4 stars out of 5
But since an NFL team is involved (yeah, I'm a big pro football fan, even if "my" team is the Cleveland Browns), the plot started to connect with me around the 25-yard point and didn't let up till the end zone. That connection was made more of a trudge, I think, because much of the tale is told by way of "transcripts" of conversations recorded by Cooper or Veena (some illegally) and reports from their associates based on their research and investigations. It takes a while to adjust to that.
It begins when star Philly Eagles quarterback Archie Hughes is murdered the day before a big game - his Super Bowl ring removed from his finger and missing; his wife, a popular singer of the Beyonce mold, is the primary suspect. But neither Cooper nor Veena believe she did it, so they get on with trying to find out who else might have a motive to kill such a beloved person - especially on the eve of a game that could land the team in the upcoming Super Bowl and fill the streets of Philly with a joie de vivre that hasn't been felt for many years.
Of course, getting to the truth may be more elusive than that next Super Bowl ring, but Cooper and Veena - coming from two different perspectives but after the same outcome - give it their best (right down to pledging to work together). It really is the thrill of the chase that drives the story and makes it fun - even if, like me, you really don't give a hoot how the relationship between Cooper and Veena turns out, or even if there is one.
The ending brings several surprises - a couple of them gobsmackers - making it a fun read. I'm sure I'm not alone in my assumption that this book is intended to be the start of a new series; if it is, count me as one who's eager to read the next installment. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to score a pre-release copy to read and review.
Lion & Lamb by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski (Little, Brown and Co., August 2023); 363 pp.
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