Swimsuit

• Swimsuit is a riveting tale that you'll want to read from cover to cover.
  
  SWIMSUIT is a book within a book. The inside book is written by Ben Hawkins, an ex-cop who is a reporter for the L.A. Times. Hawkins is assigned to a hot story concerning a model named Kim McDaniels, who disappears while doing a photo shoot in Hawaii. Hawkins's book is based on his investigation into Kim's disappearance --- the reason behind it and what occurs thereafter.
  
  The reader learns almost immediately what happens to Kim. She is kidnapped and brutally murdered, which is carefully videotaped and broadcast to a very select audience of individuals around the world, known collectively as The Peepers, who pay for the privilege of watching the terrifying beginning and violent end of each victim's final moments.
  
  Henri Benoit is the mysterious, enigmatic conductor of these horrific tableaus, and though he is paid handsomely for what he does, he truly takes delight and joy in his work, a quality that makes SWIMSUIT all the more terrifying.
  
  Benoit is more than a director and an actor in his own films; he also has the ability to blend into settings and to assume different identities with such skill and superior ability that his potential victims do not recognize him as he slowly circles them. This is also true of Hawkins, who is determined not only to investigate the increasing number of cold-blooded murders that include and follow Kim McDaniels, but also to see that the murderer is brought to justice.
  
  When Hawkins attracts Benoit's attention, Benoit's reaction is anything but predictable. Instead of murdering Hawkins, he hires him to write the story of his life as a kind of twisted tribute to ensure that he gets proper credit for what he has accomplished.
  
  Hawkins has no choice but to accept the assignment, at least initially, given that Benoit has established that he can attack Hawkins or his girlfriend, Amanda, anytime and anywhere he chooses. But Hawkins uncovers one of the secrets of Benoit's seeming omnipresence and employs a brilliant deduction to determine his whereabouts. Hawkins uses his knowledge to turn the tables on his nemesis, even as Benoit goes on a murderous feeding frenzy of revenge against all those who he feels have wronged him

• First I have to give full disclosure. I am a Patterson addict! I love his fast paced thrillers, they are easy reads that always keep me entertained. However, I must admit the most recent Alex Cross novels have not been as engaging as the earlier books. My new favorite are the books he is writing with Maxine Paetro and SWIMSUIT is a another great read! This one has some great surprises and unexpected twists. It does not follow typical thriller plot liner which for me added to the suspense! Highly recomended!
  
  If you like Patterson I do recommend "A Tourist In The Yucatan" for another fast paced thriller with gritty action!

• Famous model Kim McDaniels has been kidnapped from a photo shoot in Maui. She wakes to find herself in the truck of a car. At first she thought it was her boyfriend Doug, playing a joke on her but she soon realizes that her kidnapper is not Doug. Unfortunately, Kim won't be able to model her way out of the predicament she has now found herself in.
  
  Kim's parents receive a phone call notifying them that their daughter has been kidnapped and to come down to Hawaii immediately. They get the first flight out that they can.
  
  Ben Hawkins is a former cop. He now works as a reporter for the L.A. Times. He scores the assignment of Kim McDaniels's kidnapping. Ben thought he could become the hero and swoop in and save the day. In doing so he hoped to get an exclusive rights to include in a novel he would like to write from this experience. Ben's investigating leads him down a dark, sinister path of betrayal, lust, and double crossing.
  
  First, I have to admit that I have tried reading Mr. Patterson's work and it does nothing for me. I decided to try audio books. What I discovered is that I can get into these stories better when I am listening to them. Have said that, the reason for this has to do with the narrator. He really brought this story to life. The last book I listened to by Mr. Patterson was Run for your Life. Now that one was just ok but Swimsuit really cranked up the suspense. This story is way dark, gruesome, twisted, and fast-paced. Just the way I like my mystery thrillers. If you have never tried James Patterson then you should try this book. It is a stand alone novel.