Title:	Circle of Death
	Author:	James Patterson, Brian Sitts
	Published:	July 3, 2023, Grand Central Publishing
	No. of Pages:	368
	Cover Price:	$32.00 Hardcover, $11.99 Kindle

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In literary circles, James Patterson books have long been considered sloppily written and appealing to the lowest common denominator - tabloid quality. But with the addition of dozens of co-writers, the writing in many of his series has improved and the scenarios have become more believable and readable. However, in Circle of Death, not so much. Brian Sitts is the co-author, and this dystopian novel in the Shadow series, is pure fantasy, unbelievable, and full of comic-book style violence. As is vintage James Patterson, there are dozens of murders, dead bodies, and violence, and The Shadow and some others he has chosen are trying to save the world from utter destruction.

While the characters are well-developed, albeit totally implausible, they are consistent throughout the novel, and are indicative of the supernatural powers that are often attributed to characters in fantasy novels. Patterson is the biggest selling author at present, maybe ever, and his storytelling abilities have kept readers on the edge for decades. For those who like dystopian thrillers, this story is no exception, and will be followed closely while on the edge throughout the ups and downs, surprises, and ridiculously far-fetched scenarios.

All told, readers who enjoy this type of fiction will want to immediately pick up this novel and will want to read it cover to cover in a short amount of time. Those who prefer less violence, less dead bodies, and less supernatural garbage will want to skip this one and read one of Patterson’s other series.


Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.