The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Book Details
The Quickie by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
Paperback, 384 pages
2009, Vision
ISBN: 044619896X

Synopsis
The best-laid plans of Homicide Detective Lauren Stillwell go awry when she plans a surprise lunch date with her husband and discovers he's about to have a nooner with someone else. Not only does Lauren get mad, she gets even by having an indiscretion of her own. Only Lauren's quickie is anything but brief. It takes on a life of its own that could destroy both her personal and professional lives.

Review
The Quickie was shocking, thrilling, suspenseful and almost everything you would want in a mystery. The only thing this book was lacking is believability.

Lauren's actions don't make sense to me. She cheats on her husband because she sees him on a sidewalk with another woman. Nothing romantic or suggestive is going on, but when she asks him about it, he lies. This gives her the green light to cheat with a man she's been cultivating a relationship with. Obviously, she is unhappy in her marriage and looking for any reason to stray. This I understand.

When her husband gets into some trouble, Lauren is willing to risk her career and possibly even incarceration just to keep him from getting arrested. This I don't understand. She believes her husband is cheating on her. She's cheated on him as well. She sees him commit a horrible crime and she feels compelled to ruin her life for him. I spent the majority of the book dumbfounded as to her motivation.

Lauren's need to protect her husband is the driving force being the entire plot of the book. If I could have looked beyond her bizarre choices, this book would have perfect. The Quickie is jam-packed with "holy hell, James Patterson did not just go there!" moments. The male characters in the book are so delightfully twisted, it almost didn't matter that I found Lauren less than realistic.

Rating

Links

James Patterson's website