Step on a Crack

In a gripping thriller that takes place in the heart of Manhattan, Patterson and Ledwidge present a new hero. Michael Bennett, an NYPD detective, is focusing on getting his family through a very trying Christmas: he and his ten adopted children are dealing with the death of his courageous wife Maeve from cancer. However, a serious emergency forces him to leave: men invade St. Patrick's Cathedral during a former first lady's burial, taking hundreds of mourners hostage. Michael is instructed to make an effort to reason with Jack, a menacing guy. Jack frees everyone except the most well-known, at which point he reveals his demands: from each celebrity hostage—which includes the mayor, a well-liked comedy actor, a pop starlet, and a renowned talk show host—he asks several million dollars. When Jack begins to murder, Michael knows he is against a very evil opponent. Patterson has a talent for writing heroes who are really likeable, and Michael is one of those characters. Readers will be sympathetic to Michael as he copes with the devastating death of his wife as they quickly flip the pages to find out how the suspenseful hostage scenario unfolds. This is a great beginning to a potentially new series; it's completely engrossing and almost difficult to put down.