Gone by James Patterson

Gone is the next book in the Michael Bennett series from James Patterson.  I was traveling to Charleston over the weekend for a wedding, so I was actually able to read quite a bit (hence the multiple updates).

Gone starts off where the series last left us, Manuel Perrine escaped from capture and is on the loose.  The whole Bennett family has been relocated by witness protection to a remote farm, since they are on the top of Perrine's list to kill.  Perrine has started routinely assassinating the heads of all drug families and mobs in an attempt to completely take over the drug community, and eventually, take back the state of California.  The FBI is hardly making any progress, so agent Emily Parker recruits Mike into helping the investigation and leaving his family in the marshal's hands.  The Bennett family is left in the backwoods area with the marshals and try to keep from going crazy.  However, a couple brushes with nearby families and some weed farmers (huge business up there) bring some attention to them, and it's possible Perrine will be able to find them after all.

First, let me say this isn't my favorite Patterson series.  I'm much more of an Alex Cross fan than a Michael Bennett fan.  Bennett is just too cliche for me in a lot of his one liners and actions.  I like the Bennett family, the fact that they are more of a ragtag bunch that's been adopted, with a sassy nanny and crazy Grandpa (who can get scary if he needs to).  So keep all that in mind.

(Spoiler alert) It drives me CRAZY that Perrine found them because of Seamus (the Grandpa) but Bennett just can't stay mad at him because his intentions are so good.  Seamus, who is a priest, volunteers to help lead a congregation in the local area.  Michael tells him that's not smart, but ends up saying caving when Seamus says you're right, we will just let the souls stay lost.  Then Bennett, who just can't stay mad at him, goes and takes some of the kids.  I mean really, you are in witness protection, you have a large adopted family that will stand out, and you let Seamus guilt you into going to church?  THEN after Michael leaves Seamus goes to the food bank with some of the kids to help, and people see him again.  So all it takes is for Perrine to ask a few people and sure enough they give Perrine the exact location of the family.  I think the reason that bothered me the most was because as soon as Seamus led worship, the reader knew at some point Perrine was going to find the family and use it as leverage against Michael.  So it killed the ending a bit for me.

Anyways, if you love Patterson it's still a quick interesting read, but personally I'm a little over Michael Bennett.

<3, jacq