Private Screening: A Novel

This author never fails to get the story done in an interesting way! GREAT READ.

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.

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.

This was the third book I've read by Patterson, and each one twists and turns until the last page. Although he layers flashbacks throughout, there are times the reader may feel lost. In his subsequent books, Patterson more clearly weaves the multiple layers of his exquisite plots. He is definitely the thinking-reader's hero! The stories read fast and furious to their unexpected conclusions!

I read Private Screening before Silent Witness. After reading the first couple of pages I was hooked. Interesting characters that you could associate and feel with. Always wanting to turn the page to see what would happen next and how all these different characters were to come together in the ending. I thought at first with the terrorism thing that we were going somewhere totally different than into a rock stars life, senator's life and lawyers and veteran's life and how they are so much the same and yet so different in their choices. I couldn't wait to read Silent Witness! Would recommend highly, you won't want to put it down!