Private is the first book in a new series by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.  The same pair who penned many of the "Women's Murder Club" books are now tackling a series revolving around a very exclusive, very high-tech private investigation firm.

Jack Morgan - former marine and war hero - has been given a sizable endowment from his father.  The money has been used to open "Private", an investigation firm that blows away what the average police department can accomplish.  In this case, money really does buy results and Jack was able to bring in the best of the best, not to mention the most advanced technology available.  Furthermore, the folks at Private don't feel the need to "follow the rules".  Thus the richest of the rich use this firm.  Even the police reluctantly turn to them, when they're up against a wall.

In this book, there are three main mysteries that the firm is attempting to solve.  One involves Jack's friend, who calls him, frantic, when his wife is killed.  The marriage seemed perfect, everyone loved Shelby, so who would want her dead?  As Jack investigates, he comes to find out that appearances can be very deceiving.

The second mystery involves 18 schoolgirls who have been murdered over the past few years.  The killer is very clever, never leaving a single clue behind.  The police are stymied, and Jack considers it a personal mission to find the perpetrator before another young girl is killed.  In this case, Jack's access to technology beyond the grasp of other organizations will be a tremendous help.

The third story involves an NFL gambling ring.  It seems that some refs are on the take, paid to affect the outcome of some of the games.  Right now it's just a gut feeling. But can Jack prove it?

Those are the main stories, and I admit they held my interest.  In particular, the story involving the schoolgirl murders was the most engaging.  After all, these murders have been going on a long time, and it breaks your heart to think of the danger still lurking out there.  I enjoyed reading how Private's access to only the best equipment and technology helped solve the case.

The story about the friend's wife who was killed was a bit strange.  As Jack starts to uncover the truth about who Shelby really was, I couldn't help but think there's no way that she was able keep her real life a secret from her loved ones.  How could her husband, for instance, have no clue about some of the things she was doing?  I just never bought, for one minute, that the story was actually going to turn out the way the authors presented it.

The story about the NFL was weak.  It was solved way too quickly, and in a manner that I, personally, found very disappointing.  I wouldn't have made the same decisions that were made, at the end of that story.

Besides the three main stories there a whole bunch of subplots.  Too many, in fact.  There's a back story from Jack's time in the war.  There's Jack's twin brother who carries a whole bunch of baggage.  There's Jack's love affair with his assistant (who I really didn't like one single bit, and couldn't imagine how Jack got involved with her in the first place).  And there are the mysterious phone calls, that plague Jack every day.  You almost need a calculator to keep track of all the stories.

In typical Patterson fashion, the chapters are short, and the point of view varies.  With so many stories going on, and chapters flying by so quickly, the book feels "choppy". 

Still, Private is a quick read, and the main stories held my interest.  I did feel that there were a few too many subplots.  But I presume the authors wanted to introduce us to a whole bunch of characters, and a whole bunch of stories so that we'd be interested in following them through the rest of the series.  I admit it worked.  For the most part, I liked the characters, and the authors did a good job of providing enough background so that we really feel like we get to "know" them.  I also like the concept of a series revolving around a super high-tech private investigation firm.  With this setup, the possibilities are endless.

As far as this book is concerned, I wish I could give 3.5 stars (just a little above average).  Since that's not possible, I'll round up to 4 stars, and hope the subsequent books provide mysteries that are strong and engaging.

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Recommended: Yes