Customer Reviews

Don't Blink

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(71)

 

 

Just recently I have seriously gone off James Patterson (an author that I have stuck by for nearly 15 years, buying every book he releases) especially when he brings out garbage like "Private" (I can't believe this has been picked up for a sequel next year!) and the truly disappointing "Worst Case" (the previous 2 Bennett novels were great, this was very "Meh!") but I though I'd give him the benefit of the doubt just one last time and gave "Don't Blink" a try. Thankfully this was actually pretty good.

The story was one of his fastest and most exciting that I can remember for a long while. The characters were not too bad (well, a considerable amount more likeable than the ones from "Private") and it did have quite a bit of action and suspense. It can be quite graphic and gory in parts that reminded me of some of his earlier books like "Hide & Seek".

The book was far from perfect though. For a start it felt like this was written for teenagers, being extremely simply written with poor dialogue and reminders of everything thats happened every couple of pages. Then there's the celebrity name-dropping all the time - I'm not sure why he keeps doing this but just lately all of Patterson's books are just littered with them and it really annoys me. Finally it is a little predictable - if you've read even just a handful of his other novels then you'll easily see what's coming next all the way through.

At the end of the day this is a Summer read. It doesn't claim to be clever or complicated and it isn't - it's just a fun to read book that can just be enjoyed and then forgotten about. If you've got a spare few hours and fancy a quick read that doesn't require much concentration or thought, then I recommend this is to you.

I just watched the interview that Amazon has with co-author James Patterson regarding this book. Patterson indicates that it's about a struggle between the Italian Mafia and the Russian Mafia. In fact, the book scarcely mentions the Russian Mafia. The involvement of the Russians is very peripheral to the central plot.

I must assume that authors Patterson and Howard Roughan hope readers will identify with the main character, Nick Daniels, self-obsessed and totally uninspiring journalist. But I found virtually no character development for him. He's just there. (He's everywhere.) I never had any interest in his fate.

I (can't believe I) read the whole thing. Underscore whole. Something about eyeballs on the table. Other eyeballs on the floor. A romance that is not romantic. There are unfortunate police officers who are carelessly tossed about as the book lurches to the merciful final page, 370.

As for the conclusion, it's one of the most contrived pieces of melodrama that I have ever encountered in any medium.

I can only recommend that you spend your time and hard-earned money elsewhere.

Wow, lots of bitter Kindle folks here, huh? Please stop whining about the kindle price in a place that is meant for book reviews. If the kindle price is too high, then buy the paper book. Capitalism works,people, move on. Now to the matter at heart - the book - loved it. It does everything a Patterson book is supposed to do - amuse, titillate, scare, little bit of gross out, and a twist. He rarely disappoints, and this one I'd put in his top 10. Hot chicks, mafia, a good lead character surrounded by modern media metaphors....its the cheesecake of literary desserts. Uncomplicated and rich. Not expensive....rich.

DON'T BLINK is another meaningless book from James Patterson and some other person that actually writes the novel. While meaningless, it isn't horrible...I take that back...It doesn't start horrible. But, by the end, I couldn't wait for it to be over.

As I listened to this supposed "mafia" thriller, I could see where Patterson populated the scenes with "by-the-numbers" plot points and scenes. Action Scene? Check? Character conflict? Check.

Nick Daniels, a reporter for Citizen magazine, is meeting ex-New York Yankee pitcher Duane Robinson at Lombardo's Steak House when the man next to them is brutally murdered. It was a mob hit, and Nick may own the key to who the murderer was and why. That's the basic plot. There's the love triangle with his boss Courtney and her fiance. There are the squabbles with local law enforcement and politicians. And then there are the mafia guys. As soon as the second one was introduced, I could tell none of them apart.

The novel is really about Nick, with mob characters appearing in an occasional and stereotypcal fashion. They all have knicknames and all say the same lines we've heard in all the movies. Nick is just a standard guy who isn't bothered when people around him start dropping like flies. But wait, he's a caring guy, as witnessed by the random scene of him taking his blind neice to a Yankee game, or the throwaway line about both parents dying from lung cancer after a life of smoking. Of course, the neice shows up later in the very unclimactic climax.

The Cross books are good, and the Women's Murder Club and Michael Bennett books are decent. But, Patterson's stand alone efforts have been horrible lately. Part of being a good author is having an identity. What are you known for? What are you good at? By trying to write a novel for every genre, Patterson is turning out to be good at none of them.

I have read most of Mr. Pattersons books and enjoyed the Alex Cross and Michael Bennet series, but my guess is that he did NOT actually write this book. I also tried the audio book and was again disapointed. His other audio books especially I, Alex Cross has great production values (Supsense music, sound effects etc) The narrator is very mono-tone and actually sounds bored. I assume it was probablly written by the co-author and Mr. Paterson was an editor or added some minor elements.

i really hope mr patterson reads these reviews because they r honest and truthful. Will the real Mr Patterson please write something worth reading And amazon we WILL go back to readimg paper if these prices continue So you lower the pric eof the device but raise the price of the book. not good customer retention marketing.

I have always consider myself a James Patterson fan, he is my #1 author, so it pains me to write this review. This book is so boring, it does not grab my attention, the story plot sucks and its hard to stay awake while reading this book. I usually finish a James Patterson book between 24 hours to 3days. After day 4, i gave up at chapter 42. Boring, Boring, Boring.

Perhaps the most lumbering and predictable book ever to bear the Patterson imprimatur, "Don't Blink" is filled with smug, shallow characters; absurd plotting; and a reveal that won't come as a surprise to anyone with half a brain or even a passing familiarity with Patterson's work. There's not nearly enough story to flesh out 384 pages, and the ending is straight out of "Scooby-Doo" ("I'd have gotten away with it, if it weren't for that pesky reporter!"). Though it starts with a mildly intriguing premise, it just gets more ludicrous and violent as it goes along. Blecch.

I started with the "free" Kindle edition, a quote-book-unquote. That was annoying enough for me - not a book but the first chapter (shills) - getting what was advertised as a 'first book', then realizing it was no such thing. The story though, with a totally unrelated/irrelevant opener (do-gooder journalist runs from gunfire in the wilderness of a foreign country), a first-person narrative presenting yawn after yawn (could this guy get any more boring?), and unremarkable/hackneyed satellite characters, left me not only NOT wanting more, but wondering how on earth Patterson was persuaded to put his name on this. THAT is the real mystery. Two words sum this 'book' up: Don't bother.

I don't believe JP is writing any of the new "co-authoered" books. I'm not even sure he's reading them before they are published with his "money in the bank" name. They are, with rare exception, AWFUL! I've been scammed. A word to the wise is sufficient.