While don't enjoy Patterson. I absolutely love Barker. So of course, I was going to read this anyway. It is Chunky, but it is fast pace amd like all Barker books keeps you turning pages.

EXCERPT: A bolt slid into place.

A lock clicked tight.

Half in shock, Dobbs pushed back against the wall and sat up, staring at the door. He pulled his knees tight against his chest. His heart thudded against his rib cage. His left hand reached for his damaged arm, squeezed, held the wound. Blood flowed through his fingers. He sucked in a ragged gasp; pain radiated out from his torn shoulder, down his arm, to his fingertips.

The world tilted, his vision clouded, his body attempted to shut down. He forced himself to focus, he grasped at the present.

His eyes drifted over the walls of the small room.

Pictures.

Hundreds of pictures.

And he instantly knew that if he were to shout,nobody would hear him, not here.

And that's when the lights went out.

ABOUT 'THE COAST-TO-COAST MURDERS': Michael and Megan Fitzgerald are siblings who share a terrifying past. Both adopted, and now grown—Michael is a long-haul truck driver, Megan a college student majoring in psychology—they trust each other before anyone else. They've had to. Their parents are public intellectuals, an Ivy League clinical psychologist and a renowned psychiatrist, and they brought up their adopted children in a rarefied, experimental environment. It sheltered them from the world's harsh realities, but it also forced secrets upon them, secrets they keep at all costs.

In Los Angeles, Detective Garrett Dobbs and FBI Agent Jessica Gimble have joined forces to work a murder that seems like a dead cinch. Their chief suspect is quickly identified and apprehended—but then there's another killing just like the one they've been investigating. And another. And not just in Los Angeles—the spree spreads across the country. The Fitzgerald family comes to the investigators' attention, but Dobbs and Gimble are at a loss—if one of the four is involved, which Fitzgerald might it be?

MY THOUGHTS: The human mind is the most dangerous weapon in the world.

How can you not love a book that begins: Where will you be when your life ends?
I was in the grocery store, squeezing a mango.

Twisted. Unpredictable. Intricate. Fascinating. Scary. The Coast-to-Coast Murders is not a book to sit down and relax with. Remember that scene in the movie 'The Exorcist' where Linda Blair's head is spinning on her neck? That's how I felt reading this book. It will mess with your mind. It will tease and tantalise you.

What starts out seemingly as a simple murder soon escalates into so much more. A serial killer? Yes, but who? A set-up? A conspiracy? Every time I thought that I knew something, I was wrong.

But that's not all that's going on . . . there are mad doctors, abandoned facilities, delusional and hallucinating people, suicide and people trying to kill one another for a variety of reasons - or just because they like killing. There are more bodies in this book than you're likely to find in a busy inner city morgue.

Not a book for the faint hearted, but if you want a great, crazy, scary (in the fact that people's minds are meddled with) rollercoaster of a read, then this is it. Don't be put off by the size of the book, the chapters are bite-sized and action packed, the pace relentless.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

#TheCoasttoCoastMurders #NetGalley

I: @jamespattersonbooks @jdbarker_author @littlebrownbookgroup_uk

T: @JPBooks @jdbarker @LittleBrownUK

#contemporaryfiction #crime #familydrama #detectivefiction #fbi #mentalhealth #mystery #serialkillerthriller #suspense

THE AUTHORS: James Patterson, in full James Brendan Patterson, Jr., (born March 22, 1947, Newburgh, New York, U.S.), American author, principally known for his thriller and suspense novels.

J.D. Barker is an American author that writes suspense thrillers with elements of horror.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Little Brown and Company via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Coast-to-Coast Murders by James Patterson and J.D. Barker for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Overall this book was fast-paced and interesting read. The book definitely seems more like JD Barker's style even though I don't believe I've read anything by James Patterson before. There are a lot of characters and names to remember. There is also non-stop action, plot twists, and drama. The plot did become confusing and because of all the characters and drama going on. Everything does come together at the end but I did have some unanswered questions. The book was an enjoyable read nonetheless.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has more twists and turns than the windiest mountain road. From the first page to the last you just can’t put this book down. But then I didn’t expect anything less from a James Patterson book and he certainly didn’t disappoint. You really need to read this book! Thank you James for writing us another great book!

LA Detective Garrett Dobbs and FBI Agent Jessica Gimble have joined forces to work a murder that, at first glance, seems like an open and shut case. The complexities of the case, however, have more to do with the suspect and his family than of the death itself. As they are led from one side of the country to the other, will law enforcement be able to bring to light the secrets of the past?

The Coast-to-Coast Murders brings a psychological thriller together with a police procedural, giving the plot twists that will have many readers scratching their heads. The atrocities of the past, and the depths that the perpetrators will go to cover them up, seem extreme and somewhat unrealistic at times. That being said, the reality is that, although the experiment itself might be over the top, the fact that children can be put into situations in institutions such as the one depicted here can and has happened.

I liked certain aspects of the book, especially as the authors explore the relationship between the adopted siblings at the center of the story. Michael and Megan Fitzgerald were created to be products of their environment and the depths that their story went to was interesting and terrifying at the same time. Overall, I wanted the book to be a little shorter, as the novel got a little sluggish in the middle. Readers who like police procedurals that include a psychological thriller element might like The Coast-to-Coast Murders.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Coast-to-Coast Murders by NetGalley and the publisher, Little, Brown and Company. The decision to read and review this novel was entirely my own.

I have loved all of the dual JD Barker and James Patterson reads. This is in that tradition. All of their books are big reads but totally quickly paced, page-turning fun. Get ready for some pages to fly by as you delve into this one. Another great novel!
#TheCoasttoCoastMurders #NetGalley. #LittleBrownandCompany

Read this book because of coauthor J.D. Barker, whose writing I greatly enjoy. This one did not disappoint. It had his signature eeriness and mayhem!

I absolutely loved this book. I give it 4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of James Patterson’s collaboration with J.D. Barker in Coast-to-Coast Murders. The story starts off with Michael’s point of view. Then it switches to the point of view of his sister’s thru a letter, Megan Fitzgerald. The letter gives you some background of their growing up with their adoptive parents. Parents that made Michael and Michelle call them by Dr. Rose and Dr. Bart. Wow, what a bunch of wonderful and endearing parents they have.
From what I read so far, I would never call them parents, not the least. As you see Michael, and him being possibly charged with a woman he has never met before, his sister the only one who believes his innocence, and starts doing research on her own. As Megan continued to do some research, she stumbles upon some patient files form her “father’s” client lists. Each name of the client on the list has a small blue dot next to their name, and they were all murdered. Even with the passing of Dr. Bart, his wife seems to take his death very, very, very rough. However, the question is why did she have a part is this experiment, or she nothing of his work, or did not care because it was for the greater good of science?
Some things were hard to swallow, so to speak, especially when it comes to children and how they should be protected, loved, and cared for. Not seem like a possible scientific living experiment.

Engrossing. Clear your schedule and get ready to do a lot of reading in one sitting.

This is an exceptional thriller with a twist I didn't see coming. This is one of the best thrillers I've ever read--ever. You think you have it figured out, but there's a chance you might not. The way the authors (is James Patterson really involved anymore?) wove incredibly subtle hints throughout ... *Chef's kiss* Absolutely brilliant.

I would implore the author(s) and publisher to do more research/thinking about socially conscious writing. Regarding things like using the white race as default--meaning no one is described by race except for those who are not white. We are to just assume the white characters are white because that's the default.

So many of us do/did this. We don't even realize we've been seeing and reading this all our lives. I did it myself before I knew better. Know better, do better, as Maya Angelou said!

As writers and editors, we have a responsibility to put forth socially conscious work from here on out as we learn how. Just Google search "white as the default in fiction." Here's a good one: https://www.writingdiversely.com/post/dismantling-the-white-default

A huge thanks to the authors, the publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC. I will absolutely buy a copy of this audiobook so I can reread it!

Two wonderful authors a terrific read.Kept me reading late into the night,So many twists and turns drew me right in kept me turning the pages late into the night.Two authors who never fail.#netgalley #littlebrown

I absolutely loved this book! Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read it. The author JD Barker (one of my faves) doesnt let you down in this well thought out book. Read in 2 sittings . I have no negative comments about it.

The Fitzgerralds are an odd family to be sure. The parents are both psychologists and the adopted daughter Meghan is a psychology student. The adopted son Michael is thought to be committing murders yet there just seems to be such a disconnect in memory and possible motive. The FBI is on the case, but can they stop the murders because it seems like they are always one step behind. This was an exceptional psychological thrill ride and really kept me invested in what is happening in the story. There is just so much connection behind practicing psychology and creating psychological dysfunctions. I really liked Meghan as a character and was completely blindsided at the end. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I love me some J.D Barker. I fell in love with his writing after reading 4MK and have tried to read everything he now writes including tweets, …You get the picture. It took me a while to get the chance to dig through my mountain of a TBR but I finally got to this book. Once I turned the first page, I was hooked!

This story begins with a bizarre incident. A man is called home to attend to a leaking pipe or tap left open only to discover an unknown woman dead in his bathtub. Who is the dead woman? How comes he doesn’t know how she got into his apartment? Why does the evidence paint a different picture? Soon afterwards, readers are thrown into a world of chaos with bodies turning up in different places and more twists and turns with each new chapter.

This was quite a fast-paced read with non-stop action. There were no dull moments and I was fully immersed into the narrative as I sought to find the answers. The characterization was quite well done. The interesting mix of characters had me fully invested in the narrative. Some were likable, others hard to understand and of course, we had a few deplorable ones who I enjoyed disliking. I loved the complexity of the case and the fact that it was difficult to guess the story’s ending.

This is a highly entertaining thriller. I don’t usually enjoy too much action but in this book, it all worked out well. There was a balance of elements including a psychological angle exploring the makings of a killer. For me, this balance is what kept the book from tipping over to full on John Wick. Definitely recommended for fans of action thrillers.

4.5 stars (because of the ending)

The Coast-to-Coast Murders by J.D. Barker and James Patterson is a mystery/thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Little, Brown and Company, and of course the authors, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Michael Fitzgerald is in trouble, and the only one he has ever relied on is his sister Megan.  Michael, a long-haul truck driver,  tells Megan that he is being framed for the murder of someone he has never met.  Megan is a college student majoring in psychology.  The two were adopted when they were children by two highly esteemed doctors, one a psychologist and one a psychiatrist.  The doctors brought their children up in a rather strange environment where they were considered more subjects in an experiment than son and daughter.  Michael has not spoken to them in ages, but Megan is still at home.

Now, Detective Garret Dobbs of the LAPD, and FBI Agent Jessica Gimble have joined to bring down a murderer, and Michael is their main suspect.

But it's not just one victim here.  There are victims spread across the country.

As Michael tries to evade his pursuer's, Megan tries to help him.


My Opinions:   

OMG....this would make one hell of a movie!   It was 5 stars until the end....still thinking about that ending.  There were so many twists and turns,  that by the end I wasn't sure what I believed any more.  I think the ending was rushed, and didn't fit somehow.  However, I really loved the book.  What a fun and crazy ride.

The characters were all well thought out, and the authors must have had a wall full of post-it-notes and arrows to keep track of all the directions they went.

The plot, of course, was wonderful, and the pace was non-stop action.  The chapters were short, and alternated between the characters.  It was definitely the right move.

I have enjoyed Patterson's work in the past (and am behind on a couple of his series installments), but I found his work getting boring.  Add my favorite new author JD Barker, and the combination rocked!

The Coast-To-Coast Murders is a fast-paced thriller by two wonderful authors, James Patterson and J.D Barker. Michael Fitzgerald finds himself accused of murder and on the run with the help of his sister, Megan. What follows is a violent, action packed road trip across USA. J.D Barker has been a favourite of mine for awhile now and his style of writing shines through in this story. The ending left me slightly confused but this was still a 5 Star read! With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital copy.

The Review

The action begins immediately as readers are thrust into a shocking turn of events. Michael is introduced and is immediately thrust into a position of a suspect as a dead woman is found in his home, only he doesn’t know her. However, evidence begins piling up that he had some sort of life with this mystery woman, and soon he finds himself hunted by the law. The twists and turns that take the reader into the heart of this mystery are truly entertaining, as are the multiple POVs that the authors introduce. Michael’s sister Megan is one of the most peculiar and fascinating characters, as her narrative to the police via a written document portrays the damaging and harsh environment these two siblings were raised in.

The suspense as readers are constantly torn between who the killer truly makes this book stand out. The shift from a complex homicide investigation into a manhunt for a notorious serial killer as the mystery of Michael’s identity and memories comes into play keeps readers invested, and while this is a lengthy read, the twists and turns make this story feel fresh and unique throughout the entirety of the novel.

The Verdict

A must-read novel, authors J.D. Barker and James Patterson have created a masterpiece thriller with “The Coast-to-Coast Murders”. The characters are memorable and the action intense, and by the book's end readers will be both pleased and shocked at the final reveal of it all. If you haven’t yet, grab your copy of this book today!

Hot Popping Dang! Literary popcorn! J.D. Barker describes his writing as literary popcorn, and I am not sure what that means, but that popcorn was popping all over the place here in this convoluted, dark, twisted horrifying action-packed psychological thriller with more twists and turn then I could keep up with. If I were holding a bowl of popcorn while reading this one, it would be flying all over the place with those graphic violent details.

With authors like James Patterson and J.D. Barker, I knew I was in for one "deeply deranged killer with a dark and twisted appetite" well, dang, this was some deeply twisted psychological sh*t going on here!! I am one picky reader when it comes to delving into psychology and twisting it for the plot and twists to the story. At times I was worried I would end up disliking this one, and that overthinker was going to come out in all her nastiness. However, I was in some skillful hands here, and only talented authors like this could make up this level of dark and twistiness and make it work for this picky overthinker!

It's all about the action here with this twisty ride coast to coast, and at times, it's was so intense I had to get off and take a mental break before getting back in this ride. I listened to this one, and with 560 pages and 14 hours of listening, I have to admit I was ready for this road trip of terror to end, but those deranged twists keep coming right up to that last page.

Now that ending left me thinking you got to be kidding me! They weren't!!!

So well written and so well paced, that I could not put it down! when I saw it had 2 of my favorite authors, I knew it would be good, I had no idea it would hold me prisoner until I was done reading it! Kept me guessing until the very end!

Two words........LOVED IT!

J D Barker is just fabulous. I absolutely loved this! The characters are wonderful, the storytelling is sublime and the pace electric. I didn't put it down.

5stars from me.

With thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy.