Sail

Starred review from July 28, 2008
Patterson's epic tale of the Dunne family, who find themselves trapped in paradise, fighting for their lives, is a strong commercial novel that demands even stronger performances. Luckily, Dylan Baker and Jennifer Van Dyck are up to the challenge and put forth simply infectious performances that will set listeners' pulses racing. Playing distinct adolescent roles as well as a number of others, the two narrators display their wide ranging abilities and captivate to no end. Listeners will be enthralled from the very beginning; this duo knows exactly when to crank up the tension. A Little, Brown hardcover.

June 9, 2008
Readers with a high tolerance for coincidence and implausible plot twists will best appreciate this stand-alone thriller from bestseller Patterson (Double Cross) and collaborator Roughan (You've Been Warned). Katherine Dunne, a 45-year-old New York City heart surgeon, has more than her fair allowance of emotional baggage-her philandering husband, Stuart, died four years earlier in a scuba diving accident; she had a fling with Stuart's younger brother, Jake; and her three children suffer from varying degrees of dysfunction. In an attempt to repair her family, Katherine plans a relaxing cruise on a yacht captained by Jake. Her new husband, Peter Carlyle, a top Manhattan criminal attorney, claims he has to stay behind because of an important trial, but once Katherine and family set sail, it soon becomes clear Carlyle has his own agenda. The cruise turns into a struggle for survival, including a predictable shark encounter and a less predictable, if no less silly, giant snake attack. If the lead characters were more than walking cliches, their struggles and changing relationships would leave some impression. Still, the action is all that really matters, and Patterson delivers what his audience wants in spades.