Product Description

The danger isn't in the water. As a lifeguard in Florida resort, Ned Kelly meets the woman of his dreams. It feels perfect except that she prefers caviar and Manolo Blahniks, and he is used to burgers and flip flops.

So when Ned's cousin offers him a rich deal, Ned can't turn him down. It is just a fast break and enter. The risk is high, and the reward even greater - $5 million.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #280468 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 394 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Beach bum Ned Kelly, a part-time lifeguard, pool guy and errand runner in Palm Beach, Fla., has just scored with beautiful, rich Tess McAuliffe. Life sure is looking up, especially from his days back in chilly South Boston. He's looking forward to another round with Tess, but first he has to help some smalltime hoodlum pals commit a $60-million art heist. It's supposed to be an easy job, but everything goes to hell—the paintings they were after weren't even there—and soon enough his pals are all dead, as is Tess. Ned goes on the run, accused of the murders and the heist as well. He flees back to Boston, but gets caught by cute-as-a-button FBI agent Ellie Shurtleff, assigned to investigate the case for the agency's Art Theft and Fraud department. After some rough stuff, he takes her hostage and in short order they've bonded. Ellie can see that Ned's a good guy who could never have committed the crimes he's charged with, so the two of them join forces to bring down the actual thieves and killers. It's a twisty story that will engage the interest of beach-goers everywhere, whose sun-addled brains will put up with pedestrian writing and an improbable plot just to find out exactly whodunit and why.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Don't be fooled by the title of Patterson's latest thrilling yarn--the action goes far beyond the beach. Ned Kelly grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in Brockton, but he got out, and now his life seems to be falling into place. He's interested in a beautiful woman named Tess and has decided to chance one last heist with four of his childhood friends. Ned's job is simple--all he has to do is set off several house alarms while his friends hit the real target, the mansion of Dennis Stratton, to steal three valuable paintings. But when Ned's friends enter the house and discover the paintings already gone, they realize they've been double-crossed, and before Ned can reach them, all four are murdered. Then Tess is found dead in her hotel room, and, fearing how bad things are looking for him, Ned goes on the lam, hoping to clear his name. He goes back to Brockton to find his father, a small-time criminal he suspects may have been involved in setting up his friends. He's being pursued by Federal Agent Ellie Shurtleff, an art expert, who becomes an unlikely ally. Packing all the punches readers have come to expect from Patterson's books, this one delivers at every turn. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
James B. Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an award-winning American author. Formerly an advertising executive for J. W. Thompson in the early 1990s, Patterson came up with the slogan "Toys R Us Kid". Shortly after his success with Along Came A Spider he retired from the firm and devoted his time to writing. The novels featuring his character, Alex Cross, a black forensic psychologist formerly of the Washington, D.C. Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation, now working as a private psychologist and government consultant, are the most popular books among Patterson readers. James Patterson has been criticized by Stephen King, who called Patterson's books "dopey thrillers".[citation needed] Patterson shrugged off the comments, stating that he wants to be the "thrillingest thriller writer of all time".[citation needed] James Patterson has also been put as one of Forbes magazine's top 100 celebrities.

Customer Reviews

Note worth it, whatsever!!!!
I am a very big fan of James Patterson and normally find his writing to be of the highest quality and quite suspenseful. The book "Lifeguard" however, is neither good, nor surprising in any way.
The hero, Ned Kelly, is a whiny, complaining. know-it-all, n'er do-well. This book would have more aptly been titled, "Ned Kelly's 300 Page Pity Party for Himself". If that,in itself, isn't bad enough, the things that he is constantly moaning about, all came about, in one way or another, because of HIM!!! Many times throughout the reading of this book, I sat wishing the protagonist would simply blow "Neddy" away and put me out of MY misery in reading this book.
As if Neds insideous complaining throughout the book is not bad enough, the plot unravels to the point of actually financially REWARDING Ned for his participation in illegal activities and unwitting responsibility for the deaths of his brother and friends. Even a multi-million dollar pay off does not shut up Neds whining. I was so disgusted after finishing this book I will have to seriously investigate the next novel I read by Mr. Patterson. I am VERY disappointed!!!
The only saving grace in this book is an Aussie character named Champs. Unfortunatly, he is not utilized very much at all.
I wonder if the author is of Irish-American descent himself because he paints an EXTREMELY unflattering picture (drunks, theives, criminals, and whiners) of a truly industrious, hard-working, group of nationalites (the Irish).
If you have already bought this book, Good Luck, if you haven't, consider yourself forewarned.

READ IT IN A DAY!
I read this book on a very nice day on the beach. I started it at 8am and by 830 pm, the sun had set and I had finished the book. What this all means is that it's VERY HARD TO PUT DOWN! Lots of action, surprises, mystery, all the great things that Patterson is known for!! I definitely recommend it !!!!!!

Disappointed
The only "Patterson" I found in this book is his signature short chapters. The book is short, the print is large and the chapters average about three to four pages long. Obviously a reader could finish it off in a night, which I did. But it wasn't because I couldn't put it down.

I found the characterization horrible. The characters were so flat and boring. How can a guy who came so close to receiving his MA be so gullible, air-headish, and stupid? Or an up and coming FBI agent so easily believe a total stranger even when ALL the facts say something different? This can't possibly be Patterson's writing. It sounds nothing like his earlier books that so easily captured the actions and thoughts of a complex character. I don't think I'd bother with another of his co-authorships again.