In April 1967, in an American city not much bigger than Dunedin, 12 people are murdered.
That is the starting point of Colleen McCullough's Too Many Murders (HarperCollins, $54.99, hbk), a cop thriller that features Carmine Delmonico, who first appeared in 2006 in On, Off.
McCullough (72) lived in New York during the period in which the book is set but, despite that, there is little feel for the period apart from the odd reference to the car Delmonico drives and fleeting mentions of new technologies, including computers.
Given that the plot centres on possible handing over to the Russians the commercial secrets of major American companies, it is difficult to pin down why the reader is not enmeshed in the 1960s and the Cold War.
Despite not being her best book, it is well-written and demonstrates once again McCullough's versatility.
The book moves along smoothly - only to be expected in a novel from such an accomplished writer - and ends with a neat twist, a technique that younger thriller writers could do well to emulate.
- Gillian Vine
The plot recalls a number of American serial killers (who apparently are not fictitious) and their nasty exploits.
But it has an invented Anniversary Man who racks up a large body count by duplicating similar murders and crime scenes on their anniversary dates.
It has an interesting character named John Costello, who has survived one of the earlier events, has a phenomenal memory and become a crime researcher for a New York newspaper.
But the main character is the harassed and baffled lead detective who becomes attracted to a female reporter.
Both are led a not-so-merry dance by the criminal who seems to have a craving for publicity and setting new records.
Well, the idea was good but the executions became tedious eventually and the finale a bit of a predictable flop.
- Geoff Adams
In an intricate story, the mass murder of villagers in the far north of Sweden is linked with the deaths of three Cantonese peasants in 19th-century North America and a mysterious wealthy political manipulator in modern Beijing.
Although the central figure is Helsingborg judge Bergitta Roslin, distantly related to one of the massacre victims, the story switches between centuries and continents without the multilayered plot ever becoming bewildering.
- Geoffrey Vine
However, in Worst Case (Random, $38.99, pbk), he combines with Michael Ledwidge to introduce Detective Michael Bennett, who operates in New York City.
The son of one of New York's wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage.
That is the start of a fast-paced adventure which, while meeting all the stereotypes of investigation, violence and romance, is a good read.
Patterson develops Detective Bennett's character well and the policeman comes out as a well-rounded family man.
In fact, the detective has 10 adopted children he calls his own, a family priest everyone calls grandpa and a nanny in love with him.
It is complicated but interesting.
The villain is also an interesting character, flawed but with some surprising twists.
The Alex Cross character has always been a favourite of this reviewer but the new detective could easily surpass Cross.
The theme of the book is abduction and murder of rich kids who pay for the sins of their parents.
To tell more would spoil the read.
Although the plot is obvious from the start, Patterson has threaded it with interesting side plays.
It is hard not to get involved in the story.
- Dene Mackenzie
