Rating: 
Summary: It Succeeds
Review: This was my first experience with James Patterson and Alex Cross except for the 1997 movie, Kiss the Girls with Morgan Freeman. The book succeeds as a fast paced, barn burning mystery/thriller and to keep the pages turning quickly the 423 page book is divided into 124 chapters where you are always beckoned to read the next chapter. It is fiction: Alex Cross and his family are just too good (saccharine) and there are loose ends; but, hey, it succeeds.
Rating:
Summary: Almost absolutely brilliant!!!
Review: Having just read "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich, I was looking for a crime novel to occupy me whilst waiting for "Two for the Dough". At first I didn't intend to finish it. However, as I got further and further into the plot, I was gripped by the storyline. Geoffrey Shafer is the most interesting and evil character I have ever seen. The only down side was that Christine's abduction was completely absurd; not a bit of it made sense, nor was it explained properly at the end.The book had an exciting ending and I hope that Shafer will return just as Soneji did. If this is not one of Patterson's greatest novels (and I'm told it isn't) then I cannot wait to read his best!!!
Rating:
Summary: A villian no reader will forget, and a new twist
Review: By now we all know that usually if you get involved with Alex Cross, you die or you come close. Well this is different. You have someone running around calling himself the weasel. His name, Geoffrey Shafer. This is the best Alex Cross novel I've read since Cat&Mouse. A new twist comes about though. Alex's girlfriend Christine Johnson, is kidnapped. And I'm going to tell you this, she doesn't die! The Weasel has commited tons of murders. Murders that even the weasel himself lost count of! It was great. But he still leaves you with that Cliff Hanger ending. You don't know if the weasel is really gone for sure at the end. Before I spoil anything else (which I don't want to) I have to suggest that you read this Alex Cross novel. Also Alex, is still the "Mr. Perfect." I think we all saw that one coming by now.
Rating: 
Summary: Mystified by his popularity
Review: I am an avid mystery/suspense/thriller reader. This is my first (and last) exposure to James Patterson. His writing style is childish. The dialogue is unconvincing and his narrative technique of 'explaining' a previous statement is insulting and boring. An example: '"Go for it girl," Nana said and gave Janne a hug. She is very good at encouraging others.' Rather then giving the reader some credit for interpreting Nana's exclamation, Patterson notifies us that "go for it' is a form of encouragement. His characters are incredibly cliche. Now, I like a good slashing as well as the next guy, but his descriptions of perversity are gratuitous. It is medically inaccurate and unrealistic for detectives to opine that a victim's tongue must have been secured with Krazy Glue rather than staples. Although the genre is very well entrenched by now, more skillful authors can still present a serial killer/thriller story without apprearing so calculating. Try John Sandford's 'Prey' series or Michael Connelly (esp. 'The Concrete Blonde) to see how writers can be graphic and insightful without being trite.
Rating:
Summary: Can't wait for more.
Review: As always, Alex Cross and his partner, John Sampson, are on the case. In this book, Alex's boss, George Pittman, tells Alex to ignore the 'Jane Doe' murders of the southeast. He says they are all just prostitutes and not worth their time. He is to investigate the murder of a wealthy white man. He is chasing a man they have named 'The Weasel' who also happens to have diplomatic immunity. Also throw into the mix Alex's fiancee, Christine, whom he met in a previous book when her husband was murdered. While on a family vacation in the Carribean, Christine is kidnapped and never found. Patterson makes you feel Alex's heartache, while at the same time, giving Alex the determination he needs to catch a sadistic killer.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting storyline ...
Review: This is the first book I've read by James Patterson, and mostly due to peer pressure from friends who couldn't believe I had never picked up a book by this author before... Patterson certainly has a way with storylines....and knows how to draw the reader into the script. There is enough action, details and excitement to keep the reader hooked. I have one negative comment when it comes to the way the story was constructed: Patterson tries to counterbalance the 'evilness' of his scenarios by using a 'perfect' hero (in this case Alex Cross) with the perfect life, perfect family etc.. If you have a difficult time with sappy characters, this can aggravate you after a while. I think Patterson tried to show the good versus evil stand off by doing so, but it comes out of left field.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting, well-written thriller
Review: This was the first Patterson novel I've read, and I enjoyed it a lot. Patterson's hero, Alex Cross, goes up against a perticularly nasty nemesis here, who takes the battle very close to home for Mr. Cross. To say too much more would give away the plot of this tightly executed thriller. a bit dark, and I must admit, the villain here is a little more charismatic than our hero, but a fun read.
Rating: 
Summary: Pop Goes The Weasel
Review: I found the book absolutely wonderful... It is the first book by James Patterson I have read. I am now hooked and will be purchasing more of his books. This book kept me on my toes, wanting to know what was going to happen next. If this were to ever be made into a movie, I would go see and my poor husband would probably be black and blue. It's intense....
Rating: 
Summary: Painful
Review: The back cover states that James Patterson is the nations #1 mystery (or was it thriller?) writer. I doubt it. Have you ever read a passage of dialog so bad it's painful? Mr. Patterson manages it over and over. Basically, the book is not worth the time required to read it. I gave it one star since the form wouldn't accept 0.
Rating:
Summary: What happened here?
Review: Previous books by James Patterson were pretty good; why was this one rushed into print? The story starts out OK, but the farther I got in the book the more I found myself disbelieving, disappointed, etc. It just doesn't make any sense, and left me feeling that I had really wasted my time. Most paperbacks that I read get resold or donated; this one went straight into the trash. Didn't anyone (including Patterson) take the time to read it before publishing it, and see how terribly weak it is? The main character is unlikable (so perfect you hope he gets taken out), the villain is completely inconsistent, the situations implausible, there are too many loose threads, the ending is ridiculous. Actually, there is no ending, it's just a setup for the next book.
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