Wow! A twisty, fast-paced, exciting thriller! 5 stars!
This is the follow up book to "The Black Book" and although I have not read this I found that this story gave enough background information that I wasn't lost or confused.
I have read a few of James Patterson's books but this is the first one I have read in a while and I was very impressed. I was addicted to this story from the start and couldn't wait to find out what happened!
The storyline was fabulous and I loved the characters. So many twists and turns and everything was tied up at the end. The only question I had by the end of the story was, "Will there be a third book?!"
Thank you to James Patterson, NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Detective Billy Harney of Chicago PD gets a surprise posting to Special Operations Section and is assigned a new partner in Detective Carla Griffin. Their first investigation is a drive by shooting which appears to be gang related. However, delving deeper reveals links to Harney’s past in more ways than one.

This is a clever multilayered thriller that takes us into the murky world of gangs, drugs, organised crime and sex trafficking. If that’s no enough throw some corruption ans manipulation into the mix. The characters are really interesting, I like Billy as there’s a lot of depth to him and he makes for a fascinatingly complex central character. Carla is a puzzle to start with which makes you want to read in to establish where her truth actually lies. The plot is exciting, the pace speeds up well as the book progresses with plenty of good twists and jaw droppers as we sift through the lies, cover ups, threats and betrayal. I’ll say nothing about the Red Book of the title as that’s a good twist! It’s violent in places which you’d expect because the plot deals with organised crime members who are not known for talking things out over a cuppa and things become very dangerous for Billy. It becomes a compelling page turner and the further you progress you realise nothing is as it seems. The conclusion is good and it ends on a satisfying note.

Overall, an easy to read and immersive thriller - allow some time as you won’t want to put it down!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Penguin Random House, Cornerstone, Century for the arc in return for an honest review.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
The follow up to The Black Book featuring Detective Billy Harney you get exactly what we've all come to expect from James Patterson. A cracking story told in the usual short chapter format of his writing that makes it difificult to put down as you always end up thinking the chapters are short and I'll read another before stopping.
A solid four out of five.

James Patterson never disappoints with his stories. This keeps you gripped from start to finish and is great in every way.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advance copy of The Red Book, the second novel to feature Detective Billy Harney, of the Chicago PD.

After uncovering corruption in the police force Billy returns to work in an elite new department with a new partner, Carla Griffin, a woman with her own history. Their first case seems typical of Chicago, a drive-by shooting that kills a four year old, so the pressure is on for a quick solve. That comes but Billy soon realises there might be more to it, something that might link back to his own troubled past.

I enjoyed The Red Book which is a typical high octane Patterson thriller with a twisty plot and some good one liners, albeit more American than I could get at some points. The novel is told mostly from Billy Harney’s first person point of view, although the bad guys get a word in from time to time to give the reader an idea of what he is fighting.

The plot is exciting, full of guns and double dealing. I haven’t read the preceding novel, The Black Book, but I think this has the same themes of police corruption and callousness. I didn’t miss not having read the first book as this one hits the highlights, or if not the highlights, the aftermath, fairly comprehensively and carries some of it forward. It is a no brainer to trust Billy, but after that all bets are off and most of the reveals caught me by surprise.

Characterisation is never a strong point in this kind of novel and this is no exception, where it comes a slow second to the plot. It doesn’t really matter, the bad guys are bad, the good guys are good, except when they’ve turned to the bad side and the non stop action and intricate network of sleaze hold the attention sufficiently to keep the reader turning the pages.

The Red Book is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Billy is back on the force and investigating a drive by shooting everyone assumes is part of a drug turf war. This one is different, though, because a child has been accidentally killed so there is a lot of clamour to find someone to blame. Billy and his partner Carla do but it’s pretty obvious it’s far more complicated. There are crooked cops, drugs and human trafficking involved. This was a fast paced story with a satisfying ending but it was about a world that was too violent for me. Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I used to be a huge James Patterson fan but somehow I’d not read one of his books in a few years.
While it took me a while to get into this I enjoyed it in the end. This is the sequel to The Black Book which I’d not read, but it’s works fine as a standalone as there’s a lot of background information supplied. That said, it did feel like it tied up lots of plot from the first one. A good twisty turny read with the ‘short snappy chapter’ feel I like from his books

I want to thank @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book I am an ardent @jamespatterson fan and have read a huge number of his books
I have not however read the previous book to this one called The BlacK Book but I think you learn everything you need from this book
The story revolves around Detective Billy Harney who has just returned to the force and been put in charge of a new unit SOS he has also been partnered with a female detective who has a less than reputable past
There first day there is a shoot out involving a drug cartel but an innocent young child is killed so there is much pressure on them to solve it in record time

But have they got the right people? Billy is troubled that there is another girl who has been killed in shooting she has no name no identification no one knows her?... why? Billy sets out to find out if the small tattoo on her ankle means anything

Billy is about to enter a whole world of memories of his dead wife, his dead child, his corrupt father will he solve this crime?

You know that any book that James Patterson has been involved with will be fast paced and unputdownable. This book is no exception. although it is the second in a series it makes no difference, A gritty police novel dealing with drug gangs and prostitute rings in Chicago.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

I have not read The Black Book and so feel I may have missed out a bit on some of the backstories of the characters (something I intend to remedy buy buying it!) but actually this book does work as a standalone as well as enough detail is given to allow you to keep up with the past. The main plot twist is very cleverly revealed with the focus of the investigation immediately shifting and yet more horrors revealed.
A great read and I look forward to going backward to The Black Book to meet Billy properly!

I absolutely love Patterson. Thud book did not disappoint me. Fans will love it and if youre not yet a fan them you will be after reading.

Brilliant book from page one totally absorbed fast loving moving plenty of twists and turns, gritty right through to the conclusion

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
A usual from James Patterson, entertaining with a good plot and characters but a quick read.
Enjoyable and would recommend.

Absolutely love a James Patterson book & this one certainly didn’t disappoint. Highly addictive read I’d recommend to anyone.

It’s a long time since I read a James Patterson book so I was looking forward to this one and wasn’t disappointed. I really like Detective Billy Harney, who has been on ‘paid administrative leave’ since he took down some corrupt police officers, and managed to get himself shot in the head in the process. To some of his colleagues he is a hero, to others he is a villain. On his return to work he is moved to a new department - Special Operations Section - and given a new partner, Carla Griffin, who has a bad reputation within the force. Of course, they both have interesting back stories which are revealed throughout the book. As they investigate a drive-by shooting where three people and a child are killed, Harney realises there is more to this than meets the eye. No need to tell the story here, it’s enough to know that it’s a great American police thriller with the usual good cops, bad cops, and enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages. I really enjoyed the way Harney and Griffin’s relationship developed, and would read another book with them in it. A good read!

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, and although this is a stand-alone read, the background to why Billy Harney is such a damaged soul would be more understandable. Having lost both his 4 year old daughter and his wife at the same time, it’s something that would almost unbalance any sane person. Billy also brought down his own father who was a crooked cop. All this adds to why Billy is as he is.
This as usual is a fast paced action thriller. And people are not what they seem. There are lots of side stories, that inter link through the main story, with sex trafficking and drugs to name but two. A well written, and researched story that is easy to read with a satisfying ending as always.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

An excellent read as expected from James Patterson. I think it’s important to read The Black Book first as this is a follow on.

I always enjoy James Patterson’s books, he tells such a good story. I haven’t read the preceding novel, but that didn’t matter. It is a high octane, well crafted novel with many hooks and side alleys. The troubled main detective has had a difficult past, which is not helped by his new partner who has a previous harassment charge against her and they get off to a poor start. However, nothing is as it seems and it is an exciting charge to the conclusion. Once all the characters are in place it becomes hard to put down and I enjoyed every minute of it. Definitely recommended. Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review..

I am a big fan of James Patterson and his books and this was no different. I read the first one in the series and this was just as good. Love all the twists and turns that always come along

Brilliantly intense.

Billy Harney, the broken detective, is partnered with a woman tainted by a harassment scandal. His first assignment after rehab for a family tragedy is a drive by shooting that spirals outward into a tense and moving drama.

To say this book is intense is an understatement. It is one of the most enjoyable reads I have had in a long time.

More a thriller than a procedural, this book is, in my view, on par with Michael Connelly at his finest.