Search - The Quickie

Every James Patterson fan has a right to be skeptical when he releases a new book. Will it be any good or will it be too similar to many of the recent books he's released. I became hooked on Kiss the Girls and devoured every Patterson book I could find. I had no expectations when I picked up and begin reading "The Quickie." This book with the strange title had me hooked from the beginning and trying to make time to read this book as fast as I could.

Lauren is married to Paul. One day, she drives downtown hoping to surprise him at lunch. She spots him going into a hotel with a georgeous young blonde. This betrayal tears her apart and of course allows her to justify having her own fling with a coworker. That's as much of the plot as I'll give away. Let's just say that once Lauren has the quickie, an amazing amount of things go wrong. Lauren is faced with many decisions and dilemmas that force her to decide what really matters in her life.

The plot hooked me from the beginning and carried me through the novel. Still, as I read I kept hoping the characters would be worth caring for. For awhile, none of the characters are sympathetic. Is Lauren good or bad? What about her husband Paul? What about Scott Thayer, the man Lauren has the affair with? But don't worry, Patterson (and random co-author) know what they are doing. The book hurls twists and turns at you to where you are never sure about Lauren's plans to survive the disaster she created by having that one "quickie." There aren't any cheap plot gimmicks used either. This is a straight up thriller.

This is the best stand-alone Patterson book I've read in a long time. I recommend this book to all Patterson fans who may have given up on the author. If you are considering reading Patterson for the first time, I recommend starting at the beginning of the Cross books or read this one. You won't be disappointed.

I thought this book was great. It was tough to put it down once I got into it. I love how James Patterson keeps the chapters short and then never lets you want to stop reading. This book definitely hooked me and I couldn't wait to see what happened in the end.......

Definetly NOT my favorite James Patterson book. The characters didn't seem very fleshed out to me at all, they all seemed kind of like cardboard characters. They just didn't seem real. The story didn't flow almost like it was written without knowing how it was going to end. Patterson tried to throw in his usual surprises, but nothing surprised me, I saw everything coming.
If you are a diehard Patterson fan you will want to read it just because he wrote it. However, this isn't the book for a first time Patterson reader.

Lauren Stillwell seems to have a good marriage. Sure, her husband Paul has been a little distant lately. But, all marriages have their ups and downs, right? Deciding to surprise Paul with an impromptu lunch date one day, Lauren unexpectedly catches him entering a hotel with another woman. To make matters worse, she's a younger woman.

Shaken, hurt, and assuming the worst, Lauren decides to go on a little payback mission. Unfortunately, her night of passion with a coworker ends tragically, and changes Lauren's life forever. Her little quickie sets off a chain of events that turns this once moral and upstanding woman into a manipulating liar and hypocrite. In the end though, Lauren finds out that even though fate can be cruel, sometimes cruel can be kind. And, sometimes fate willingly gives us a second chance.

The Quickie is a fast read; full of twists, turns, and plenty of surprises. In addition, you get a healthy dose of passion, mystery, and sweet, sweet revenge. Good for a time when you don't want to think, you just want to enjoy a good read.

An average Patterson book, which is to say it's an enjoyable read.

New characters (at least I don't recall them from other JP books I've read).

Married Lauren finds herself having a fling with a guy, for reasons of her own. Turns out it was not the smartest thing to do, especially considering her job.

The book is mostly about Lauren trying to cover up her actions while protecting her not-so-nice husband. It's not entirely predictable, and the ending is a bit too pat for my tastes (but at least it has an ending/resolution, for you readers who don't like to be left hanging!).

Overall, a good beach or rainy day read, especially for JP fans, or those who like to read about imperfect people who get themselves in difficult situations.

Excellent book.