“Alert” by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge – A Technological Terror

While technology certainly has enhanced our lives and opened countless new roads and possibilities for us to take, it is nevertheless a double-edged sword and deep down most of us know that someone, somewhere will find a way to use these advancements for a greater evil.

Many have already written about the pitfalls of our technological development and how it can be used for terror, and Alert by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge falls into that category.

The book is the eight entry into the Michael Bennett series, the relatively charming NYPD detective who divides his life between the force and taking care of ten children (he is a widower). In this particular case his skills are (once again) needed more than ever before: a series of terror attacks using high-tech setups and explosives have the city of New York on edge.

An evacuation order is issued as the threat is believed to be even bigger, with the suspected terrorists have one end-game in mind: the complete and utter destruction of New York. The villains are a duo known only as Mr. Joyce and Mr. Beckett, utterly elusive for as long as they have existed.

In typical Patterson and Ledwidge style, the story in the book flows at a rather quick pace, with the chapters being short and concise. The focus alternates between Bennett's home life and his job, introducing a couple of nice subplots that bring enough character development to the book to make you care about him and his family, or at least their ultimate fate at the end of it all.

Of course, more of the spotlight falls on the hunt for the terrorists, and as is usually the case with these authors, the villains are powerful in their their demeanor and capabilities and leave a generally-striking image in the reader's mind. A hero always needs an equally-grandiose and dangerous villain to shine, and that's exactly what Bennett gets.

The game of cat and mouse is really intense to follow, filled with suspense and quite a few surprises that will leave many fans of the genre rather impressed.

The many questions in regards to these terror attacks, such as who those people are and why they are doing this, also help to keep the ball rolling in terms of hooking the reader's attention. Combined with the rapid pace, it makes for a quick and thrilling read that always keeps you busy.

There is a certain amount of dark humour to be found, and despite the atmosphere not being exactly dark and grizzly, one wouldn't qualify it as light either. The heavier themes are treated with the respect they deserve and there are some brutal moments.

It feels like the authors managed to strike the right balance so as not to overwhelm the reader with negativity without making the problems seem light and inconsequential.

All in all, though Alert doesn't seek to innovate or break any boundaries, it is an impressive, suspenseful, thoughtful, engaging and ultimately satisfying terrorist thriller that will most likely appeal to any fans of the genre looking for a good fix.

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Favorite quote: "Besides, information was like weaponry. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it."

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James B. Patterson Personal site James Patterson is an American writer who has dedicated a large part of his literary career to writing murder-related thrillers, inventing in the process two memorable character-based series in Alex Cross and Michael Bennett. His most prominent works include Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.

Michael Ledwidge Michael Ledwidge is of Irish descent but is considered primarily to be an American author. Though he has his own share of works, such as The Narrowback and Bad Connection, Ledwidge’s rise to fame came from partnering up with James Patterson for a slew of novels which include Worst Case and Step on a Crack.