forward, thinking that I really had to give it a fair chance.

After a while, however, I was on the verge of quitting. But then I felt that I had already invested so much of my precious time into it that I really should persevere and get it done.

I held onto the hope that maybe there would be something truly remarkable at the end that would somehow salvage the entire reading experience.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

The book failed to live up to my expectations, and in the end, I was left feeling rather disappointed.

Perhaps it was not the right book for me at this particular time, or maybe it simply didn't have the engaging qualities that I was looking for.

Either way, it was a reading experience that I will not soon forget.

I interrupted reading James Patterson’s autobiography when it mentioned this, his first novel.

A Nashville reporter is delving into the murder of Jimmie Lee Horn, one of Nashville's first black mayors. The assassination in the 1970s seemingly appears to be racially motivated, yet it is not.

The reporter, Ochs Jones, engages with the friends and family of an unknown assassin named Thomas Berryman. Soon, he discovers that everything he thought he knew about Horn's murder is incorrect.

Expertly read by Will Patton, Ochs realizes that seeing is not always believing. Through extensive interviews, he ultimately resolves the mysteries of who committed the crime and why.

This novel takes readers on a thrilling journey of discovery and uncovering the truth behind a complex and seemingly straightforward murder case. It keeps you on the edge of your seat as Ochs peels back the layers and reveals the unexpected twists and turns.

James Patterson's debut novel showcases his talent for creating engaging and suspenseful stories that leave a lasting impression on the reader.

I have a vast collection of Patterson's old books that are still unread.

Feeling a sense of guilt, I finally decided to pick this one from the shelf. However, it was truly a waste of time.

I was quite surprised as I am a big fan of James Patterson. But I guess since this was his earliest published book, he hadn't yet refined his signature writing style.

The story seemed to be all over the place, making it extremely difficult to follow.

The only aspect that caught my attention was the eccentric characters. They were completely crazy, and so was the plot which involved a hired killer stalking another hired killer.

Poor Oona Quinn! It's a pity that this book didn't live up to my expectations. Maybe I should give his later works another chance to see if his writing has improved.

Aye...

Now, I'm hopeful that JP fans and James himself can forgive me for this review. After all, he has sold like 400 million copies of his books since then. BUT, this one was really slowwwwwww.

This is James's very first published novel, dating back to 1976. However, I'm not at all surprised that his first few novels have been overshadowed by the Alex Cross craze and lost in history. Not many people have even heard of this novel called The Thomas Berryman Number (including myself until not long ago).

Let's start with the writing. I'm well aware that since this first novel, James's writing has improved significantly. It's not horrible in this one, but it's a bit stunted and lacks the kind of pace that he has become famous for since. I was also a bit distracted by the frequent paragraph breaks that seemed out of place. It felt a bit jumpy or something, as if it lacked fluidity.

I would also have a hard time classifying this book as a thriller. It's more of a mystery novel, really. Whether it's a thriller is debatable. It read more like a sort of hardboiled fiction to me. And I couldn't help but picture it as a black and white film.

Furthermore, I found the plot rather confusing. I think this was mainly because the plot was slow and not all that interesting, so I became a bit dazed and inattentive while reading it. I lost interest in the story and the characters fairly quickly. Also, the story jumps back and forth between the present and the past quite often, and it's easy to miss the timeline switches if you aren't paying close attention.

Okay, quickly back to the writing - to James's credit, it's clear that he has always been an extremely good writer when it comes to first-person narration. Even here, in his very first novel, it's evident that he has always had a gift for tapping into the first-person perspective. In my opinion, first-person narration is the most difficult style, but James does it well when few others can.

There's not much else to say. This is a relatively short novel, easy to read in a day or two or three. But I would recommend sticking to James's more popular novels.

Investigative reporter, Ochs Jones, uncovers the murder of Nashville Tennessee mayor and senatorial candidate, Jimmie Lee Horn, by hired killer, Thomas Berryman in the 1970s.

I chose this book because I listened to an interview with Patterson. He claimed that his first novel was by far the best work he had ever created. Reportedly, this is his first novel and it's the first one of his that I've read. Judging from his popularity, this surely can't be anywhere close to the best thing he's written.

There is no doubt that there is good writing in it. However, it is a hodgepodge of short segments. Mostly told by Jones, but occasionally switching to a story that could only have been known to the other characters. It wasn't really a mystery. It might have made sense as a true story, but as a novel, it wasn't cohesive enough and it didn't lead to a surprise or much of a resolution.

Overall, while there are some redeeming qualities in the writing, the book falls short in terms of being a fully engaging and satisfying novel. It lacks the necessary elements to keep the reader hooked from start to finish and leaves many loose ends.

I required this book for a challenge; otherwise, I would not have completed it.

The plot was extremely scattered, all over the place. I am still not precisely certain what took place in this one. I am fairly sure that someone was murdered. However, that is approximately all I obtained from this novel.

I could envision the potential that the renowned author James Patterson would ultimately achieve. You could discern that he was striving for his infamous plot-twists. But, he simply was not there yet. I am glad that this was not my first book by Patterson; otherwise, I might not have picked up another. Fortunately, he was able to refine his craft and go on to become a highly successful and widely read author.

His later works would showcase the full extent of his talent and the ability to create engaging and thrilling stories that would captivate readers around the world.

It is interesting to look back at this early work and see the seeds of what was to come.

Erhg.

Do not pass Go, Do not collect $200.

If I were to pick up this book as the very first Patterson to read, I can firmly say that I would never reach for another Patterson book ever again.

There was absolutely zero twist in this entire story. It was like a poorly constructed jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces laid out in a haphazard manner, leading to a known end that was as predictable as the sun rising in the east.

The narrative seemed to lack any sort of creativity or excitement, just plodding along in a linear fashion.

That's a resounding and sold NOPE from me. I'm truly disappointed with this offering and it has left a rather sour taste in my mouth when it comes to Patterson's works.

I had hoped for something more engaging and thought-provoking, but unfortunately, this book failed to deliver on all fronts.

Sorry,

I could not finish this book. It was just too confusing. There were simply too many characters to keep track of, and it made the whole story rather muddled. Moreover, it was extremely boring. I had wanted to read it because I knew that this was Patterson's first novel. I was hoping to see how he had started out. However, his latest novels are much more entertaining. They have engaging plots and interesting characters that keep me hooked from start to finish. I guess in this case, with so many books to read and so little time, it doesn't make sense for me to spend my precious time on something that I am not enjoying. I would rather move on to a book that can truly capture my attention and make me eager to turn the pages.

While I have a great love for James Patterson, I am truly relieved that all those years ago I didn't commence my Patterson reading journey with this particular book. Honestly, there's a high probability that I wouldn't have continued reading his works if I had. The story in this book jumps around rather erratically, both in terms of point of view and year, without any prior indication. It's as if one moment we're in the present day, and then in the very next chapter, it suddenly switches to 1999 or something similar. Or perhaps it changes from the perspective of character 1 to character 2 without any smooth transition. It's evident that Patterson has improved significantly over the years. However, for someone who is about to read their very first Patterson book, I would highly recommend against starting with this one. Instead, it would be a much better choice to begin with the Alex Cross series, the Michael Bennett series, or the Women's Murder Club series.