Private Princess Read online

  JAMES

  PATTERSON

  RECOMMENDS

  COUNT TO TEN

  I admit it: I put Private investigator Santosh Wagh through the wringer in his first outing. A combination of personal setbacks and a harrowing case almost did him in. Then I started wondering—is there something that can push him over the edge?

  Santosh is ready to quit as the head of Private India. Except Jack Morgan, the global leader of Private, wants to open an office in Delhi, and Santosh is the only person he can trust. Still battling his demons, Santosh accepts and the agency takes on a case that threatens to destroy them. Plastic barrels containing dissolved human remains have been found in the basement of a house. But this isn’t just any house. This property belongs to the state government. With the crime scene in lockdown and information suppressed by the authorities, delving too deep soon makes Santosh a target to be eliminated.

  PRIVATE

  I’ve always been a curious person. It’s one of the many reasons why I’m a writer. Something I always asked myself was: “What happens if a ‘one percenter’ gets into trouble?” The answer: Jack Morgan and Private. On Jack Morgan’s agenda in his debut outing is investigating a multimillion dollar NFL gambling scandal and solving a series of schoolgirl slayings. Then, the unthinkable—his former lover turned best friend’s wife is murdered. One thing you should know about Jack is that beneath his Lamborghini-driving, red-carpet-event-attending surface, he’s a very smart guy. And he takes no prisoners. Just wait till you get to the end of PRIVATE. You’ll see what I mean.

  PRIVATE: # 1 SUSPECT

  Over the years, I’ve learned that reputation is everything when it comes to business. While Private’s Jack Morgan has a reputation for being effective and discreet, he’s also known for being quite the lady killer. But when an ex-lover shows up dead in his bed and all evidence points to him, Jack realizes someone wants to kill more than just his good name. To make things worse, another event threatens Private’s stability, and Jack suddenly finds himself with his back against the wall. Characters will do the most shocking things when they have no other options, especially characters like Jack who are used to being in control. I won’t tell you what happens, but I will say it’ll blow your mind.

  PRIVATE L.A.

  If you’ve ever wondered what celebrity power couples do behind closed doors, you can stop all of your conjecturing—they’re all in PRIVATE L.A. America’s most popular celebrity couple has made an exit… from their lives. No one knows where they went or why, and it’s up to Jack and his Private team to breach the walls of security and hordes of paparazzi to find the power couple. But when has anything good ever come from a pile of secrets buried under miles of genius PR? Jack’s about to find that out, up close and personal, and he’s in for the shock of his life. Because in the city of big dreams, nothing is what it seems. Especially if I’m involved.

  PRIVATE BERLIN

  Every now and then, I find myself wanting a big change in scenery. Don’t get me wrong. Jack Morgan and the Private team are great fun, but sometimes a little taste of the foreign makes life a bit more exciting. And by “exciting,” I really mean dangerous. At Private’s German headquarters, Chris Schneider—superstar agent—has gone rogue. He’s the keeper of quite a few pieces of sensitive information, but one in particular could have earth-shattering consequences. Hang on tight and don’t blink. This one is a rollercoaster of tension that’ll leave you reeling.

  ALSO BY JAMES PATTERSON

  PRIVATE NOVELS

  Private (with Maxine Paetro)

  Private: #1 Suspect (with Maxine Paetro)

  Private Games (with Mark Sullivan)

  Private London (with Mark Pearson)

  Private Berlin (with Mark Sullivan)

  Private L.A. (with Mark Sullivan)

  Private Down Under (with Michael White)

  Private India: City on Fire (with Ashwin Sanghi)

  Private Vegas (with Maxine Paetro)

  Private Paris (with Mark Sullivan)

  The Games (with Mark Sullivan)

  Missing (with Kathryn Fox)

  Count to Ten (with Ashwin Sanghi)

  A list of more titles by James Patterson is printed at the back of this book.

  Books by James Patterson

  FEATURING ALEX CROSS

  The People vs. Alex Cross • Cross the Line • Cross Justice • Hope to Die • Cross My Heart • Alex Cross, Run • Merry Christmas, Alex Cross • Kill Alex Cross • Cross Fire • I, Alex Cross • Alex Cross’s Trial (with Richard DiLallo) • Cross Country • Double Cross • Cross (also published as Alex Cross) • Mary, Mary • London Bridges • The Big Bad Wolf • Four Blind Mice • Violets Are Blue • Roses Are Red • Pop Goes the Weasel • Cat & Mouse • Jack & Jill • Kiss the Girls • Along Came a Spider

  THE WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB

  The 17th Suspect (with Maxine Paetro) • 16th Seduction (with Maxine Paetro) • 15th Affair (with Maxine Paetro) • 14th Deadly Sin (with Maxine Paetro) • Unlucky 13 (with Maxine Paetro) • 12th of Never (with Maxine Paetro) • 11th Hour (with Maxine Paetro) • 10th Anniversary (with Maxine Paetro) • The 9th Judgment (with Maxine Paetro) • The 8th Confession (with Maxine Paetro) • 7th Heaven (with Maxine Paetro) • The 6th Target (with Maxine Paetro) • The 5th Horseman (with Maxine Paetro) • 4th of July (with Maxine Paetro) • 3rd Degree (with Andrew Gross) • 2nd Chance (with Andrew Gross) • 1st to Die

  FEATURING MICHAEL BENNETT

  Haunted (with James O. Born) • Bullseye (with Michael Ledwidge) • Alert (with Michael Ledwidge) • Burn (with Michael Ledwidge) • Gone (with Michael Ledwidge) • I, Michael Bennett (with Michael Ledwidge) • Tick Tock (with Michael Ledwidge) • Worst Case (with Michael Ledwidge) • Run for Your Life (with Michael Ledwidge) • Step on a Crack (with Michael Ledwidge)

  THE PRIVATE NOVELS

  Princess (with Rees Jones) • Count to Ten (with Ashwin Sanghi) • Missing (with Kathryn Fox) • The Games (with Mark Sullivan) • Private Paris (with Mark Sullivan) • Private Vegas (with Maxine Paetro) • Private India: City on Fire (with Ashwin Sanghi) • Private Down Under (with Michael White) • Private L.A. (with Mark Sullivan) • Private Berlin (with Mark Sullivan) • Private London (with Mark Pearson) • Private Games (with Mark Sullivan) • Private: #1 Suspect (with Maxine Paetro) • Private (with Maxine Paetro)

  NYPD RED NOVELS

  Red Alert (with Marshall Karp) • NYPD Red 4 (with Marshall Karp) • NYPD Red 3 (with Marshall Karp) • NYPD Red 2 (with Marshall Karp) • NYPD Red (with Marshall Karp)

  SUMMER NOVELS

  Second Honeymoon (with Howard Roughan) • Now You See Her (with Michael Ledwidge) • Swimsuit (with Maxine Paetro) • Sail (with Howard Roughan) • Beach Road (with Peter de Jonge) • Lifeguard (with Andrew Gross) • Honeymoon (with Howard Roughan) • The Beach House (with Peter de Jonge)

  STAND-ALONE BOOKS

  Murder in Paradise (with Doug Allyn, Connor Hyde, Duane Swierczynski) • Fifty Fifty (with Candice Fox) • Murder Beyond the Grave (with Andrew Bourelle and Christopher Charles) • Home Sweet Murder (with Andrew Bourelle and Scott Slaven) • Murder, Interrupted (with Alex Abramovich and Christopher Charles) • All-American Murder (with Alex Abramovich and Mike Harvkey) • The Family Lawyer (with Robert Rotstein, Christopher Charles, Rachel Howzell Hall) • The Store (with Richard DiLallo) • The Moores Are Missing (with Loren D. Estleman, Sam Hawken, Ed Chatterton) • Triple Threat (with Max DiLallo, Andrew Bourrelle) • Instinct (with Howard Roughan) • Penguins of America (with Jack Patterson with Florence Yue) • Two from the Heart (with Frank Constantini, Emily Raymond, Brian Sitts) • The Black Book (with David Ellis) • Humans, Bow Down (with Emily Raymond) • Never Never (with Candice Fox) • Woman of God (with Maxine Paetro) • Filthy Rich (with John Connolly and Timothy Malloy) • The Murder House (with David Ellis) • Truth or Die (with Howard Roughan) • Miracle at Augusta (with Peter de Jonge) • Invisible (with David Ellis) • First Love (with Emily Raymond) • Mistress
(with David Ellis) • Zoo (with Michael Ledwidge) • Guilty Wives (with David Ellis) • The Christmas Wedding (with Richard DiLallo) • Kill Me If You Can (with Marshall Karp) • Toys (with Neil McMahon) • Don’t Blink (with Howard Roughan) • The Postcard Killers (with Liza Marklund) • The Murder of King Tut (with Martin Dugard) • Against Medical Advice (with Hal Friedman) • Sundays at Tiffany’s (with Gabrielle Charbonnet) • You’ve Been Warned (with Howard Roughan) • The Quickie (with Michael Ledwidge) • Judge & Jury (with Andrew Gross) • Sam’s Letters to Jennifer • The Lake House • The Jester (with Andrew Gross) • Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas • Cradle and All • When the Wind Blows • Miracle on the 17th Green (with Peter de Jonge) • Hide & Seek • The Midnight Club • Black Friday (originally published as Black Market) • See How They Run • Season of the Machete • The Thomas Berryman Number

  The Exile (with Alison Joseph) • The Medical Examiner (with Maxine Paetro) • Black Dress Affair (with Susan DiLallo) • The Killer’s Wife (with Max DiLallo) • Scott Free (with Rob Hart) • The Dolls (with Kecia Bal) • Detective Cross • Nooners (with Tim Arnold) • Stealing Gulfstreams (with Max DiLallo) • Diary of a Succubus (with Derek Nikitas) • Night Sniper (with Christopher Charles) • Juror #3 (with Nancy Allen) • The Shut-In (with Duane Swierczynski) • French Twist (with Richard DiLallo) • Malicious (with James O. Born) • Hidden (with James O. Born) • The House Husband (with Duane Swierczynski) • The Christmas Mystery (with Richard DiLallo) • Black & Blue (with Candice Fox) • Come and Get Us (with Shan Serafin) • Private: The Royals (with Rees Jones) • Taking the Titanic (with Scott Slaven) • Killer Chef (with Jeffrey J. Keyes) • French Kiss (with Richard DiLallo) • $10,000,000 Marriage Proposal (with Hilary Liftin) • Hunted (with Andrew Holmes) • 113 Minutes (with Max DiLallo) • Chase (with Michael Ledwidge) • Let’s Play Make-Believe (with James O. Born) • The Trial (with Maxine Paetro) • Little Black Dress (with Emily Raymond) • Cross Kill • Zoo II (with Max DiLallo)

  Sabotage: An Under Covers Story by Jessica Linden • Love Me Tender by Laurie Horowitz • Bedding the Highlander by Sabrina York • The Wedding Florist by T. J. Kline • A Wedding in Maine by Jen McLaughlin • Radiant by Elizabeth Hayley • Hot Winter Nights by Codi Gray • Bodyguard by Jessica Linden • Dazzling by Elizabeth Hayley • The Mating Season by Laurie Horowitz • Sacking the Quarterback by Samantha Towle • Learning to Ride by Erin Knightley • The McCullagh Inn in Maine by Jen McLaughlin

  FOR READERS OF ALL AGES

  MAXIMUM RIDE

  Maximum Ride Forever • Nevermore: The Final Maximum Ride Adventure • Angel: A Maximum Ride Novel • Fang: A Maximum Ride Novel • Max: A Maximum Ride Novel • The Final Warning: A Maximum Ride Novel • Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports: A Maximum Ride Novel • School’s Out—Forever: A Maximum Ride Novel • The Angel Experiment: A Maximum Ride Novel

  DANIEL X

  Daniel X: Lights Out (with Chris Grabenstein) • Daniel X: Armageddon (with Chris Grabenstein) • Daniel X: Game Over (with Ned Rust) • Daniel X: Demons and Druids (with Adam Sadler) • Daniel X: Watch the Skies (with Ned Rust) • The Dangerous Days of Daniel X (with Michael Ledwidge)

  WITCH & WIZARD

  Witch & Wizard: The Lost (with Emily Raymond) • Witch & Wizard: The Kiss (with Jill Dembowski) • Witch & Wizard: The Fire (with Jill Dembowski) • Witch & Wizard: The Gift (with Ned Rust) • Witch & Wizard (with Gabrielle Charbonnet)

  CONFESSIONS

  Confessions: The Murder of an Angel (with Maxine Paetro) • Confessions: The Paris Mysteries (with Maxine Paetro) • Confessions: The Private School Murders (with Maxine Paetro) • Confessions of a Murder Suspect (with Maxine Paetro)

  MIDDLE SCHOOL

  Middle School: Escape to Australia (with Martin Chatterton, illustrated by Daniel Griffo) • Middle School: Dog’s Best Friend (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Jomike Tejido) • Middle School: Just My Rotten Luck (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park) • Middle School: Save Rafe! (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park) • Middle School: Ultimate Showdown (with Julia Bergen, illustrated by Alec Longstreth) • Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park) • Middle School: My Brother Is a Big, Fat Liar (with Lisa Papademetriou, illustrated by Neil Swaab) • Middle School: Get Me Out of Here! (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park) • Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Laura Park)

  I FUNNY

  I Funny: Around the World (with Chris Grabenstein) • I Funny: School of Laughs (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Jomike Tejido • I Funny TV (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Laura Park) • I Totally Funniest: A Middle School Story (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Laura Park) • I Even Funnier: A Middle School Story (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Laura Park) • I Funny: A Middle School Story (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Laura Park)

  TREASURE HUNTERS

  Treasure Hunters: Quest for the City of Gold (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld) • Treasure Hunters: Peril at the Top of the World (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld) • Treasure Hunters: Secret of the Forbidden City (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld) • Treasure Hunters: Danger Down the Nile (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld) • Treasure Hunters (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld)

  OTHER BOOKS FOR READERS OF ALL AGES

  The Candies’ Easter Party (illustrated by Andy Elkerton) • Jacky Ha-Ha: My Life is a Joke (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Kerascoët) • Give Thank You a Try • Expelled (with Emily Raymond) • The Candies Save Christmas (illustrated by Andy Elkerton) • Big Words for Little Geniuses (with Susan Patterson, illustrated by Hsinping Pan) • Laugh Out Loud (with Chris Grabenstein) • Pottymouth and Stoopid (with Chris Grabenstein) • Crazy House (with Gabrielle Charbonnet) • House of Robots: Robot Revolution (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld) • Word of Mouse (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Joe Sutphin) • Give Please a Chance (with Bill O’Reilly) • Jacky Ha-Ha (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Kerascoët) • House of Robots: Robots Go Wild! (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld) • Public School Superhero (with Chris Tebbetts, illustrated by Cory Thomas) • House of Robots (with Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Juliana Neufeld) • Homeroom Diaries (with Lisa Papademetriou, illustrated by Keino) • Med Head (with Hal Friedman) • santaKid (illustrated by Michael Garland)

  For previews and information about the author, visit JamesPatterson.com or find him on Facebook or at your app store.

  ACCLAIM FOR JAMES PATTERSON’S HOTTEST SERIES!

  COUNT TO TEN

  “ONE OF PRIVATE’S MOST INTRIGUING AND ENTERTAINING INSTALLMENTS TO DATE.”

  —BookReporter.com

  MISSING

  “MISSING IS, IN A WORD, TERRIFIC. This is a one-sit, fast-paced read that fully satisfies but nonetheless will leave you wanting more.”

  —20somethingreads.com

  THE GAMES

  “FAST PACED… THERE IS NO DOUBT YOU CAN FINISH THIS BOOK IN ONE SITTING.”

  —Blograma.com

  PRIVATE PARIS

  “THERE’S NO FLUFF OR DEAD WEIGHT, AND REVELATIONS COME FAST AND HARD… This story is drenched in realism and really strikes a chord, proving to be a worthwhile read.”

  —matthewrbel.blogspot.com

  PRIVATE VEGAS

  “NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN THIS ACTIONPACKED PAGE-TURNER.”

  —Writerswrite.co.za

  PRIVATE INDIA: CITY ON FIRE

  “IT IS UNPUTDOWNABLE AND DEFINITELY A PAGE-TURNER… ONE IS FORCED TO KEEP READING TIL THE END, THOUGH THE END IS OVER 450 PAGES AWAY.”

  —Winnowed.blogspot.com

  PRIVATE DOWN UNDER

  “FAST-PACED AND SUSPENSEFUL.”

  —Upinstitchesblog.wordpress.com

  PRIVATE L.A.


  “A GREAT READ DEVOURED IN ONE SITTING… [I’M] LOOKING FORWARD TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT FOR JACK MORGAN AND HIS TEAM(S).”

  —RandomActsofReviewing.blogspot.com

  PRIVATE BERLIN

  “FAST-PACED ACTION AND UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS WITH PLOT TWISTS AND DECEPTIONS WORTHY OF ANY JAMES PATTERSON NOVEL.”

  —Examiner.com

  PRIVATE LONDON

  “THE STORY CONTINUES ALONG QUITE QUICKLY WITH THE TWO-PAGE CHAPTERS FLYING PAST FASTER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE. I READ THIS BOOK IN ONLY AN EVENING. If you are a Patterson fan then you will probably enjoy this one as well.”

  —TheFringeMagazine.blogspot.com

  PRIVATE GAMES

  “PATTERSON, HE OF SIX DOZEN NOVELS AND COUNTING, HAS AN UNCANNY KNACK FOR THE TIMELY THRILLER, AND THIS ONE IS NO EXCEPTION… A PLEASANT ROMP.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  PRIVATE: #1 SUSPECT

  “[THEY] MAKE ONE HECK OF A GREAT WRITING TEAM AND PROVE IT ONCE AGAIN WITH [THIS] CLASSY THRILLER, THE LATEST IN A PRIVATE INVESTIGATION SERIES THAT’S SURE TO BLOW THE LID OFF A POPULAR GENRE… If you want to be entertained to the max, you can’t go wrong when you pick up a thriller by Patterson and Paetro.”

  —NightsandWeekends.com

  PRIVATE

  “PRIVATE WILL GRAB YOU FROM PAGE ONE AND FORCE YOU TO SIT THERE UNTIL YOU TURN THE VERY LAST PAGE… A GREAT START TO A NEW SERIES FROM THE MASTER OF FAST-PACED THRILL RIDES.”

  —LorisReadingCorner.com

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