Invisible

Lately it seems I've been reading a lot of books featuring women doing dumb things that ought to get them killed. This is another such book -- Ellie, a FBI research analyst who is on suspension for refusing to give in to her boss's sexual advances recently suffered the death of her sister in a house fire ruled as accidental. A few things didn't sit quite right -- the fire was caused by a candle, yet her sister kept no candles. And bedroom where the fire started was rearranged from the way it had been for a long time before. With nothing better to do, Ellie spends her idle time searching -- and starts to compile a rash of accidental fires claiming single victims over a one year span. Her ex-fiancé, "Books" a former FBI special agent and show more now proprietor of a book store, agrees there might be a pattern. He appeals to a director, who agrees to allow an investigation provided Books leads it, and Books subsequently requests reinstatement of Ellie.

Meanwhile, every few chapters we have the arsonist/killer creating his "Graham Sessions". audio recording describing the methods in his madness.

Graham turns out to be very good at what he does, so good that even when told there might be reason to believe the fires aren't accidental, inspectors are still unable to find evidence. It takes a FBI forensic superstar to discover a reason to believe Ellie just might be right.

As the investigation goes on, theories are created, conclusions reached that turn out to be wrong or misinterpreted. At one point, the investigation is nearly shut down and Ellie put back on suspension when her boss is caught acting inappropriately. Eventually, they ID Graham, figure our where he ought to be, and it's just a matter of time until...

Well, until another big plot twist. But I said enough. This isn't a cerebral thriller by any stretch, but a fine tale if you can get past Ellie. show less

This was my third Patterson novel, and I didn't like the first two. However, this one, I liked! It still has the element that I hated in the first two - 116 chapters for 385 pages? That's less than 4 pages a chapter! And most of the chapters are just two or three pages, but with the spacing and margins, I can't even call those actual pages! And the quality of the writing reads like it is at a 7th grade reading level (or lower) , which leads me to believe that this Patterson fellow really want us to feel accomplished by "getting through" a 116 chapter book! Even if it took only one day...

There's a decent story in here though! Arson, murder, and the NFL too! And a nice surprise near the end! The cover reads, "This book will make your jaw show more drop", and while it did not do that, it did keep me entertained. I really didn't like the heroine (at all!) but I did like the villain (quite a bit!) and I think the "Graham Session" chapters really worked well! And hey, my hometown, Novato, CA, is mentioned on the last page of chapter 20!

With all the extra spacing and blank pages, this is more like a novella, but priced like a novel. Still, it' a very quick read, so if you are into a light snack, a very light snack, this could be for you.

On a personal note, I just have to say that the first sentence of the author's page has to be one of the most conceited, and incorrect, things I've ever read! It reads, "James Patterson has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today"!?!? Ok, I've heard of Alex Cross, but then... um.. who is he speaking of? Geez, the guy doesn't even write the books by himself! For someone doing half the work, at most, I'd think he'd be a bit more modest. I don't even know if he created Cross, or if he co-created it with one of the many authors he "works" with! Boy, I wish that bio was "invisible"! show less

James Patterson has done it again. A real page-turner! Emmy Dockery thinks there is a mass murderer on the loose and he is burning away the evidence. But no one believes her: Emmy is on leave from the FBI, Administrative Leave. Why? Because her boss thinks she is a little unstable after the death of her sister. Her sister who died in a fire....Highly recommended.

FBI researcher Emmy Dockery is convinced that a series of fires around the country are not accidental even though each investigation has found no indication of arson. They are, she believes, the work of a serial murderer. But no one else sees any connection between the cases. Could they be the work of a monster or is Emmy seriously delusional?

This hold-your-breath, edge-of-your-seat thriller doesn’t disappoint. A strong plot filled with unexpected reveals and twists and turns readers won’t see coming work together to keep the reader involved in the telling of the tale. The unfolding narrative ratchets up the tension; suspense builds with every short chapter and readers will be hard-pressed to set this one aside before turning the show more final page. Don’t miss this one.

Highly recommended. show less

Another great story by Patterson. I just can not put his books down once I start. I have to find out what is going to happen next, who is the evil doer etc. In this book Emmy Dockery a research assistant for the FBI, who is on administrative leave, believes her sister was killed by a serial killer who disguises his crimes as accidents using fires. Her supervisor (who put her on a leave when she refused his advances) refuses to believe her. Using her ex-fiance, he is able to get the Director of the FBI to allow them to open an investigation. Emmy is right and what happens next is surprising. Enjoy!

so I spent My Halloween reading a novel and handing out candy.. not a bad combination. this is a little different from James. I have read many of his books and have enjoyed them all. This one I liked more then I thought I would. Great ending a must read.

Invisible is an excellent novel. It is the telling of an FBI investigation into what initially seems like a bunch of unrelated fires that are being strung together by a bereaved analyst which upon someone actually looking into them turn out to be in fact related. As the narrative develops it is interspaced with the diary of someone named Graham who seems a little unhinged, and slowly becomes more so as the story continues.

I really enjoyed the story and the way things developed, the initial slower opening that builds up to quite a frantic pace, the seeming resolution with the target characters out of harms way only for the story to twist around in an unexpected manner.

My only real gripe, which is common among Patterson material, is the show more fact that there is 116 chapters for a mere 385 pages, this adds a heck of a lot of page breaks and the line spacing, whew. Essentially this would be a vastly shorter book if it were set out in what one could call standard format. I guess he's trying to promote reading with the sense of accomplishment that comes from knocking over a near 400 page book in one evening, except it's false accolades because really it's not that long. Regardless, the story within was well written and enthralling. show less