Every part in this book was extremely interesting.

It had the power to keep readers completely engaged, constantly making us wonder what kind of mess Will was going to get into next or what challenges Maggie would be facing in the next chapter.

The story was filled with anticipation and excitement. However, the ending was a bit of a letdown.

The dead body of Will's brother could have been easily identified, as a murder requires a serious report and an autopsy would have added more credibility to the situation.

The ending had a significant flaw, which made it less interesting compared to the captivating beginning of the book.

In conclusion, while the book is truly amazing and managed to raise our expectations sky-high, the ending could have been improved.

Rather than Maggie still finding Will attractive, which implies that she might end up in a toxic relationship in the future, a more satisfying conclusion could have been crafted.

Overall, the book has its strengths, but the ending leaves room for improvement.

This book is supposedly one of James Patterson's bestsellers.

However, I really do not understand why it is considered so good.

To be honest, I did not like this book at all.

There are many aspects that I found quite dissatisfactory.

For instance, the plot involves an innocent dog that was brutally killed, which really tugged at my heartstrings in a negative way.

Moreover, at the end of the book, the two murderers are not arrested.

This left me with a sense of injustice and incompleteness.

Overall, these flaws made the reading experience quite disappointing for me.

I expected more from a book that is supposed to be a bestseller.

Maybe others might have a different opinion, but for me, this book failed to live up to its reputation.

There are numerous aspects of this story that I found both appealing and unappealing.

I was dissatisfied with the character development. It was almost negligible. Maggie underwent only a slight transformation from start to finish. She progressed from being shy and lacking in confidence to accepting her role as a major songwriter and performer, yet still desiring solitude. Will, on the other hand, evolved from a troubled teenager engaging in inappropriate behavior with his aunt to having sex with as many women as possible. He escalated from killing a dog to nearly killing a woman, actually killing a woman, and finally attempting to kill a woman and her children. Strangely, his character was perhaps the most developed, and yet, at least in my opinion, he was the one who least needed it. That being said, I did have empathy for the right characters and wished harm upon the appropriate ones. I was invested in the characters, despite my perception of them as being somewhat one-dimensional. I believe this is a testament to the overall quality of the story.

Some of the scenes in the story also left me unimpressed. Certain ones seemed forced and artificial. The fairy tale moments appeared overly cheesy and too much like a stereotypical fairy tale. And at the end, with Norma snooping around to assist Maggie during her trial, what exactly did she discover in the secret club within the club? Was it merely the revelation that the police chief and Maggie's own attorney were involved? What was the note that Peter wrote? Was that the same note found on the body that was supposedly written by Palmer? What became of Peter? Did he manage to escape scot-free or was he prosecuted for perjury and conspiracy with the chief and Maggie's attorney? There simply seemed to be an abundance of unanswered questions. It's entirely possible that I overlooked the answers while reading quickly at two in the morning.

Nevertheless, I was able to suspend my disbelief and devour this page-turner in a single night. It reads类似a Dan Brown novel. Paterson may have written in a similar vein before Brown, but having read The DaVinci Code and Inferno prior to this, in my mind, those serve as the benchmark. For instance, you can breeze through chapter 5 in approximately ten minutes. Just one more chapter since they're so short. Before you know it, it's 3 A.M. and you have only twelve pages left until the end.

And then there's the end. The last chapter is, in my opinion, the most satisfying conclusion I've ever read. All of the pain and suffering that Will inflicted upon Maggie and her children were avenged by the author. Instead of having this character killed, as is so often the case in movies, TV shows, and books, Patterson rendered this despicable person physically helpless and deprived of his charm. And the best part? He is fully aware of his situation and helplessness, and will remain so for the remainder of his long life in the mental institution, with no one to visit or even care about him.

"De-a v-ați ascunselea - James Patterson"

I have always been drawn to the pictures where the author's books were arranged to form a clock, ever since I wanted to read a book by him.

Ah, how disappointed I was. It lacked "that something." I had hoped it would be better.

Spoiler alert!!!

The book starts quite scarily with Maggie and 3-year-old Jennie hiding from Phillip, but she is forced to shoot him in self-defense. It's attractive at the beginning, making you wonder at one point why she is accused of 2 crimes after shooting at 3. But it gets lost in the details of Will's life. So I could only give it 3 stars.

She is declared innocent (in the case of Phillip) and moves to New York where she composes and sings, becoming famous. She meets Patrick with whom she has a son, but he also suffers a heart attack. Then she meets Will or rather Will does everything possible to meet her, and from here things get complicated because Will is not entirely sane.

Arghhhhhh... make it double (and then double it again)..

** Partial spoilers (won't give out names but indicate what happened in the story)***

So maybe read this once you have read the book (if a part of you doesn't die by the time that is.. mine did).

As a reader, I'm not a literature buff or someone who looks for in-depth plot or character development. I'm more of a relax, enjoy the twists, fast-paced thriller guy. I LOVED some of the other books by JP (Kill me if you can, along came a spider, now you see her etc). Honestly, had this been my 1st read from JP it would have definitely been the last.

What do I look for? A good plot, details, twists.. basically popcorn munching thrillers. THIS - not a completely alien plot (seen it earlier kinds), but then again.. pathetic execution, fuming at the mouth kinds bad.

1. You commit a murder (being a celebrity) in an atrociously costly hotel and cover it up with a friend's help (no trace of it. I mean seriously!!!! not a word in the book about that).

2. Marriage 1 - bad.. kill husband in self-defense. Marriage 2 - you hook up with a stud (whole world knows that) but you convince yourself that he is changed, not abusive. Right. The main protagonist is a complete idiot with no practicality. Someone who wants to be loved and hence has complete license of being an idiot at it.

3. WORST of all - the whole thing is swinging on the murder trial (readers know this from page 1). Flashback takes you through the journey of the main protagonist. Court case starts, blah blah blah.. and ends. Nothing at all that is a twist. Later post verdict comes a twist (and honestly, it fizzles out completely. Trial 2 - not a thing. Over in 2 pages. GRRRRR!!!

One can summarize the whole book in 5-6 pages and you wouldn't miss anything. For me, I really won't get those 2 days of my life that went in reading this.

JP, let down is not even the word. My brain is fogged up honest.

Maybe I finished this book in a day simply because it's incredibly interesting.

Or perhaps it's because I had absolutely nothing better to do at that moment.

Putting that aside, the book is indeed interesting enough to make me keep flipping the pages continuously.

And to be completely honest, when the book finally came to an end, all I could think was that I truly hope I wasn't as bad in love as Maggie.

Oh boy, that would not be good at all.

Jokes aside, overall the book was well-written and executed.

However, it wasn't the absolute best of the best.

It had the potential to do so much better.

The only time I actually became really interested was near the end when there was a plot twist.

And I literally went "DURN DURN DURNNNNN" in my head.

No kidding.

It was that unexpected and exciting.

Despite its flaws, the book still managed to hold my attention and keep me engaged throughout.

It was an enjoyable read, but it could have been even more outstanding with a few improvements.

Nonetheless, I'm glad I picked it up and gave it a chance.

Have you ever come across a book that simply held your gaze captive?

Well, "Hide and Seek" is most assuredly one such book.

This captivating novel delves into the realm of a murder mystery.

Here, a young woman named Maggie Bradford finds herself on trial for murder.

Being a world-famous singer, it seems almost inconceivable that she could be the murderer who took the lives of her two husbands.

The story is so addictive that it constantly leaves you on the edge of your seat, eagerly anticipating what will happen next.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to those individuals who have a penchant for reading murder mysteries and books centered around solving crimes.

It offers a thrilling and engaging experience that will keep you hooked from start to finish.

Mlle Alice, pouvez-vous nous raconter votre rencontre avec La Diabolique?

"Encore un auteur de polar qui me tentait depuis longtemps et que je me promettais de lire à chaque fois qu'il apparaissait dans une partie de poker de la série Castle, et je remercie Archipoche de m'avoir donné l'occasion de le découvrir enfin."

Dites-nous en un peu plus sur son histoire...

"Il y a des années, pour sauver sa vie et celle de sa fille, Maggie Bradford a du tirer sur son premier mari. L'état de légitime défense ne faisait pas de doute à l'époque mais aujourd'hui, elle est accusée d'avoir tué le second et fait figure de veuve noire. Alors, angélique ou diabolique?"

Mais que s'est-il exactement passé entre vous?

"Même si on essaie de ne pas toujours croire l'héroïne sur parole, de peur de se faire berner, on ne peut s'empêcher de la prendre très rapidement en affection, compte tenu de son passé. À partir de là, forcément, le suspense est haletant. A-t-elle vraiment tué son second mari? Si oui, pourquoi? Et quel sera le verdict de la cour? On veut savoir, et vite, et les pages se tournent toutes seules. Personnellement, je ne l'ai pas lâché avant d'avoir le fin mot de l'histoire. Les révélations sont distillées sur un rythme parfait et nous réserve des surprises qui ne font qu'accentuer la pression petit à petit. Le dosage est parfait. D'ailleurs, je vous déconseille (une fois de plus!! À se demander à quoi pensent les maisons d'édition!) de lire la quatrième de couverture qui donne l'impression d'un roman people, ce qu'il n'est pas, et dévoile un élément qu'elle aurait mieux fait de taire. Le seul bémol, peut-être, est qu'il est quand même assez difficile de croire qu'il arrive autant de choses aussi extraordinaires, en mal comme en bien, à une seule et même personne."

Et comment cela s'est-il fini?

"La fin est toute aussi bien amenée que le reste avec ce qu'il faut de retournement de situation d'abord, d'apaisement ensuite et la toute dernière petite touche de vengeance qui fait du bien quand même!"

http://booksaremywonderland.hautetfor...

Mlle Alice was asked to share her encounter with "La Diabolique". She had long been intrigued by the author and was grateful for the opportunity to finally read this work. The story involves Maggie Bradford, who years ago shot her first husband to save her and her daughter's lives. Now, she is accused of killing her second husband and is seen as a black widow. The question of whether she is truly angelic or diabolical looms large. The suspense is palpable as the reader wonders if Maggie really killed her second husband, why she would do it, and what the court's verdict will be. The revelations are presented at a perfect pace, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. However, Mlle Alice warns against reading the back cover as it gives the wrong impression and reveals a crucial element that should have been kept secret. The only drawback, perhaps, is that it is a bit hard to believe that so many extraordinary things, both good and bad, could happen to one person. The ending is well-crafted, with a satisfying twist, a sense of calm, and a final touch of vengeance.

The story holds a certain degree of mild intrigue, yet James Patterson's attempt at writing from the female perspective is disappointingly poor.

To be completely honest, I am truly shocked that this was once one of my favorite books during my teenage years. The excessive amount of unnecessary material related to sexual assault and the rather myopic views of humanity presented within the pages make it almost unreadable.

I found myself on the verge of putting this book down countless times. There were so many instances where the bad writing either made me laugh out loud in disbelief or left me appalled.

The plot itself was rough around the edges and didn't even offer a particularly great payoff in the end. Truly, this ranks as the worst book I have read in my adulthood. Shaking my head in disappointment.

Incredible

This book is truly awesome! I really loved it. James Patterson is an incredibly talented writer. His works always manage to captivate me from the very beginning to the end. He has this unique ability to create engaging storylines and develop characters that feel so real. He is not just a good writer; he is my all-time favorite writer!!! I can't express enough how much I appreciate his writing. Every time I pick up one of his books, I know I'm in for a treat. Thank you, James Patterson, for all the wonderful stories you have given us. I can't wait to read more of your works in the future.

The plot of this story was extremely cliché and mediocre. It was a typical Patterson work in the sense that it constantly swung from one extreme to another. Moreover, it had a wild and rather outlandish ending that incorporated elements that were both outrageous and to some extent, unbelievable. Sadly, this book simply didn't resonate with me.

However, I'm happy to note that plenty of other people seemed to like it. They were able to find enjoyment in it, which is great. So, where exactly did I have difficulties? It was with the never-ending buildup that was largely told from the first person perspective. This buildup just never seemed to gain any real momentum.

Sure, you could see it gradually building towards a crescendo, but the problem was that when that crescendo finally arrived, it simply wasn't worth all the extensive build-up that it had taken to reach that point. It left me feeling rather disappointed and unfulfilled.

In conclusion, while this book may have its fans, it just wasn't the right fit for me.

Hide and Seek

I initially read the first chapter of this novel and put it aside, thinking it wasn't my cup of tea. The vivid description of the child snatching was so masterfully written that it sent shivers down my spine. However, I then decided to give it another go simply to write a review. To my surprise, I ended up devouring the entire book in just three days! I couldn't put it down! The seamless and natural shift from Lana to Todd in the story is truly remarkable.

Lana, the mother, evokes our sympathy. Although we may not fully agree with her actions, we can understand her motivation for visiting the sites of the snatchings to investigate Mr Whisper. Todd, the father, initially appears as a normal, guilt-ridden dad who regrets his inability to protect his family. But as the story progresses, we realize that he is not just a side character. His development is just as captivating as Lana's.

One of the most appealing aspects of this book is its unpredictability. Even at the end, there is a lingering doubt as to whether the parents' courage will be sufficient to resolve the plot. You can't help but keep hoping for a favorable outcome.

The fantastically well-written and engaging style of this novel makes it a worthy read, provided you can stomach the intense subject matter.

I received a free copy from netgalley.com for my fair and honest review.