Season of the Machete [Mass Market Paperback]

James Patterson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1995

Cool and glamorous, they appear to be a successful couple on a holiday. Yet Damian and Carrie Rose are psychopathic murderers for hire. On this picture-perfect vacation island, their target is Peter Macdonald, a dashing young American who forsakes a life of leisure to confront cold-blooded terror. But when they clash in a shocking endgame, a hideous truth will emerge - one that can destroy them all.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James B. Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an award-winning American author. Formerly an advertising executive for J. W. Thompson in the early 1990s, Patterson came up with the slogan "Toys R Us Kid". Shortly after his success with Along Came A Spider he retired from the firm and devoted his time to writing. The novels featuring his character, Alex Cross, a black forensic psychologist formerly of the Washington, D.C. Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, now working as a private psychologist and government consultant, are the most popular books among Patterson readers. James Patterson has been criticized by Stephen King, who called Patterson's books "dopey thrillers".[citation needed] Patterson shrugged off the comments, stating that he wants to be the "thrillingest thriller writer of all time".[citation needed] James Patterson has also been put as one of Forbes magazine's top 100 celebrities.

From AudioFile

Gory deaths come thick and fast in this thriller about a married couple of killers for hire who successfully ply their trade on a tropical isle. Opposing them is American Peter Macdonald. The American government is mixed up in it all somehow. The audio presentation is well matched to the pace of the action with sound effects, eerie music, and Lou Diamond Phillips's excellent performance. The versatile actor can voice characters and suggest with a low-pitched, ominous tone that murder and mayhem are about to occur. If you like action at the expense of subtlety, enhanced by a good production, you'll like this. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Vision; Warner Books ed edition (April 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446600474
• ISBN-13: 978-0446600477
• Product Dimensions: 4.5 x 0.9 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #284,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #51 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Authors, A-Z > ( P ) > Patterson, James

More About the Author

From my publisher:

James Patterson...


* James Patterson holds the New York Times bestsellers list record with 63 New York Times bestselling titles.

* JP has sold more than 220 million books worldwide. And considering pass-along and libraries, it's safe to say many more people than that have read a Patterson!

* In 2010, JP was named by kids everywhere the Children's Book Councils' Children's Choice Book Awards "Author of the Year" in 2010. More than 15,000 kid and teen readers voted for JP in a category he shared with Suzanne Collins, Carl Hiaasen, Jeff Kinney, and Rick Riordan. His Witch and Wizard series saw the biggest launch of a series for young readers ever, surpassing sales of first installments of Twilight, Diary of A Wimpy Kid, and Percy Jackson & The Olympians.

* JP has grossed over 3 billion dollars in worldwide sales. This is larger than the worldwide theatrical gross of Avatar, the highest grossing film of all time.

* JP has had 43 New York Times hardcover #1 bestselling novels, also a publishing industry record.

* Last year, JP has sold more books than John Grisham, Dan Brown, Tom Clancy, and Stephen King combined (source: Nielsen BookScan).

* JP properties are gaining wide interest amongst film and TV producers. JP's award-winning series for young readers, Maximum Ride, is currently with Avi Arad (Spiderman, Iron Man) and Universal Pictures. Lloyd Levin (Green Zone, Watchmen) is attached to produce a feature film adaptation of JP's newest young readers series, Witch and Wizard, and James Patterson Entertainment is set to produce the next Alex Cross film, I, Alex Cross which will feature Idris Elba (The Wire, The Losers) as Alex Cross. And, a television adaptation of JP's 2007 love story Sundays At Tiffanys aired in December 2010 starring Alyssa Milano and Eric Winter.

* JP's books are licensed in 43 countries worldwide, and are in print and actively sold in 100 countries.

* According to a 2010 Bowker Sisters in Crime Survey, JP is the favorite mystery writer amongst readers under 50...AND over 50! Survey respondents comprised American men, women and teens who bought at least one mystery fiction title in 2009 and/or 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars From Patterson's early "proving ground" years!, May 9, 2004

By 

coachtim (Indiana, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Season of the Machete (Turtleback)

As a dedicated fan of James Patterson, I realized that this was the one book of his that I had not yet read. Considering myself somewhat of a "completeist" when it comes to authors and musicians, I felt compelled to find a copy even though many, many Amazon reviewers recommended otherwise. Well, I guess I should have listened to the reviewers! This is not the James Patterson who wrote the great "Alex Cross" series (or even lesser works like "Thomas Berryman...", "Virgin", or "Black Market"). The character development is almost non-existent and the plot is so jumbled and rambling, it's like a runaway stagecoach.

Oh, don't get me wrong, there's plenty of action and numerous gory murders, but the set-up for the book is wafer-thin and it's really hard to fight your way through it. Like an earlier reviewer stated, I defy any reader to really tell me what the heck is going on through most of this book.

If you're a fan of Patterson's, stick with the Cross novels and his other later works. "Season of the Machete" was obviously a very early effort by Patterson and has about as much substance as some of my last-minute, weekend term papers from college. It's hard for me to give any Patterson book "one star" but when you compare this novel to his later books, this reviewer cannot do otherwise.

Stick to his good stuff and avoid this "Season"!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars OK I guess, December 15, 2002

By 

David A. Spearman (Harbor Beach, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Season of the Machete (Mass Market Paperback)

This is my ninth novel by Mr. Patterson. I guess I have been spoiled with Alex Cross stories. I try to read all a Author writes if I enjoy his books. I believe this to be his third and I have read all the rest. I felt he was still learning in this book. Very confusing, plenty of action but no growth of new characters, as I finshed it I realized that Peter was still in pursuit, I couldn't tell that until the final sentence. We all improve with time and so has this Author, all the rest have been great and I will read more as they come.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pitiful..., January 8, 2005

By 

DWD "DWD's Reviews" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Season of the Machete (Mass Market Paperback)

I wish they'd pull this one from the market. I've never heard a soul say anything good about it. It's just out there so Patterson fans will accidentally buy it. DON'T BUY IT!! It is nowhere near the quality of any of his other books! Get ANYTHING else by Patterson and it will be better than this.