It’s not necessarily meant to be a comedy, but there’s definitely a few laughable moments in James Patterson’s latest crime thriller, Private Games, co written with Mark Sullivan. It’s not that it’s all bad as such, in fact it has it’s moments of compelling reading, it’s just that it gets a so cliched at key points in the story that you can’t help but be amused (and sometimes bemused).
It’s set during an imagined 2012 London Olympic Games in which the city is terrorised by a vengeful attack on the participants and organisers by the psychopathic faceless wrath of Cronos and his deadly Furies. The story opens out with the death of a member of the London Olympic Games Organisers Committee, who happens to be the fiancé of Private agent Jack Knight’s hard bitten mother. From that point on it’s a race against time to stop the maniac before he crushes the Olympic dream forever.
While there are elements of a potential good storyline, sharp dialogue and tense cliff hangers, they’re invariably trounced by a combination of cheese Tourette’s, improbable saves and groan worthy comeuppances. It’s hard to say whether or not the fact that the book has two authors is the route of the two sides to the book, but there’s definitely a feeling that a few instances must have been wrangled over before the wrong decision was opted for.
However, despite all of its downsides, the reality is that there’s still a fair bit of enjoyment to be had in reading Private Games. It may be for the wrong reasons at times, but hopefully the intent isn’t for it to be taken too seriously.
One of the best things about the book is that it serves as a great reminder of how well the actual London 2012 Olympic Games went. With no significant security issues, stunning ceremonies and a great spirit in the games, it has become one of the greatest Olympic Games in modern history.
If you’re not so critical and just want a enjoyable read or if you’re into the security thing then James Patterson’s Private Games is in with a shout. However, if you struggle to tolerate portions of soul destroying writing, cliched outcomes and convenient but unlikely events, then you might want to give it a miss.
James Patterson and Mark Sullivan, Private Games review: 2.5/5
