Private Down Under

I agree with another reviewer: One star is being generous. The characters are insipid; bland; boring and not original. The dialogue is so stupid as to induce cringes. There are a couple of scenes in the book where I wanted to scream when I read them. One was a description of the hero's car accident, wherein he climbs out of the wrecked car and is given the forensic report on the other driver. Really? How fascinating. I know things happen slowly here in the states with regard to crime scene investigation, but to find out that the Aussies can gin up a forensic report AT THE SCENE is positively embarrassing.Another scene which doesn't pass muster: one of Private's richie-rich clients (are there any other types?) is being threatened with a very sharp object, and is being held down by the assailant. The Private detectives burst in, and then just STAND THERE. Doing nothing. Watching. In fact, the narrative goes like this "...and Johnny and Darlene realized the best thing they could do was nothing." Holy carp! If I am paying these dolts tons of money, and I am being threatened with being filleted like, well, a carp, I would hope my 'protectors' would do SOMETHING, except watch. A final scene that begs credulity... the perpetrator of the main crimes is holding a VIP at knife point. The cops are behind her, about 10 feet, guns drawn. She doesn't know they are they there. Do they shoot? Do they act like cops in any way? NO! They simply stand there, too!This was an ignorant story written by a lame-brain. Do NOT waste your money or time on this dreck. BAD, BAD, HORRIBLE!

Eversince James Patterson started putting his name on the writing of one if his apparently slew of writing people, you really never know what you are going to get.. I wish he would either write as he used to, or retire.. but I guess when you have a name, you can market it..So this book for me was mediocre at best.. The first 50-60 pages were so discombobulated that I almost stopped reading.. Decided to finish because I had nothing better to read..Sad really, since Patterson was one of my absolute favorite murder mystery writers.. For me he is following a path of Daniel Steel, once they start popping a book avery two monte it seems, its time to just stop buying and reading..

While having an office is Australia may be good for Private, it isn't all that good for the reader. I have no objections to swearing, cussing, if you prefer, but there was too much in the early chapters in the book. Much of it was unnecessary and forced. This usually indicates that the author cannot get its blankey-blank together and write. It isn't any different than authors who include a paragraph or two of over-described sex.The story could be good, but there was too much bouncing between scenes. Some parts were really stretched. Some of the writing sounded like the author found a beginner's book on writing descriptive sentences. Too much!What happened to the Thorogood kids after the run in with Julie's playing around with makeup? The whole Julie/Greta thing just jerked the reader around. The whole book did.Maybe 3 stars is more appropriate.

I have read a LOT of James Patterson's books. This one seems like a first draft or outline. I want to know more in depth about the personalities. I want to know the followup to the babysitter episode, e.g. a) why would any couple leave children without vetting a temporary sitter, b) did anyone notice the cosmetics were used?. I wonder if the neighborhood watch warned women to change their routines and go out with partners. I want to know what crime solving was done by the beautiful co-owner from Private LA - other than to open the Australia office. I would like to see a time line that would authenticate how so many people could be in such a variety of spaces in just a week or so. I would like to know how someone comes straight to the office after surgery and expecting to use a colostomy for two months. Too many pieces and missing connections. At least the bad guys and gals were stopped.

PRIVATE DOWN UNDER, a novel by James Patterson and Michael White.I have read all of the Private books with titles bearing names of many of the world’s great cities and have generally enjoyed them and rated them highly. However, this Aussie Private is far below Patterson standards. My guess is that it was written by Michael White with little oversight by Patterson. The writing is disjointed in structure, lacks a coherent plot, and quite boring with the exception a few chapters toward the end. His characters were left dangling, and most were never fully developed. Suppose my disappointment stems from the notion that I expected more from James Patterson. At the 75 percent point the story did take on some semblance of a structured novel, but it was too little, too late. I am being generous to give this book a rating of 2. I do not recommend it.

Love all of Patterson's stuff. This one was no different. The PRIVATE series has been a hit for him, and I can see no end to where he can expand the company. His problem will be finding the same top level of people he started with in LA. He could spend a little more time on character development in this one, especially if he is going to continue to feature Craig, Mary and Darlene. I did think that the police commissioner should have stepped in a little more and let his cousin know to tow the line and include Craig. Might have been able to save at lease one of the women from her fate.

Well, James Patterson can put another notch in his belt for writing an excellent novel. As the Private group opens a branch in Australia, they are immediately involved in three different cases. One is about an Oriental gang whose members kidnap and sometimes murder their victims. The next is the complicated task of finding a heartless serial killer who targets women of the upper class, and the third is to find out if a very famous singer is being targeted to die at the hands of his manager. This novel is full of suspense and action as all of this author's are....and you won't be disappointed!

Jack has a new branch opening up in the land of Oz and Justine has flown in to oversee things. Craig who is heading up the Aussie branch takes a shine to her and Jack may have a rival in love. Private has a good relationship with the local Police commissioner helped no doubt by the fact he is married to Justine's sister but Craig has a troubled relationship with one of the inspectors Mark , his cousin and his dead wife's almost husband. Complicated isn't it This one packs in a lot of good stuff from rock stars to triad gangs to spoilt wives, infidelity and jealousy all of which leads to murder and a busy week for Private. Another great book from Patterson and his co writer. Thoroughly enjoyed. Want to nominate it for the shortest chapter I've even seen Chapter 46 was only one page teehee

Patterson writes with breakneck speed in this the sixth book in the Private series. However, you don't need to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this one, they are in affect standalone books as this book takes us to the Private offices based in Australia and introduces us to a new cast of characters working for Private. It's a great fast-paced read which is easy to dip in and out of but also the type of book you can find difficult to put down too! Great holiday read.

another good read in the privat series but Ive only awarded 3 stars because for me their was too many characters and too much going on and at times I had to check back to see who a character was as they had not been in it for several chapters and it jumped about a bit. however that said still enjoyed it although it was predictable in places like near the end when the writers tries to keep us all in suspence by not revealing the name of the seriel killers next target. Id guessed early on in the book that she was going to be a target it seemed really obvious. I would recommend thought but its not one of Pattersons better books

I really enjoy the majority of James Patterson's books and I have read all the Private ones up to 6. This was up to the usual standard plot wise and was fast moving and I always love the very short chapters as each one seems to reveal a new problem or in some cases a solution. I don't know whether books on a kindle are abridged slightly or the author did not tell us a lot about the back ground of the team but I felt I did not know them really well. I am still getting used to reading books on a kindle and I keep going back to actual books, but it is so convenient to have the kindle to hand.

Another brilliant book from the master of the thriller genre. This story concerns the opening of the new Private agency, this time in Australia and almost immediately there are cases coming from all directions. What with paranoid pop stars, triads and murdered women it takes the staff of the new agency all their different expertise to solve the mysteries, with only hindrance from the Australian police. I would recommend any book with the name James Patterson on, no matter who he is writing with.Arrived promptly and with satisfactory packaging.