Private is first in a series called “Private” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, featuring Jack Morgan, a former CIA agent turned private detective with a worldwide agency of the same name. I doubt I will read many of the dozen or more books in the series. Private is fast-paced, with short chapters, and filled with formula law-enforcement slang, beautiful young women, and danger in every direction. Jack is the brave, glib war hero who seems to have an answer for every difficult situation. The book cover tells you where Jack will be traveling, and the bullet hole is a clue to the drama he will face. The character development is shallow, but there is never a dull moment in the lives of Jack and his colleagues.