Mum's Monday: Murder Games by James Patterson and Howard Roughan

This book has an interesting start to it, that is if you find information on personal and impersonal ways to murder someone and how to do the laundry afterwards interesting. I also like the initial teaching method as well.

What the late comer, non-student, delivered, before she left, the message was certainly not what you would want to hear. This book is fast paced; in other words, it hits the floor running. I like how the students reacted, well some of them. Sadly, inevitably some people will only think of themselves and their grades, even when a life could be at stake. The best advice was ‘Go after her’.

Dylan and Tracy’s life is busy. It is sad to read about prejudice. I am already intrigued how this is all going to play out.

It is sad to say that it is actually a genius idea of where the next victim was injected, the reasoning is well worked out but I hope this isn’t the norm and the puncture mark is found. The playing cards, or one of them is written about to mean something so far but the other although there is a reason we are yet to find out about it. I don’t want to put this book down.

Although I can see why another home visit from the adoption agency cannot take place for another six months, it is still unjust and not right as to the reason this is now the case. I mean an unbiased opinion has to be obtained in the long run. I am angry along with Dylan and Tracy.

I would also like to know where the shooter went, but this story has moved on, I hope we/me as the reader finds out. It is certainly a riddle/enigma, mystery. The intrigue continues, also what does the card ‘Nine of Diamonds’ represent? I hope it isn’t nine victims next time. It could be how many rounds that someone who could be the ‘Dealer’ shot in the hotel lobby. This story makes you think to try and solve the case however, right or totally wrong I may be. Now why the Mayor’s Chief of Staff Beau Livingston did what he did is anyone’s guess at the moment.

This book has taken an even more of a dark turn, I hope Dylan’s father will be alright and so much for banned items, it is a surprise as to what can be hidden in a ‘Just in case’ scenario.

After what could be called a ‘Red herring’ the true ‘Nine of Diamonds’ is revealed. However, tragic this story has been really well worked out, well written and also well researched.

I don’t again want to put this book down, to the point of just as I am about to I find myself reading two more chapters. This book keeps you guessing. We also find out the next card but with somethings having double meanings nowadays, it isn’t as easy as ‘Black and White’.

The idea of how to question a young witness is very clever, and I agree with how they, the mother and son were protected. Sadly, not was all that it seemed.

Now sadly the ‘Dealer’ has changed the way he carries out a murder. Also it is clever however, tragic how the ‘Dealer’ referenced his next card, you could say it was creative yet gruesome.

The hacker part is really interesting and part of that is the fact of how the word ‘Not’ or not using the word ‘Not’ can have significant consequences.

At the end of chapter seventy-four, the part reminded me of the book, film and stage show of Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’. I have already thought about that and how Agatha linked some of her crimes in her stories into/with Nursery Rhymes and as this story is linked into a deck of playing cards with some of the cards ‘Hearts, Clubs, Spades and Diamonds’ being used.

This story has already had an air of being like an Agatha Christie novel, this isn’t neither a bad thing or takes anything away from this story or stops it being a unique standalone story.

Just when I thought the ‘Tit for Tat’ explanation and the rest was all written out was interesting enough, something else afterwards is, I think, slightly more interesting to read, in that Dylan was part of the CIA. How this will be relevant to this story is intriguing.

The intrigue continues, the Judge is either ‘Dead or the Dealer’ how Dylan figured that out with no card, me as the reader is as yet to find out. This story only gives you half the information and I still don’t want to put this book down. This story certainly makes you think.

I am glad the card game and Dylan and Tracy’s ultimate goal all played out as it did, that is after some worrying moments and also some action packed, lifesaving parts, but at the very end it was heart-warming to read.