Being one of the best-selling novelists, Douglas Kennedy is widely known as "a master storyteller with a trademark genius for writing serious popular fiction." His books have received positive reviews. His first novel, The Dead Heart' was reviewed by Jason Cowley from The Independent and said, "This book is constantly capable of amusing us." According to Publishers Weekly review of his best selling book The Pursuit of Happiness', "Kennedy tells his epic tale with a keen eye and brisk pace, confidently sweeping through historic events." Liadan Hynes from Irish Independent reviewed the book The Heat of Betrayal and said, "Douglas Kennedy manages to maintain a gripping pace and it's enjoyable for the reader." According to The Independent review of his book Leaving the World, "Kennedy keeps us wanting to know what happens next. We can call this book manipulative, but this is exactly what we pay him to do." Publishers Weekly in their review of Kennedy's bestseller book The Big Picture said, "There is a lot of excitement in the air about this novel, and it is thoroughly justified."
