Product Description

Talk about a change of pace! Renowned suspense writer and Edgar Awardwinner James Patterson, author of such bestsellers-turned-blockbuster-movies asAlong Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls, exposes his sensitive sidein his new novel, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. Katie Wilkinson'sboyfriend Matt dumps her; not a total cad, he leaves her a gift, a diary kept bySuzanne, his first wife, for their son Nicholas. Though it's not exactly thediamond ring Katie was hoping for, she's unable to make herself destroy thediary--against her better judgment, Katie begins to read.Drawn against her will into the other woman's world, Katie learns of physicianSuzanne's heart attack at age 35 and her decision to slow down, accomplished bya move to Martha's Vineyard and a new job as a simple country doctor. When lovecomes knocking, in the form of housepainter-cum-poet Matt Harrison, Suzanne isready to listen to her newly repaired heart. Though painful for Katie, shebegins to know and like Suzanne and her infant son Nicholas. Suzanne's devotionto Matt and their son shines through, as well as her plainspoken wisdom. Whilethe journal helps Katie understand Matt, whether they can write a futuretogether remains in question. --Alison Trinkle

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16988 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07
• Released on: 2003-07-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Amazon.com Review
Talk about a change of pace! Renowned suspense writer and Edgar Award winner James Patterson, author of such bestsellers-turned-blockbuster-movies as Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls, exposes his sensitive side in his new novel, Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. Katie Wilkinson's boyfriend Matt dumps her; not a total cad, he leaves her a gift, a diary kept by Suzanne, his first wife, for their son Nicholas. Though it's not exactly the diamond ring Katie was hoping for, she's unable to make herself destroy the diary--against her better judgment, Katie begins to read.

Drawn against her will into the other woman's world, Katie learns of physician Suzanne's heart attack at age 35 and her decision to slow down, accomplished by a move to Martha's Vineyard and a new job as a simple country doctor. When love comes knocking, in the form of housepainter-cum-poet Matt Harrison, Suzanne is ready to listen to her newly repaired heart. Though painful for Katie, she begins to know and like Suzanne and her infant son Nicholas. Suzanne's devotion to Matt and their son shines through, as well as her plainspoken wisdom. While the journal helps Katie understand Matt, whether they can write a future together remains in question. --Alison Trinkle

From Publishers Weekly
Say what? A women's weepy from the megaselling author of the hard-boiled Alex Cross mysteries? Yes, and it's not the stretch some might imagine. Patterson has demonstrated his flair for female POV and characters in the stand-alone When the Wind Blows and in his current bestseller, 1st to Die and Cross himself has his gooey side. So how good is the novel? Good enough to lightly pluck the heartstrings and to impress with its craft and its calculation. As usual, Patterson mixes first- and third-person narration. Katie Wilkinson is a Manhattan book editor who's been inexplicably left by her lover and star author, a Martha's Vineyard poet named Matt. After he splits, Matt mails Katie the diary kept by his wife, Suzanne, for their young son. Katie reads it (the novel's extensive first-person passages) and reacts to it (briefer third-person interludes). The diary details how physician Suzanne, recovering from a heart attack at age 35, forsakes the rat race, moves to Martha's Vineyard and finds bliss with Matt, a housepainter who reads Moby-Dick and writes strong poems, and with their newborn son, Nicholas. The novel sloshes with sentiment (some of it quite icky) and simple spiritual truths, while acknowledging the reality of pain and loss: rose bushes galore, with thorns. Patterson sustains suspense through clever plotting and by Katie's wondering about the fate of Suzanne and Nicholas; what's finally revealed pushes her, and the novel, to a bittersweet conclusion. Patterson is one smart author (here, he dazzles with his use of refrains, stories-within-stories and romance novel tropes); this jump into another genre won't hurt his reputation as a master of popular lit. (July)Forecast: A lovely dust jacket featuring a title in violet script trumpets this as a love story. Will Patterson's fans buy it? Some mostly women yes. And a 12-city author tour and major print and TV publicity will draw in enough new fans, most of them also women, to float the title onto bestseller lists though not at Alex Cross numbers.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Sickeningly sentimental, Patterson's (Cradle and All) newest novel will undoubtedly disappoint and puzzle his die-hard thriller fans. It's a short love story, written with the same emotional pathos that authors like Nicholas Sparks and Emily Grayson have used to put their names on best-sellers lists. In other words, keep the Kleenex handy. The story alternates between diary entries, written by a young wife and mother named Suzanne to her newborn son, Nicholas, and the present, as the diary is read by Kate, who has just been abandoned by her new love who happens to be Matthew, the young husband in the diary. It's pretty easy to get wrapped up in the story, though at times it seems as if Suzanne never experienced a moment's impatience or faced a messy diaper and that she was certainly married to the world's best and most supportive husband. How Kate, Matthew, and Suzanne connect in the beginning of the novel and what happens by the pretty predictable ending will entertain and please most readers with less than lofty expectations. Considering Patterson's name recognition, this is an essential purchase for any public library fiction collection. Just remember to warn readers that Matthew Harrison is no Alex Cross.
- Margaret Hanes, Sterling Heights P.L., MI
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

not a romantic book fan but still a GREAT BOOK..........
ok i am still not into romantic books.........
but dispite it all this is a very good book indeed for it is not just about love it is also about a family and all that heartbreak stuff.............
ya there were some cheezzy moments but thanks god they are not over-done..........
i hope everyone finishes this book in a day............
so that they can be surprised as well with the story...............

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas
I was bored. I skimmed through a lot of the book. Did not hold my interest and it was predictable.

I Finished It - Don't Ask Me Why
Given that I rather enjoyed Sam's Letters to Jennifer, I thought I would have a similar affinity for Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas. I have often been wrong in my life; for instance, when I assumed this.

I knew what was going to happen in this book from about the fifth page. There wasn't a single surprise in this novel, effusive jacket-blurbs to the contrary notwithstanding. I saw every situation coming from a mile away. I would have thrown it against the wall in disgust, except that I kept hoping that it would improve, and that I would leave it with the feeling that I took away from Sam's Letters to Jennifer. No such luck. Blessedly, the font is so large and the chapters so short that it is only about as long as a good-sized New Yorker article (and isn't nearly as demanding), so it only takes about an hour to read. Barring a rave review from someone I trust, it will be the last hour I spend with Patterson.