I listened to this as an audiobook while doing my chores. It was a quick listen 2.5 hours and not a bad story. Not really a good story either. ( )

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars, probably one of the most brutalist murder stories I've ever read ( )

Well, this was a snappy little thriller and quite gruesome at times. With only 122 pages, it was a quick, easy read but with lots of suspense and a list of suspects, if felt even shorter. Patterson also did a good job of concealing the killer until the last few pages of the book, and I was surprised at who it actually was. An enjoyable read. ( )

This is actually quite a good read for such a short book. Minimal character depth but gets straight to the point and is well written. ( )

James Patterson is known for his trademark short chapters and rapid fire narrative. His stories are propelled by shocks and twists and occasional strong violence. Bloody Valentine holds true to his form, just squeezed in to a third of the pages. As a quick read it hits the spot and is best completed in one sitting since there are quite a few characters to make the 'whodunnit?' more of challenge. Due to the short nature of the novella there's not much character development and only a few noteworthy scenes. It certainly reads like a Patterson Lite novel, which it is, however it still falls short of the usual expectation. ( )