Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson

Title: Confessions of a Murder Suspect
Author: James Patterson
Series: Teen Detective, #1
Source: Christmas Gift
Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Date: September 24, 2012
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James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they're keeping from one another.

On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone—maybe not even herself. Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous-and revealing-game. Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of?

In the end, I really have mixed thoughts about this one. I really liked it, but I'm not so sure that it was realistic, considering the circumstances. But leaving it with an open ending like that makes me happy, because for what it's worth, I truly enjoyed it!

The mystery element was very well done, and I kind of didn't see the ending coming. I mean, I had pondered what would happen if this particular thing occurred, but I had dismissed it as too far fetched and left it that. So yes, I was surprised. But also kind of disappointed. I was hoping for more drama-- more intrigue! But alas, we got an ending...and that's something, right?

Which brings us to another thing I want to talk about-- I've said it a bazillion times, I'm more of a character person than a plot person. But I do appreciate good plot, I truly do! James Patterson delivers us good plot (that's thick with lies and deceit) in Confessions of a Murder Suspect, but I'm not so sure that his characters were all that great! I mean, it gave the story a certain sheen and all, but...Tandy and her family really weren't spectacular.

I'm actually not sure how I feel about them. Tandy behaved like a robot for a long time, only giving us little glimpses of actual feeling once in a while, and I'll admit it... her family freaked me out. I mean, when you're telling a story about a six year old taking a machete to a teddy bear...uhm, that freaks me out. I do, however, like the descriptions of their house. It sounds really over-the-top and awesome.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I loved the narration! It was cool how Tandy kept phrasing things as if she was speaking (er...writing) to someone. I mean, check out that quote! It was also really refreshing to read about a protagonist who actually trusts her instincts. However, she was still an odd duck, but maybe in a good way?

All in all, I enjoyed Confessions of a Murder Suspect, and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. There are still some strings to be tied up! :]

I have some really bad secrets to share with someone, and it might as well be you-- a stranger, a reader of books, but most of all, a person who can't hurt me. ~ Pg. 1