![]() ![]() ![]() Drama increases throughout and there is no let down as the pages turn with ease. The story had some predicable elements, but I could see this working well on the big screen. Others who grace the pages of this book work their own magic and the story comes to life with ease, flavoured by the backstories and unique approaches the authors inject into those who work with (and against) Robinson. ![]() The banter and planning work well, but there are certainly some aspects that are quite cliché for me, yet the story still works. While the story reads like a police procedural, there are elements of a vigilante leader seeking revenge and wanting to protect his town. Saddled with this and the loss of his wife soon thereafter, there is no doubt that Robinson is seeking something to set himself straight. Bill Robinson is as jaded as they come, having been forced on his turf early for actions his partner started. While things took a little while to warm up for me, I did become invested before too long and found myself readily turning pages to see what would happen next. While I enjoy both authors on their own, as well as their series work with Harry Blue, I was not sure if I could take a standalone as seriously. Recommended for those who like a police procedural with a different flavouring, as well as the reader who has long enjoyed the Patterson-Fox writing style. Patterson and Fox show their strength in this story that pulls on issues from today in this dazzling one off novel. Barricaded inside The Inn, Robinson must work with his makeshift team to decide how to handle the situation, knowing full well that it may end tragically before the night is out. Cline will not go down easily and has a large crew ready to follow his every command. As the pressure mounts, more locals find themselves working with Robinson on a way to remove Cline, plotting their response from inside The Inn. When Robinson makes a play to stop all of this, he engages the services of the local sheriff, who also happens to be one of his residents. Robinson follows the path of distribution to a sly dealer by the name of Mitchell Cline, who is happy to pepper the bucolic community with addiction and line his pockets. While the cop is out of Boston, Robinson is the curious type and stumbles upon a string of deaths that are all attributed to a tiny yellow pill, later revealed to be potent fentanyl. However, after the passing of Siobain, Bill is left to run things at The Inn all on his own. Opening up a bed and breakfast, the Robinsons think they have it made. After being summarily fired from the Boston PD, Bill Robinson works with his wife to create a new life in the rural community of Gloucester. With some great narrative development and a cast of unique characters, Patterson and Fox show that they are a team far above others. Powerhouse duo James Patterson and Candice Fox return with a standalone novel that offers some insight into how the world works away from a formal police setting. Patterson, sit down and write another winner. In the end, I was able to work my way through the pages, but not without a fair amount of head-shaking. The plot is full of blood and revenge and evil, then softened into palatable fluff with unicorns and rainbows. These dueling sentiments tore at the fabric of the story itself and removed me from the action in a way that dulled any reader investment. I could almost hear the teenage “squee!” when the rodent (monikered Crazy) would make an appearance. The mysterious houseguest brought in by a former FBI agent is sniper perfect with a gun, doesn’t hesitate to pull the trigger, and then from a house drain pulls a rat-that becomes her pocket pet. The ex-con in a wheelchair, brazen and raw, is suddenly smitten by the female author prone to flowery language and over-the-top drama. It was as if the novel just couldn’t decide what it wanted to be, so it settled down in frustration somewhere in the middle of a gritty cop tale that had been invaded by an idealistic adolescent. Instead, there is a vibe within these pages that is distinctly female (not such a bad thing), coupled with a romanticized approach that is at once immature and overly sentimental (a very bad thing indeed). The Inn is a prime example.įirst, the style here is nothing like the Patterson of days gone by. Recently, however, it seems as if Patterson is selling his name to the highest bidder in an effort to see himself on the cover of as many volumes as possible, quality be damned. There was a time when each thing I read by James Patterson was better than the last-a time when I actually looked forward to his next book and marked upcoming publication dates on my calendar.
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