Black Book by James Patterson and David Ellis
Introduction
In the Black Book by James Patterson and David Ellis, Billy Harney has a problem. Someone shot him in the head and doesn’t remember what happened in the two weeks before the incident. He is a detective for the Chicago PD. His father, Daniel, is the chief of detectives and his sister, Patti, is also a detective for the Chicago PD. Billy doesn’t know who to trust. His detective partner is Katherine (Kate) Fenton. They are investigating a case involving a high dollar madam, her influential clients, and a missing black book. Billy gets romantically involved with his partner and the assistant state’s attorney, Amy Lentini, prosecuting the brothel case. Who’s telling the truth. Who has Billy back? He needs to know; He needs to remember, or he’s going down for murder. What will happen to Billy?
Summary
The novel starts with Patti coming to a call where Billy, Amy, and Kate are found shot and presumed dead. Billy was shot in the head, has surgery, and goes into rehab. When he gets out he doesn’t remember the two weeks before the shooting. He talks to police department psychologist, Dr. Jill Jagoda, to access his memories. The plot goes back and forth between the present and the past as Billy remembers. The POV’s bounce between Patti, Billy, and Kate. In the past, Billy investigates a suspected murderer who frequents a brothel. When Billy and Kate bust the brothel it causes many complications that lead to Billy getting shot in the head. There are many suspects in this novel, but Billy must figure out who pulled the trigger. Read the novel to find out.
Recommendation
The Black Book by James Patterson and David Ellis is a great novel with a mix of mystery, thriller, and police procedural. I was worried that the amnesia plotline would go a predictable way, but I was pleased with its handling and conclusion. Billy is not a likable character, but he has enough redeeming qualities to make him a great conflicted protagonist. He’s a jokester, he loves his sister, and has a rewarding relationship with a cancer patient. There were many twists in this tale. The final twist hit perfectly. If you were expecting a happy ending, you weren’t paying attention. David Ellis is a Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court. He brings a knowledge of the setting to this novel. This is his fifth collaboration with James Patterson, I plan to read more of their novels. I highly recommend this novel.
Links
This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Black Book by James Patterson and David Ellis
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34220449-the-black-book
This is the link to the Goodreads page of Invisible by James Patterson and David Ellis
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34231676-invisible
This is the link to my review of The Black Echo by Michael Connelly, a similar book; combining mystery, thriller, and police procedure.