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Summary: Alex Cross Formula works again
Review: Alex Cross is back. He meets beautiful women, spars verbally and mentally with master criminal/homicidal maniacs and chases down some of hte most violent murderers in the vampire killers. I like the series. I got what I expected: short chapters, fast paced action and good versus evil, but I have to wonder if the formula is not getting a bit ragged with time.
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Summary: A really great story
Review: The "vampire" slayings make for a clever police procedural that takes the audience on a unique tour of the Bay area as well as other areas of the country. The Mastermind subplot seems to interfere with the other tale though it enables the audience to observe a depressed and panicked Alex using work to escape his plight. In his latest Cross thriller, VIOLETS ARE BLUE, James Patterson keenly blends his hero's personal and professional lives as each aspect clash leaving the audience with another complete tale. A novel I also have read recently and like very much is Paul Omeziri's Descent into Illusions. Both deal eloquently with dark and mysterious themes.
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Summary: A Prisoner
Review: It is surprising to me that what has happened to James Patterson doesn't happen to more very good writers who attain fame and fortune. Unfortunately, he has become a prisoner to the style that made him so big: the quick chapters, the short, pained thought-bytes of Alex Cross, and the ubiquitous Nana. But for him it has gone even further, and his writing has become a caricature of his former style. While other top writers like Grisham and Michael Connelly have flirted with this type of complacency, they have come roaring back as soon as they have become aware of it. Patterson, unfortunately, has not, and is sinking fast.
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Summary: Alex Cross Has Gone Over the Top
Review: Don't get me wrong. I'm as big a fan of Alex Cross as anyone, but after reading "Violets are Blue," I think that James Patterson has taken this character beyond believable. Really, how much torture can an author inflict on a character in novel after novel, and still make that character realistic to the reader? First of all Alex is constantly being stalked by the current homicidal maniac. Madmen make threatening phone calls at all hours of the day, and invade his house in the middle of the night. He can't have any kind of a relationship with a woman, because the psycho stalking him will either terrorize or kill her. His kids will probably have emotional issues all their lives because they're forever being guarded or moved to a safe house away from the killer/stalker/vampire, etc. Please Mr. Patterson, don't you think Alex has had enough? Have him take an early retirement, and move him and his family to a remote location where no one can ever find him. Maybe your next action hero could be Alex's best friend, John Sampson; but whatever you do, please let Alex Cross finally rest in peace!
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Summary: Trite and pedestrian
Review: ...After being thoroughly disappointed by the last two novels by Patterson that I picked up--his Murder Club series--I figured I'd give him another chance with the latest Alex Cross story, Violets Are Blue. ...Violets are Blue is just plain deplorable. The sentence structure reads like something out of a "See Spot Run" book and the storytelling isn't much better. Supposedly, Cross has been pursued by some person called the Mastermind... However, the secret to the identity of the Mastermind is so obvious from the first 10 pages of the book that it's not really any fun to keep on reading and find out if your suspicions are confirmed or not. As for the rest of the story--involving Cross investigating a series of murders based around a vampire cult and maybe falling in love with his co-worker...well, it's pretty much yawn inducing the entire way around. ...
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Summary: Disappointing
Review: I've read most of the Alex Cross series and each one has gotten worse and worse. This one starts out with a bang and is a real page-turner for the first half of the book, but peters out with a disappointing middle and abrupt ending. Very unsatisfying This is one of the few mysteries where I guessed the culprit which took a lot of the fun out of the book. It was an obvious choice but didn't really make sense. It's clear James Patterson doesn't think much of his readers. This is the last James Patterson book for me.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I enjoy murder mysteries but all the way through this book the excessive killing was at no time matched by smart detective work. All Alex did was fly around from city to city. It was so obvious who the villains were that nothing was left to hold the suspense. I've read several of James Patterson's books and was so looking forward to reading this. I was extremely disappointed.
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Summary: Drivel
Review: A dreadful book, written for the intellectual level of fans of Nancy Drew, but without any style. The big mystery about this book is how the author could manage to get it published. You would be better off reading the telephone book. I gave it one star only because I was unable to give it any stars...
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Summary: Another one bites the dust
Review: As I've said in my other Alex Cross series reviews, this thing is played out and I'm tiring of Patterson's half-assed attention to this series. Although I must say, that this book was far more interesting than the previous two in the series; Pop Goes the Weasel, followed by Roses are Red. I'm sure I'll read the next installment, Four Blind Mice, but I've got low expectations for it and I won't be reading it until my library has it. I'd suggest you do the same, borrow any books from this series as they're really not something you'll read several times and aren't worth the money. I think Patterson has long rode out the good reputation of this series, and it's gone sour. The "mastermind" has been a weak villain (and I thought the weasel was bad) that was basically strung along for the entire novel, and really played no part at all (sort of like the fate of a certain character in "Pop Goes the Weasel", who ended up being thrown even further on the back burner for these two novels) and the ending of this book felt rushed and really fell flat, not near as exhilerating as it should have been, considering I had to read through two books to get to it. The series is starting to read like a really bad soap opera. I can't imagine starting out in the series anywhere prior to Roses are Red and wanting to read any of the rest of the series. If you like this book, you'll LOVE the rest of the series, you'll have to, because as of this point in the series, it's damn near hit rock bottom.
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Summary: Another Page Turner from Patterson
Review: This book's been getting pretty bad reviews. I'm really surprised, because I ended up really enjoying this one. Yes, I admit this is not Patterson's best work, but it was still thrilling and chilling. "Violets are Blue" is the dark conclusion to "Roses are Red." Before I get this review started, I have read the following books by Patterson: Kiss the Girls, Along Came a Spider, and Roses are Red. Just wanted to show that I HAVE read other books by him so I don't have somebody trying to say I don't know what I'm talking about. This is all my opinion, and I'm not afraid to go against the grain on this one. We follow Detective Alex Cross once again as he is on a case that involves some of the most gruesome murders he has ever seen. The body count is rising and it's happening everywhere. The strangest thing is that the victims don't appear to have been killed by people, but more like by creatures. As Cross goes down further and further along the road of truth, the more disturbing the truth becomes. The story also picks up where it left off with "Roses are Red." Because as Cross is on the case, The Mastermind is still lurking and taunting him. Once again, the heartless killer threatens everything and everyone that Alex Cross cares about. The Mastermind wants Alex dead, and he will not stop the mayhem and rampage until he gets his wish. Could this be the end for Alex Cross? I thought it was a really good read. I finished it in less than three days. Usually when I finish a book the quick, that means that I really enjoy it. The action is sharp and fast-paced, with almost a cliff-hanger lurking around every chapter. The chapters are also very short, which makes it all the more easier to read. The narration is quite powerful and convincing; you can tell that Patterson has the most fun when he has Alex Cross narrating the story. Yes, it's not as good as the other books by him, but that still doesn't mean you shouldn't read it. If you like Patterson and you have read "Roses are Red," give it a chance! What do you have to lose? (Yes, read "Roses are Red" first, since that is the first part. Too bad that "Roses are Red" tells us who The Mastermind is at the end, I think he could've left that out. That way it'd be more shocking when we read this one. Oh well.) I think the problem that people had with this one was that it seemed too much like something Stephen King would write and that the killers weren't realistic enough. Well, after writing so many Cross novels, Patterson wanted to take a different approach. I don't see anything wrong with that, but I can see why other people did. I found "Violets are Blue" to be a great page turner that kept me guessing. It is quite violent, so it's not for the squeamish. And, it gets VERY disturbing at times. Although while it may not be Patterson's best work, I found the book to be very well-written and structured. A great thriller with numerous twists and turns along the way.
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