A review by canada_matt
113 Minutes by James Patterson

3.0

Patterson joins Max DiLallo for another story in the BookShot collection, one filled with heartache and fast-paced action to keep the reader curious. After Alex Rourke dies of a drug overdose, his mother, Molly, vows to get revenge for the person responsible. Working alongside her brothers, she devises one 'hell of a plan' and begins putting it into action. All the while, Molly Rourke must face the fact that her family farm is about to go into foreclosure, forcing her to think quickly to come up with the needed funds to keep the bank at bay. After orchestrating and pulling off two significant heists, the Rourkes are able to pay the bank and put that part of the plan behind them. However, the FBI is called in to track down those involved in the heists, headed by Agent Mason Randolph. Following the leads and clues left behind, he narrows his search to one of the acreages in Scurry County, Texas. As Agent Randolph and his collection of guns-toting agents narrow in, Molly Rourke must hope that the final leg of her plan goes off without a hitch. Trouble is, she never anticipated getting caught. An interesting story that the reader can finish swiftly, perhaps in a mere 113 minutes.

As with anything that attaches itself to the James Patterson name, BookShots can be a hit and miss endeavour. With this story, some readers might be drawn to the story and enjoy its progression, while others might not feel the drama that some of the other thriller stories have had to offer. I find myself in the latter category, though cannot pinpoint the precise reason. The story had all the elements of a successful tale, though I felt it fell flat, even with the twists in the narrative and the interesting character development. Neither Patterson nor DiLallo can be expected to shoulder the blame for this. As with any piece of writing, it is all about how the reader receives the piece. The characters were decent, the story flowed well enough, but the spark was missing for me. Perhaps others will feel differently.

Thank you, Messrs. Patterson and DiLallo for another BookShot. I hope I find your next collaboration more to my liking.

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