Another winner from James Patterson. There is a reason why he has sold so many millions of books around the world and is so loved. With his short chapters that leave you wanting more, and characters that you can relate to to, reading a Patterson book is always fun.

Lion and Lamb is a new stand-alone book, but I would love to read about these characters again. Working for opposite sides of the case, but working together to pool their knowledge, Cooper Lamb and Veena Lion are out to find the killer. A celebrity couple…an NFL star and a Grammy award winning singer. One is murdered and the other is the prime suspect. As always, there are plenty of red herrings and twists along the way and I loved every minute of it.

Big thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on August 3rd.

Fantastic story telling and great characters. I would give it more than five stars if I could, but alas, I cannot do that. I can only say that I highly recommend the book and can't praise it enough. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

You know what you're getting with James Patterson. Fast pace, short chapters, and a thrilling plot-line to draw you in. This, his latest thriller, and one hoping to launch another franchise is all of those typical things... with a little twist. This time much of the novel is taken up with interviews and recordings. This has the effect of distancing you a little from the characters Patterson (working here with co-author Duane Swierczynski) as the narrative progresses, but as the novel progresses you begin to understand what makes it's lead characters tick.

This was a fun read, not challenging in anyway, but a good way to spend a few hours of your day. I'd happily read another volume with Lion and Lamb, which I think says I enjoyed it.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

James Patterson knows how’s to collaborate, that’s for sure. Another brilliant, fast paced thriller delivered.

Two things really stand out for me in the book. Firstly, the characters are brilliant. Lamb and Lion are thoroughly enjoyable, with their many quirks and idiosyncrasies. But the characters around them are equally brilliant, from their assistants to the kids, and even the dog, they are all fun and entertaining. Secondly the way that the story is relayed through numerous recorded interviews and interactions adds something a little different to the overall story.

I personally hope we see more of Lamb and Lion in the future. They deserve to invade our lives a little bit more.

Thanks You NetGalley and Random House UK for a Review Copy

As expected from James Patterson, a short chaptered fast paced book with twists and turns at every angle. Absolutely loved Lion and Lamb as characters and how the story was told from their viewpoint. Hope to be reading more about them working together in the future, and of course not forgetting Lupe! ❤️

3.5 rounded up.
Philadelphia, January 2023.

Two cops discover a Maserati that has come to a stop by the art museum. Inside is a dead body, covered in blood. A passerby takes a couple of pictures and soon a large crowd gathers. Who is the occupant of the car? The victim proves to be Archie Hughes, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and various items, including his Super Bowl ring are missing. The following day, the Hughes gardener finds a gun, the prints transpire
to belong to Francine Pearl Hughes, Archie’s wife and a very well known singer. Did Francine kill her husband or has she been set up? Homicide detective Michael Bernstein investigates, and PI Cooper Lamb is hired by the defence attorney for the wife and PI Veena Lamb for the district attorney’s office. Will Lion and Lamb work together for the side of truth?

I initially find this hard to get into, particularly as there are transcripts of conversations the whole way through that gets tiresome really quickly and seems to me to be lazy writing. Eventually, the case becomes very interesting as all is definitely not what it seems in a number of areas and the situation escalates with the discovery of two more bodies. There are numerous nefarious deeds, plenty of twists and turns in a fast paced lively plot in what transpires to be a murky tale. There’s a bit of humour, though some of it I haven’t a clue (American football references. Top. Head. Over.) and some is a bit childish – Baaaa, Rowrr! Yeah, got it! I do like the relationship between Lion and Lamb though some of their dialogue definitely whiffs of French cheese!

Overall, it is very entertaining, but could lose many of the transcripts!!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Lamb, Lion, could this be the start of a new series from James Patterson? Characters could be embellished a bit more with more of their background put forward.

A quick read as per normal, but the ending was really predictable.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book prior to general release.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!!!…

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