"Psst. Wanna be one of the first to read THE NOISE By J.D. Barker and James Patterson” email had me rushing to NetGalley to download the eArc. From there I was pitched head long into a pulse pounding, nerve racking thriller of a story. What was Ana Shim? Why were teeming masses of people stampeding causing death and destruction in their wake? What are the vibrations that kept getting louder and louder? What is causing the raising temperatures? The reader and characters are led in the into the story at the same pace without much of clue as to what is going on or coming up next. An amazing suspense thriller by these two authors with an unexpected ending. Highly recommended.

Thank you so much to J.D. Parker for the email invitation, James Patterson, Little Brown and Company, and NetGalley for opportunity to preview the book.

I’ve read Patterson collaborations before but I’ve never been exactly sure how they work. Apparently Patterson writes a detailed outline and the co-author does the writing. I looked it up because the entire time I was reading, J.D. Barker’s style of writing,his voice, came through 100%, not Patterson’s . I’m a fan of Barker’s work, and this book is no exception.
The book ends on an ambiguous note, and you better understand how the internet and electronic devices work because there is a lot of technical information offered here. I also can’t help but wonder how it would have ended if Barker were able to craft the ending himself.
But the book works, sucking you in from the first page reading like both a supernatural and sci-fi novel and it’s a plot I don’t usually associate with Patterson books so that alone was a nice surprise. A great escape of a read, and when you’re done with this check out JD Barker’s stand alone novels.

Let me just say that this novel makes the pandemic look like a silly little cold! Yes, that's not meant to deter you as it's a fabulous book (just look at the two authors), but it's terrifying and you can't look away! It starts out with two sisters, Sophie and Tennant who are out trapping rabbits when their father suddenly throws them into their underground shelter and leaves them there. As they attempt to escape, it's clear something cataclysmic has happened to their world. And when the Army helicopters begin to descend and they are "captured" we realize nothing will ever be the same again. That's all the plot you get because I can't even begin to fathom the depths of this terror that feels all too real in light of what's happening in our society! So enter at your own risk....but do enter!

Co-written by the tag team of James Patterson and J.D. Barker, “The Noise” is a pounding thriller like that horror movie you can’t peel your eyes off of. Although the authors give the reader plenty of alternating points of view, the reader is slowly and skillfully led into it just as the characters are without much clue as to what is going on and what is coming next. And, if you like thrillers, this is just how you like it.

All set in the tranquil Pacific Northwest, which appears to be not-so-tranquil anymore, the story begins with a pair of young girls (Tennant and Sophie) whose family are off-the-grid survivalists, but nothing prepared them for what they have to survive now. Their small Mt. Hood town is ripped asunder and survival, if that’s what you are going to call it, means having everything ripped apart and blood pouring from their eyes and ears and noses. But, they seem to be the only survivors.

The scene switches to a doctor (Martha) taken out of her ordinary life with military-precision and taken by black ops helicopters to somewhere in the Northwest where something has happened. Given no information whatsoever, the doctor and a team of specialists are expected to come to some conclusions. But what they find staggers any expectations they might have. It is a phenomena that can barely be explained unless it comes from something out of this world or something that had been buried deep beneath the world for ages like a Balrog out of Lord of the Rings.

What makes this thriller work so well is that the reader is kept in mystery for much of the book just as the characters are and the reader discovers things slowly, things that do not make much sense.

It was exciting to receive an advance copy, but hard to put down even when you have a million things to do. Coming soon to a bookstore near you.

I grew up reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Two incredible writers with very active imaginations.  J D Barker has been likened to the same calibre of King and Koontz. Sorry, but I don't agree.  Barker has surpassed the masters. 

To be asked if I would like to read an advanced copy of The Noise was like being a kid at Christmas. 
A new JD Barker novel? Hell, yes!!!
Excited does not begin to describe how I felt as this book was downloading to my Kindle. Internet, don't fail me now.

The Noise by J D Barker and James Patterson,  their second collaboration,  is an amazing roller-coaster read. Full of twists and turns,  mysterious characters and a fast paced narrative, it keeps you hooked until the very end. 
At the turn of each page, the end of each chapter,  you find yourself questioning where these two amazing authors are taking you. It's certainly one hell of a ride. 

So sit back, get comfortable and put your phone on silent. You won't want the interruption.