Release Date: October 7th 2013
Published By: Little, Brown & Company
Pages: 446
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: In the sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller Confessions of a Murder Suspect, James Patterson keeps the confessions coming breathlessly as Tandy Angel delves deeper into her own tumultuous history-and proves that she can rise above the sordid Angel legacy.

Wealthy young women are being murdered on Manhattan’s exclusive Upper West Side, and the police aren’t looking for answers in the right places. Enter Tandy Angel. The first case she cracked was the mystery of her parents’ deaths. Now, while she’s working to exonerate her brother of his glamorous girlfriend’s homicide, she’s driven to get involved in the West Side murder spree.

One of the recent victims was a student at Tandy’s own elite school. She has a hunch it may be the work of a serial killer, but the NYPD isn’t listening to her…and Tandy can’t ignore the disturbing fact that she perfectly fits the profile of the killer’s targets. Can she untangle the mysteries in time? Or will she be the next victim?

Review: I really enjoy a good murder mystery book from time to time, an James Patterson certainly is the master. I love Tandy and the quirky Angel family, and after reading and really enjoying the first book in this series, I picked up book number two to continue the story.

Confessions #2 begins not too long after the first book leaves us.. only a few months later. Her brother Matthew is in jail after being charged for the murder of his girlfriend Tamara and his unborn son, and Tandy and her other brother Hugo are dealing with a new guardian, Jacob who is living with them and determined to make himself a part of the family.

Tandy can’t seem to keep herself out of trouble when she discovers that there has been a number of murders - all teenage girls and all who attend private schools in New York City. When the killer starts threatening someone she knows, like a moth to the flame Tandy is determined to get to the bottom of it and to find out who the killer is before the police do.

In Confessions of A Murder Suspect (Confessions #1), Tandy’s thinking is somewhat clouded because of her parents choice to keep her drugged up at all times. The owners of a pharmaceutical company, mamma and papa Angel kept their children in line and over performers by giving them drugs every day. Now that they are gone, we see a clearer headed Tandy in this book, and she’s starting to remember memories that were previously long forgotten when she was docile.

I love that we’re seeing a bit of romance in the second book two! It had a lot more to offer this time around - part romance and part thriller, added to James Patterson’s well known writting style (short chapters that keep you captivated) makes for a really fast and entertaining read. Whilst not a realistic story itself (you need a good suspension of disbelief), this is the best type of book for pure indulgence.

In my experience, it’s uncommon that a sequel is better than the first book, but Confessions #2 does it. I really enjoyed this read a whole lot more than the first book (which I also liked!) and it’s pumped me up for more from James Patterson in the future!

Quotes:

“They were my parents. Dead. They died in their bed under freakish circumstances three months ago, leaving my brothers and me devastated and bankrupt.”

“Do you love me?” James asked suddenly
“Yes. I do.” I didn’t even have to think about it. It was so freeing
“I love you, too,” he replied. “I’ve never said that to anyone before.”
It was so hard to believe. “Really?”
He grinned and gazed out the window. “Well, except my first motorcycle, Ramona. But she was a Ducati, so you can blame me. In fact, I think I might have loved her more than I love you.”
I punched James in the spot between his chest and shoulder.”

“An emotional bond between two people can form in a fifth of a second.”