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Lifeguard: 09/14/08
Lifeguard is a collaboration with James Patterson and Andrew Gross. It's a fast paced thriller that takes place in Boston and Miami and centers around a string of murders and some missing artwork. Ned Kelly, a part-time lifeguard agrees to help his friends pull of an art heist. His job is simple: create a distraction by setting of a number of house alarms while the real heist goes down. Ned though ends up the number one suspect in a string of gruesome murders when his friends are executed. Can he convince the FBI that he's innocent? Lifeguard works on the premise that the main character is a lucky idiot. He makes a number of boneheaded moves that only end up working because he has good karma. He also has the support of FBI agent Ellie Shurtleff who specializes in art theft. She puts her career on the line to prove Ned Kelly's innocence. The book is told from a number of points of view. Most of them are presented in third person except for Ned Kelly's. He tells his part of the story in first person. I found the sudden shift in point of view distracting, although I did eventually get used to it. Comments (6)
Comment #1: Monday, September, 15, 2008 at 09:54:53 I'm a big Patterson fan. I will have to check this out. Thanks for pointing me in the direction. Comment #2: Monday, September 15, 2008 at 12:36:35 Pussreboots: You're welcome. I'm still a newbie when it comes to Patterson's work, having only read two of his novels. Comment #3: Monday, September, 15, 2008 at 13:30:15 Sending some much deserved recognition your way... Comment #4: Monday, September 15, 2008 at 12:38:51 Pussreboots: Thank you! Comment #5: Monday, September, 15, 2008 at 15:28:06 I used to read a lot of James Patterson but haven't read him for a while. Actually, are there any male writers you'd recommend who write fairly sparsely (i.e. in their use of words)? Someone recommended I read a few to help to learn how to pare down my writing. Comment #6: Monday, September 15, 2008 at 12:39:00 Pussreboots: The king of sparse writing is Ernest Hemingway. He believed in small words and short sentences. If you like science fiction / fantasy, I'd also recommend Roger Zelazny. He has a great Halloween book called "Night of the Lonesome October" that doesn't waste any words. Along those lines, there's also Ray Bradbury. His "Halloween Tree" is another good book for this time of year and a fine example of sparse writing. Hope this helps.
1997-2023 Sarah Sammis |
