Love the Bennett books, not sue if I’d read this one but I didn’t have this one or Tick tock marked on my list, so went back to catch them. Thinking I might have read it because of what happened with MC but not sure, good quick read though! ( )

Which way is Bennett's head going to turn yet another great read in the series. ( )

3.5* ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I like Mike's growth as a single dad. ( )

Worst Case is the 3rd novel in the Michael Bennett series and whilst the first 2 were good, I really feel like the series is getting into it's stride now that the character and his family/work background & ethic have been fully backgrounded.

This time around there's a unhinged kidnapper grabbing children of the wealthy off the streets and questioning them, when they fail his questions he executes them before telling police how to pick them up, only for the police to rush to the location to find a body, rather than the living child.

In addition to the investigation, a FBI agent is assigned to help Bennett/the NYPD with the case, an attractive FBI agent no less, which brings some tension into Bennett's life as he bonds with both his children's nanny Mary Catherine, as well as the fetching FBI agent.

A hard one to put down, looking forward to see where the series heads next (and where things go, if anywhere with the nanny!). ( )

good quick read mystery
North + South Pole — Parents as compasses when you lose them

One by one, children of New York's wealthiest are taken hostage. But the criminal doesn't crave money or power--he only wants to ask the elite if they know the price others pay for their luxurious lifestyles. And, if they don't, he corrects their ignorance--by killing them.

This is the third in the Michael Bennett series, but they read well as stand alone.

NYPD Detective Mike Bennett and his new partner FBI Special Agent Emily Parker are on the trail of Francis Mooney, a Manhattan trusts and estates lawyer with terminal lung cancer. Faced with his mortality, he realizes he has spent his life and career helping the rich pass along monetary possessions to children who have neither the intelligence nor maturity to use those possessions in a way that helps society at large.

Mooney has nothing to Lise, after all he days are numbered, so he begins kidnapping teenage children of the most wealthy and wasteful. He then puts the children through a test in which he asks them questions to test their social awareness. For example, he asks one teen what his childhood nanny's first and last name and what country she was from. When the teenager doesn't answer correctly, Mooney kills him. Apparently she wasn't important enough to remember her ethnic name. However, when Mooney kidnaps another teen who does answer her questions correctly, he lets her go unharmed. While this teen is wealthy and entitled, she has instead focused her young life on causes instead of shoes and purses. Mooney had expected to have to kill the teen as well and did not wear a mask over his face. He also left a fingerprint on the teen's forehead. Oops, will that be a problem?

From that fingerprint and the teen's description, Bennett and Parker are able to identify Mooney. By that time, Mooney has returned to his old high school where he has taken several male students hostage in an auditorium. Bennett and Parker respond, but Mooney is able to escape in a stolen taxicab with 2 male students as hostages. After leaving the school, Mooney also takes the teenage doorman from a nearby swanky hotel hostage as well. Mooney wires his hostages and himself with explosives so that any attempt to kill him would kill the hostages as well. 3 lives...

Mooney takes his hostages to the place he feels epitomizes all the greed and monetary obsession that troubles him: the New York Stock Exchange. The police have the Exchange surrounded and the Exchange's Chief of Security attempts to apprehend Mooney. Mooney's teenage doorman hostage happens to be the son of the Exchange's chief of security. Mooney gives him a choice; you can choose to shoot your own don or let me in, and rather than shoot his own son, the chief lets Mooney by.

Once inside, Mooney reveals that the fathers of each of the two student hostages from the high school are very wealthy. He demands that the fathers both come to the Exchange and swap places with their sons. Ultimate sacrifice any parent would make.

So who is going to die, by gun, explosives or both? ( )

This was a great read. I couldn't put it down. The story grips you and keeps you wanting more. Very exciting and interesting. The intelegence of the crimnal against the the cops was amazing. What made it exciting is the way the crinmal was always one step ahed of the police. It'a a must read......

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Francis X. Mooney is a "do-gooder" lawyer who believes in changing the world--rescuing people from poverty, donating to humanitarian causes, and increasing social equality. In the beginning, he tries handing out pamphlets about making the world a better place--but no one listens. And so, he decides on a much deadlier path--becoming a serial killer. But his victims are no ordinary folks.

Mixed throughout are giggling and light hearted fun. Zaniness coexists with mayhem. It's more than a little cartoon like, and remarkably like a Scooby-Doo episode; but, alas, there's no Scooby. I looked. It's a quick read, for the 356 pages have large font, plenty of white space, and there's the classic James Patterson (writing with Michael Ledwidge) style: mini-chapters of two-four slam-bang pages. The ending is clever and exciting. ( )

Third Michael Bennett book in the series. The father of ten returns in this installment to try and catch a child killer. The children of the rich and famous are being kidnapped and murdered and its up to Michael and his FBI partner Emily to catch him. They have no idea why they are being killed or even chosen as the killer doesnt request a ransom.
A good Patterson, I always enjoy the writing style and short chapters. It's a quick read. My mind did start wondering off towards the end of the book but once they caught up with the killer, I was hooked again. Wondering what's gonna happen with Michael and MC the nanny. Will start next in series tonight. ( )

Pretty good, and definitely my favorite of the three books in the Michael Bennett series. ( )

NYPD Detective Michael Bennett and FBI abduction Specialist Emily Parker are hot on the trail of a kidnapper who has suddenly become a serial killer. Someone is abducting very rich kids off the streets of New York and after a very strange 'test' of the victim's social consciousness the kidnapper either lets the child go (because they have passed his exam) or he kills them in some horrendous fashion. After Bennett and Parker note that the first two bodies recovered have ashes on their foreheads they deduce that the final showdown will be just a few days away on Ash Wednesday. Can they figure out who the kidnapper is in time to stop him from whatever he has planned for his end game?

Michael Bennet, the widow with 10 school aged children, is such a likeable character. He and the divorced Emily share some sparks and he is torn between the beautiful FBI agent and the equally beautiful (aren't they all?) live-in Irish nanny, Mary Catherine, back home. Mike's loveable grandfather Seamus the Catholic priest is present in this novel also. The story had great characters, a fairly rapid pace, one crazy nut-job of a murderer with a strange agenda, and a decent mystery.
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Love the Michael Bennett series! ( )

This book is a fast read. Like all Patterson books, it has short chapters and a flowing style. But like many of his co authored books, it follows a familiar and somewhat tired routine.
If you are a Patterson fan, you will enjoy it. ( )

One by one, children of New York's wealthiest are taken hostage. But the criminal doesn't crave money or power--he only wants to ask the elite if they know the price others pay for their luxurious lifestyles. And, if they don't, he corrects their ignorance--by killing them. To Detective Michael Bennett, it becomes clear that these murders are linked and must be part of a greater, more public demonstration. With the city thrown into chaos, he is forced to team up with FBI agent Emily Parker, and the two set out to capture the killer before he begins his most public lesson yet--a deadly message for the entire city to witness. From the bestselling author who brought you the Alex Cross novels comes James Patterson's most action-packed series yet. With the heart-pounding suspense that only Patterson delivers, WORST CASE will leave you gasping for breath until the very end.

Another satisfying tome from James Patterson + 1. The plot moved along at a steady pace, and there was a semi-credible evil villain. Entertaining. ( )

A psychotic lawyer kidnaps the teenage children of extremely rich people, quizzes them about world poverty and injustice, then kills them. There is a bit too much tail-chasing for my taste. ( )

This is yet another solid book from author James Patterson. I like his Michael Bennett series as much as, if not more than his Alex Cross series. It was riveting, fast-paced, and engaging. The only thing that seemed to make it less than perfect is the fact that the police officers (and FBI agent) only "screamed, cried, or yelled". They didn't seem to do anything else. I found that to be quite annoying. Other than that it was a good read, and one I would definitely tell Patterson fans to pick up. I enjoyed the development of the new character "Emily Parker" but I found because of that, we didn't get to spend as much time with Mary Catherine. She seemed to fade into the background. As always the kids are entertaining, all 10 of them, however they didn't seem to play as large a role in this book either. Regardless, this was a good book, and I do recommend it to those wanting a quick read, or to get their Patterson fix. ( )

A New York cop with 10 kids? YGBSM. The mystery was a good one, with a small twist at the end; the romantic context left something. I enjoyed the book and may come back to it's series, later. ( )

This is the 3rd book in the Detective Michael Bennett series penned by James Patterson in collaboration with author Michael Ledwidge.

Book 1: Step on a Crack
Book 2: Run For Your Life
Book 3: Worst Case
Book 4: Tick Tock

I somehow missed the second in the series - Run For Your Life - however Worst Case can be read as a stand alone, and doing so didn't impact my enjoyment of the novel.

Detective Bennett is assigned a kidnapping case in his hometown of New York when a rich kid is kidnapped and held hostage. What is strange though is that the hostage taker isn't making any ransom demands.

The case escalates when the body is dumped and another child of a wealthy family is abducted. FBI Agent Emily Parker is also assigned to the case and together they work to catch the serial killer while his motive remains a mystery.

Worst Case is fast paced and while you think you're following a basic crime plot, the ending was impressive and well thought out. This is a very solid crime novel from Patterson and worth the read. ( )

I read this as a stand alone book and found it a very pleasant read. It made me interested in the rest of the Mike Bennett series. ( )

After the horrible second installment in the series, James Patterson had a lot of making up to do and he didn't let fans down. Back to basics, this is another novel where wealthy children are kidnapped and Michael Bennett must track down the bad guy before time runs out. Although the plot is somewhat derivative, the pages will turn to a satisfying ending. This novel definitely warrants a sequel! ( )

Great action packed story with a lot of twists and turns. Kidnapper is kidnapping high profile kids to send a message to the world. Det Bennet is trying to catch him along with FBI agent Emily Parker, who could possibly be a love interest for Det Bennett. With 10 kids at home a wonderful Nanny and helpful father in more ways than one. Det. Bennet gets the job done. Really great addition to the series. ( )

A disturbing crime with few leads is the basis for this fast-paced thriller by fan favorite James Patterson and new writing partner Michael Ledwidge. The son of a wealthy, New York family has been abducted, but this is no ordinary case where ransom demands are only a phone call away. It’s a final exam where the answers mean everything and only the worthy students survive.
Detective Michael Bennett has a lot on his plate. As a widowed father of ten rambunctious kids and carrying a full caseload, the newest investigation on his radar is hitting extremely close to home. When another student disappears and the FBI sends in their top specialist, Bennett swallows his NYPD pride and forms a fast friendship with this attractive agent.
Blindly following the lead of this criminal sends the authorities into dangerous and unexpected locales, the neighborhoods abandoned by the wealthy and affluent. As the pace quickens the criminal’s deeper agenda soon begins to surface.
With the introduction of a surefire star to the mystery scene in Detective Michael Bennett, “Worst Case” is a definite page-turner not to be missed.
Reviewed by Shannon Raab with Suspense Magazine ( )

Worst Case is Patterson's strongest novel in his Michael Bennett series so far. From the the first chapter the action is relentless, only punctuated by the story of Michael's potential love interest. The approach to the latter is cleverly composed, almost a humourous tilt, and it in no way impedes the main story which follows a prolific kidnapper as he terrorizes the city. Great characters and a compelling villain wrap up Worst Case as an example of Patterson at his best. ( )