It was my first JP novel and it was ok. He writes in a very simple style and I appreciate that. He mixes in real life events and experiences every now and then - for instance there are references to how the police are not taken very seriously these days in NYC by teenagers - and that sort of writing gives a sense of reality to the ambience. Yet there was not a single aha moment. The first 1/3 of the book could be summarized in just one page!!! He reveals the killer at about (or a little over) 2/3rds of the book and I was hoping there would be a big surprise in the end but I was disappointed. The ending was cinematic.