Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson is another one of his splashes into the whirlpool of teen literature, and for the most part it's a success.
Tandy Angel and her siblings have always been special. Each are gifted or brilliant in their own given universe: music, football, academics. Their parents made their wealth through pharmaceuticals, as a result, the kids have all the advantages of wealth, including a private school education and the elite address of the Dakota building in New York City. But, life for the Angel children unravels when their parents are discovered murdered in their bed and the kids become prime suspects. It's up to 16 year old Tandy to solve the case, even if it means that she did it.
Patterson's characters are difficult to relate to. Tandy is the extreme of "outsider" in a family of odd characters. Her life is extreme, including weirdly controlling parents, but I liked her. I had to be willing to struggle with her convoluted memories, sudden emotions, and desire to go back to her "old self," the one who was perfect and perfectly controlled. Perhaps by creating a character caught in the extremes, Patterson created a character for teens to relate to.
Of course, it was the plot, and it's twisted, suspenseful revelations that kept me reading and sent me on to read the second in the series, Confessions: The Private School Murders. I would give both novels a 3.5 or 4 star review.
Originally Published 10/8/2014
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