The Pawn (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 1) [Bargain Price] [Paperback]

Steven James (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

Special Agent Patrick Bowers had only met one man who made him truly afraid. Until now. When he's called to North Carolina to consult on the case of an area serial killer, he finds himself in a deadly game. Cunning and lethal, the killer is always one step ahead of the law, and he's about to strike again. It will take all of Bowers's instincts and training to stop this man who calls himself the Illusionist. And just when the pieces start to come together, Bowers realizes they're not quite adding up. Can he unravel the pattern and save the next victim? Or will the Illusionist win the game by taking one of his opponent's pieces? Thrilling, chilling, and impossible to put down, The Pawn will hold suspense lovers in its iron grip until the very last page.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this riveting thriller, the first of a planned trilogy, James (Story) introduces FBI agent Patrick Bowers. His professional specialty is environmental criminology, which attempts to track lawbreakers by analyzing the significance of the time and place at which the crime occurred. When corpses of young women start turning up near Asheville, N.C., Bowers is called in. The killer's MO is to tie a yellow ribbon in his victims' hair and leave a chess piece somewhere on the scene. Bowers begins to suspect that the governor of North Carolina, rumored to be the next Republican presidential contender, is somehow connected to the murders, and that a cult with links to Jonestown might also be involved. Making matters trickier, the special agent supervising Bowers turns out to be a longtime colleague with whom Bowers has some bad blood. Bowers, a recent widower with a surly teenage stepdaughter to raise, tries to keep his grief and parental confusion at bay so that he can focus on the case as the killer targets more innocent women. Christian faith makes a subtle appearance in the story and appears to be a theme that will be developed in future installments. A gripping plot and brisk pacing will win James some fans eager for his next offering. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"...A captivating look at the fine line between good and evil. The Pawn is not to be missed."--Ann Tatlock, author of Every Secret Thing -- Ann Tatlock, author of Every Secret Thing

"Steven James combines 21st-century high-tech law enforcement techniques with 18th-century Sherlockian deduction to craft an exciting, suspense-filled story."--Dr. Kim Rossmo, Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation, Texas State University -- Dr. Kim Rossmo, Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation, Texas State University

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Revell (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800732405
• ASIN: B001KOU1GI
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (187 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,382 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

272 of 288 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Guy Makes Me Mad, January 11, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: The Pawn (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 1) (Paperback)

Yeah, you read that right...Steven James really makes me mad. I'll tell you why in a moment, but this is a review of his novel and I'll start with that.

On the surface, "The Pawn" looks to be yet another in a long, somewhat wearying string of serial killer novels. I mean, how many more of these can we read before the genre dies? Pun intended. The reason the genre remains strong, however, is because of well-crafted thrillers such as this, ones that include believable characters and original villains. In fact, I suggest that "The Pawn" elevates and transcends its market niche.

The book's protagonist, Patrick Bowers, is struggling to understand his wife's death from cancer and the resulting estrangement from his step-daughter. He doesn't have much time for such things, though, while trying to track down a ruthless and brilliant games-man, a killer who leaves chess pieces at the site of each murder. These are workable elements for any such novel, yet nothing that new to the market; it's the manner in which James ties them together with larger conspiracy theories and historical mysteries that turns this into a true page-turner. Not only do we care about this killer being stopped, we care about Bowers and his relationships. We care about the future victims. We care about others caught up in the dizzying maze of deception.

So why am I mad? Well, as a published novelist myself, I often wrestle with my own inner editor while reading other novels. This makes it hard to enjoy some of them. In the case of James, I found myself challenged instead to sharpen my craft even more. Not only that, he combines in "The Pawn" some of the elements that it's taken me two or three books to explore--a love of coffee, an eye for chess, and an interest in history. In fact, I've had some readers doubt the history in my novels, and I've told them to go read the facts. I thought, in the case of Mr. James, maybe I'd catch him sleeping on the research, but no...I looked up his underlying historical premise--and it's right on target. Wow! In his debut thriller, he's trumped my books and raised the bar.

Yeah, that really torques me! And I can't wait to read his next, "The Rook."

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed by Carianne Carleo-Evangelist, September 7, 2007

By 

Front Street Reviews www.frontstreetreviews.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pawn (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 1) (Paperback)

The Pawn, a thriller written by Steven James, is at once a book that you want to stop reading so you don't have nightmares, but one you don't want to put down either.

Thriller readers familiar with James Patterson's "Alex Cross" series will find themselves thinking of Alex Cross and his Washington D.C. home, but Special Agent Patrick Bowers is a strong character in his own domain: North Carolina. Further, his specialty in environmental criminology is apt considering the newsworthiness of environmental issues in the present time.

Further complicating Bowers's work is high powered political figures, such as North Carolina's governors and higher ranking bureau officials, including his supervisor. We hear news stories often where police officials are criticized for not doing their job and then when the story comes out, it turns out their ability to do this work is being blocked by other parties. This is very much the case in this story, leading a real world feel to this work of fiction.

Although there are numerous characters that appear in the story, it isn't a challenge to keep them straight, and some such as Tessa, you can't help but grow attached to. Another testament to the author's abilities, the characters come to life and the reader almost expects to meet them when they go to town.

The author's background in storytelling, in which he received his MA from East Tennessee State University, shows clearly throughout the book, allowing the reader to feel as if they are hearing a personal account of the tale. Further, he uses simple words, such as `pawn' with multiple meanings and to keep the readers thinking. In a manner similar to John Grisham writing about the Delta locations he knows best, Steven James brings North Carolina to life in readers' eyes.

This is the first of a planned trilogy, and I look forward to reading more of Patrick Bowers's cases and Steven James's work.

62 of 75 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Well written but Graphic and Gory, August 20, 2008

By 

Evalynn Mills - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pawn (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 1) (Paperback)

Both The Pawn (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 1) and The Rook (The Patrick Bowers Files, Book 2) are very well written with good character development. However, the books are very graphic and gory. A serial killer who gets high on strangling a person and brings them back just so he can do it again and again is troubling. There are many authors who can tell a murder mystery without these disturbing images. I certainly hope that Stephen James will be able to weave future tales without all the terror and erotic gore.