Private: Princess by James Patterson and Rees Jones (Private #14)

Private Princess by James Patterson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Jacket Blurb: Jack Morgan receives an offer he cannot refuse… 

When the head of the world’s foremost investigation agency receives at invitation to meet Princess Caroline, third in line to the British throne, he boards his Gulfstream jet and flies straight to London.The Princess needs Morgan’s skills, and his discretion. Sophie Edwards, a close friend of the Princess, has gone missing. She needs to be found before the media become aware of it.

Morgan knows there is more to this case than he is being told. But what is the Princess hiding?

Read as an audio book.

Premise of the book is, Private is called upon by Princess Caroline to find her friend Sofie. Rumors and speculation abound - was Sophie murdered? Did she commit suicide? Did she run away? As Jack Morgan investigates Sophie's disappearance, Peter Knight, head of Private London, is looking into the suicide of a well known Londonite. Soon the two men realize Jack, through Private, has been pulled into an insidious plot of revenge and Jack's adversary will stop at nothing to bring Jack - and Private - down.

I think this may be my favorite Private book. I enjoyed how deftly the plots were interwoven, while I didn't care for the brutality of the antagonists actions, I did appreciate how he was written and portrayed. He felt more integrated into the story than other mysteries I've read, where there is a chapter with the protagonist running around, and a chapter describing what the antagonist is going to do. I didn't get that in Private: Princess and it made for a better read in my opinion.

I thought there was more emotional investment in this installment. Though, I have to ask (SPOILER ALERT Stop reading here if you don't want a spoiler and skip down....) You've been warned. How many of Jack's girlfrend's or potential have been murdered to date? Three? At least three...

And the Head of Private (insert City here) have lost what, three wives to untimely deaths? India. London. South Africa? I know there is a third...

Finally, an observation. Early in the series the books could be read as stand-alone's. It's my humble opinion, that no, this has become a series that should be read in order, especially as the author(s) are now revisiting cities and characters from previous books.

Recommended if you've read the first 13 Private books, and at a minimum, if you've read Private: Games and Private: Royals.

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