STEP ON A CRACK by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

I just finished this book the other day and thought like it would be a good idea to let the world know I like this book. Here is a review of the book that I think has all the potential for a Hollywood blockbuster.

Christmas is fast approaching. The former First Lady has been poisoned while sharing a romantic dinner with her husband in a posh New York City restaurant. A few blocks away, Maeve Bennett is dying of cancer. She and her husband Mike have adopted 10 children of various races and nationalities. Government leaders and celebrities fill St. Patrick's Cathedral for the funeral mass, attracting a massive crowd of spectators.

But, something goes terribly wrong and the entire congregation is kidnapped by an unknown group of gunmen who have no apparent means of success. Mike Bennett, a detective and former hostage negotiator is called in to assist. He quickly assumes the lead role in negotiating with Jack, the leader of the kidnappers. Cool, detached, and seemingly amoral, Jack simply asks for money and the stage is set. We learn quickly that he has help on the outside, the Neat Man, an obsessive-compulsive man who must always be clean.

James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge juxtapose the conflict Bennett endures as he faces a relentless and well-prepared foe while trying to cope with the impending death of his beloved wife and caring for a brood of children 3 - 12 years old. There are so many kids that a visitor at the hospital thinks he has brought some students from a school to sing Christmas carols for the patients. The authors of Step On a Crack deftly draw characters with the strengths and frailties of real people in real situations. The plot is not so unreal as to detract from our willingness to envelope ourselves in the story and "believe" in what we are reading.
It gives nothing away to say that Bennett brings resolution - after all, he is the protagonist. The best part is that the solution comes about through thorough, traditional police work. The focus and abilities of humans lead to the solution when one very logical thing goes wrong for the kidnappers. And, it was not the fortuitous discovery of a stray hair; Patterson does throw in a little dig at the plethora of CSI stories.

Step on a Crack is a sophisticated easy read. I read it in less than 3 hours, somehow compelled to continue reading about characters I wanted to learn more about and discover how things worked out. The language is simple and straightforward but that very characteristic lends authenticity to the telling of the story and elevates it beyond the last couple of James Patterson books reviewed on this site. The criticisms I leveled at Patterson for The Fifth Horseman simply do not apply here. As Shawn Stufflebeam, who first voiced some of the same criticisms as I, said in his review of Mary, Mary, "it will engage your imagination." Tim O'Brien, author of Going After Cacciato and The Things They Carried and Morgan Writer in Residence at the University of North Carolina, said in a recent address that in a good story, "the last sentence should beg the next one. The last incident should beg the next." So it is with this Patterson novel, his best among recent outings.
In an interview quoted on his web site, Patterson says, "At some point I'd like to develop another hero figure, but it's hard for me to top Alex in a lot of ways because he's extremely human and very sensitive." Detective Michael Bennett is a new character for the creator of the Alex Cross and The Women's Murder Club novels. Fans of Patterson will certainly look forward to future novels in this new series for he has created another very human character who is different but in the same mold as Alex Cross. Bennett is one to whom we can relate on many levels. There is the poignancy of a dying wife and Bennett's sense of loss. There is the tough detective who is able to compartmentalize his life and deal with a major New York City crisis and still be there for and sensitive to the needs of his children.

James Patterson, of course, is well-known, having written 39 books to this point, beginning with The Thomas Berryman Number in 1976. A dozen of them have been co-written with five different authors. Patterson's "voice" comes through clearly in this fine effort. This is his first book with Michael Ledwidge, a mystery-suspense author in his own right with The Narrowback, Bad Connection, and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. His advice to all of those who wish to write a novel is, even if you have the worst of jobs (He started as a Park Avenue doorman with a degree in English.), take notes. "It might be the most fruitful research you'll ever do."

Review From About.com