As a member of the James Patterson Street Team, I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of the latest thriller, Delusional (co-authored with James O. Born), ahead of its official release.

I cracked open the book first thing this morning with my coffee, and within just a few chapters, it already has its hooks in me.

What It’s About

For longtime Patterson readers, Detective Michael Bennett needs no introduction. As the anchor of one of Patterson’s most enduring crime series, Bennett is known for juggling the high-stakes chaos of the NYPD with the equally chaotic demands of his large, tight-knit family.

In Delusional—the 18th installment in the Michael Bennett series—the stakes escalate fast across state lines:

• A Multi-Front Threat: A series of deadly bombings rocks New York City, a military base just across the river is raided for munitions, and arson and violence erupt in a quiet town outside Bozeman, Montana.
• An Elusive Faction: A radical group harboring intense anti-government grievances keeps surfacing amid the chaos, claiming their destructive crusade is meant to “make the world a better place.”
• High-Stakes Investigation: Bennett teams up with army-sniper-turned-NYPD-officer Rob Trilling and ATF agents to piece together the connection before the next fuse is lit.

Early Impressions

Patterson and Born waste zero time setting the narrative into motion. The pacing is crisp, the signature short chapters keep the pages turning effortlessly, and the expansion of the investigation from the streets of New York out to Big Sky Country adds an intriguing new dynamic to Bennett’s standard beat.

It has already piqued my interest, and I’m eager to dive back in and see how the mystery unfolds.

Delusional is available for pre-order and hits shelves soon on Amazon and through major booksellers.

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