Never Never
by James Patterson & Candice Fox — a Thriller-Suspense Mystery
Released on January 16, 2017 — 370 pages
Narrated by Fereday Holmes
I have been for over a year now getting Audible books so I decided I would review and share my opinion on some of them with you. Enjoy!
I have a small confession: this is actually the first book I have read from James Patterson. I know that he is an extremely prolific writer, but until recently I just did not have the opportunity to read much. I still don’t, but that is the beauty and power of buying audiobooks. It gives you the time to do other things like drive around for errands, vacuum the carpets, mop the floors, etc. Anyway, I am really glad I got a chance to read this one.
The Synopsis:
Never…
assume you know someone. Harry Blue is the top sex crimes investigator in her department. She’s a seasoned pro who’s seen it all. But even she didn’t see this coming: her own brother arrested for the grisly murders of three beautiful young women.
Never…
accept a reassignment to the middle of nowhere “for your own good”. Harry’s been sent to a makeshift town in a desolate landscape – a world full of easy money, plenty of illegal ways to spend it, and a ragtag collection of transient characters who thrive on the fringes of society. A place where little grows but evil flourishes.
Never…
trust anyone. Looking into a seemingly simple missing persons case, Harry’s been assigned to a new “partner”. But is he actually meant to be a watchdog? Still reeling from the accusations against her brother, Harry can’t trust even her own instincts, which she’s never doubted…until now.
Never…
go anywhere without leaving a trace. Far from the world she knows and desperate to clear her brother’s name, Harry has to mine the dark secrets of her strange new home for answers to a deepening mystery – before she vanishes in a place where no one would ever think to look for her.
Never Never is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride with enough intrigue and suspense to keep you guessing until the final minute. You’ll never be able to turn it off.
The Review:
While I thought the hook of a sex crime detective not knowing her own brother was a serial killer was intriguing, the main story arch for the novel turned out pretty engaging as well. The uranium mine setting was unique, but from other articles that I have read, the details of its size and population were farfetched and very inaccurate.
The story revolves mainly around the hard-as-nails female detective, Harriet Blue and how she perseveres with the stress of her brother being arrested then portrayed as a sexual serial killer all over the media.
While this should have been the main storyline, instead it is the story of her investigating missing miners in this uranium mine in the middle of nowhere. I liked the storyline, but it did feel a little “bait-and-switch”. Another complaint would be that it was never clear in my mind — the locale was not fully painted in my mind.
The characters are complex and varied. Harry’s personality, though, was too mixed for me. One moment strong and feisty, next confused and weak. I would like her depiction one way or the other. On top of it, she was a horrible judge of character ESPECIALLY FOR A DETECTIVE! HA!
Intense action sequences, good dialogue as well as some unpredictable plot twists certainly makes this a fun read. I will be getting the next novel in the Harriet Blue Book Series.
The Narration:
Federay Holmes — Here I usually include a picture of the voice actor, however, there were none to be found anywhere on Amazon, Kindle, IMDB or Audible.com. Not sure why no images exist.
Born in March 1968 in Australia as Sarah Federay Holmes.
She’s listed on IMDB.com as a bit role actress known for television shows New Tricks (2014), The Widower (2013), and Oranges and Sunshine (2010).
She did a great job on this project and her British accent definitely added to the Australian atmosphere of the novel. I would say her performance is one of the main reasons I liked the novel. Ms. Holmes has over a dozen different novels to her credit including Me Without You, Like A House On Fire, and The Devil’s Staircase.
The Rating:
Some flaws which I am willing to overlook as I liked the story and characters and want to know just what is the story around brother… I would RECOMMEND this series starter novel.
By Derek Barton — Author of ELUDE: PART ONE, ELUDE: PART TWO (horror/crime thriller), & In Four Days: a Horror-Suspense Novella. Also the Dark Fantasy novel series Consequences Within Chaos and The Bleeding Crown.
The Official Website of Author Derek Barton 