Eyes of a Child

Rating:
Summary: A mystery that is not a whodunit.
Review: If you have any experience at all reading the whodunit type of mystery story, you will know within the first two chapters who the murderer is in this story. If that's all you care about, you'll be tempted to stop. My advice? DON'T !!!

Eyes of a Child is one of the best mystery novels I have ever read, and I picked it up by accident, thinking it was by another author. Lucky accident! The story is told largely through the eyes of Teresa Peralta, a young hispanic legal assistant in San Francisco, whose husband of six years, Richie, is murdered just before she leaves to go to Venice with her boss and lover, Christopher Paget, a major character carried over from a previous Patterson novel. We know Chris can't possibly be the murderer, because he's the good guy in the previous book, so we're left with only one possible suspect-- so there's no mystery at all about 'whodunit.' In spite of that, the book is a terrific mystery-- not about who, but about how and why.

The 'victim' is a slimeball of major proportions. He's killed in the first few pages. Then, through flashbacks, we're taken through the last few months before his demise. By the time he finally gets what's coming to him, we're ready to go to SanFran and kill him ourselves!

The dramatic insensity picks up when Christopher is arrested and tried for the murder. We know he didn't do it, but his efforts to prove his innocence in the face of many facts that make him look guilty provides the terrific suspense. The outcome is unexpected and exciting.

But I'm missing the main point here: This is no ordinary mystery story, and the plot pales in comparison to some other issues. These are 'real' people. We care about them. We care what happens to them. We want Christopher to 'get off' without revealing to the authorities who the real killer is, because the murderer has done society an immense service and deserves to remain unidentified and free.

Although the adult characters make the plot move, it is a child who is the center of the story-- hence the title. Teresa's daughter is one of the most haunting and sympathetic characters you will ever encounter in literature. What happens to her along the way is far more important in the long run than the more prosaic question of who is 'victim' and who is 'murderer.'

I have only two minor complaints: 1. A couple of the characters easily arrive at insights into their own personalities that no real-life person could similarly achieve, and 2. They are able to articulate these insights more clearly than any similar real person could. In other words, the author puts words in their mouths for them. This damages the illusion of reality in a couple of spots. However, the book's many strengths far outweigh these piddly weaknesses.

A fascinating read. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Rating:
Summary: A mystery that is not a whodunit.
Review: If you have any experience at all reading the whodunit type of mystery story, you will know within the first two chapters who the murderer is in this story. If that's all you care about, you'll be tempted to stop. My advice? DON'T !!!

Eyes of a Child is one of the best mystery novels I have ever read, and I picked it up by accident, thinking it was by another author. Lucky accident! The story is told largely through the eyes of Teresa Peralta, a young hispanic legal assistant in San Francisco, whose husband of six years, Richie, is murdered just before she leaves to go to Venice with her boss and lover, Christopher Paget, a major character carried over from a previous Patterson novel. We know Chris can't possibly be the murderer, because he's the good guy in the previous book, so we're left with only one possible suspect-- so there's no mystery at all about 'whodunit.' In spite of that, the book is a terrific mystery-- not about who, but about how and why.

The 'victim' is a slimeball of major proportions. He's killed in the first few pages. Then, through flashbacks, we're taken through the last few months before his demise. By the time he finally gets what's coming to him, we're ready to go to SanFran and kill him ourselves!

The dramatic insensity picks up when Christopher is arrested and tried for the murder. We know he didn't do it, but his efforts to prove his innocence in the face of many facts that make him look guilty provides the terrific suspense. The outcome is unexpected and exciting.

But I'm missing the main point here: This is no ordinary mystery story, and the plot pales in comparison to some other issues. These are 'real' people. We care about them. We care what happens to them. We want Christopher to 'get off' without revealing to the authorities who the real killer is, because the murderer has done society an immense service and deserves to remain unidentified and free.

Although the adult characters make the plot move, it is a child who is the center of the story-- hence the title. Teresa's daughter is one of the most haunting and sympathetic characters you will ever encounter in literature. What happens to her along the way is far more important in the long run than the more prosaic question of who is 'victim' and who is 'murderer.'

I have only two minor complaints: 1. A couple of the characters easily arrive at insights into their own personalities that no real-life person could similarly achieve, and 2. They are able to articulate these insights more clearly than any similar real person could. In other words, the author puts words in their mouths for them. This damages the illusion of reality in a couple of spots. However, the book's many strengths far outweigh these piddly weaknesses.

A fascinating read. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Rating:
Summary: Gripping to say the least.
Review: Once I picked up this book it was impossible to put down. The characters become so real. Patterson makes the characters members of the family. You can't help but feel the pain of the child. The emotions run deep. He makes you hate one person while love another. The research done to make this book so realistic is astonishing. It was truely an education. I can't wait to read more of his work.

Rating:
Summary: LEGAL THRILLER by rnp
Review: RNPATTERSON WRITES BOOKS YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO PUT DOWN. THE CHARACTERS ARE WELL DEVELOPED AND I FOUND MYSELF HATING RICKY BUT LOVING THE OTHERS, EXCEPT CHRIS. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT HE WAS UP TO BECAUSE HE WAS KEEPING SOMETHING TO HIMSELF AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO WITH HIM. EVEN WHEN HE WAS ON TRIAL FOR KILLING A SOCIOPATH I ALONG WIH HIS LAWYER DIDN'T FEEL HE WAS REALLY NOT GUILTY. PATTESON HAS THE KNACK OF KEEPING YOU INTERESTED IN ALL THE ACTION, DETAILS, AND HOW A GOOD DEFENSE LAWYER HAS TO THINK AHEAD AND WEAVE THE LOOSE ENDS INTO A SOLID LEGAL DEFENSE FOR HER CLIENT. I THINK SHE'S BETTER THAN GRISHAM'S LAWYERS. AT TIMES I LOST PATIENCE WITH TERRI WHO WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHAT SHE SHOULD DO TO PROTECT HER FIVE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO WAS ALSO CONFUSED RE HER PARENTS' LOVE FOR HER. THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT READ THAT KEPT ME GUESSING RIGHT UP TO THE UNEXPECTED ENDING. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ANY OF PATTERSON' BOOKS, GET STARTED. THIS IS HIS 6th NOVEL SO START BACK BEFORE THIS 1994 BOOK.

Rating:
Summary: eyes of a child
Review: this is a awesome book it talks about a divorce of two parents and a girl called elena that is caught between the fight for her. the mother has a trip with her lover and leaves the girl, nad then she gets abused by someone.

Rating:
Summary: Almost a 5
Review: This is a very good, interesting and smart legal thriller. He has also got a very good mystery built in. The story line is very good with enough sub plots and interesting characters to keep it interesting through out the book. You keep asking yourself, who did it? The inter character dialogue is also a part of the book that keeps your interest. He writes a deeper book then many of the others out there in this filed so it is a book you need to pay attention too.

Rating:
Summary: STUNNING WORK
Review: This is only my second RN Patterson book, but wow, what a find! I can't wait to go back and get them all.
"Eyes of a Child" is one heck of a story, that grips you right from its chilling opening until it's shattering finale.
The characterizations are richly drawn and extremely credible. Patterson's way with setting up compelling dramatic scenes is amazing. There's one long scene in the book where Terri and her mother Rosa finally discuss why Rosa stayed with the abusive husband. It's forthright, somber, believable and sad, as well. Patterson does this kind of great work in other scenes, too, including the one where Terri comes to find out her daughter, Elena's, horrifying "secret."
Christopher Paget is a noble hero, and I didn't realize he has been featured in other novels, so I was beginning to think he was the murderer. His trip to the Goodwill is one factor; the "journal" is another.
All of the characters are brilliantly conceived: the evil and despicable Richie, whose death seems more than justified; Paget's teen-age son, Carlo, trapped in those waning years between adolescence and adulthood; Rosa, the mother, is compelling and one can't help but sympathize with her; Caroline Masters, Paget's defense, who is a brilliant lawyer and seems to be a true friend as well.
There are no easy answers in this well-crafted novel and our heroes do some foolish things, but it chronicles the tragedy of what happens when a child is placed in a "used" position, and how sometimes even love isn't enough.
EXCELLENT!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS BY RNP
Review: this was my first book by richard north patterson (rnp) which was kind of a mistake. little did i know that there were two books before this one about christopher paget, mary carelli, and teresa peralta. if you havent read "the lasko tangent" or "degree of guilt" read those before you read this one. other then that i really liked this book. its one of those that you just cant put down until you finish it. you might want to read "the final judgement" or the renamed title "caroline masters" after your done with this one. after this book i got into all his other ones which i have really enjoyed. another good ones to read by him are "silent witness" or "dark lady"

Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful but one dimensional
Review: this was my first North Paterson audio book and while I was pulled into the story I felt after it was over that it left a bad taste in my mouth. As another reviewer stated here Chris Paget and his lover/associate Terri are just too smug for my liking. The no can do any wrong couple that supposedly sacrifices much to put things right. I do confess that Terri's ex husband Richie was one of the worst scum to ever grace the pages of fiction literature his opposites however were too self righteous for my taste. In fact the only character which was three dimensional was Elena the little girl and perhaps even Rosa Terri's mother. The story does grip you and you want to finish the book if only to find out what happens at the end but in the end you will not admire the main characters much when you have finished. The sex abuse angle was interesting though I could not believe Terri was so stupid not to notice it from the start. Chris's son Carlos was annoying to no end and the political side plot was a complete yawn. I have one more North Patterson book that I purchased, "No safe Place," I hope that one will be suspenseful without presenting such black and white characters as there were in this one. This book contains three CDs and is narrated by Ken Howard. He does a good job but his female voices could be improved upon.

Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful but one dimensional
Review: this was my first North Paterson audio book and while I was pulled into the story I felt after it was over that it left a bad taste in my mouth. As another reviewer stated here Chris Paget and his lover/associate Terri are just too smug for my liking. The no can do any wrong couple that supposedly sacrifices much to put things right. I do confess that Terri's ex husband Richie was one of the worst scum to ever grace the pages of fiction literature his opposites however were too self righteous for my taste. In fact the only character which was three dimensional was Elena the little girl and perhaps even Rosa Terri's mother. The story does grip you and you want to finish the book if only to find out what happens at the end but in the end you will not admire the main characters much when you have finished. The sex abuse angle was interesting though I could not believe Terri was so stupid not to notice it from the start. Chris's son Carlos was annoying to no end and the political side plot was a complete yawn. I have one more North Patterson book that I purchased, "No safe Place," I hope that one will be suspenseful without presenting such black and white characters as there were in this one. This book contains three CDs and is narrated by Ken Howard. He does a good job but his female voices could be improved upon.