Six stars
In another of the BookShot short stories, James Patterson and Brendan DuBois craft an interesting tale that will keep the reader wondering until the closing chapters. The Sandersons have been temporarily relocated from their California home to the small community of Levittown, New York. Their neighbour is leaving nothing to chance as he sits in his wheelchair and gawks at them, spinning outrageous tales. Inside their home, the family is miserable; unable to communicate with the outside world or connect to something as rudimentary as the Information Highway. It all stems from their recent time in Tunisia, where Mr. Sanderson was on an archaeological dig as part of his ongoing scholastic work with Stanford. Was something unearthed that was best left interred? Or, could it have been Mrs. Sanderson, whose experience writing guidebooks led her to snap some photos of a meeting she was not supposed to see? No one is sure, but their security agent runs a tight ship and they are herded around like cattle. There is a hit put out on the Sandersons and a trained killer is slowly pulling together leads to find them. After a single mishap, beacons are alerted on both side of the law and it’s a rush to get to Levittown to deal with the breach. Who gets there first is anyone’s guess, but either way, the Sandersons won’t be around for any town bake sales this autumn. A decent story that glides along well enough to keep the reader entertained and turning pages.
While not my first BookShot, this was the first collaboration between Patterson and DuBois that I read. The authors take an interesting premise, a family in some form of witness protection, and spin it into something a little more enticing. The nosy elderly neighbour with a history of police work, sure that ISIS has moved in next door; the hitman sent to get rid of the target as smoothly and efficiently as possible, but who encounters some roadblocks; and the agency that vows protection covering its assets as best it knows how. While the story did flow well, I was not left with an indelible feel for any of the characters or felt compelled to crack the mystery behind the central protectee, though it was interesting to see in the end. The pace was quick enough and the varied characters offered something to keep the plot moving. Would I read another of their literary concoctions? Likely, but I am not shifting this to the top of my BookShot favourites list.
Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and DuBois on crafting this short story. I look forward to see what you both can do in the future, either in the BookShot world or independently.
Book Reviews to Ponder 