Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book despite...
Review: This was my first Alex Cross book, and overall it was very good, and would read another. The villian in the novel is intelligent, cunning, and very dangerous, and so the hero in return must also be intelligent, and insightful. Patterson succeeded in keeping me on the edge of my seat through out much of the book, and I found most of his twists, and turns very entertaining. Sadly what I did not find entertaining, intelligent, or even fresh was the routine use of the "Black vs White" mentality used by the star of the book Alex Cross. I found the use of this really insulting, and it turned me off almost to the point of putting the book down. I could not understand why its inclusion made this a better book, or a better character. I certainly hope that in the future Alex cross books, that Patterson was comfortable with himself as a writer that he no longer had to include such petty plot devices.
Rating: 
Summary: DON'T START UNLESS YOU HAVE THE WHOLE SERIES!
Review: Alex Cross, along with Lincoln Rhyme and Myron Bolitar, is one of the finest literary creations in the thriller genre of our time! Patterson has given us a hero with flaws, a wonderful family and personal relationship with his friends, a man with moral conviction and a fierce determination to bring criminals to justice."Along Came a Spider" is the first in the series and it is a whopper of a tale. We meet the extremely heinous Gary Soneji, a murderer, a kidnaper, who seemingly can't make any mistakes. He kidnaps the children of a prominent politician and a movie star, and then proceeds to feign his crimes under the "multiple personality" umbrella. What a sickie! What makes Patterson so great is that he weaves tales with brisk, short chapters; characters that have more than one dimension, and a wonderful sense of timing. He pulls lots of plot twists, not quite as sinuously as Jeffrey Deaver, but still they are lulus! I can't imagine anyone not enjoying these books. They are the creme de la creme of the lot! Enjoy, but be prepared to get hooked. One aside: I agree that the casting of Morgan Freeman as Cross in the two films is questionable. Freeman is a marvelous actor, but I think casting a younger actor, such as Denzel Washington or even Cuba Gooding, Jr., would have allowed the movies to follow the books' characterization more fully. But don't blame Freeman. He does an outstanding job, as always. And as always, the book is ALWAYS better than the movie!
Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: Man...you have to read this book. It's incredible!! This book has everything a great book should have. Interesting char, plot twists, and a writing style that holds the readers attention. When it comes to char's, they have to be interesting. For the good guys, Alex Cross has what it takes. Smarts, courage, and is never willing to give up. He has to get back two children that were taken my the master criminal Gary Soneji. The reader can't help but to be drawn to Cross. For the bad guys, the reader has to be drawn to them...and you'll be drawn to Gary Soneji. Throught the powerful writing style of Patterson, the reader will get into Soneji's head, and see what makes him tick. We are exposed to his backgroud and see what has happned to Soneji as a child to shape the monster that he is. When you read about Soneji's childhood, the reader can't help but to feel sympathy. Patterson has a writing style that will keep the reader guessing what will happen next, right up the the last page. There are so many plot twists in ALONG CAME A SPIDER, it will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you saw the movie, and liked it, then I highly suggest you run, not walk to the nearest bookstore, and get this book. I liked the movie, but loved this book. Do yourself the favor, and pick it up. You won't be sorry.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Mystery "K.W. Per. 7"
Review: The book was good and I enjoyed reading it. Putting it down was hard to do, especially toward the end. Although there were a few parts that were a little boring, most of the book was action packed. In the middle, things happened that really made me wonder what was going to happen in the end. Gary Soneji, the murderer and kidnappper, is always a step ahead and always has a plan that he has gone over in his head many times. That is what makes the book so interesting. Being a step ahead and not trusting everyone are two of the most important factors in the book. Everytime I thought Soneji was going to get caught, something different would happen, the book was very unpredictable. Along Came a Spider was a good book and I recommend that everyone takes the time to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Another swell Patterson
Review: Once again a nice story starring Alex Cross. His marvelous style and heroics make this a good read. The villan or villans change as the story moves on. His remarkable relationship with his family and partner shine through as usual. Not many lulls in this story, made for an overall good book. I look forward to the others I haven't read yet.
Rating:
Summary: Along Came a Spider
Review: James Patterson Describes and gives so much detail in each and every murder, kidnapping, and chapters.
Rating: 
Summary: Methinks that Mr. Patterson needs some direction...
Review: This, my third Patterson novel, (Kiss the Girls, Cat and Mouse), sadly was the best. After thinking about it some, (but not too much), I've come up with a few things that I think Mr. Patterson ought to consider: Thou shalt not create motiveless protagonists and antagonists. Thou shalt not create absolute protagonists and antagonists. Thou shalt not make your Caucasian readers, (especially those who are male) feel terrible for how they were born. Thou shalt not promote racism by masking it beneath grandmotherly charm. Thou shalt not forget that your readers have a gag reflex, when writing about Alex Cross's family life. Thou shalt not use excessive italics and (shudder) exclamation marks to emphasize that which even the most dimwitted reader knows to be important. And perhaps most importantly, Thou shalt not forget that sometimes less is more.
Rating:
Summary: A great way to start off the series
Review: You will not be able to put this book down. Patterson has created the perfect antagonist with Gary Soneji. The writing is brisk and fast paced and the suprise ending will leave you guessing until the end. The book is damn near classic. The only regret is that towards the last 150 pages the books seems to be dragging on. I rate it more of a 3.5 than a four.
Rating:
Summary: My Top 10 of All Times
Review: Ditto to all the other comments made by reviewers who gave this book five stars! This book kept me in suspense from beginning to end. I became a James Patterson fan after reading this book. Although the entire Alex Cross series is exceptional, this is, without a doubt, the stand out book. I was so disappointed when they cast Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross. Alex in the book is MUCH younger. There are so many aspects of Alex's life and character that were left out to accommodate the elderly movie Alex -- such as Alex's children, grandmother, relationship with a character in the book, etc... (don't want to give too much away - *wink*) That was a HUGE turn off to me when the movie came out. Because this is my favorite book, I do not want to draw comparisons between the book and movie. For anyone who saw the movie and was disappointed, I encourage you to read the book; you will NOT be disappointed!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: TNT PERFORMANCES OF THIS EXPLOSIVE TALE
Review: Whether read by actor, director, writer Charles Turner as is the unabridged version of James Patterson's spellbinding thriller or by Alton Fitzgerald White and Michael Cumpsty on the abridged release, each performer brings a persuasive depth to this horrific tale. It's a story that grabs listeners with the opening lines and doesn't let go until the last syllable is uttered. Calling himself the Son of Lindbergh, a psychopathic kidnapper/killer seems able to elude the FBI, the Secret Service, and local law enforcement officers. This brilliant sicko has kidnaped the daughter of a famous movie star and the son of the Secretary of the Treasury. He nabbed them despite their ever watchful Secret Service guardians. He knew he could do it, and he did. Determined to commit the crime of the century, this Mr. Peepers like math. teacher evidently has a split personality, apparently at times incapable of remembering the heinous crimes he has committed. What a challenge for homicide detective Alex Cross despite his degree in psychology. Another challenge for Cross is mysterious, beautiful, intelligent Jezzie Flanagan, supervisor of the Secret Service. There's attraction with a capital A between these two, but meanwhile a maniacal killer is on the loose. TNT performances by all in their rendering of this explosive tale.
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