Step on a Crack
by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge
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Book Summary Information
Author: James Patterson, Michael LedwidgeEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2007-02-06
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Book Reviews of Step on a Crack
Book Review: Two unrelated stories masquerading as a thriller
Summary: 2 Stars
OK, let me get this straight. Mike Bennett and his wife Maeve have adopted 10 kids because they could not have any of their own. Now, Maeve is dying rapidly of cancer and Mike is barely able to keep the household going. In comes his grandfather - Seamus the priest (???!!!) - and an Au Pair named Mary Catherine. Both of them take over as Mike attends to his dying wife. She dies on Christmas day in Mike's arms and Mike has to attend to funeral details etc.
While this is going on, we also find out that Mike's 'day' job is as an NYPD homicide detective. Of course, he is also a former hostage negotiator so when a group of armed men take over a state funeral at St. Paul's Cathedral and demand large amounts of ransom, Mike is the man who steps in to become the lead negotiator. Of course, that makes perfect sense, especially since there are two additional negotiators involved - although at least one of them is considered the senior and he is dismissed immediately.
So, now we see the two parallel stories. Besides Mike Bennett is there any connection between the two? nope.
The thriller part was completely action-filled and predictable. Of course the kidnappers are always a step ahead of the police at every plot twist and turn. The cathedral is impenetrable as the FBI finds out when they attempt to enter via a secret entrance and run straight into a trap. Every move that the police make is foreseen by the bad guys and they always have a prepared answer for it. I was particularly 'impressed' when the FBI tries to find out who is a hostage and who a kidnapper by using thermal imaging for weaponry - and, of course, each of the people scanned has a weapon! Of course! The hostages would NEVER use the weapons they were given to try and escape after all! Even if there are 33 hostages and less than ten kidnappers!
As you can see, this story is completely silly. The characters were very poorly developed and completely stereotypical: we have the black TV show hostess (say Oprah) who has made good and observes on how she tried losing the ghetto speak all of her life, while the pop-starlett who was born in a lilly-white environment speaks like a ghetto-born person after she makes multiple millions as a rap star. There is the aging domestic diva (Martha Stewart) who is hooked on oxycontin but realizes while captive that she has mislead the world, there is the Al Sharpton kind of captive who always blame the police and the white world for the scrapes he gets in - but this time he's proven right. etc.
So, when you put together two completely unrelated stories; do not develop characters beyond their introduction; populate the story with unbelievable plot twists; and then bring it all to a quick resolution while tying all the knots together; what do you have? A sorry excuse for a novel.
Yuck.
Summary of Step on a Crack
Detective Michael Bennett is about to take on the most sinister challenge of his career. The nation has fallen into mourning after the unexpected death of a beloved former first lady, and the most powerful people in the world gather in New York for her funeral. Then the inconceivable occurs. Billionaires, politicians, and superstars of every kind are suddenly trapped within one man's brilliant and ruthless scenario. Bennett--father of ten--is pulled into the fray. As the danger escalates, Michael is hit with devastating news. After fighting for many years, his wife has succumbed to a terrible disease. As New York descends into chaos, he has lost the great love of his life and faces raising his ten devastated children alone--and rescuing 34 hostages. Day after day, Bennett confronts the most ruthless man he has ever dealt with, a man who kills without hesitation and counters everything the NYPD and FBI throw at him with impunity. As the entire world watches and the tension boils to a searing heat, Bennett has to find a way out--or face responsibility for the greatest debacle in history.General Books
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