Another great read from James Patterson with a new pairing of characters in this latest book, although they don’t work for the same side. An easy read from beginning to end, a definite should read.

The latest James Patterson thriller gets underway at 12:20 a.m. on Sunday, 23 January when police officer Deborah Parks and her partner, rookie Rob Sheplavy, come upon a holographic blue Maserati sports car idling near the Museum of Art on the way towards Eakins Oval. Warning Sheplavy to stay in the patrol car, Parks discovers a black man slumped over the wheel. He doesn't appear to be breathing and there is blood everywhere. Fast forward, and it isn't long before renowned homicide detective Mickey Bernstein is at the scene, son of Philly PD's homicide legend Arnie Bernstein. He immediately notices, while conducting an overview of the crime scene, that the victim is missing a costly and sentimental piece of jewellery - his super bowl ring. Archie Hughes, a well-known soccer player and Eagles quarterback, is the deceased; identified visually and through latent fingerprints. The cause of death appears to be a gunshot wound, but the killer had been alert enough to pick up any incriminating shell casings, so police request surveillance of the surrounding area to look for suspicious goings on. Who wanted Archie dead and why?

This is a compulsive, rip-roaring thriller with a gripping narrative that lands you right in at the deep end from the first page; Patterson never worries too much about useless/tedious extraneous detail and gets to the heart of the matter without messing about. He can also always be relied upon to craft a fast-paced and beautifully told tale full of twists and something relevant happening in every single one of the short chapters. Our main characters have an interesting and unusual dynamic with Cooper Lamb being a private investigator to the rich and famous and Veena Lion, a prosecution attorney. There was never a dull moment with plenty of tension and suspense to keep you tearing through the story, and unlike other readers, I enjoyed that much of the story is told via the use of transcripts which I found unique. Although some suspension of disbelief is required to fully appreciate this tale, including in relation to the fact that the two most featured investigative characters were not actually members of the police force despite it being a criminal murder case, I liked the fresh and different vibe that it gave to the whole narrative.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

well its a different sort of format for james patterson and though i started out liking it, towards the end i was fed up with it....

the storyline was good though that was the only plus...i can only say its very different from his normal style

I am generally a huge fan of Patterson books, but sadly I couldn't get in to this one at all. I felt the story didn't flow as well as previous books, and I don't like reading transcripts in a book, so unfortunately I was unable to finish it.

I enjoyed this thriller but I found the transcripts slowed down the flow of the story a little. Otherwise a good story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Another great book by James Patterson!
This book draws you in from the very first page.
When a high profile sports star is found dead in his car PI's Cooper Lamb and Veena Lion are called in to investigate.

I generally really enjoy anything written by James Patterson. His books are usually easy, fast reads. But sadly I thought this one wasn't as good as his usual - still worth reading, but not as good as I expect the next installment of Alex Cross or Private will be.

I liked the concept, two PIs employed by different sides of a murder investigation. They come together to try to pool their investigations in order to arrive at the truth. But I felt the story lacked depth with some elements being brushed over and set aside. The very beginning is rushed, in order to set the scene before introducing the characters of Lion and Lamb. Then much of the novel is narrated through transcripts - I generally disliked this, although it was a bit like reading conversation and that keeps the pace of the novel moving.

Apart from the investigating detective, the absence of the police throughout seemed odd to me. Especially when the investigators come under fire and return fire! Surely, even in the United States if you fire a licensed weapon at someone and hit them or kill them, you would become embroiled in an investigation into that, but nothing is mentioned. Perhaps the authors felt this was not integral to the story but it was at odd to the story in my opinion.

I would still recommend this book to fans of crime fiction - if you like this genre, which I do, then it's worth a read.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Read if you love;

🕵️‍♀️ Private inspectors
🕵️‍♀️ Murder mystery
🕵️‍♀️ Transcripts
🕵️‍♀️ Crime

I absolutely love James Patterson and he is always my go to author if I need a GOOD thriller. I flew through this book so quickly and it was just what I needed are a few disappointing reads.

Initially it took me a minute to get into this book, but the pace draw me in and kept keep me engaged. The characters Lamb & Lion are so enjoyable with their quirks and “romantic” connection. The assistants, kids and even the dog was so entertaining and there was nothing that I didn’t love about them.

The transcripts were sometimes whole conversations all the way through. So initially found them quite hard to get into. However, I can totally see how they added to the element of the story.

I would definitely love to see more of these two characters in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with this ARC.

Usually I am a huge fan of James Patterson's books but I really struggled to get into this one. I wasn't a fan of how the book was written - the chopping and changing of how it was written from doing quoted text like a script to normal storytelling. As such I found myself skim reading because I just couldn't get into the book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advance copy of Lion & Lamb, a stand-alone thriller featuring PIs Cooper Lamb and Veena Lion set in Philadelphia.

When star quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, Archie Hughes, is found murdered in his car, his wife, Grammy winning singer Francine Pearl, is the prime suspect. Veena Lion is hired by the district attorney to investigate, while Cooper Lamb is hired by Francine’s lawyers.

I thoroughly enjoyed Lion & Lamb, which is a fast moving thriller with some great twists and turns. It is written for entertainment and I read it as such, because it would spoil the read if the reader asks too many questions or tries to find realism in the pages. It’s best to simply take it at face value and run with the action.

The novel has a great tone and an excellent format. Cooper Lamb is the joker, while Veena Lion has a more serious attitude, although she can be very deadpan at times and quite funny. I really like the format which has some straight narration, but much of it is in the form of interview and conversation transcripts and secret documents (how they are acquired is one of the questions not to ask). This brings a punch and an immediacy to the narrative and is a great way to convey a lot of background information in a condensed form. It suits my liking for faff free information. The humour comes from the transcripts of Cooper’s conversations with his knowing children, who run rings round him.

The plot is suitably complex. With Francine not talking Cooper has plenty of theories but no concrete evidence, so he and Veena team up to get at the truth. Unfortunately that truth has many angles and players, so not only are they hunting a killer they’re dodging bullets, hitmen and corrupt cops. It’s fast, fun and entertaining. I would love to read more with these characters, so here’s hoping.

Lion & Lamb is a fun read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

A stand-alone thriller by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski featuring PI’s Veena Lion and Cooper Lamb and set in Philadelphia this definitely needs to be a series. Are you listening JP? This investigation centres around celebrity couple Archie , a football player, and Francine, an award winning singer, Hughes. Written in the author’s trademark short chapters and told in the first person by the two investigators and in the form of transcripts this is a fast paced and enjoyable read.

Briefly, on the eve of the Championship final and one step away from the Super Bowl the Eagles star player Archie is found dead in his car. Whilst Detective Michael Bernstein is placed in charge of the investigation the two PI’s are hired by the DA and Archie’s family to carry out their own enquiries. Both use underhand methods and find themselves working together if for no other reason than to stay alive as their investigations bring to light tales of gambling, The Mob, corruption and an unknown hit person known as The Quiet One!

There is quite a lot of humour in this book alongside the grittier storyline and I was hooked from start to finish in this easy read novel. Twists and turns will keep you glued to the book. A very enjoyable and entertaining read and did I mention it would make a great series!

Although a long time James Patterson fan I had started to ignore some of the books not in one of the long standing series. (Too many books, not enough money). This book, however, made me regret my choice. Completely standalone from any of the series I have read it took me by surprise. I enjoyed the humour the kids added to it and the interactions of the characters. A lot was written in transcripts of conversations, but easy to follow. I will have to try more of the books I've missed!

What a start,inevitabily it then slowed down but still this is a great,tense and exciting read,this author and his ideas and writing are truly amazing,even when based on a subject I know/knew little about,a great read and as always love the short chapters which work really well for me

Wow loved this one! Husband and wife Archie and Francine Hughes are heroes in their hometown of Philadelphia. Archie is a football star, while Francine is a Grammy-winning singer.
So everyone is in a state of shock when news breaks about the seemingly perfect couple.
One spouse is murdered. The other is Suspect Number One.
Even before the case hits the courtroom, it's the hottest ticket in town. For the defence: Cooper Lamb, private investigator to the stars. For the prosecution: Veena Lion, an attorney so bright she's got to wear shades.
Between them, they know every secret in the Hughes household. Together, they prove how two wrongs can make a right.
Had my attention from start to finish… I couldn't put it down and finished it in a day. Can't wait for more from this amazing author What an absolute cracker of a book!!!…

Rollercoaster..
Two sides of a coin combine when the lives of a seemingly perfect and successful couple crumble and attorneys Lion and Lamb get to star on opposite sides of a courtroom. A pacy narrative and a plot populated with a nigh on perfect cast of characters, red herrings and twists aplenty and sparky dialogue all combine in this rollercoaster ride of a legal thriller come murder mystery from a collaboration of natural born storytellers. Hugely enjoyable and thoroughly entertaining from first to last page.

1st off James Patterson is always amazing. 2nd I despised the transcripts!

That said, I just flew through this book. The characters are really likeable and engaging. I loved the dynamic between the two and how they interacted. They're well written and complex individuals

The plot was original and not something I'd read before. I was completely swept up in it and the plot felt like ot was constantly moving forward.

Must read

Two private investigators. Working a common case but for opposing sides.
NFL superstar is murdered . Superbowl may be delayed or not as he was due to play. But is he the nice guy his image portrayed? Two very likeable and personable characters and I look forward to reading about future cases.

Really enjoyed reading this book after a fast start, and then it went down a gear for a while before picking up the pace again. Cooper Lion ( and Lupe) bounced ideas off Veena Lamb. Normally these two would not be working with each other. Loved the way they interacted. I was not sure about the number of transcripts in the book. It is a useful technique to get the information across, but a bit like reading a play. It almost distracted from the storyline.

Great stand alone thriller from a collaboration of James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski.
Great main characters with a good collection of backing characters. All could be embellished a lot if this book developed into a series…
Not a fan of the transcript parts really, and found it hard to read at first, HOWEVER, can see how they are useful and as the story developed I did not mind so much.

James Patterson + Duane Swierczynski - what a collaboration! I'd never actually heard of Duane previously but I will definitely be looking him up now.

In all the years (30) I have been reading James Patterson, this has got to be one of my favourite stand alone's!

Theres a reason JP is the worlds best selling author. Every single book has you in its claws from start to finish with its punchy short chapters, relatable characters and gritty detail that has you hooked the whole way through.

In this amazing stand alone a top of the range Maserati sports car has come to a stop outside the Arts Museum, where strangely enough there is no CCTV or witnesses around. Inside the car is the body of major NFL quarterback player Archie Hughes missing his wallet and superbowl ring. Is this a robbery gone wrong, a senseless murder or more? Detective Michael Bernstein is tasked with finding the killer but seems to have his fingers in too many pies.

Archie's wife is the other half of this celebrity couple, global singer and Grammy Award winner Francine Pearl Hughes. When notified of her husbands killing she is at home with her children and nanny Maya. Evidence points at Francine being the killer but was it really her that pulled the trigger or is it all a set up?

Private Investigators Cooper Lion (plus his sidekick dog Lupe) & Veena Lamb have history! They are working on opposite sides of the case but decide to secretly pull their resources together to dig deep and try and get the answers they are both searching for, all they want is the truth.. but how far are they willing to go and to what risk?

I would absolutely love if this became a series! I massively enjoyed the format with the 'recorded' transcripts and voice notes and I have to say Victor was a favourite for me.

As expected from all of JPs novels, this is a fast paced, multi threaded story that has you veering around as quickly as the Maserati Archie owned! Amazing plot with a fantastic ending that was intricately and seamlessly weaved.

Huge thanks to netgalley and Random House UK Cornerstone for the ARC.