Rating: 
Summary: ENDING????
Review: AS USUAL, I ENJOYED JAMES PATTERSON'S LATEST. WHEN I GOT TO THE END THOUGH, I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN DISTRACTED AND HAD MISSED THE ENDING. I HAD TO GO BACK AND REREAD A FEW PAGES AND REALIZED I HAD NOT MISSED ANYTHING. I EXPECT JAMES P HAS A SEQUEL IN MIND AS THERE WERE MANY LOOSE ENDS. WILL BE AWAITING THAT!
Rating: 
Summary: so disappointed!
Review: I, like so many other James Patterson/Alex Cross fans, was anxiously awaiting this book, the next chapter in the life and career of Alex Cross. I was so disappointed in the lack of development of this book! It had a weak premise, the characters lacked development, the actual "dirty deeds" were not even entertaining much less interesting, and even the personal story line of our favorite detective was, again, under developed. It was almost as if James Patterson had a ghost writer who just didn't get the personality of the key players nor the angle of suspense that Patterson himself has been known to deliver. I can't imagine anticipating the sequel. I know that as a loyal fan I will probably read it, if for no other reason than to hope that the return of the core Cross family will be more developed and realistic than in this book, but I look forward to the book after that when this story can be put to rest and, hopefully, the true James Patterson will again emerge.
Rating:
Summary: So Good It's Hard to Wait for the Next One
Review: Alex Cross is back in the ninth book in the series. This time, Cross is hunting for one of the most evil villains he's ever pursued. The Wolf is a criminal mastermind. He's a kidnapper. He's a madman. He's a murderer. His game is simple. See someone you want to make your own? The Wolf can make it happen. For a modest fee, the girl next door or the guy at work can be all yours. But the Wolf doesn't just fulfill everyone else's fantasies. He also fulfills his own. That's where we run into Cross, who's now training in the FBI. He's pulled from his training and yo-yo's back and forth between trying to capture a killer and trying to keep his FBI superiors happy. As he tracks the Wolf and tries to balance his new career in the FBI, he's also slapped with the most difficult problem he's ever faced in his personal life. He could lose custody of his son. Little Alex's mother wants him back. And she's prepared to take the legal route, tearing the little boy from his father and siblings. Alex Cross has definitely taken a path readers won't expect. Fans familiar with the series might see this book in the series as one of the most heart-wrenching. Not only do we see Cross struggling in his new career track but he's also fighting to keep his family together. The ending is not only unexpected but leaves the trail wide open for Patterson's next installment in the series.
Rating:
Summary: BETTER THAN AVERAGE ALEX CROSS NOVEL
Review: Once again, James Patterson pulls you immediately into the story and doesn't let you go. The Wolf is a Russian Mafioso involved with a Internet chat group who has men and women abducted for the sexual pleasure and perversion of moneyed clients. Alex Cross in on the case again, this time joining the FBI and getting a little breathing room to travel cross country at will. Though this is an interesting and needed development in the life of Cross, I felt Patterson could have done a better job of providing detail in Crosses short time at Quantico. Instead of spending some time with Cross at the academy and getting into the FBI culture, Patterson explains that Cross was told by the FBI Director to go to class when he could and graduate. Totally unrealistic for an organization known for not bending over for anyone. I felt Patterson missed a real opportunity in not exploring Quantico and the resources at the FBI academy. But, now Cross is working as an Assistant Director in the FBI, without paying his dues. That should make him real popular. Anyway, Cross does his usual bang-up detective work and puts a stop to the Internet kidnappers. All except the Wolf, who remains at large. I look forward to the next episode and further developments in the Alex Cross saga.
Rating: 
Summary: Damn! Patterson just misses...
Review: Will the real James Patterson please stand up? Most Patterson loyalists have been waiting for this moment. When will the real Patterson emerge again? We've had glimpses of the greatness and BIG BAD WOLF ("BBW") is no exception however, Patterson seems to just fall short time and again. It always seems worth the read just to determine if the magic has returned. Regardless and like most Patterson fans, I'll continue to buy and read his books until I tire of waiting for the real Patterson to stand up. Early in BBW, the Wolf, a renegade Russian mafiya soldier, is introduced to the reader. In something of urban myth fashion, the Wolf has gained underground notoriety as a ruthlessly cold killer without face or name. One particularly telling tale revolves around the Wolf's encounter with a jailed U.S. mob boss. As the story goes, the Wolf is able to walk into a 'super-maximum' security prison in Colorado to speak with jailed mob boss, don Augustino "Little Gus Palumbo." Ostensibly, the Wolf has a proposition for Little Gus. The Wolf completes his business and walks out off prison grounds undeterred. The next day, Little Gus's body is found in his cell with virtually every bone in his body broken. Those familiar with Russian mafiya tactics know this as "Zamochit." The urban tale became reality and the universal underground came to know that the Wolf's reputation was well deserved. At the end of the previous Cross iteration, Alex had just joined the FBI. As BBW opens, Alex is in the early stages of training at FBI headquarters. Given his impressive law enforcement background and experience, Alex is finding much of the "newbie" work and training quite rote however, ever the good trooper, Alex presses on and doesn't complain openly. Alex's theoretical training soon becomes on the job training. Alex is called in when the wife of a prominent judge is kidnapped in the parking lot of an Atlanta shopping mall. Unbeknownst to Alex, an underground, internet-based cabal of twisted individuals "places orders" for human slaves. This woman seems to have become the next victim of this perverse group. Alex is whisked from newbie orientation and flown to Atlanta. The Director of the FBI wants Alex on this case. Alex soon learns of the case and the fact that this isn't the first unsolved disappearance; to the contrary, the FBI has recent unsolved disappearances in several other states. The puzzling and troubling aspect of each of these disappearances is the total lack of contact, no ransom demand and no reappearance of the missing person. After a tip, the FBI is able to track down the two-person team responsible for the Atlanta kidnapping. The two turn out to be low-level associates in the Russian mafiya, Slava and Zoya. But, neither can shed any light on the whereabouts of the judge's wife as they are both found dead...Zoya, by means of Zamochit. The plot thickens when Alex and his FBI team run on to 14-year-old computer hacker Lili Olsen. It seems Lili, a modern-day Kevin Mitnick, has hacked her way into a secure chat room called "The Wolf's Den." Lili clandestinely observes the dialogue between such aliases as Sterling, Mr. Potter, Sphinx, Marvel, and, of course, The Wolf. The dialogue centers on buying individuals with certain characteristics and attributes. However, the talk quickly descends to the depths of sickness when the discussion turns to disposal of these "slaves" and their willingness to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for their next minion. BBW has all the makings of a great Patterson offering. The storyline is brilliant however, where BBW falls short is character development and ultimately, climax. The reader has peripheral glimpses of the characters in this book, other than Alex, his kids, and Nana Mama. If Patterson had taken the time to truly allow the reader to see inside the characters, to know them, this novel would have been fabulous. Instead, it became a middle-of-the-road novel written by an author who used to write great novels. And, one of my great pet peeves of Patterson in his Cross novels, Alex always seems to find some personal tragedy in the midst of an intense investigation. It gets old. You want to scream, "When does Alex ever win Overall, this is a very readable and worth reading book. It is still not the Patterson of old but it is a reasonable offering.
Rating: 
Summary: This is becoming a rip off
Review: I've read every Patterson book to date, and am a big Alex Cross fan. This, however, is ridiculous. Big Bad Wolf makes little pretense at being anything other than the introductory chapters of a novel. It does not stand on its own, having little development other than the now-obligatory (and blatantly predictable) "fake-out, wrong suspect" scenes. The Kyle Craig two-booker was interesting. This is just a ploy by Patterson to get 40 bucks for one mid-length novel and a lot of filler.
Rating:
Summary: A good book...
Review: I thought Jack and Jill was better, but none the less this was good as well.
Rating:
Summary: If your a Big Bad Die Hard fan of Alex Cross its for you.
Review: Don't get me wrong, if you're a huge Alex Cross fan you'll be on the edge of your seat until the very end of this book (which is disappointing to say the least). If you're new to Patterson or the Alex Cross series I'm sure you'll find a more entertaining ride elsewhere. Alex Cross battles the most fearsome killer he's ever met (what, again?)...yes again. It seems that every new Alex Cross he fights a more fearsome villian. When reading this book its easy to see where it first starts to go downhill. The plot is engrossing but the characters are completely unbelievable! At first glance, the Wolf seems like a believable character, as well as those he works with. But as the book carries on the Wolf, mainly, becomes more and more unbelievable as a character. He has no developement...like say...Gary Soneji (Along Came a Spider, Cat&Mouse). The Wolf continues Patterson's trend of "Super-Villians", if you will. The plot and story of the book isn't too bad. The Wolf hires hitmen to go out and kidnap innocent people off the street...who have been purchased at an online site called "The Wolf Den." The story is full of plot-twist as well. Alex Cross fans will find this to be a bit different from the past novels. For one, Cross is no longer with the Washington P.D. but now with the FBI. However, this continues Patterson's slide into how his character can be unbelievable at times. Cross is indeed a smart man but that doesn't mean he has to be perfect, as Patterson has now created him to be. However, Cross is still a great protagonists, but if you been with Alex Cross since "Along Came a Spider" you'll definitely notice change. Not to mention if you're new to the Alex Cross series, this book actually won't make much sense. Patterson makes references to other books in the series. Nothing big but you'll find yourself scratching your head if you haven't read 'em. Lastly is the ending. If you don't like cliffhanger endings, don't read this book, you'll be left with unanswered questions at the end (and because of Patterson's "formula" you'll have to wait several books later for the conclusion). Overall, I'll give the book 4 stars. The MAJOR problem with this book are the characters. Totally unrealistic, unbelievable characters. So if you're looking for a thriller to scare you, this isn't it. "The Big Bad Wolf" isn't such a bad book afterall.
Rating:
Summary: Half of a good Alex Cross novel..
Review: I had mixed feelings after having finished Patterson's latest Alex Cross adventure, Big Bad Wolf. It's actually half of a good book so perhaps 2 ½ stars would be a more appropriate rating. The book was at its best when it dealt with Cross having to deal with his new position in the FBI and with putting up with the FBI politics. He has to take courses on subjects he could very easily be teaching. Cross' newest nemesis, Wolf, is very interesting and enjoys the cat-and-mouse game with Cross and is very good at it. Where the book fails is when it attempts to deal with Cross' personal life. His romantic interests and his child-custody battle come off as overly pretentious at best. The only interesting thing here is when his personal life gets integrated with his professional life. Patterson should stick to Cross "the detective" (now FBI man) and downplay Cross the family man. I first became interested in Cross because of his ability to analyze a situation and read things into it, as a result of his street background and education, that are missed by others. If I'm looking for syrupy plots (and I am not) I'll watch a soap opera. Patterson's writing style is simplistic but well paced. Since my favorite genre is hard science-fiction, I enjoy this style as it allows me to give my brain a rest between books.
Rating: 
Summary: Best criminal in Alex Cross series
Review: Ending kinda left me hangin, but I enjoyed the read nonetheless
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