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57 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My favorite series so far..., December 2, 2009
I became a fan of the movies made from James Patterson's books long before I became fan of his actual writing. I stayed away mostly because of the negative reviews and well, the movies were so good. Three years ago, if memory serves, a friend talked me into getting one of his books. Since then, I haven't looked back. I've mostly read his standalones. The Mike Bennett series consists of this one and the first book, STEP ON A CRACK. If you haven't yet, start with the first.
In RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, Bennett, a recent widow struggles to raise his ten adopted children with the help of Seamus, his grandfather, and the young and pretty Mary Catherine, who we met in the first book. One by one, the kids are coming down with the flu. All the while, he's still dealing with the loss of his beloved wife, Maeve.
A new killer is on the loose who calls himself the Teacher. He's a chameleon of sorts as he changes his looks between each of his killings. His targets seem to be people who are rude, but he has a much more sinister agenda that doesn't become clear until towards the end. Until then, his killings were a bit random until the Teacher and Bennett meet on the phone. That's when the killings turn personal. Bennett soon finds himself the next target of a madman.
Like most of the Patterson books, I prefer the audio format. If you are into audio books, this was probably one of the best. Dallas Roberts makes a chilling voice of a killer and Bobby Cannavale captures the essence of Mike Bennett perfectly. The transition between cop and killer is so smooth. I absolutely loved the combination.
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48 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
No Apple For This Teacher, February 2, 2009
The latest Patterson/Ledwidge collaboration is set in New York City focusing on the life and times of one of its finest, Detective Michael Bennett, a recently widowed Irish cop with a lovable, flu-infested brood. When a series of brazen murders occur during broad daylight in posh uptown establishments, Det. Bennett is promoted as lead investigator with pressure from the brass to solve the case quickly. It is a politically savvy move by his superiors to distract Michael, a trained hostage negotiator, from an ongoing investigation into the shooting death of a bungled hostage situation days earlier.
The trail is initially ice cold but Michael uses his instinct (combined with a lot of luck) to identify and pursue the self-named "Teacher," an egotistical psychopath, on a mission to teach manners to those condescending and rude people who have seemingly wronged him. Michael follows a series of clues which lead to an ultimate showdown with the killer. In an unusual and totally unexpected twist of fate, Michael finds himself and a beloved loved one as hostages. He then must use reverse psychology, recall every trick he learned in hostage negotiation training, and every ounce of strength he can muster to save himself, his child, and New York City from the evil clutches of the Teacher.
This novel is a light, engaging, easy suspense/thriller that reads like a made-for-TV movie. The characters are familiar (tough, loving, nice guy Irish cop who misses and loves his deceased wife; adorable kids; feisty Irish nanny; a cocky fatherly priest; a pushy, sexy reporter, etc.) and there is the evenly paced plot with short cliffhanger chapters that keeps the reader turning pages. Enjoyable and recommended for die-hard Patterson and Ledwidge fans.
Reviewed by Phyllis
January 13, 2009
APOOO BookClub
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19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Wanted it to be good, but it just wasn't, April 7, 2009
I have read other Patterson books and enjoyed them, but Run For Your Life just wasn't very good. Poorly written, with oddly stilted diagog and a very strange obsession with vomitting, there really wasn't much to like here. I haven't heard a racing bicycle referred to as a "10-speed" since the 80's and with all that corny dialog I knew I needed to get through this one quickly.
The book has one "twist" which you, the reader, will figure out WAY before the protagonist or the cops do, and the book does build to the usual WAY over the top climax but it's all too little too late.
Happily, I read this on the new Kindle II which was great because the book was cheaper than I might have spent on the hardcover and I didn't have to lug around all that weight. Unfortunatley, the Kindle can't make the writing any better.
I'd stay away.
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