In the shadow of Mount Hood, sixteen-year-old Tennant is checking rabbit traps with her eight-year-old sister Sophie when the girls are suddenly overcome by a strange vibration rising out of the forest, building in intensity until it sounds like a deafening crescendo of screams. From out of nowhere, their father sweeps them up and drops them through a trapdoor into a storm cellar. But the sound only gets worse.

The book was relentlessly paced and commanded me to keep reading and forgot all my other obligations. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

This is what a call a page-turner story!

I mean, everything that James Patterson writes is a page turner anyway, but this book is definitely out of the norm. 

With an unusual storyline, this novel played with my emotions and thoughts way more that I was expecting. None of my theories were right, and I kept trying and changed with each chapter but, I was so wrong all the way through. Honestly, it left me shocked and I hope that this book will be made into a movie because it will make a box office ranking in no time. 

I wanted to know what happened with the community that just disappeared in no time and why the sisters were so different. 

Gripping and captivating story from the beginning to the end.

Fast paced and exciting.

I love a good thriller and this did not disappoint. Patterson and Barker have written something that gripped me from the outset and didn't let go. I loved the weaving of story from different points of view, how I was thrown right in to the action and the horror of the two young sisters.

Different ending, that I definitely did not predict.

Highly recommended.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review.

After thoroughly enjoying “The Coast-to-Coast Murders” I was very intrigued with the latest collaboration between James Patterson and J.D. Barker.

“The Noise” really came as a surprise to me. This was not what I expected, and let me tell you, I couldn’t be happier. I haven’t read as an enjoyable suspense/horror story in quite some time. I was hooked from the beginning and enjoyed every minute of the journey.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for a Review Copy

Wow! What a read!

A different style for James Patterson but immensely enjoyable. A mixture of thriller, horror and science fiction makes for a roller coaster of a read. It really makes you wonder what secrets are being kept within powers that be..... and that one day it could all be very real. And it all starts with a noise - ingenious!

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy.

Not my usual type of book - more on the science fiction side than fantasy, but I found this to be a really enjoyable read that I couldn't put down.

I liked the different character POVs. Beginning with Tennant and then moving to the doctor was a good segue as Tennant would have been too naive as to how the world works to explain what was happening.

I wasn't as keen on the ending. It wasn't what I was expecting, to be honest. And maybe that was the point, but that's probably my only real complaint about the book.

My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Noise’ by James Patterson & J. D. Barker in exchange for an honest review.

James Patterson is well known for his thrillers and often collaborates with other writers. This apparently is his second novel with J.D. Barker. In 2019, I had read J. D. Barker’s ‘Dracul’, written with Darce Stoker and was very impressed. As a result I quickly said ‘yes’ to this novel and read it without any prior plot information.

‘The Noise’ opens with two young sisters, Sophie and Tennant Riggin, eight and sixteen respectively. They are the only people to survive a mysterious event that destroys their small survivalist community, located in the shadow of Oregon's Mt. Hood. A devastating noise had heralded the event.

Suddenly there are government types swarming all over the place investigating what had happened. Unpleasant things occur including some featuring body horror. A key question is why did only these girls survive? Yet it quickly emerges that this isn’t the only disturbance. No further details to avoid spoilers. Wow! Talk about a rollercoaster.

This is the kind of eco-techno horror/thriller reminiscent of the works of the late Michael Crichton and Robin Cook. The story is told from a number of perspectives: principally Tennant and Dr Martha Chan, a psychologist who analyses large-scale medical emergencies. There’s also some chapters focused on Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Fraser, a career military man with an inherent mistrust of civilians.

This proved fast-paced and very scary! I will admit that some of the events were pretty gory but that’s an integral part of the apocalyptic sub-genre. I seriously couldn’t put it down. Also, some of the wider issues raised within ‘The Noise’, such as humankind’s impact on the Earth, were thought provoking. It wasn’t all melting body parts.

Patterson and Barker clearly work well together and following this positive experience I will be looking out for their previous joint novel as well as their future collaborations.

I have read a lot of Patterson and this was totally different to anything else I had read. It was quite disconcerting inasmuch as the way the world is moving regarding technology. Although I enjoyed the book, I think I prefer his murder mysteries.

This was a fantastic read! As I’m a huge fan already of James Patterson, I knew this would be good and this did not disappoint. I would say this is a thriller with a sci fi feel which I didn’t expect, thoroughly enjoyable. Must say I did find some parts a bit horrifyingly scary, I did have to check to see if this was classified as a horror. The story is about two sisters who are the only survivors of a village that was decimated and a team of experts are trying to find out what happened. Highly recommend for a gripping read.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Noise follows two sisters in rural Oregon as the only survivors of a massive explosion. Dr Martha Chan and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Fraser are brought in by the government(?) to try and solve the mystery.

What a story! Sometimes horrifying, and not for the faint - hearted. If you expected a multi layered, typical JP novel, then be prepared for something REALLY different.

Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Random House for the chance to read and review.

I usually devour all of James Patterson's books, this I found a really different kind of thriller, but I still could not put in down, although I wanted to give up a few times, as I did not know where the story was going.

Glad to say I persevered and this was a thriller along the lines of War of the Worlds I think.

Two sisters, Tennent and Sophie are the only survivors of an attack; a terrifying noise that intensifies until ears, nose and eyes bleed! They survive as their parents have sent them to the shelter, previously built no doubt to survive a tornedo, hurricane or similar natural phenomenon. But this isn't natural. They emerge from the shelter to find everyone and everything decimated!

Government and military experts are sent to find any survivors and to find out what was the cause of this event before it spreads and gets out of hand. But time is running out, it is spreading across the North West at a terrific rate and it seems as if it can't be stopped. Many try and fail, can Tennent and Sophie hold the key to what it is and how it can be stopped.

I finished the book and was still slightly confused at the end. It's more sci fi than thriller, I can't say it's been a my usual JP recommendation and I feel it would appeal to readers who are more into sci fi/fantasy than thrillers, so give it a go and see how you feel about it.

James Patterson’s previous collaboration with JD Barker — The Coast to Coast Murders — was more of a crime thriller, but the pair’s most recent release The Noise sees them wander much more into horror and even sci-fi territory — and I’m definitely here for it.

The Noise opens with two young girls living in a mountainside community that’s isolated from the outside world by choice. They’re out catching rabbits when an unbearably painful sound reverberates around the hills and valleys.

The village is decimated, but not before the girls’ quick-thinking father shoves them into an underground storm shelter in a last-ditch effort to save them.

A team of experts is quickly brought in to investigate what could have happened up there on the mountain— and it’s here that it gets difficult to reveal much more without getting into spoilers.

The Noise is simply full of action, and more than once it crossed my mind what an excellent movie it would make because of this. Also, even though the idea of a dangerous sound might not sound particularly frightening, some of the incidents within this book are truly nightmare-inducing and will stay with you long after you turn the final pages (even the very last chapter has a real doozy).

There is a large cast of characters to contend with at first in this story, and I did find myself getting a little confused with some of the scientists’ and army members’ names sometimes. However, as with any good horror, not all of them will last until the denouement!

Reminiscent of Stephen King’s Cell, World War Z and the early foreboding of Bird Box, this is a horror novel with a realistic sense of ‘what if?’ and I’m really glad I read it thus summer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin publishers in the UK for the advance e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can find this review on my Medium profile here:
https://veritycreates.medium.com/book-review-the-noise-by-james-patterson-72c271421df5

One of my favourite authors and his books and stories don’t disappoint! Once you start reading you can’t put the book down.

EXCERPT: The sound grew louder.

Tennant had no idea she was screaming, too, until she ran out of breath and choked on the air - dirt, dust, flour - all filling her lungs at once. She coughed it back out, forced herself to stand, clawed at the cellar door.

Why had Poppa locked them in?

They'd die down here.

And Momma and Poppa out there?

On the ground at her feet, Sophie's hands and arms wrapped around her head, her knees pulled close against her chest. Blood dripped from the corners of her eyes, from her button nose, seeped out from between her fingers over her ears. Thick, congealed blood, dark red, nearly black. One of her hands shot out and wrapped around Tennant's ankles and squeezed so tight the pain brought her back down to the floor.

The sound grew louder.

Tennant wanted to hold her sister, but her arms and legs no longer obeyed her. Her heart drummed against her ribs, threatened to burst. She couldn't get air, each gasp no better than breathing water. Her eyes rolled back into her head, her vision first went white, then dark, as the walls closed in. The cellar no better than a grave.

ABOUT 'THE NOISE': Young sisters, Sophie and Tennant Riggin, are the only two people to withstand a massive explosion that destroys their community, located in the shadow of Oregon's Mt. Hood.

A team of elite government investigators are sent to research the fallout and the girls - why did only they survive? - but with conflicting objectives. For Dr Martha Chan, a psychologist who analyses large-scale medical emergencies: study them. For Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Fraser, a career military leader with an inherent mistrust of civilians: contain them.

But as the disturbance replicates across the Pacific Northwest, it threatens to topple the chain of command. Dr Chan and Lieutenant Colonel Fraser are caught between the perpetrators of the threat - and those who have the power to resist.

MY THOUGHTS: What the hell did I just read? I didn't read the publicity blurb prior to requesting this, and I never read the publicity blurb before starting reading. The fact that J.D. Barker is co-author was good enough for me. And I hit the jackpot! I am so pleased I never read the blurb; I would never have requested this and I would have missed out on a spectacular read.

The story is told from the points of view of Tennant, the girl whose sister Sophie is affected by The Noise; Martha a psychologist who deals with large scale medical emergencies, and who is called on to study both this emergency and the sisters; Fraser, a career military officer who dislikes and distrusts civilians, and whose job it is to contain both the sisters and those brought in to examine them and the site; and briefly, the President of the United States, who faces a decision that no other president in history has ever faced.

If you are going to pick The Noise up, and I strongly recommend you do, set a day aside with no distractions or interruptions to read it. It's not a long read, but it is action packed. This is no runaway train. There is no slow start, no build up. This is a bullet train - it starts fast and just gets faster, more suspenseful, more thrilling, and scarier.

Personally, I find the scariest things are those that are possible. The Noise falls into this category. It scared the living bejesus out of me. And I loved it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#TheNoise #NetGalley #RandomHouse

I: @jamespattersonbooks @jdbarker_author
@randomhouse

T: @JP_Books @ jdbarker @randomhouse

THE AUTHORS: James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author and most trusted storyteller. He has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today.

J.D. Barker is a New York Times and international bestselling American author of suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Noise by James Patterson and J.D. Barker for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review will also be published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

A very different James Patterson book and this collaboration with J.D. Barker seems to really work. It was scary but ,in this day and age, believable. I stayed up into the wee small hours to finish it even though I was frightened!
Thank you Random House and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion.

If you hear it, it’s too late. Can two sisters save us all?
In the shadow of Mount Hood, sixteen-year-old Tennant is checking rabbit traps with her eight-year-old sister Sophie when the girls are suddenly overcome by a strange vibration rising out of the forest, building in intensity until it sounds like a deafening crescendo of screams. From out of nowhere, their father sweeps them up and drops them through a trapdoor into a storm cellar. But the sound only gets worse . . .
Yet another James Patterson book that doesn't disappoint. A suspenseful, thrilling roller coaster ride of twists and turns, that just as you think you have worked it out, you are thrown into turmoil once again. The characters were all interlinked well. It was a page turner and the ending was a surprise that you didn't expect.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

A bunch of scientists asked to solve the anomaly ? what is that noise ?why are all these people running ?seemingly all in the same direction . The horde is getting bigger as they smash through towns gaining more and more people as they run . Are they infected because they are burning up even when they are dead and dying ?. What is happening to them and can the mystery be solved in time to save the big cities on the eastern seaboard of the USA.

This is a fast paced horror thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat this is a book for our times. You will not be able to put it down 5 stars

James Patterson and J. D. Barker's 'The Noise' centres around a catastrophic event in North Western USA which baffles scientists, politicians, even the president - where did it come from? What caused it? Is it a natural disaster, or something more sinister...?

For whatever reason it seemed to take me a while to properly get into this book. I was intrigued by the blurb and the concept of the book, but it took me until about a third of the way through until I felt engaged with the characters and the story. There were some great action-filled chapters and plenty of twists and turns which I found exciting as they took the book in a direction I hadn't expected. However, personally I found the ending slightly disappointing as I still had plenty of unanswered questions, which left me feeling a bit dissatisfied rather than wanting more. Nonetheless, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an acton thriller with a bit of a sci-fi twist.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this in advance of publication.
We begin with Tennant and her sister, Sophie, hunting in the woods. They are disturbed by a strange noise and then their father picks them up and pushes them into an underground bunker. As they cower underground, desperate for their parents to join them, the girls hear what they think is a tornado…when they head back above ground they are met with a scene of devastation.
With no idea what’s happening, of course we have questions. We know Sophie is affected in some way, and there’s a strange Exorcist-vibe when Sophie starts swearing in a low voice and trying to attack her sister. When they are, eventually, picked up by military personnel there was a little sense of relief that we might get some answers.
We didn’t.
What we got was a shift in focus to a mixed group of civilians - experts in their respective fields - who are drafted in to investigate this incident.
Over the course of the book we learn that there is a noise which causes internal bleeding, organs to heat up and for people to want to run towards something. They stop for nothing. The running people gather in number and we soon realise we’re dealing with a very real threat. So it then becomes a case of can they be stopped? If not, can they be contained?
About halfway through the book I did find myself thinking the premise had become somewhat bizarre. No reasons for these events were given, and it was hard to get beneath the surface of the characters which meant I wasn’t unduly invested in learning what happened to them. Towards the final ten chapters there was a ratcheting up of events/pace, which could have been exhilarating but which actually felt as if the writers were running out of time and felt a quick burst would get them to the end quicker, even if it made little sense.
The book was easy to read and I liked the idea. Unfortunately, I just felt rather too removed from it all to find myself that engaged in things by the closing stages.

The Noise by James Patterson and JD Barker is a 5 star read.
I really enjoy this story, it had a bit of a different feel to it than your usual James Patterson book and I couldn’t put it down.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley