Red alert by James Patterson and Marshall Karp

Red alert is the fifth book in the NYPD Red series and while it can be read as a stand alone book, it is best enjoyed as part of the rest of the series.  If you choose to keep reading this review there are ***SPOILERS*** about what happens in the earlier books.

When you're part of NYPD Red you know that at least part of your day is going to be spent kissing butts and stroking egos - even when there is a crime to solve and not much time to solve it in.  Detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald are the core team at NYPD Red and they are at the top of their game, which is both a hindrance and a help when it comes to solving crimes.  When they are roped into joining the security detail for Mayor Sykes it seems like an annoyance rather than a chore, but when a bomb explodes at the charity fundraiser they're attending the find themselves at ground zero for the crime and the start of a challenging case.  The mayor wants the case solved and what the mayor wants she gets.  When a second man dies at the hands of the same bomber it becomes clear that the case is bigger than they thought.

Because life is never simple for the overworked detectives of the NYPD the bomber is not the only case for Jordan and MacDonald to solve - and every case is considered a priority that needs their attention.  It is almost impossible to ignore a death like Aubrey Davenport's though, especially when she has the poor taste to die in a compromising position in a public place, and as the detectives dig deeper into her story they realise that the case may not be cut and dried either.  With pressure from all sides Jordan and MacDonald are going to have to keep their wits about them, especially when a third unofficial case falls in their lap.  

The NYPD Red series has been lots of fun to discover, and the chemistry between the main characters of Jordan and MacDonald is interesting and familiar without drifting too far into cliché and the overly familiar.  The cast is well developed and growing to include more interesting characters, and there are some laugh out loud moments among the more serious storylines.  It was a long wait for this instalment in the NYPD Red series but it was worth the wait and we can only hope the next instalment is not too far away!

If you like this book then try:

• NYPD Red by James Patterson and Marshall Karp
• Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
• Kiss the girls by James Patterson
• The slaughter man by Tony Parsons
• Pop goes the weasel by M.J. Arlidge 
• The surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
• One step too far by Tina Seskis
• The postcard killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund
• Vodka doesn't freeze by Leah Giarratano
• Kill switch by Neal Baer & Jonathan Greene
• The edge of normal by Carla Norton
• The survivors club by Lisa Gardner
• Kill me if you can by James Patterson and Marshall Karp

Reviewed by Brilla