First-time Patterson reader here. I was looking forward to sampling this popular author. I was a bit disappointed. After a clunky first third full of overwrought physical and background descriptions of even minor players, this book got down to business and had me hooked, even with a stunningly unbelievable plot (no matter how many comparisons are drawn to TFG). What I find hard to reconcile with reality in thriller plots are any conspiracies that involve more than a couple of conspirators and any criminal mastermind that has seemingly unlimited access to reliable minions. At least this story relied mostly on the latter.

The important characters, mainly the key protagonists, did finally come to life (somewhat in spite of their introductions) and helped me keep everything straight in the labyrinthian plot. And the stakes and action were ramped up very effectively to keep me turning pages. Ultimately, I have to agree with others that the outcome is as forgettable as most TV movies. Seemingly important plot threads did not live up to their promise. And the stakes, while onerous, didn't seem and more long-lasting than any non-lethal gunshot wound in a TV Western.

My TBR includes a couple of other Patterson titles. I still look forward to reading these. But I can only recommend this title as a disposable beach read.

Disclosure: Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown for providing a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. ( )

Entered contest to win a copy.

FROM AMAZON: US President Keegan Barrett has swept into office on his success as Director of the CIA. Six months into his first term, he devises a clandestine power grab with deadly consequences.

Barrett personally orders CIA agents Liam Grey and Noa Himel to execute his plan, but their loyalties are divided. The CIA serves at the pleasure of the president, yet they’ve sworn to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

When the threat comes directly from the Oval Office, that’s where the blowback begins.

The president is insane and starting a war with China ( )

Another great book by James Patterson and Brandan DuBois! Blowback is a quick, energizing read as the heroes and heroines wrestle with politics, insanity and global terror.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for this fun mystery ARC. ( )

Not only is this the best Patterson book I’ve ever read, but it is the best book I’ve read this year. The book kept me up until 2am to finish it as I literary could not put it down. Every chapter ends on a mini-cliffhanger, not providing a conclusion until a few chapters later. Every chapter had me wanting more and more.

The story follows former CIA Director Keegan Barrett, who has just won election for U.S. President and has begun using his ties to the CIA to recruit a team of loyal agents from the CIA to take revenge on the enemies of the country, such as ISIS, Al-Quaeda, and the Taliban, as well as targeting individuals within the USA, in order to seek revenge and obtain vengeance on his own personal enemies. Two agents, Noa Himel and Liam Grey, report directly to Keegan and recruit other CIA agens to form two teams. Liam heads the team that will operate in foreign locations and Noa recruits a team to target enemies within the USA, which is outside the jurisdiction of the CIA. Keegan is deranged and orders these activities without proper approval as he feels he is doing what the public elected him to do, that is, to keep the USA safe. His final target is China and his actions have the potential to start a nuclear war against these two superpowers. This is a scary scenario I hope never occurs.

The book has all the earmarks of a typical Patterson book, short chapters, enough characters to populate a telephone book, and an extreme number of pages. This one comes in just over 500 pages.

The characters are well developed and the dialog was sharp, crisp, and realistic. The story was so real I felt like I was a part of the story and kept looking around to see if anyone was spying on me.

My only complaint about the book was a couple of plot holes. In chapter 6, Benjamin Lucas was beaten and taken hostage in South Africa. Then in Chapter 23, he reappeared in Venezuela, unharmed, and with no explanation of how he escaped. Then in Chapter 48, he is back in South Africa as a hostage where we left him in Chapter 6. In the whole scheme of things, while this was unsettling, it was not enough to keep me from giving the book 5 stars. Get your hands on this book and be prepared to stay up late to finish it. ( )