Private Games

April 30, 2012
In Patterson and Sullivan’s thriller, a madman commits a series of gruesome acts to stop the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Working to thwart him are Peter Knight, a troubleshooter for Private—”the world’s most renowned investigation firm”—and tabloid reporter Karen Pope. Timed to coincide with the real London Olympics in July, the book is filled with action, suspense, gruesome death, and—surprisingly—a touch of romance, all ably narrated by Paul Panting. For chapters focusing on Knight, Panting employs his own voice, adding a bit of edge to his speech, while for those narrated by homicidal villain Cronus, he switches to a chillingly soft tone. Cronus’s reflections are initially unemotional, but progress from arrogant to furious as his careful planning is undone by Knight. A Little, Brown hardcover.