Readers of James Patterson’s books are well aware that he has been collaborating with other writers for a number of years, many of whom have gone on to successful careers of their own. In THE PARIS DETECTIVE, Patterson teams up with Richard DiLallo, an author with whom I was not familiar. The end result is something wonderful.

In almost all of these collaborations, you can see the Patterson influence and where it comes into play. In this collection of three novellas, the styles of the two writers blend so smoothly that it felt like an entirely different voice was speaking to me. It was quite exciting and elevated these stories to a new level. I loved each piece, but perhaps my favorite is the first one, “French Kiss.”

"In this collection of three novellas, the styles of the two writers blend so smoothly that it felt like an entirely different voice was speaking to me. It was quite exciting and elevated these stories to a new level."

French detective Luc Moncrief has joined the NYPD on a temporary basis. He is teamed with Detective Maria Martinez, a sharp pro with a knack for detection and undercover work. Their definitions of work differ greatly. He believes in long lunches at expensive French restaurants, likes to shop at upscale stores, and spends as much of his off-duty time as he can with his Norwegian model girlfriend, Dalia.

Everything is going well with Moncrief’s NYPD stint until he gets a call from his chief to examine the body of a woman. He is shocked to see that the tarp is covering the bloody torso of Maria, who was working undercover as a call girl on an assignment with which he was not involved. A grieving Moncrief is determined to catch the killer and is now working with Detective Katherine Burke. Just as this new partnership is taking off, Moncrief is dealt a second major blow when he learns that Dalia has been stabbed to death in an unrelated incident.

With his personal life and psyche spinning out of control, Moncrief holds it together just enough to catch Maria’s killer. He pulls this off by using his expert detecting skills, which match well with the initially resistant K Burke.

In the second story, “The Christmas Mystery,” Moncrief gets to spend his first Christmas in New York City, with all the hustle and bustle of Manhattan and the anticipated tourist blitz. At the center of the mystery here is a popular art gallery that may be dealing in awfully expensive forgeries. Moncrief and K Burke are on the case, but what starts out as a search for forgeries grows into a bigger bust involving a huge supply of drugs being trafficked.

In a somewhat related matter, elderly debutante Ramona Dunlop passes away in her Park Avenue apartment, and the first thing Moncrief notices is that her walls are bare. Where did all her artwork go? It looks like Moncrief and K Burke will be having a busy holiday season.

The final story is “French Twist,” and it’s a remarkably close second favorite of mine. Moncrief and K Burke are enjoying an expensive meal when they are informed that a dead woman has been found in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodman. When they arrive at the upscale department store, they find an extremely attractive young lady who is showing no outward signs of death. The game is afoot! (Ah, wrong country and detective.)

As the friendship between Moncrief and K Burke is blossoming, he treats her to a ride on a plane that he purchased to the Kentucky Derby, where old Parisian friends of his have a horse in the race. Though a mighty underdog, Vilain Garçon wins. But the celebration is somewhat muted when the owners share a mysterious note stating that their horse had better win…or else. The combination of the two mysteries keeps this story spinning at a frenetic pace.

“French Twist” wraps up in Paris itself, with Moncrief and K Burke talking about a potential future there. I so enjoyed spending time with these two that I eagerly hope Patterson and DiLallo bring them back for more adventures.