Private Screening [Paperback]

Richard North Patterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 4, 1994

The nation is stunned silent when presidential hopeful James Kilcannon is shot dead point blank, while sharing the stage at a benefit concert with his rock star girlfriend Stacy Tarrant. Fiercely independent attorney Tony Lord defends the assassin in a sensational trial that erupts into the media event of the decade. But the most shocking gambit ever witnessed in the history of television has yet to unfold. As America watches, a mysterious and ruthless figure known only as Phoenix takes to the airwaves in the ultimate act of high-tech terror. Holding the wife of a wealthy newspaper mogul and Stacy's manager hostage, Phoenix mounts a televised trial of his own - in which Stacy Tarrant and Tony Lord are the helpless defendants, millions of viewers are jurors, and - unless his chilling demands are met - Phoenix is the unstoppable executioner...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Patterson's latest (The Lasko Tangent, Escape the Night) is a crackerjack thriller. First a rock superstar's manager and then a newspaper mogul's wife are kidnapped; the latter event is videotaped and sent to a cable news network. "Phoenix," the chief kidnapper, appears masked on the tape, promising TV trials of the principals and, if his demands aren't met, a live broadcast of an execution. Attorney Tony Lord is called by superstar Stacy Tarrant to help ransom her manager. A year before, Lord had defended the Vietnam vet who had assassinated Stacy's lover, a U.S. Senator killed on the eve of California's presidential primary. Half the book is a long, vivid flashback to the assassination and trial, both of which prove to have surprising connections with the kidnapping. In a complex plot, Patterson saves his most shocking twists for the ending, however. And even while maintaining a breakneck pace, he manages to convey Vietnam's sad legacy for many of its veterans. A superior performance, with a few scenes that beg for movie or TV treatment. October 15
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

When a Vietnam veteran assassinates California's presidential candidate, an intricate plot begins to unfold. A terror ist who styles himself the Phoenix kid naps two people and captures prime time television to air his demands. Be hind the scenes the assassin's lawyer shuttles among the principals; eventu ally he becomes the reluctant point man in the negotiations with Phoenix. In a shock ending that evokes the sort of nasty secrets exposed by Raymond Chandler, the pieces all come together. Unlike those hardboiled thrillers, though, this book brims with upbeat emotions like true love, loyalty, and courage. Patterson's own background as a trial lawyer gives the dialogue in his fourth novel a realistic thrust-and- parry rhythm. There are really two sto ries here, for along with the thriller is a restrained and taut tale of one U.S. sol dier whose conduct in the war haunts him still. Engaging and intelligent, this complex story puts a new gloss on the terror and troubles of our times. Bar bara Conaty, Medical Coll. of Wiscon sin Lib., Milwaukee
Copyright 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Arrow Books (August 4, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099374013
• ISBN-13: 978-0099374015
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 1.4 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,253,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

RICHARD NORTH PATTERSON is the author of The Spire, Eclipse and fourteen other bestselling and critically acclaimed novels. Formerly a trial lawyer, he was the SEC liaison to the Watergate special prosecutor and has served on the boards of several Washington advocacy groups. He lives in San Francisco and on Martha's Vineyard with his wife, Dr. Nancy Clair.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Decent Read, September 23, 2000

By 

TylerTanner (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Screening (Paperback)

This is the first Patterson book I have read, and it was a decent, readable book. The characters are likeable, but ultimately unsympathetic. The strongest relationship I felt was between the main character and his son, but that is the only example of his straying from ambiguity. The Author also throws too many characters at the reader at one time, which also makes the book confusing at first. It is also best to approach this book as two stories in one. The first(which is half the book) is a flashback trial, which is handled wonderfully. The second, brings you to the present point and flip flops around before the final climax. Although I did enjoy reading the book, I will not rush out and buy another one of Pattersons works. If I happen upon one at a clearance sale, then I feel it is money well spent

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars TV OR NOT TV, March 5, 2003

By 

Michael Butts (Berkeley Springs, WV USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Private Screening (Paperback)

This early novel by Patterson is far inferior to his later works, but I think it stands on its own in kind of a predatory or sadistic way. The whole concept of hostages being negotiated and aired as a t.v. special is all too frighteningly real, considering the nation's obsession with so-called reality television. But the premise is intriguing, and the story has some tense and riveting scenes. My main complaint is that within the novel, John Damone tells Stacy that "the man I hired killed him. Lord just brought it up again.." So i figured Stacy was in on it, but obviously she wasn't. This little confusing issue kind of squelched my overall enthusiasm for the novel, but even then Patterson was writing awesomely, giving us a glimpse of what he's come to do best---trial novels!
RECOMMENDED.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars stick with it, October 21, 2005

By 

Delia Frawn (usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Private Screening (Paperback)

When I first starting reading this book I honestly couldn't tell what was what. But I kept at it and it really paid off! I have never read Patterson before but I can tell you I plan to read a lot more of his work! Even though I figured out the ending pretty much as soon as the hostage was taken it was still fun for me to read.