The Games (Private, #11) (2024)

In the weeks leading up to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio, Patterson and Sullivan released this thriller from the Private series, shining a light on some of the major issues that have been reported by media outlets for years. When Jack Morgan attended the World Cup in 2014, Private did well at keeping the event secure in Rio. However, while everyone turned to the football (soccer) pitch, two poor Brazilian children died from a mysterious virus, Hydra, but received no coverage. At the World Cup's Closing Ceremonies, one man was infected with Hydra, thanks to a doctor who sought to shine some light on the poor of Brazil, but even this was covered-up as Rio began its twenty-four month countdown to an even larger party. By the summer of 2016, Morgan is back in Rio, this time to enjoy the Olympics and provide some security consultation. However, when a rich benefactor contacts him after a family kidnapping, Morgan rushes to help and tries to keep things out of the media, days before the Opening Ceremonies. While he chases down an outrageous ransom demand, Morgan has hopes that this will not be a repeat of the drama he undertook in London four years before. Meanwhile, not feeling there was enough coverage of Rio and its poor, who are forced to live in slums, a virologist is prepared to unleash something that is sure to grab headlines. Having worked on Hydra, it is now more virulent than ever and has shown interesting results in experiments. As Morgan works alongside one of his Private Rio agents to deliver the ransom, the drop goes poorly, allowing the kidnappers to use their own political platform to expose some of the corruption the Olympics seeks to hide. However, it is the virus and plans to spread it during the Opening Ceremonies that sobers Morgan and forces him to rush to discover the ultimate plan. As the world watches, unaware of the major panic that could be unleashed, Private must reach a man who is past rational thinking. A fast-paced novel that leaves nothing in the tank and stirs up curiosity in the largest (and most expensive) sporting event(s) in the world.

While this series has received some criticism for all the permutations it has taken, when Sullivan teams up to direct the plot, things seem to develop successfully. I have come to find that the characters are a little better presented, the plots a little quicker (even if they can get hokey), and the dialogue more along the lines of what I am used to seeing. While this is by no means a stellar piece of literature, it serves its purpose to entertain and keep Jack Morgan from becoming too stale. What is ahead for Private, no one knows for sure, but this could be another step towards Patterson's rejuvenation, as he lends his name to something with a strong foundation.

Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Sullivan for creating another thriller that centres around a major event, while not shying away from some of the social issues that plague the background.

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Jack sure has a lot of all consuming love relationships. Jeez...most of us have limited in life and this guy has one for multiple countries....

I thoroughly got into this book. I ended up reading it in one sitting after days of putting it off for other books. This one was a bit predictable but it was still really entertaining. The idea of a virus being used as the killing mechanism added a whole aspect of frightening to the mix of a killer at the World Cup and Olympic games because of the fact that it could be devastating at epic proportions. The characters were of course easy and amusing to read about, and I got drawn in to them by the story which tends to sometimes go the opposite way for me in James Patterson (co-authors) books.

My quick and simple overall: good and fast paced with likeable/empathetic/interesting characters for the most part. Even the killer has an emotional background for his reason and purpose.

“More people play soccer than the four of those sports put together, and the World Cup pits all nations against all nations, with almost every country on earth competing during the four years of qualifying that lead to the final tournament.”
― James Patterson, Private Rio

I rarely give out ones. Occasionally but a book has to really negatively affect me to get a rating of one.

This should have been at least a decent read. After all it takes place in an exotic location with the Olympics as a backdrop. It is a mystery that takes place in a stunning location.And..well..it's James Patterson. Now I am not a big fan of his but have read a few of his books. This should have been at least a decent beach read.

Yet it wasn't. I have had so many issues with Patterson's books that I think I am going to stop reading them. But this one takes the cake for me. I've only ever really loved one of his books, "The Murder house".

So Private Rio, also called "The Games", is a slow moving and bizarre read. Murder and mayhem, weird Human experiments, killer viruses and lots of boring and dull moments. This read like Science Fiction more then a mystery or psychological thriller and maybe that is part of the problem. I am not a fan of this type of Science Fiction. Not in the slightest.

But the kicker for me was toward the end.

SPOILERS:

This is not going to be all that long..but I have to comment on this one aspect of the book that occurs close to the end . The main character whose name I have forgot, loses his girlfriend in tragic circ*mstances. So how long do you think it takes him to move on? A month? a year? Not! Try a couple of days..all of a sudden there is an old "friend" (Female and pretty of coarse) unexpectedly dropping in to see him and he finds himself looking forward to the future. Right.

I do want some degree of realism in the books I read unless their genre is something.not realistic. Private Rio AKA The Games plays like a Science Fiction and horror combined with no basis in reality at all.

I usually try to find something I like in a book even if it is not the book for me but this book didn't make any sense and what I mentioned are just a few issues. OK..The Olympics..there I have found that one thing. Nice cover art as well.

Now this book maybe appealing to the Horror/ Syfy buffs. Different readers like different things, to be sure. But for me this was an unpleasant read. I really did not get anything out of it.

Talk about perfect timing! This book, set in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, makes a great lead-in to the 2016 Olympics, set to begin there Aug. 5. In fact, I read chunks of it with one eye on my Kindle and the other on our TV set, so I wouldn't miss swimming, gymnastics and track-and-field trials.

Hopefully, though, none of the events of the book - most of which take place within a couple of weeks of the Olympics - will be replicated at the real thing. The story actually begins a couple of years earlier at the World Games, when Jack Morgan's international security and consulting firm, Private, is hired to help make sure things go off without a hitch. Almost unnoticed amid all that action is the death of two young children, who mysteriously contracted an Ebola-like virus.

Now Morgan is back in the "Marvelous City," teaming up with the beautiful and super-qualified chief of Private's Rio office. He's actually there to protect the two teenage daughters of a client - a filthy rich guy who's company won bids to help build the Olympics venues. The daughters, it seems, are volunteers in the city's favelas - extremely poor neighborhoods interspersed among those filled with million-dollar homes. As bad luck would have it, the girls turn up missing - and Jack's capable team now has the new, near-impossible task of finding them before it's too late.

As all this is happening, another potentially deadly scenario is taking place unbeknownst to the kidnapping. Someone connected to the earlier World Games, it seems, has decided that no bad deed shall go unpunished. As the two story lines begin to merge, Jack and his team are charged with a new, and potentially far more deadly, challenge: Preventing a deadly threat to the Olympics and the city as a whole from becoming reality.

It's an interesting, fast-paced book, but a modicum (or more) of predictability means it probably won't keep you on the edge of your seat. Still, this is probably my favorite series of the Patterson book empire; already, I'm looking forward to the next location.

The first "Private," story I found compelling in ages. A lot happens in this story, possibly a bit too much at times. Contrary to other "Privates," this doesn't bog down due to over writing and over dramatizing as much. 7 of 10 stars

From the New York Times:

Interviewer:What book has had the greatest impact on you personally? Professionally?

Patterson: “Tristram Shandy” shivered my timbers as a grad student, and woke me out of my zombie state about the glorious possibilities for breaking the rules whenever I damn well felt like it. Mix first person and third person? Sure, if it helps the story. Sentence fragments? Hell, yes.

Oh, go blow it out your ass, James.

Very enjoyable and entertaining like all his Private novels are ! Takes place in Rio before the games opening ceremony. Non- stop action from start to finish.

Much better than Paris! And whenever Jack and Justine are together, everything just improves. These two need to be back together!

Another private book, it's nice to go around the world with them but isnt it time that Jack Morgan got married now.

Jack Morgan is in Rio assisting with security for the FIFA world cup. One man dies of a mysterious infection. Jack and his team "Private" manage to prevent a large scale catastrophe.
The plot that enfolds at the start was interesting, but somehow seemed a bit lame, action interspersed with a bit of romance was disappointing.
Two years later, Jack is back at Rio. Just days before the Olympics, as the whole world is watching, two deadly plots enfold in the midst of beautiful descriptions of Rio, it's super rich and poorest of the poor. The second half of the book makes up for all the slack in the first half & literally had me at the edge of my seat, turning the super short chapters, caught up in the action...almost afraid to reach the finish!

Wow! This was a very exciting ride. I haven't been happy with the majority of James Patterson books I've picked up lately, but this one was a pleasant surprise and exception. Perhaps the co-author did most of the writing? I jumped into this series without reading any of the previous ten installments, since a neighbor passed his copy along to us, but that didn't seem to be any problem. Loved the medical aspects of the story as well as the fact that it took place in Latin America. A real page-turner that might inspire me to read more from the "Private" series.

The two main plots of this book, the mad scientist developing a horrific virus, and the kidnapping of the twins, were predictable and have been overused. And Patterson switches back and forth in time at the beginning in a way very confusing to the reader.
Not my favorite Patterson read.

This is the 11th of the books by Patterson and others that focuses on the the employees of Private, an international private investigation and security firm with offices in a number of major cities around the globe. This novel starts 2 years ago (in 2014) as the World Cup soccer tournament is coming to a close in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Jack Morgan, the owner of Private is in town overseeing the assistance his firm is giving to the official police, military, and security teams in place to help keep the tournament players and attendees safe. That takes a really uncomfortable turn when it seems like there might be some sort of contagion hitting the city when two young people and an official die from all new illness called Hydra that is somewhat similar to ebola, only it moves more quickly. Brazilian officials are more than happy to sweep it under the rug if it can avoid a controversy. Fortunately, the deaths stop there.

Jumping ahead two years, Jack is back in town to help officials with security for the quickly approaching Olympic Games. He is again working with Tavia Reynaldo, a local police officer to help coordinate efforts. Things take an awkward turn when two things happen:

1.) The daughters of a billionaire who owns the company hired to build most of the Olympics-related buildings in Rio are kidnapped while visiting the country as volunteers.
2.) There seems to be a threat of a biological attack on the games themselves.

Both situations are fraught with danger for the Brazilians as it would be a complete embarrassment to see the Olympic Games facing such a failure in security. Many of the officials are reluctant to acknowledge the problem, but Jack, Tavia and the rest of the Private team set to work to try and resolve both situations before the worst happens.

This is definitely a typical Patterson book: high action, little character development, and loads of fun. It is clear that Jack and Tavia have formed a relationship since they first met two years earlier, but that seems out of place since Jack plays some sort of role in all of the Private books and there has been little (or even no) mention of her prior to this book. It does not prevent the reader from accepting their professional partnership ... or even their sexual connections, but it does make it seem out of place when considering how close they are being presented as being, particularly since Jack has had a long-time on-and-off again relationship with his team's psychology specialist and a number of other women in previous books.

With that said, this is a fun summer read, particularly considering the facts that the real Summer Olympics in Rio are just around the corner. This was enjoyable even if it is not the best of the Private books.

why is this book not listed by it's real title The Games???? same book, different title...why? And this cover is different. my copy was bought at walmart...strange. Good and fast read. Bright neon sign (not so subtle foreshadowing technique) at the beginning indicated who would die, but still had some surprises. Had to roll my eyes couple for times....Jack's employees are dead and his clients are freaking kidnapped, but he can enjoy some tickling in the car and sex to cheer him up a few seconds later. BTW....terrorists who want to attack this country do not need to have a lot of imagination as our good ol' authors give them a whole plot plan in their books.

Very typical Patterson. Not much substance, one-dimensional characters. The hint of rekindling a romance seemed contrived...and in my opinion, way too soon (as far as the story line seems to be going for the next Private book). It makes Jack seem shallow. One of these days I will realize that there are so many better authors out there. His writing has gone downhill so much the past few years. The positive side....you can usually read his books in a day or two, and then move on to something much better!

The Games

I wasn't to sure about this series for quite a while but I'm really starting to enjoy it more and more with each new book. I enjoy reading about Jack and Justine and just waiting to see what is going to become of their relationship. I hope this series keeps me interested into the future.

Like 3.5 but I can't put that so...

Certain parts of this book I really enjoyed and then other parts fell flat.

I much more enjoyed the bio weapon story line than the kidnapping story line for multiple reasons.

Decent book. Enjoyed the narrator.

I definitely owe this "Private" novel a review soon....what a fantastic read!!!

*Thrilling*

In this instalment we see Jack Morgan the owner and head of ‘Private’ a international security and consulting company. He has bureaus around the globe. They are who you contact if you want a top notch investigation that is discreet. They use second to none equipment and run a first class forensics, digital and whatever you need as part of the service. The police and other companies often use them for faster results.

This time Jack is in Rio for the Olympic Games. He was there 2 years ago checking all the security angles and all went well apart from someone dying. It was swift and the result revealed the cause was a deadly virus. Luckily Jack and his team were fine with no symptoms.

Jack is suspicious but there is more, a kidnapping that all is not as it seems because the culprits have their eyes on a bigger prize.

There are a string of deaths that his team uncover even though the remains of the first victim are seriously scorched. The killer presumed that there would be nothing left to check. Why would someone shoot, and burn a body using the highest form of heat? What are they hiding?

All this to decipher as the days leading upto the games are ticking by. Jack is under pressure to solve the case as he works alongside the police as the government does not want the country to know for fear of the optics.

Jack experiences terrible and painful losses, as he and his team put their lives at risk because someone has a vendetta to disrupt the games, they discovered the virus two years ago and it fell on deaf ears, so they decide to make sure they have no choice but to listen….

This is a fast paced thriller, parts that are edge of your seat stuff, I suggest you add the audio as you have some sound effects that heighten the tension, as Jack and his team try to save thousands of lives by trying to do so under the radar in order for the world’s stage to view the country at its best.

‼️Triggers‼️
‼️Rat testing & more‼️

Not bad, restored my faith some in the series. They finally made a connection between books written by different coauthors. Only at the end. But so needed.
The narrator was good. No complaints.

Jack Morgan had been almost killed in the previous Private novel set in Paris and had to go on to Rio to take on a security job for the World Cup in 2014 and then 2 years later for the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Many Brazilians were angry that the government chose to blow billions on building stadiums, arenas, housing and more for these events when Rio was full of people living short, terrible lives in the favelos of Rio and the money should be spent on providing schools, decent housing, clean water, health care, and food for them. Some of these people are willing to commit terrorism and murder to protest this. One of these is a doctor who saw first hand how the government covered up the deaths of two small poor kids who had a rare and deadly virus worst than Ebola called Hydra and his own wife died when she was flattened by a huge piece of machinery building the Olympic village. Now is payback time- this doctor is compassionate to the poor and intends to infect the well-off people at the Olympics to get revenge for the poor. Meanwhile another group also has deadly plans and the twin 19 year old daughters of a billionaire from the USA who had the largest contract for building the setting for the World Cup and the Olympics disappear into their hands.

Another ho hum Patterson book.
He really needs to write like he did in Murder House.
The story keeps you wanting to finish the story to know the ending, but unfortunately the writing style is drab.
I've read all Patterson books I can get my hands on, but over time him writing style has changed. I actually read the book in approximately 4 hours, due to skimming over some paragraphs.
Apologies for my negative view, but we have to be honest, thats why I'm a part of goodreads, to know the truth from everyone about books.

I don't watch sports at all, so the fact that I enjoyed this book about the Olympic games so much is a testament to Patterson's writing. The two story lines in the book were both exciting and the issue of the extremes of poverty and wealth in Rio is important to draw attention to. Even though I won't watch the Olympics, I will listen for any mention of the socioeconomic problems in Rio or for any news reports about the impact of preparations for the games on the poor in that area.

I walked into my shop by work and saw this book there ten days before its release date so I grabbed it up. It was amazing, for some reason my fave of his books is when they're held in a different country hence private and during a major event hence the Olympic games 2012 n 2016/world cup 14. I say I still prefer the previous games book but I did love it.

THIS IS THE WORST OF THE SERIES.

Using the World Cup & Rio Olympics really added an extra sense of realism!
Couldn't put it down!

I have to admit, I find this series a bit blah much of the time. I generally only read from it when one of the books helps me with a reading challenge. It's not bad, it's just kinda... there.

Jack Morgan has built up Private to be the world's best private investigation firm, with many wealthy clients and even working for some governments. Jack's a big time action hero, he does it all: he fights well, he shoots well, he can fly a helicopter, he can rock climb, women throw themselves at him... and that's just this book, although it's a recurring theme.

In this one, Private is providing security in Rio for World Cup Soccer, the Olympics, and a very rich family. The family's daughters get kidnapped, and Private has to walk the complicated world of ransom kidnapping in South America, but there's more going on than it seems.

Also, a doctor, driven to extremes by the grinding poverty of the favelas (poor neighborhoods) in Rio, the wastefulness of the rich, and the desire to cover everything up by the powerful, launches his own plan to strike a blow for the cause.

Unlike a lot of other Patterson books that feel like they have multiple plots tacked on, these happening at the same time flowed better and made sense. The descriptions of the staggering inequities in Rio were decent, and even Jack recognized some of the injustice here.

Minus some points for an utterly predictable plot-line involving Jack's most recent love interest.

Decent book, quick read, nothing special.

Patterson may be one of the world's most successful writers but he's not a very good one. His plot was like a Uwe Boll action movie and he writes like Dan Brown, switching between a ham-fisted detailed technical language, to almost laughable basic English with no middle ground. His technical language feels so bizarre and out-of-place in what would otherwise be a suitable YA novel, with passages like "I delivered a quick punch to his tricep, throwing him off balance.". The characters are all either 2D Brazilians with little to differentiate them from the next, or ridiculous over-the-top masculine action heroes, equally two dimensional.

The main character is also halfway between a Poirot type savant and an absolute idiot, with flashes of clairvoyant genius tempered with the ability to get people needlessly killed.

The obsession with football is an unusual focus of the book. It treats football like Dune treats spice. Feels odd and sometimes fails to really capture any views about the Olympics and World Cup that are anything but fawning adoration.

It's a dumb action movie of a book. It has entertaining moments, but don't expect to be challenged or thrilled

I love the Private series, Jack and his minions, & listening to them on audio. This title took the readers to Brazil for the world cup and then back for the Olympics. A view of the events from the outside, if something went wrong. There are a lot of details that need to be done before such arenas are deemed safe for all.... What if someone has found a way to harm one or many for his own desires for justice to be served. In Castro's mind someone should pay for his wife's death and the disease out there killing children? Though the doctor is upset about the recent deaths... he can't think how the country will be affected if the disease is spread. He has crossed the line into his own grief and misery. Also a big situation in this title is the kidnapping of twin girls on a mission trip. Who are they and why would someone want to ransom them? Jack's team in Rio and L.A. are working hard to solve the mystery of the case that will go sideways soon. Both cases revolve around individuals who think the lesser individuals of Brazil are getting the shaft from the government due to the World Cup and the Olympics.

Lately, I have found novels by James Patterson to be rather hit and miss but, thankfully, this one was a winner. After nearly a month of tedious reads, The Games quickly had me hooked. It was a chilling story centred around the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, corruption, revenge and a biological attack. I liked the head of Private, Jack Morgan. Although, he didn't really develop throughout the book he was still very likeable and his love interest, Tavia, was a sweetie.

In typical Patterson style, The Games was action-packed with short chapters and sub-plots. Yes, it was predictable and totally implausible, but it was entertaining and fun, which I have been looking for for a while, and I thoroughly enjoyed the escapism it provided.