content: I'm probably not as qualified to judge this book as the other reviewers, because I just couldn't bring myself to finish it. This is the first time I have done this with a book that I paid for (a borrowed or stolen book does not seem to carry the same obligation). I enjoyed a James Patterson book a friend gave me, and I purchased several more. Generally, I have greatly enjoyed Mr. Patterson's Alex Cross novels. However, I am willing to bet that if an unknown author had submitted "Hide and Seek", there would be no chance of publication. I found it to be incredibly boring, and I came to loathe all of the characters by the time I quit reading in complete disgust, 276 pages in. I am guessing that this was an early failure by Mr. Patterson, which was resurrected and published after he became well known.My $.02.