Step on a Crack by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge, John Slattery, and Reg Rogers

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Step on a Crack from Literature & Fiction

Step on a Crack
Available from Amazon
Price: $26.39
Updated on 6-30-2008.

Features

Audio CD

Publisher: Hachette Audio; Unabridged edition (February 12, 2007)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1594836272

ISBN-13: 978-1594836275

Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 5.3 x 1.4 inches

Shipping Weight: 8 ounces ()

From Publishers Weekly
Pop a bowl of popcorn, settle into a comfy chair and you might finish this combination thriller and tearjerker before the popcorn. Bestseller Patterson (Cross) and Ledwidge (The Narrowback) spin a fantastic tale of an audacious mass kidnapping and the unlikely detective thrust into the primary role of negotiator, sleuth and hero. Michael Bennett, a senior NYPD homicide detective, has a wife dying of cancer and 10 adopted children of various ethnic origins. When St. Patrick's Cathedral, site of the celebrity-packed funeral of a former first lady, is seized by a dozen ruthless men, Bennett ends up as point man for the hastily assembled negotiating team. From then on, the tale requires the reader to go with the flow as Bennett alternates visits to his wife's hospital bedside, brief trips to check on how his kids are managing and tense dealings with the well-prepared kidnappers. Short on credibility on the crime front, long on sentimentality on the home front, this book would be a good candidate for adaptation as a one-hour TV movie. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From AudioFile
A mass kidnapping at St. Patrick's Cathedral nets many of the world's celebrities gathered for the funeral of a former first lady. Mike Bennett, NYPD detective, father of 10 adopted children whose wife is dying of cancer, must put aside his personal woes and outsmart the well-organized criminals. In these post-9/11 days, Ledwidge and Patterson's scenario seems all too credible. Narrators John Slattery and Reg Rogers create thoroughly believable hostages and hostage-takers, and are especially effective voicing the beleaguered cop, hijacker "Jack," and the reptilian villain, "The Neat Man." Occasional music and sound effects don't add much, but short, intense chapters make it impossible to stop listening to this well-crafted story. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Step on a Crack (Hardcover) Step on a Crack is the latest novel to be released and to have James Patterson's name on the cover. This book, like all but the Alex Cross novels, has a co-author. Patterson has at least 4 books coming out this year and the cynical will dismiss him as a hack who churns out novels for the money. He probably does do that, and it doesn't really bother me. All Patterson's novels are short and easy to read. Some are good, like the Lifeguard and 4th of July, some are bad like 5th Horseman and Beach Road. I read Step on a Crack with an open mind and was prepared to judge it on its merits. The novel deserves 1 star for incredibly poor characterization but I'm giving it two stars because the terrorist plot is quite intriguing. A former First Lady is murdered and of course a big funeral must be held. Hotshots from Hollywood, business and politics all show up and a group of terrorists strike, taking over the funeral. They release everyone except around 35 of the chosen big shots that they hope to extort money from. Michael Bennett is an NYPD homicide cop with a wife in the hospital and ten kids, yes ten kids. He gets thrust into the position as the lead negotiator with the terrorists because he has prior experience as a hostage negotiator. All Patterson novels follow a formula, and this is no exception. The characters have little depth, the plot skips over details. Basically, these books are written like a movie. The action in the book is somewhat intriguing. The hostages (pro football player, aging rock star, hollywood actress, talk show host) are entertaining as their ego-driven personalities have to find a way to cope with each other and the men holding them hostage. The terrorists are American and predictable in their brutality. The big "catch" of the novel is the question: How will the bad guys get away with kidnapping so many famous people in such a public location? The answer isn't that surprising, nor are the clues that lead to the capture of the bad guys. The book description states: "Bennett--father of ten--is pulled into the fray. As the danger escalates, Michael is hit with devastating news. After fighting for many years, his wife has succumbed to a terrible disease." What is this, Cheaper by the Dozen. The "10 kids" gimmick is ridiculous. The names are thrown about without any recognition by the reader. The respite from the action, with the dying wife, is incredibly contrived and adds absolutely nothing to the book, and that's why I'm so disappointed. The authors knew they needed a subplot, and tried to come up with one they deemed creative, and then tried to use it as a hook to sell the book. It doesn't work. This is a shallow, disappointing effort. Don't waste your money or your time. But don't worry, in 3 months Patterson will have another book out that may be better. While the book had good, amusing bit characters, and a little suspense, the gimmick with the 10 kids is SO out of place, that it soured me on the entire novel. Comments (4) | Permalink | (Report this)

Step on a Crack
List Price: $39.98
Available from Amazon
Price: $26.39
Updated on 6-30-2008.