Reading this book was like watching a train wreck- I didn't want to enjoy it, but I couldn't put it down. Patterson and co-writer J.D. Barker expertlyReading this book was like watching a train wreck- I didn't want to enjoy it, but I couldn't put it down. Patterson and co-writer J.D. Barker expertly draw out the complicated story line, although it is sometimes difficult to take due to its graphic nature. A truly surprise ending with a fiendish plot twist sealed the deal for me. When Patterson (or his co-writer) are good, they are very good!
WARNING! Spoiler Alert! It you don't like spoilers don't read past this line!
Two things left me feeling dissatisfied with this book. I nearly didn't give it a 5-star rating but thought about knocking a star off due to these things. However, the surprise ending redeemed it to a 5-star.
First, I was disappointed that the true villains, the doctors Fitzgerald, did not face justice for their unspeakable acts and that their stellar reputations were retained.
Second, I did not like the overall, super enemy agency that was overseeing all the evil deeds. It smacked of deux ex machina and conspiracy theories to me.
However, because I was unltimately unable to put the book down and because of the surprise twist at the end-- which I have not divulged here-- I enjoyed reading the book....more
If I were rating the two mysteries separately, I would have given Atticus Pund Takes the Case at 5 stars and the Moonflower Murders at 3 stars. CombinIf I were rating the two mysteries separately, I would have given Atticus Pund Takes the Case at 5 stars and the Moonflower Murders at 3 stars. Combining the two gives 4 stars for the book as a whole.
This book is two mysteries in one. I found the premise of the Moonflower Murders portion to be rather silly. The parents of a missing woman ask the editor of a book about a murder at their posh hotel to solve the mystery of the disappearance by reading the book and investigating the murder. The plot and resolution ended up being ridiculously complicated.
However, the book about the murders, Atticus Pund Takes the Case, was in the very best Agatha Christie vein, with an astute detective who puts all the pieces together in a classic parlor scene. I wouldn't mind reading more Atticus Pund. Just never mind the editor as protagonist....more
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