Rating: Summary: A Worthy Sequel Review: I loved "Kiss the Girls" and "Along came a Spider" and I loved this latest book as well.It was as fast-paced and thrilling as the others. Okay, Gary Soneji finds his demise way to early, but then ... there is still Mr. Smith to keep the reader interested. I think switching first person narrative from Alex Cross to Agent Thomas Pierce in the middle of the book was a nice twist and added to the story. I had my suspicions on the identity of Mr. Smith early on, but that did not diminish my reading pleasure. I kept telling myself that this could not be true only to learn near the end that the FBI had had the same suspicions from the beginning. Well, good for me, I'm as smart as the FBI ! :-) Usually I am not into love scenes, I don't think, a detective story is the right place for them, but in this case I granted it to Alex Cross. Maybe the reason is that I read Patricia Cornwells "Point of Origin" prior to this book, where everyone seems to suffer from severe depression. So I was relieved that at least someone in law enforcement finally finds some joy in life. I would recommend "Cat and Mouse" to any James Patterson and Alex Cross fan, though it's probably best to read the books in order. I for one am still wondering how Soneji got out of prison, but that's probably in a book I haven't read yet. - Sabrina
Rating: Summary: You're clutching your heart the whole way through..... Review: This is the fourth book of JP's I've read this summer...okay, I was late to join his fan club and have a lot of catching up to do. Having read so many of his books in such a short span of time I can tell you what draws me to want to read the rest of what he's written. 1) He's the master of suspense. He knows how to construct a plot that keeps you turning the pages. 2) He creates characters you really care about. You find yourself cheering for them, whether it's Alex Cross or one of his "one-off" characters in his stand alone novels. 3) He's very kind to other authors and is constantly plugging other books he likes within his own novels.....I find this very generous. 4) He seems like a really nice guy.....last night I finished "Cradle and All" and was impressed by his sympathy for others. He's the kind of guy you wish there were more of in the world....especially single guys! (yes, I know he's married.) But he's the type you'd love to invite to a dinner party, he comes off as smart, entertaining, and compassionate towards those around him. 5) And finally, he writes really fun, fast-paced novels. They are an absolute pleasure to read! Bottom line.....I recommend all of his books!
Rating: Summary: Very disappointing Review: Cat and Mouse went awry and James Patterson didn't have the time or desire to go back and fix it before the publication date. First, I'm not a fan of the Gary Soneji character who Patterson dotes on in all his novels. I liked having the threat of Soneji in Jack and Jill, but as a main character, he becomes a tedious, repetitious attempt for Alex Cross to create a psychological profile. It is plain annoying. Then Mr. Smith felt like a scrap of writing that Patterson had lying around that he wanted to use somewhere. The second, first person narrator through the mid section of the book was an obvious and unsatisfying attempt to attach it. Bad! What's good? I love the primary characters. Alex, Nana, Jannie, Damon, Christine Johnson are excellent. The relationships are outstanding. John Sampson is also a very cool character and was severely underused in this story. Tom Pierce got too much focus and Sampson was forgotten. James Patterson falls way short in this one.
Rating: Summary: THE BEST ALEX CROSS NOVEL IN THE SERIES. Review: When i sat down to read this novel i was suffering from Patterson jet lag, i had just read six of his books in about a months time, and i was missing my usual taste of Anne Rice novels somewhat. By the time i had finished the book though i was so very glad i'd started it. Gary Soneji, Alex Cross' nemesis, filled with hate and anger at Cross for capturing him some five years previous, has escaped from the mad house, and he thinks it is now time to make the aquaintance of an old friend. From then on its pure and utter mayhem the whole way true. The pages go by with swift and welcoming ease and the story gets more interesting as each chapter closes. Not only is there one devilish fiend in this epic detective thriller, there are two, and it is hard to say which one is the more evil. Cross is truly in grave danger as he starts out on what is going to be his most intense and action filled adventure yet. Buckle your seatbelt, the ride starts here. Once again Patterson has got the whole crime scene/detective aspect of the novel spot on, and the psychological element to cross' character (he is a psychologist as well as a detective) was a joy for me as i am a psychology student. Buy the book. Trust me. Wave goodbye, Mr Smith has left..... for now.
Rating: Summary: Patterson Turns up the Heat Review: Everytime I pick up a James Patterson book I also start wondering if this will be a good as the last. "Cat & Mouse" does not disappoint. The story is written in short quick chapters and flows in and out of the multiple storylines with ease. This novel starts out as the sequel to "Along Came a Spider" with killer Gary Soneji out of prison and on another killing rampage. Alex Cross must once again out smart Soneji. However there is another killer on the loose. The uncatachable Mr. Smith, whose murder spree has spread to Europe. A new FBI agent,named Pierce is in pursuit of this bad guy and Cross and Pierce end up working on each other cases, with a few terrifing surprises along the way. Patterson has done another great job with his usual cast of characters, and now he has Cross falling in love with Christine the schoolteacher from "Jack and Jill". This storyline is a nice change that breaks up the intense action. The love story however does not take up most of the book, unlike what my fellow Aussie reviewer below states. The entire book is well balanced.
Rating: Summary: Evil has a name... Review: Again, another novel by James Patterson in the Alex Cross series that will get your attention- and not let go! This is one of my favorites of Patterson's, having read it a few years ago it still sticks out in my mind as a fast-paced thriller. And the more I read of Alex Cross, the more I like him. With two mad-men out to get Cross, you can't guess what will happen in this book! Never a dull moment. If you're looking for a new author to try in the crime thriller genre, you should definitely add Patterson to your "to-read" list!
Rating: Summary: Good but not his best Review: I am reading all the Alex Cross books in order. This was not my favorite so far. Even for not a very good Cross book it is still better then some books I have read. I only gave it three stars compared to other books that Patterson has written. It is still well worth the time to pick it up and dig in.
Rating: Summary: Okay for a quick read, but not exceptional Review: This was the first Patterson novel I've read, and I'm not sure if I'll read another one or not. First, I thought the murders committed in the book were overly-violent. If that's not something that bothers you, you may like this novel better than I did. The other thing that bothered me was that I found some of the plot twists a little beyond belief. I like plot twists that are cleverly constructed so I find myself thinking "yeah, why didn't I catch on to that?" not "where did that come from?". Maybe I missed something when I was reading the book, but I just found some of it too far-fetched for me. I did find myself wanting to keep reading, though, so it wasn't bad. I guess I just prefer other authors better than this one.
Rating: Summary: Decent, but not one of the best Cross novels. Review: I pretty much enjoyed this addition to the Alex Cross series, but didn't think it was up to par with the preceding novels. The Mr. Smith plotline seemed tacked-on and not interwoven with the Soneji plotline as smoothly as it could have been. It felt as if the Soneji plotline alone was not long enough for a novel, so another villain had to be thrown in, and I thought Mr. Smith was dealt with in a somewhat rushed manner. I was also somewhat frustrated with the super-short "chapters", which is a new phenomenon for the Cross books. It seemed unnecessary and somewhat disruptive--often, three or four chapters would describe a single unfolding scene that didn't need to be broken up into little pieces. Perhaps it was an attempt to increase suspense, but I found it a little irritating to be continually interrupted for no real reason. All in all, there were some interesting ideas in this book, and it did have moments of genuine suspense, but I would recommend other Cross novels before this one, such as Kiss the Girls or Jack & Jill. However, I am still a fan of the Cross series and will continue to read what Patterson puts out.
Rating: Summary: Overhyped Review: I will KISS (Keep It Short and Simple): (spoiler warning) Soneji and Mr. Smith seems indistructable villians, but their endings are rather dissapoiting. Soneji was killed in the middle of the book and wowed to kill Alex Cross from his grave, the threat was real, but the execution is rather weak (Soneji's friend did the dirty work, yeah right...). As for Mr. Smith, the way he left the "clues" are rather laughable. Dissapointed to see him resolve to killing himself -- which he failed -- he was shot by Sampson instead. But I must say the interactions of Alex Cross and his family/lover/friends/colleagues are pretty nice. Unfortunately this is a Detective novel, not suppose to be a love story... :( Should have been better.
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