A criminal behavior expert teams up with an NYPD detective to track down a criminal in the novel that inspired the hit CBS TV series starring Alan Cumming. Dr. Dylan Reinhart wrote the book on criminal behavior. Literally: he’s a renowned, bestselling Ivy League expert on the subject. When a copy of his book turns up at a gruesome murder scene-along with a threatening message from the killer-it … with a threatening message from the killer-it looks like someone has been taking notes.
Elizabeth Needham is the headstrong and brilliant NYPD Detective in charge of the case who recruits Dylan to help investigate another souvenir left at the scene: a playing card. Another murder, another card. . . and now Dylan suspects that the cards aren’t a signature; they’re a deadly hint pointing directly toward the next victim.
As tabloid headlines about the killer known as “The Dealer” scream from newsstands, New York City descends into panic. With the cops at a loss, it’s up to Dylan to hunt down a serial killer unlike any the city has ever seen. Only someone with Dylan’s expertise can hope to go inside the mind of a criminal and convince The Dealer to lay down his cards. But after thinking like a criminal, could Dylan become one?
A heart-pounding novel of suspense more shocking than any tabloid true crime story, Instinct introduces the next unforgettable character from the imagination of James Patterson, the world’s #1 bestselling author.
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What a page-turner THIS book is! As is the Patterson tradition, each chapter stops with a cliffhanger, and you are forced to start the next chapter. This story is unpredictable, creative, and is a challenge to keep up solving this murder mystery thriller. The start of the book captures your interest in a delightful way with Detective Elizabeth Needham making an appearance in Professor Dylan Reinhart’s college class, and the intrigue does not stop until the conclusion. Patterson ad Roughan are a great match, and I’m looking forward to more books co-authored by Roughan.
I recommend this book. Great reading!
Awesome Awesome book. 6 stars
I’m really late to the whole Patterson fan club. Just became a fan earlier this year after checking out Patterson’s Michael Bennett series just to shut up a friend who had been pestering me for years to check it out. Now that I’m almost all caught up with that series (I totally LOVE it), I was kind of looking over some of Patterson’s other series and this was the only one that really appealed to me. LOVE IT!!! Fortunately, there’s only two books in it, so far, so I’m looking forward to picking up the second one soon.
I loved the interaction and the easy camaraderie between Reinhart and Elizabeth. I look forward to them teaming up. The crime thriller was a great story and I did not figure it out until right before it was revealed. I love that when a story can keep you guessing until the author wants to reveal all. It will be interesting now to see how the series plays out.
This modern protagonist is witty and funny and unlike any other character I’ve read from James Patterson. A thrilling read. P.S. I read the previous published title, MURDER GAMES edition.
Another one of his amazing stories. I enjoy it alot just like his other books I read.
Good book. Also love the characters.
This book is one of my favorite books, I have read, this year. Interesting characters and a good story line. I hope there will be more like this.
Excellent. I read in 3 days. Could not wait to get back to it when I has to put down.
Will read the next book in the series.
I finished it in a couple of days. I like an easy to read book now and again.
I love the TV show, and wanted to learn more about where they came from. The characters were great and I enjoyed the story!
Love All James Patterson Books!
Did not like this book at all.
AWESOME BOOK! Loved it.
** spoiler alert ** I first came across this book after finding out it was a book. Instead, I started watching this TV series on CBS with Alan Cummings. I LOVE Alan Cummings, and when I found out this show was also a book, I had to find it and read it.
So, I did.
I have to say it was an enjoyable read. I liked the quick, precise, intense chapters. The dialogue was snappy and kept the story flowing. I did like the characters and could picture the TV version supplanted into the story as well.
However, there were differences between the two like there always will be. The differences were slight, but they didn’t change my like or dislike of the story. Overall, it was a great read, and I really liked it.
The TV series could have benefited from using more of the story and stretching out their first episode over 2-3 episodes. There was a lot of content they could have played with as well as the fact that Dylan Reinhart’s involvement with the CIA could have been stretched out differently in the show as it was in the books.
Both are entertaining and delightful in their own ways. Great read! Engaging TV show (plus Alan Cummings!)! So, really you can’t go wrong. 😉
Very interesting, don’t want to put it down
Lots of twists to the storie
Read this last year and couldn’t figure out who the killer, I don’t like being able to unravel the mystery too soon in the book.
I loved this book. I read it as Murder Games and really enjoyed getting to know Dr. Dylan Reinhart and the other great characters in Dylans world. I knew before I had finished this book that I would love to see some of these characters again, soon please. I am a big fan of James Patterson from his character driven books to his stand alone novels so I might be a little biased. That said, I was hooked from page one. A great read, great characters from great authors.
“The secret to staying alive? Never stop breathing”
Dylan Reinhart: double PhD, author, genius, professor in Abnormal Psych; married to Tracy, former lawyer, wannabe actor. They’ve been together for a long time, and now have been trying to adopt, until, they seem to come up against the only openly heterosexist in the 5 boroughs, who never even makes it in the door.
Dylan’s skills at observation and understanding people help get his mind off of that particular situation as he’s called in to help the cops find a serial killer whose taken a page right out of Reinhart’s book. At first, he and Detective Elizabeth don’t get along, but develop a healthy respect for one another in a fast paced story that pops right off today’s headlines.
Recently optioned, and changed somewhat for the small screen, the book has aspects the show doesn’t. CBS has chosen to streamline in some places and expand in others.
There are times I love Patterson, and times he’s so blessedly formulaic I want to scream. The character has a sly sense of humor and is much better in the book, but the stories built around Dylan on screen so far fall short of the Dylan in the book. I recommend this, because it’s fun.4.5