IF YOU love a good thriller to get lost in for your holiday read then this will tick all the right boxes.

James Patterson has bottled the thriller formula and is able to transplant it to any title he puts his name to.

Private Down Under is the latest in the Private series, moving the story from the United States to Australia.

The novel tells the story of Craig Gisto and his Private team working alongside the police in Sydney to solve a series of crimes.

Gisto is the head of the latest branch of Private and is enjoying a glamorous launch party with his new team when their celebrations are interrupted by the bloodied arrival of a boy with his eyes gouged out. The boy is the kidnapped son of one of Australia’s richest men – but investigating his death isn’t their only pressing case.

The rock star Micky Stevens is convinced someone’s trying to kill him and believes Private are the only ones who can help. As if that wasn’t enough someone is also brutally murdering wealthy women and if they don’t catch the killer soon then the next victim could be someone close to home.

The action is fast-paced and thoroughly well researched, a repeated recipe of murder, kidnap and blackmail which once again delivers to the legion of Patterson fans who have made him one of the most successful authors in the world.

In collaboration with Michael White – again a route Patterson has successfully trodden – this novel is sure to keep fans entertained and the author at number one in the best-seller lists.

James Patterson is...

  • One of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time.
  • He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past decade – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club and Detective Michael Bennett novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers.
  • He lives in Florida with his wife and son. James is passionate about encouraging children to read. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes books specifically for young readers.
  • James is a founder of Booktrust’s Children’s Reading Fund.
  • In 2010 he was voted Author of the Year at the Children’s Choice Book Awards in New York