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Best-selling author James Patterson has dabbled with a pretty wide variety of genres. With some help from his team of talented co-authors, he’s penned non-fiction, romance, science fiction, and even graphic novels for kids. But Patterson is still at his best when his characters are hunting down a cold-blooded criminal or two—just like journalist Nick Daniels is in Don’t Blink, Patterson’s latest crime thriller with co-author Howard Roughan (You’ve Been Warned).
A writer for New York’s Citizen, Nick has been in his share of dangerous situations—but he thought that none would be more dangerous than his high-speed Jeep chase through the desert in Darfur. He was wrong.
When Nick returns to New York, he’s given the chance of a lifetime: an interview with reclusive former Yankees pitcher Dwayne Robinson. But before the interview can begin, the unthinkable happens: a former organized crime lawyer is brutally murdered at the posh New York City steakhouse, Lombardo’s—at the table next to Nick’s.
Nick soon discovers that he has valuable evidence linking the murder to a notorious crime boss—but the tireless journalist refuses to let the story go. There could be more to the murder than meets the eye—but the truth could put Nick in more danger than ever before.
Like most of Patterson’s crime thrillers, Don’t Blink fits into his tried-and-true, best-selling formula: super-short chapters, loads of action, plenty of italics and exclamation points for added effect—and, of course, a nice, neat conclusion. And all of those carefully crafted elements come together to create a story that’s fast-paced and quick to read, undemanding yet perfectly satisfying.
But Don’t Blink also offers some pleasantly surprising differences. In many of Patterson’s thrillers (like The Postcard Killers and Swimsuit, to name a couple), there isn’t a whole lot of mystery. Readers are introduced to the bad guy in the book’s early chapters—so the story is more like a game of cat and mouse than a mystery. This time, however, the pieces don’t really come together until the last few pages. Though crime families are certainly involved, readers won’t know exactly who’s behind the crime—or why—until the very end.
Though Patterson’s thrillers are almost always grippingly suspenseful, the added mystery in Don’t Blink only increases its suspense. The result is a breath-holding, heart-pounding thriller that’s guaranteed to keep readers perched precariously on the edge of their favorite reading chair. You may be able to guess the outcome, but you’ll never be able to guess what’s in store just beyond the next turn of the page. Nick faces a new danger around each corner. He’s chased, threatened, and beaten. And you’ll never know when he’ll have to face his next challenge—or his next opponent.
In the end, Don’t Blink is one big Mafia Fruit Basket Upset of a story. It’s tense and thrilling, and it’s sure to keep you guessing as you speed through the pages. With action this gripping, you won’t want to blink until it’s over.
