The Quickie by James Patterson

Synopsis

When she sees her husband with another woman, Lauren Stillwell's heart nearly stops beating. Her marriage was perfect, she had a great job, and she loved her life. But his betrayal turns her into someone she never imagined she could be–a woman lusting for revenge.

Determined to even the score, Lauren seeks to have her own affair. It was supposed to be a quickie, but Lauren's night of passion takes a shocking turn when she witnesses an unexpected, unbelievable, and deadly crime.

Manipulating the evidence against her husband starts a web of deceit that threatens her career, but she is past the point of no return. Now her horrifying secret threatens to tear her life apart, pitting her need to uncover the truth against her fear that the truth may be too horrible to bear. And whichever choice she makes may cost her dearly - her job, her marriage, or even her life.

My Two Cents Worth

I truly enjoy reading Patterson's Cross series, but wanted to experience something just a little different from him, so I pulled The Quickie from the stack of prospects. I found it to be exactly what I had hoped - fresh and captivating. The action started on page 1 and the story unfolded without a glitch. The character of Lauren was well presented, and it was easy to be sympathetic to her plight.

One of the most surprising revelations came in chapter 17, when Lauren's occupation was revealed. (In true Patterson form, 17 chapters represents only 52 pages). This was a definite turning point in the story that added multiple layers of complication and intrigue.

This is also where a number of twists and turns began that kept me guessing the outcome until the final chapters.

I found The Quickie to be very engaging and satisfying and consider it one of my favorite efforts by Patterson. The writing was tight and focused, and difficult to put down.

Highly recommended reading.

Paperback

357 pages

3 1/4 hours