NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority

Product Information

I'm late to the party for this series of books from James Patterson, but that doesn't mean I was disappointed in not having know about them. I just need to keep my eyes open better for future books in the series. I really like James Patterson’s novels, he writes thrillers that keep us in suspense, all with very short chapters, so you read the story in no time. So you can imagine that I was very happy to get into this new novel. NYPD Red is a prestigious police task force assigned to high-profile crimes concerning elite New Yorkers. Kylie MacDonald and Zach Jordan are the two detectives that readers are familiar with from the beginning and I like their partnership. Their characters are what kept me reading and of course, the mysteries are solid as well. I really enjoyed the pacing of this series with short chapters and mini cliffhangers after each one. Meanwhile, in a probably unrelated incident, Kylie's boyfriend is shot. Officially barred from investigating (and she is front-and-center on a case the media and City Hall are focused on), Kylie is mostly watching this from the sidelines—but manages to help the detectives on the case while worried about his recovery.

There's part of me that wants to harp on the implausibility of KOD. But I don't know why I would—it's a fun idea and works well in this novel. Karp's version of this thing that we've seen and read about in other books/shows/movies/comics is as successfully conceived and executed as I've seen it. And as I said before, if you accept the world of this series, the outlandish nature of the KOD works well. So, I don't know why I feel like I have to make excuses for it or justify it, but I do feel that way. The KOD is a good challenge for Kylie and Zach and the way they confront it is entertaining. Which is what this book is about. He's not attempting to tell a gritty story like Winslow's The Badge (which has parts that are just as implausible)—this is an action-adventure story. And that’s only the beginning. A network of professional assassins is on the loose in New York City. Trained by the US military, they’re on their own now, with a new unit called Kappa Omega Delta. Killers On Demand. James Patterson churns out so many books throughout the year that sometimes it's hard to keep up. So far I've not managed to read any of the NYPD Red series. In “NYPD Red 6”, the reader is hit with two fast-moving plotlines. First, a famous reality star, Erin Easton, is starring in her own “Wedding of the Century” with Jamie Gibbs, son and heir to his mother’s multimillion-dollar international modeling agency. Their wedding and reception are being filmed by a cable network for airing to her public fans and her longtime manager has everything planned to include every crucial detail. That is until, disaster hits. When changing in her dressing room following the wedding, Erin disappears, leaving behind a bloody wedding gown and signs of a fight.Meanwhile, Erin and her abductor are hidden away, safe from the prying eyes of any authorities. Things appear to be wrapped in some form of fantasy, where Erin would run away with her abductor and raise children together. This outlandish narrative may be the one things that helps Erin stay alive, as long as she can bide her time and not refuse any of his demands. Still, it will take an act of great courage for Erin to toss off her restraints and return to the man she claims to truly love. I really need to find or develop a synonymous phrase for that, because I use it too often in this post. Sorry about that. Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Always in the NYPD Red series, since lead detective Kylie is a green-eyed blonde. NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority” starts off with two murders. First, a sniper marksman takes the life of Warren Hellman, a high profile movie producer, as he leaves the court following his being found not guilty of intentionally killing a well-respected New York detective. Across town, his brother, Curtis Hellman, is found dead on a jogging pathway along 102nd street. Someone left him with his throat slashed. Marshall Karp nails the core of a gritty on-the-streets crime thriller that couples authentic police procedural elements with an unremitting pace filled with crafty and ingenious twists and turns... NYPD Red 7: Murder Sorority is one of the most energetic and engaging thrillers of the year and it's one you can't miss out on. An indisputable must-read. James Patterson could not have passed down the torch to a more suited author than Karp. -- "Kashif Hussain, Best Thriller Books"

Per his usual style the author(s) have included several subplots that keep things moving at a rapid pace. There’s a bombing at a high profile event, the murder of a controversial filmmaker and a robbery at a high stakes poker game among other things, plenty to keep you on your toes, I can’t say I was ever bored for one minute. Again, Ballerini is an incredibly talented narrator, I don’t know if I would be enjoying this series as much as I have been if I was reading myself, he has an engaging voice that also demands to be heard, it’s fantastic! Marshall Karp takes over sole writing responsibility on the NYPD Red series, after collaborating on the previous novels with James Patterson. With intensity being a key element of the series to date, Karp has large shoes to fill, but does so with ease, keeping things on par with past publications. A gripping set of crimes, great character development, and some humour where it matters most, Karp is sure to impress series fans and has me wanting to explore some of his other solo work. The characters, setting, and action are all excellent in this book…The action is exciting, and as the story comes to a close, there are twists and turns that are unbelievably satisfying for any fan of crime thrillers. Karp does an excellent job of carrying on the NYPD Red series.” San Francisco Book Review (5 stars)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Things are now taking a change. Starting with the current outing – “NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority” – the baton has been passed from Patterson to Karp as a solo artist, who is taking over the series as a solo writer. The book cover blurb expressing Patterson’s confidence and approval in Karp taking over the writing comes across as the marketing ploy, but I guess that should be expected. One of the reasons I love NYPD Red as a series, is for the characters of Zach and Kylie, in ‘NYPD Red 5’ we see their personal relationship with each other and with their romantic partners change, it was nice to read and refreshing and meant we see more character development from them. It is always great to have a bit of their personal lives included as they are so likeable so it was a welcome addition. The narrative flow of this series has long been one of its strongest attributes. I find the momentum of the writing is dictated by the clipped pace on offer. Karp builds on this throughout, keeping the reader attentive as they make their way through the novel. Strong characters with some decent development help add something for series fans to enjoy, as there are some key aspects discussed in this seventh novel. The plot twists and story arcs presented keep the reader engaged and ready to learn more, stopped only by the limitations of Karp’s ability to publish future pieces. I can only hope there is more to come soon, as this is one series well worth my time! NYPD Red is one of Patterson’s lesser-known mystery series co-created and co-written with Marshall Karp. It is about two detectives - Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald – who make up a special investigative team focused on serving and protecting the rich and elite of New York city. In typical Patterson style, Zach and Kylie were also former lovers coming out of the police academy years ago and Zach has never stopped loving her, even though Kylie has sworn off ever dating a cop again. Because they work so close together, the sexual tension adds to the aura of their working relationship and is optimistically used as a tool to keep the reader’s interest.

During their investigation, a theory begins to surface about a team of assassins operating under the name of a sorority—Kappa Omega Delta. KOD—Killers On Demand. It sounds farfetched to the partners (and their captain), but they keep running into the idea. And soon, they might start to find some actual evidence pointing to it. I wasn’t as surprised by the ending as I sometimes am, and I’m slightly disappointed that the ambulance guys turned out to be precisely that. I was sort of hoping that, similar to what Red have previously encountered, they would be characters already known to the reader but hiding in plain sight . But I did enjoy the build-up to the reveal, once again Team Red are good at walking the reader through the thought process rather than somehow magically coming up with the solution, and I did appreciate how relatively straightforward it was (I’ve read some books with complicated endings recently!).At first it seems like just one murder, but as the bodies pile up the NYPD Red team his overdrive to try and solve the crimes. Overall, this is one of the typical Patterson collaborations where there is too way too many plots and much less less character development. I don’t know whether that is a good thing or bad thing to admit, but I get Patterson’s books from the library because I don’t find him good enough to buy and keep in my library. He’s mind candy – simple, fast-paced, detective and mystery-oriented adventures that can be read in about two to three days and then easily left behind. Nice escapism, but nothing super memorable. In the first chapter, a filmmaker with an addiction to rough sex games is murdered in the act. In the second chapter, a bomb blows up a wealthy architect who is giving a presentation on new housing for the indigent. Could these 2 murders be related and who wanted to kill them? That's what New York Detective Zach Jordan and his partner Kylie MacDonald must find out. Truth be told, if I had read this book without knowing Patterson’s named was removed, I wouldn’t have noticed any differences. It felt just like their previous six books in the series. I am not sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It just is. I am also not sure what this says about Patterson’s involvement in their writing partnership. It’s weird. Patterson steps away and I can’t tell the difference. I am going to stop talking about this now and let you form your own opinion on the matter. Having worked with police officers as a police chaplain I found the descriptions of the characters very accurate and reasonable even though people might think Patterson has exaggerated them a bit.