Kept my interest through the twists and turns.

Private London, the first of the Private International series by James Patterson, is set in London and co-written with Mark Pearson. The head of Privates London branch, Dan Carter, is charged by Jack Morgan with keeping Hannah Shapiro, a young American woman with a wealthy and influential father, safe while she undertakes studies at the prestigious Chancellors University. When Hannah is abducted off the street, Dans ex-wife, DI Kirsty Webb, as part of the investigating team, suspects it may be linked to other recent abductions. Bodies are being found, mysteriously mutilated. Dan is under pressure to find Hannah before she becomes the victim of a bizarre serial killer. This is a fast-paced novel with plenty of action: murder, rape, kidnapping, hypnotic suggestion, organised crime, paedophile rings, missile guidance and organ theft. There are a few red herrings to keep it interesting, although I did not feel the sub-plot was well-explained or satisfactorily resolved. The characters were, on the whole, quite believable, although I thought Dan acted uncharacteristically navely with Annabelle. It has a bit of a London feel, but it is obviously written to an American readership, and the dialogue does not ring true: even though Dans use of American expressions is explained towards the end of the book, there are errors in other characters dialogue and in the narration. The usual Patterson short chapters: a quick read.