The Knight (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 3) [Paperback]

Steven James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2009

The stakes have never been higher.

FBI Agent Patrick Bowers is used to tracking the country's most dangerous killers, but now it looks like a killer is tracking him. When he realizes the murderer is using clues from a medieval manuscript as a blueprint for his crimes, Bowers faces a race against time to decipher who the next victim will be and to stop the final shocking murder--which he's beginning to believe might be his own.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

The stakes have never been higher. FBI Agent Patrick Bowers is used to tracking the country's most dangerous killers, but now it looks like a killer is tracking him. When he realizes the murderer is using clues from a medieval manuscript as a blueprint for his crimes, Bowers faces a race against time to decipher who the next victim will be and to stop the final shocking murder--which he's beginning to believe might be his own. Gritty, chilling, and intense, this psychological thriller is guaranteed to keep you up all night. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

The stakes have never been higher.

FBI Agent Patrick Bowers is used to tracking the country's most dangerous killers, but now it looks like a killer is tracking him. Bowers faces a race against time to decipher who the next victim will be and to stop the final shocking murder--which he's beginning to believe might be his own.

Gritty, chilling, and intense, this psychological thriller is guaranteed to keep you up all night.


The Critics Have Spoken

Praise for The Pawn

"Riveting."--Publishers Weekly

"Fast-paced, crisp writing . . . a satisfying read."--CBA Retailers

"[An] exceptional psychological thriller."--Armchair Reviews

"In a word, intense."--Mysterious Reviews


Praise for The Rook

"A wild ride."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Readers will be on the edge of their seats."--Romantic Times top pick

"Best story of the year--perfectly executed."--The Suspense Zone 2008 Reviewers Choice Award


Critically acclaimed author Steven James has written more than twenty books, including the bestselling thriller series The Bowers Files. One of the nation's most innovative storytellers, Steven developed his skill as a performer at East Tennessee State University (MA in Storytelling). He lives in Tennessee with his wife and three daughters.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Revell; 1 Original edition (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800732707
• ISBN-13: 978-0800732707
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #149,058 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Critically acclaimed author Steven James has penned 30+ books spanning the genres of psychological thrillers, dramas,YA fantasy, and more. Steven has received wide critical acclaim for his work, including four Storytelling World Honor awards, two Publishers Weekly starred reviews, and 2009 & 2011 Christy Awards for best suspense. His thriller, The Bishop, was named both Suspense Magazine's and The Christian Manifesto's 2010 Book of the Year and won an RT Book Reviews and an INSPY award in the categories of suspense/mystery. Library Journal listed his latest action thriller The Queen as one of the best novels of 2011. His first thriller The Pawn was optioned by ABC Studios in 2010.

Steven earned a Master's Degree in Storytelling from ETSU in 1997 and is an active member of International Thriller Writers, The Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and International Association of Crime Writers.

Steven serves as a contributing editor to Writer's Digest. He appears regularly as a keynote speaker at events throughout North America.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Checkmated Again!, September 23, 2009

By 

Eric Wilson "novelist" (Nashville, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Knight (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 3) (Paperback)

Since discovering Steven James' writing a few years back, I've eagerly anticipated each new title. I love tightly spun mysteries. I love gritty thrillers. I love great characters and twists. Welcome to the chessboard of James' storytelling.

"The Knight" takes us once again into the world of Patrick Bowers, an FBI agent with a keen mind. Not only does he have a resume of catching notorious criminals, but he's a forerunner in the field of geoprofiling--pinpointing his targets by using geographical elements from their killing patterns. (It's more complicated than that, but I'll leave it to Bowers to explain.) This time, Bowers is dealing with some ethical quandaries from a conviction years ago, with the continued questions of his step-daughter's past and parentage, and, most pressingly, with the demented new crimes being carried out by a man who calls himself John/Giovanni. The origin of the name and its connections to each of the killings to come unfolds in superlative fashion, with the tension tightening and the pace quickening with each successive chapter, leading to a surprise ending.

Along the way, Pat and his daughter both grow in their understanding of each other, and Pat wrestles with his own romantic inclinations toward women he's worked with. Although some of the romantic aspects seem a bit forced to carry on into another book, I still enjoyed them. More enjoyable is the maturing relationship between step-father and step-daughter. Tessa is an intelligent, brooding teen who provides a human element often missing from this genre.

Once again, James has given us a rip-snorting thriller with a beating heart, a calculating cat-and-mouse game of chess, and a satisfying ending that nevertheless leaves a lot more to be explored in "The Bishop," due out next year. He has joined Harlan Coben, James Lee Burke, and Tim Downs as one of my favorite mystery/thriller writers out there.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 3rd in Patrick Bowers series keeps the thrills and chills coming, August 29, 2009

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Knight (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 3) (Paperback)

The Knight by Steven James is the third book is the exciting Patrick Bowers series. FBI Agent Bowers uses his unique geographic profiling skills to track down the most violent of criminals. He'll have to use all of his abilities to find a sadistic murderer who is killing people for a twisted story before Bowers and his stepdaughter Tessa become the next victims. This riveting thriller never lets up for a second. From tense courtroom drama to intense action scenes, every page zips by. I love how James has given Bowers an unusual ability, making him stand out from the overloaded FBI action genre. Bowers relies more on his brain than his brawn to outwit criminals, but he's a bit clueless about matters of the heart in interactions with Tessa and new love interest Cheyenne. If you're going through withdrawal this summer because of repeats on Criminal Minds, Numbers,CSI, etc, Patrick Bowers will satisfy your need for a smart and scary suspenseful thriller.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Another intense psychological thriller, January 6, 2010

By 

Barbara L. Lemaster "Bibliophile" (Pompano Beach, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Knight (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 3) (Paperback)

This third outing in the Patrick Bowers series finds several subplots in addition to the main story, which is Bowers' determination to solve a series of grisly crimes in the Colorado area that are being perpetrated by John/Giovanni and are somehow linked to Renaissance literature. One subplot features Bowers and his stepdaughter Raven/Tessa growing closer, and another deals with his flirtation with partner Cheyenne after breaking it off with FBI Special Agent Lien-hua Jiang. He's also called upon to testify at the trial of a serial killer named Basque and it's this subplot that relates most directly to the main story; it seems that both Bowers and Basque have a devoted fan. The murders are fairly grisly for what's deemed Christian literature. The killer's reveal at the end is a neat twist, and this book should please fans of the series.