The opening sequence of The Murder House is pure bravado: No fewer than three seemingly unconnected mysteries are introduced in the first pages, including the mystery of what happened to the book’s protagonist, former NYPD detective Jenna Murphy, when she was a child. Working with frequent collaborator David Ellis, Patterson constructs a master class in fooling the reader without irritating them. No one weaponizes plot twists like Patterson. Combined with Patterson’s expertise in pacing and twisty plotting, and you’ve got a top-notch modern thriller. They could have existed simply to kick the plot into motion, but instead they come alive on the page. Amy’s reaction to an existential threat to her family lines up well with her training, career choice, and personality-but Patterson and DuBois don’t neglect the other Cornwalls, giving her family individuality and emotional heft. Patterson’s character work is once again exemplary. This sort of impossible scenario where the protagonist has no good choices makes for a terrifically tense story. To secure their safe return, she has to find a way to free a mysterious prisoner, risking her life and her career. Army Intelligence officer Amy Cornwall comes home to find her husband and daughter have been kidnapped.
Originally published under the title The Cornwalls are Gone, this collaboration with Brendan DuBois shows that Patterson sometimes produces his best work when he tweaks his usual thriller formula.
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