Rating: 
Summary: I Love the Big Bad Wolf, but I also fear him!
Review: James Patterson has yet to let me down! I listened to the audio cd version and credit should also be given to the narrators/readers. Peter J. Fernandez is wonderful as the voice of Alex Cross, but my heart skipped a beat every time I would hear Denis O'Hara as the Wolf. I was surprised by the twists and turns of the story. Just when I thought they had caught the Wolf, some wicked twist completely threw me off track. The ending leads no doubt in my mind that we have NOT seen the last of the Wolf and I can not wait until the next novel.
Rating: 
Summary: "Untidiness" spoils otherwise great Alex Cross thriller!
Review: Patterson's latest is typical of his best work: furiously paced short chapters; an edgy plot that keeps the pages inexorably turning; and thrills and chills galore as the scary action rarely pauses for us to breathe. And for Alex Cross fans, it's good to have him back, even though this book marks the start of his FBI career, a start that wobbles a little bit. For good measure, some family stuff is worked in, especially a surprise visit from Christine Johnson, little Alex' real mother, who seems to have custodial intentions despite abandoning the kid for more than a year.The plot, about a ruthless Russian Mafia type ("Wolf", now operating here) who seems all powerful, is more than adequate to sustain entertaining reading til nearly the end. However, some of the untidy turns of events, especially the loose ending, will cause chagrin and disappointment to many readers, regardless of whether a sequel looms (seems likely). We predict most will enjoy this fast read and tolerate the shaky ending in anticipation of more to come. We might have preferred another 50 pages or so to just wrap it up and give some closure to an otherwise good story. Enjoy, but be warned.
Rating: 
Summary: An Interesting Read from a Highly Prolific Writer
Review: Big bad wolves have a long literary history. James Patterson's newest Alex Cross novel has a human wolf that is more cunning, dangerous and lethal than any of his namesakes. "An improbable murder story told about the Wolf ... had made its way into police lore and then spread quickly from Washington to New York to London and to Moscow." While no one knew if the tale was true, "it was consistent with other outrageous incidents in the Russian gangster's life." He was linked to one particularly gruesome murder that took place after he visited an Italian don in "the high-security supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. The next morning Augusto Palumbo was found dead in his cell. Nearly every bone in his body had been broken ... a method used in the Moscow underworld ... known as zamochit ...[that] signified complete and total dominance of the attacker. The Wolf was boldly stating that he was now the godfather." He rises on the horizon about the same time Detective Cross has turned in his Washington, D.C. shield, to enroll in the New Agent Training program "at the FBI Academy in Quantico. Sometimes called 'Club Fed' ... [it] was turning out to be a challenging, arduous, and tense program ... [that he] liked." At forty-two, Cross was the oldest trainee. The new director, Ron Burns, who was thought to be a rebel by the old guard, was willing to bend a few rules because he wanted Alex on his watch; thus, he made an offer Cross couldn't resist. His first assignment is to solve the mystery behind the disappearances of white, blonde, attractive upper-middle class women. They had begun to disappear in alarming numbers, never to be seen or heard from again. The women have vanished with no clues left behind and no witnesses to their abductions. The first bit of information presented to Cross is in a seminar focused on psychopaths. "Even though [he] was familiar with some of the material [learned when he earned his Ph.D. in psychology, he] found himself jotting down [many] of the forty 'characteristics' of psychopathic personality and behavior." As one of the leading investigators assigned to the case, he felt an adrenalin rush as heady as any he has experienced as a detective. But things are not as smooth as Alex had hoped. His immediate superior is resentful and angry about Cross's reputation and status above the other rookies. And on the home front, Christine, his former lover and mother of his son, decides to reappear. She had abandoned them all a year before, so Alex knows his family may be threatened. As she tries to ingratiate herself into the Cross clan, she makes it clear that she wants custody of the little boy --- and she is willing to do anything to get it. Alex, his children and his mother are devastated at the possibility of losing the wonderful child who had become part of their family. At times THE BIG BAD WOLF seems a bit of a stretch for the reader. The cutouts between worldwide law enforcement agencies and the Wolf defuse the suspense when they laughingly admit they are not who they pretended to be. The abductions, carried out in broad daylight, mostly in shopping malls, will send a chill through every woman who has ever walked to her car without thinking who may be following her. The notion of a white slavery ring, which is the basic premise upon which the plot rests, sounds far-fetched but overall it works and at least makes for an interesting read. After all, how many readers think about suburbia as the showcase for crazy men who are willing to pay millions to fulfill their fantasies with stolen women? James Patterson is such a prolific writer, and Alex Cross is such a familiar character, that fans, and those new to this series, are bound to enjoy the latest addition to the Alex Cross/Will Lee novels. Enjoy! --- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum
Rating:
Summary: I hope there's going to be a sequel
Review: I have been an Alex Cross fan from the first book I read but like some of the other reviewers I found it frustrating that there were so many things left hanging. It is a great read but gets frustrating at the end when you think it is over.... but it isn't. Like Roses are Red, it ends with many loose ends that need to be tied up in another book. It almost seems as if he was in a hurry to finish the book and only touched on things that should have been covered more. My only hope is that it doesn't take two years before the next book comes out. But as I said, it is a great read and you will thoroughly enjoy it. Many twists and turns that will keep you interested from the first page.
Rating: 
Summary: Sequel, Anyone?
Review: My husband & I listened to this as a book on tape on a recent road trip, most of which was at night, during a winter storm watch. I mention that because it was stressful driving, so perhaps we didn't give the story the full attention it deserved...nevertheless, we followed it closely enough to be infuriated at the ending--or lack thereof. I can't remember another book of this genre leaving the reader so thoroughly unsatisfied and frustrated. This was my first Patterson experience, and my last.
Rating:
Summary: super read,
Review: The Big Bad Wold was my first James Patterson novel but it won't be my last! Very exciting. I like that in books of this nature! Super Read!!!
Rating:
Summary: not your vintage patterson
Review: this is a disappointing book. gets all mushy with alex cross joining the FBI etc. i am used to fast paced thrillers from patterson, and this is not one!!
Rating:
Summary: Let Down
Review: THE BIG BAD WOLF was a big bad let down for me. The first 338 pages were good. They built up tension and mystery. It was a typical Alex Cross novel. Then came chapter 102 and it all went downhill. That's when one of the captives of "the Wolf" attempted an escape. The whole escape plan was illogical. I'd go into this more, but I don't want to spoil too much. Then Alex Cross, who is suppose to be this ultra smart detective and one of the FBI's rising stars, makes the stupidest decision in the history of the FBI. Instead of staying with the person suspected to be "the Wolf" who he has been chasing the entire novel, he runs off to check on a fire, leaving some other agents to look after the suspect. Sheer stupidity. If you're a fan of the Alex Cross series as I am, you'll probably want to read this one. It is an obvious set up for a future book, or books. It has your typical Alex Cross shenanigans in it. There are some returning characters that are nice to see. John Sampson only gets about half a breaths worth of mention though. There are the usual captures of the main villain only to find out that it's not really the right person. But, what was missing for me was the ending. This book had 338 pages worth of decent set up, some chapters that were poorly thought out, a couple of suspicions raised, and no payoff at the end.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I personally enjoyed this book. It was good to reunite with Alex Cross and his family, but also, to read about his new experience with the FBI... As always, Alex has continued to excel in the detective arena which adds to the suspense of the story. Good book, can't wait for the next book, hopefully, we won't have to wait to long...
Rating: 
Summary: Totally unsatisfying
Review: The characters, except for the hero, are so shallow you can barely see them, much less feel them....the ending is totally set up for a sequel....there are too many people, too many places, too many situations for anything to be fully developed....the anatagonist can do anything anywhere to anybody and never even have pursuit...I found the whole thing preposterous....
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