1st Case by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts

I used to read a lot of mysteries, and then somehow biographies and memoirs pushed their way to the top of the stack of books beside my beds. So,when I saw this new book “1st Case” by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts, I jumped at the chance to read a new mystery. I have known the co-author, Chris, for close to 40 years, as he lived in my dorm at Northwestern freshman year. He is among about 10 people who lived on the first floor of Willard Hall in 1982 with whom I still keep in touch. That was a magical time when all we needed was a twist-top bottle of Soave Bolla from Jarvis, and we called it a party. Chris is an extremely talented and prolific writer who has published more than 17 books, many with Patterson, as part of his Middle School book series. “1st Case” is a thriller that centers around a computer wizard named Angela Hoots who has just gotten kicked out of MIT for hacking into another student’s computer. When her academic career hits a rough patch, her mentor Eve gets her a job with the FBI in their Boston field office. Specifically, Angela joins the team’s Cyber Forensics Unit. Her first case involves a messaging app which surreptitiously tracks the locations of its users. The app’s beta users are all young women, who are only identified when they turn up dead in their bedrooms. Angela joins a force trying to track the killer’s location through the app. When the killer begins to track Angela’s own movements, she is thrust into the center of the investigation. When Angela decides to begin tracking the killer without the support of her team, she not only puts herself, but also her family in danger. Envisioning this thriller through Angela’s eyes was fascinating, and I was on the edge of my page the whole time. I would highly recommend “1st Case” for those seasoned readers looking to get their latest mystery fix, but also high school thrill-seekers who may not yet read detective books. I have a feeling we will be seeing Angela Hoots on a new case in the future. To buy this book on Amazon click here.