Patterson completes the Martha's Vineyard trilogy by returning to the present, and the inquest into Ben Blaine's death. Adam, having taken over the role of shepherd to his directionless family, tries his best to steer suspicion away from his family by sabotaging the evidence on file with the district attorney. Adam is also trying to make more sense of the revelations of his own family's inner deterioration, both recently and over the past decade. Making an effort to get a better understanding of Carla Pacelli, the woman whose pregnancy lies at the centre of the ever-evolving drama, Adam soon discovers a close-knit friendship with her, as they bond over their respective life stories. While juggling his covert job and the legal matters sure to bury his family, Adam is drawn closer to this forbidden fruit and all she offers. Could building something with Carla be Adam's best shot at getting back at Ben for all he's done, as well as the family that's left him to clean up their mess? Patterson concludes the Blaine story, somewhat unconventionally and in a somewhat anti-climactic manner, leaving some to wonder the impetus of the entire three-book series.Perhaps it is the deeply analytical nature of this trilogy, or the complete turnaround taken in this writing style, but I am not as fond of this Patterson collection. While the middle book was outstanding and told a deeply reflective story, the first and third novels were less about the inner workings of the machine than a constant flitting from past to present. I felt little connection to these characters, even Carla, who bears all throughout the novel.While perhaps slightly harsh, I hope Patterson returns to the powerful political novels with which I am familiar. That said, it was a powerfully crafted and narrated book, worth examining for any reader seeking a deeper inner-look at family politics.Kudos, Mr. Patterson for this novel and the entire trilogy. While not my favourites, they did force me to think outside the box in which I usually find myself. Eden in Winter, by Richard North Patterson, a-minus, Narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris, Produced by Blackstone Audio, downloaded from audible.com.This is the third in the Blaine trilogy. This series is more dramatic and romantic than many of his novels-actually more like John Hart’s books. The publisher’s note describes this as well as I could.Two months after the suspicious and much-publicized death of his father on the island of Martha's Vineyard, it is taking all of Adam Blaine's will to suture the deepwounds the tragedy has inflicted upon his family and himself. As the court inquest into Benjamin Blaine's death casts suspicions on those closest to him,Adam struggles to protect them from those who still suspect that his father was murdered by one of his kin. But the sternest test of all is Adam's proximityto Carla Pacelli - his late father's mistress and a woman to whom, despite her pivotal role in his family's plight, Adam finds himself increasingly drawn.The closer he gets to this beautiful, mysterious woman, the further Adam feels from his troubles, yet the closer he also comes to revealing the secretshe's striven to conceal and condemning the people he's fought so hard to protect. An acknowledged master of the courtroom thriller, Patterson's Blainetrilogy, a bold and surprising departure from his past novels, is a complex family drama pulsing with the tumult of the time and "dripping with summerdiversions, youthful passion and ideals, class tensions, and familial disruptions" (Library Journal).
What do You think about Eden In Winter (2014)?
Trilogy..first two books in this series were great..this book..not so great but it was ok.
—Bayden
too much angst for my taste, wish i had given up on page 50
—Steph
