Step on a Crack by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Genre: Thriller, Suspense

This is the first book of James Patterson’s new Michael Bennett series. Michael is a NYPD homicide detective.

In this one, Michael more than has his hands full. During a high profile funeral attended by many celebrities, the services are taken over by a group of vicious kidnappers looking to cash in on the success of their victims. They are demanding millions of dollars in ransom from each celebrity they are holding hostage. It’s up to Michael to try and stop the cruelty the kidnappers are inflicting on their captives.

While this is going on, Michael is dealing with his cancer stricken wife who is now confined to a hospital bed. The couple are the parents of ten adopted children, all from different ethnic backgrounds. Michael is on the verge of collapse trying to protect New York City as well as his own family’s problems.

Step on a Crack really tugs at the heartstrings. Readers can’t help but feel devastated for all Michael is going through, especially with his family situation. The story does get violent in parts and is cringe-worthy, but these are the James Patterson books that I tend to like the best. He’s so good at keeping readers at the edge-of-their-seat. One minute you are yelling at the evilness of the kidnappers and the next you are crying for Michael’s dying wife.

So far, there are three books in the series. I had to read the third book Worst Case first because of a review (I never read books out of order), but I do wish I had read Step on a Crack first as it gave me a chance to see how Michael’s personal life got to where it was in Worst Case. I’m looking forward to reading the second book, but I’m not sure yet when I’ll get to it. All in all, a great read. I should say a great “listen” as I heard this one on audio.



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