Released 2024.01.08 | Finished 2024.05.09 | Borrowed from local library
An unlikely group of names to head an investigative company and yet Patteson and Sitts pulls characters together in a company to antagonize members of the police establishment of New York City.
Brendon Holmes is a light skinned Black person who dresses expensively. He has a problem with a drug addiction. His sense of smell is hypersensitive.
Margaret Marple is an attractive young woman who dresses practically, uses minimum makeup, a fast runner, people watcher, and an introvert.
Auguste Poe is soft spoken, with wavy dark hair, thin moustache, drinker, and mourns a love lost years prior to this business arrangement.
The opening chapter has the trio purchasing an office in Bushwick, a section of New York City, which was built in the 1800s, 9000 sq. ft. former bakery. It is the location of an unsolved 1954 murder of one of the bakery’s employees. They transform the two story space into offices, waiting area, conference room, gym, and chef’s kitchen on the first floor and three apartments and library (with an 18 foot ladder to reach the highest shelf of books) on the second floor.
Their connection with the police is detective Helen Grey.
The trio becomes immediately infamous in the city by solving the murder of a missing lawyer. The grand opening of their office only compounds the situation. The office line becomes so busy that it is necessary to hire an office assistant, Virginia, who anticipates the needs of her employers before they have thought of them.
Cases come their way at dizzying speeds keeping the local police and the FBI in constant touch.
Can the reader expect to see more of these investigators? (This one hopes so.) The reader is given a sketch about the trio and hints about their backstories. None have fingerprints on file, a PI license, discernible backgrounds. How are they able to operate a business legally? Helen Grey would like to know. The FBI might want to know.
About the Authors
James Patterson (James Brendan Patterson) was born on March 22, 1947, in Newburgh, New York. His parents were middle class with his mother listed as a homemaker and teacher and his father an insurance broker. Patterson graduated with a BA in English from Manhattan College and MA from Vanderbilt University (where he was in the PhD program before taking an advertising executive position). He became a full-time writer in 1996. He married in 1997 and they have a child. The family lives in Lake Worth Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida
A popular author, according to the article on Wikipedia, his annual income has been up to $95M with his income for the last decade has been estimated at $700M. He has sold more than 425M copies of his books. His name appears as an author on 388 books. (List has previously been given)
Brian Sitts is an advertising creative director and television writer. His Linked-In page states that he is the executive producer and head writer at KID STEW TV/PBS. He graduated from Syracuse University with degrees in English and Public Communications. He and his wife live in Peekskill, New York.
Another Arm Chair Opinion 