“Private Paris” by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan – The French Powder Keg

Paris has been known for a long time as one of the cultural capitals of the world, the place where love, art and wine thrive until the end of time.

In recent years though, reality has caught up with the idealistic image as it always tends to do, with numerous heavy public crimes putting the city's people on edge. Tensions are running high, and there is no telling how far things will go before it all comes to an end.

In Private Paris by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan, we are introduced to this city in a very dark hour as Private Jack Morgan's talents are needed.

For Jack Morgan, ex-CIA agent and head of the international firm Private Investigation Services, globetrotting was always part of the program, and he thinks nothing of the short stop he has to make in Paris.

As he checks in with the agency, he is informed that the daughter of a certain client is missing and was last reported to be seen in Paris. Finding her proves easy enough... the complications come from the fact that she's chained up by a cruel drug lord who is preparing to ship her to the United States.

At the same time, a radical terrorist organization has been striking fear into the hearts of the people by murdering the country's greatest cultural minds, including authors, artists and designers.

Soon, it becomes quite apparent that the two different investigations are somehow linked, and it's up to Jack Morgan and his team of Private investigators to unravel the whole truth.

If you're already familiar with the Private series, then you certainly already know what to expect from Patterson and Sullivan on this outing. The story moves along at a quick pace and there isn't much time dedicated to character development, philosophical expositions, or any other such nonsense that would slow things down.

It's all about the action, the game of cat-and-mouse between the good and the bad guys, and that's something the authors really excel in. They know how to properly build up tension and suspense, how to make you worry for the protagonists even though you know they are ultimately going to win.

There are enough twists and turns to keep you interested until the end. While it's not exactly difficult to predict how everything is going to culminate, it's still satisfying enough to watch unfold.

With all of the focus being placed on the progression of the plot, this consequently means that we don't get to learn much about anyone other than the main guys, Jack and Louis.

In turn, this makes it rather difficult to relate or associate with anybody else and care about what's going to happen to them. As a matter of fact, it felt like Patterson and Sullivan went a bit too cliched in their portrayal of the French police, showing them as unrealistically incompetent and needlessly disdainful of Americans... an imagine we've seen all too often in books and movies.

With all of that being said though, I found the villains to be the counterpoint to that, very believably-crafted and menacing in their ideologies and partial insanity.

To top it all off with a bit of social commentary to get those old grey cells up and running, the authors provide an interesting perspective on what's happening in the country right now with the recent wave of terrorism.

Of course, they abstain from saying anything they're not warranted to as people on the outside of the conflict, but they still raise some interesting points as observers, mainly exploring that through the radical terrorist organization plot. If anything, it will get you interested in what's happening on the other side of the ocean.

All in all, Private Paris is a good addition to the series, providing excitement in spades despite its few shortcomings. Whether you're a fan of the Private series or are just getting started, Private Paris is a novel you should read if you are into thrillers and mysteries with a bit of a political angle.

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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.

Mark T. Sullivan Personal site Mark T. Sullivan is an author of American nationality who is known for writing thrillers and mysteries, both on his own and while partnering up with the acclaimed James Patterson. He has a BA in English from Hamilton College, and he even volunteered for the Peace Crops, teaching English to children in the Sahara Desert. Some of his best-known works include The Fall Line, Labyrinth and Oultaw.