Rating: 
Summary: Comic Book without pictures for Grow-ups
Review: James Patterson used to be a good writer, back in the days of Along Came a Spider. But now if you compare his work to Michael Connolley, James Hall, Dennis Lehane and the other terrific writers publishing today, Patterson keeps coming up short. He can't seem to tell a believable tale anymore, although his characters seem likeable or despisable enough. He can still write a good scene, and there are some very good scenes in Four Blind Mice, but motivation seems not to interest him as a writer any longer, nor does plot. Granted, there's such a thing as the willing suspension of disbelief that allows us to enjoy fiction from fairytales to sci-fi, but the world of Alex Cross is supposed to be present day Washington DC. It's apparently an alternate universe, though, where the Vietnam war took place about 10 years later than in ours, and where the American criminal justice system is efficient enough to regularly execute the convicted mere months after their trial, but incompetent enough to miss blatantly obvious connections between the murders such as dolls and evil eye amulets left in the homes of the supposed killers and the grisly habit of painting the victims, most of whom have been killed with army knives. At one point Patterson has his characters--policemen, a psychiatrist, and a lawyer--express some doubt as to the framed person's guilt, on the basis that there was too much evidence too easily attained, but they never make much of these obvious connections. On OUR earth I can't imagine such conversations ever happening. I wonder if letters are written backwards over there, too, and if the Flash looks like the God Mercury.So Patterson isn't a literate writer, or even a careful one any more. But you can still enjoy his books, and in some sense they are perfect for post-literate America. I found that although I was disappointed with Four Blind Mice in many ways, my disappointment wasn't complete if I changed my expectations. Instead of comparing Patterson's recent work to Lehane, Hall, Connolley, or even early Patterson, if I think of it as a sort of comic book without pictures for grown-ups it seems to work. (I don't say adults, because there's no real sexuality to it, in spite of what a few of the other reviewers claim.) Patterson is better compared to Stan Lee, and Alex Cross isn't that far removed from Lee's creation Peter Parker, aka Spider Man, with his crime fighting and home-life problems coming into conflict; even his identity conflicts as a superhero find their reflection in Cross's character. Stylistically there are many similiarities, too. Comics are action-heavy with fairly flat, sometimes corny dialogue and often weak plots; so is Patterson's writing. Characters are boldly good or bad in both, and often motivations are also black and white. There's no mystery in a Spider Man comic, nor is there in an Alex Cross book any more. These aren't stories about clever deduction or uncanny observation. Instead, essentially someone tells Cross who the bad guys are. And like comics but not real life, unfortunately, characters come back from the dead. So although Patterson makes what seems an obvious ploy for us to compare his work to Thomas Harris--Cross's visit to Kyle Craig in a high security prison to gain information on the current killings struck me as an AMAZING reference to Harris' Hannibal Lecter (amazing in its blatant appropriation, not in its quality!)--we're better off thinking DC and Marvel. Hey, maybe THAT'S the "DC" in Cross's home town, not District of Columbia.
Rating: 
Summary: fascinating, action-packed thriller
Review: The elite assassination team, The Three Blind Mice, knew they were the best, but realized while operating in the An Lao Valley that they also loved to kill. When they left the army, they hired themselves out as mercenaries and are now killing innocent people and framing people who served in Vietnam as the killers. They don't know who hired them or why the men were targeted but the money is too good to ask any questions. Washington DC police detective Alex Cross becomes involved with the Three Blind Mice when his friend John Sampson asks him to help prove the innocence of Ellis Cooper who is waiting on death Row because he was convicted of the wanton slaughter of three women. Both Alex and Sampson are convinced after talking to Ellis and examining the evidence that he is innocent but no one will listen to them. Ellis dies and his two friends vow to find his killers and bring them to justice. As similar deaths occur across the country, The Three Blind Mice come to the attention of Alex and Sampson and when the two sides finally meet, only one will walk away. James Patterson always delivers a fascinating, action-packed thriller and FOUR BLIND MICE is no exception. Readers familiar with the hero will find he has to use all his considerable skills to counter the deadly precision of his enemies. The plot is well constructed and the action holds up to scrutiny though some of the best scenes in the book occur in the protagonist's personal life. Anyone reading an Alex Cross novel can't help but want more of him. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: great
Review: this is one of my favorite james patterson books. action from beginning to end and still he gives his characters a human aspect.
Rating:
Summary: one blind editor
Review: **spoilers** "Four Blind Mice" by James Patterson -- who usually writes engaging mystery thrillers -- is an inferior offering that suffers from an exceedingly contrived plot and numerous storytelling errors. His editor should have shelved the entire book or, at least, done a better job of proofreading. The novel is about a group of Vietnam veterans whose war experiences turned them into sadistic, callous killers. This commonplace stereotype is undermined because they mananaged (apparently) to control their murderous impulses for thirty years until the events of the novel begin. Then they set killing other vets by framing them for murder which results in death sentences. Eventually their nefarious deeds are uncovered by Alex Cross, Patterson's earstwhile protaganist. The novel is full of plot and narrative errors. For example, at one point a cop is killed (for no real plot purpose), but apparently his body is never found and no one ever looks for him because that's the last it's mentioned. Similarly, while the murderers had video taped all their crimes, after they're caught there's no mention of these recordings. It's as though they never existed. At numerous time the characters repeat dialog and information. If Patterson really wanted to write a story about Vietnam vets and (I guess) the perils of capital punishment, I wish his editor had made him get the details right.
Rating: 
Summary: Over the top bordering on stupidity but entertaining
Review: Detective Alex Cross is asked by his friend, John Sampson, to help look into the case of Sergeant Ellis Cooper, of the US Army who is scheduled to be executed. Cooper was convicted of violently killing three women on the army base. Cooper swears he is innocent and wants them to prove it. As Cross and Sampson look into the case, they discover a possible conspiracy in the US army that might be responsible for the killings. Of course, their lives are in imminent danger as they delve more deeply into the case.
James Patterson has a unique way of writing that is undoubtedly responsible for his huge popularity and success. Characters are fully developed and well known to the readers of his Alex Cross series. They do not, however, drive the plot progression. That is driven by the evil villains trying to destroy someone important in Cross's life such as his family or girlfriend. The plots are always over the top and can border on sheer stupidity. However, they are always entertaining. The books are written in extremely short chapters which read like staccato fire from a machine gun. Pages virtually fly by. In fact, the books can be read in one sitting of moderate length-- perfect for a long plane ride. This one is no exception.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: Not Gripping
Not from the pen of a Brilliant mind
Not Perfect But an intresting read - and one that doesn't give it's endings away 1/2 the way through - You cannot see what's going to happen Unpredictable - Thats a good thing for a book to be Unfortunatly a bit slow to start off with, his love intrest just annoyed me, and I think was used to fill up pages but A good book - non the less
Rating:
Summary: Cotton Candy - Good Without Substance
Review: The story moves rapidly. It is laced with violence and death, spiced with thought provoking sermons about capturing family moments and sprinkled with not so subtle jabs at the business of war and some thereby employed. If you need Spock-like logical characters, this tale is not for you. Patterson's Detective Cross will annoy you when he repeatedly puts himself in harm's way - sometimes alone. Likely equally annoying will be the fact the Patterson does not slow the plot by taking time to explain how Detective Cross and his partner John Sampson are able to spend weeks solving crime(s) with no apparent connection to the District of Columbia - their employer. Read for entertainment, not to escape the ugliness that life brings to some.
Rating: 
Summary: Makes Me Fear for the "Public"
Review: How did this guy ever get on top? If the people who praise this writer ever read, Connelly, Hunter, Sanford etc. they would have a different perspective. His writing is so childish as to be embarrassing. He must have mentioned the size of the porterhouses they were eating 5 times. And who ever heard of being able to "hug" an inmate let alone one on death row? This may seem to be nitpicking but it is just an example of the tenor in whole book. Write for adults for god`s sake.
Rating:
Summary: Alex Cross Never Gives Up, Never Quits
Review: Alex Cross is a Washington DC Detective with a degree in psychology. He often helps out the FBI and other departments on cases needing psychological profiles on serial crimes. But he's told his family he's going to quit his job with the police department, and possibly go into private practice. Then his best friend, old police partner John Sampson, asks for a favor. He needs help getting his friend and former army buddy, Sgt. Ellis Cooper, who has been convicted of murdering three women on an Army base in Raleigh, North Carolina, off of death row. Sampson believes Cooper has been framed. The three women were having a girl's night out at one of their homes. They were later found murdered, with deep knife wounds and painted blue, all evidence pointing to Cooper, like the fact that he was found with the murder weapon. But he denied it all. Alex and Sampson investigate and are quickly plunged into the closed and hostile world of the military. Still they continue, but they aren't in time to prove Cooper's innocence. They watch him die by lethal injection and it fuels their fires even more. They are determined to find out what's going on and why. They gather what little information they have and it points to the three blind mice, who are three homicidal Army Rangers, Vietnam vets. And then there is their mysterious controller, the fourth blind mouse, but are they just pawns in a bigger game? As records go missing and revelations from the Vietnam War come to light, Cross and Sampson must battle against the Army bureaucratic barrier as they learn about even more deaths and a possible cover up. Once again Mr. Patterson has written the kind of book you just cannot put down. Once again Alex is in the think of things and once again his life is on the line. And once again I was help captive as I read away. You know, somehow I don't think Alex is ever really going to go into private practice.
Rating:
Summary: Mixed feelings type appeal with this one.
Review: I wasn't sure what Mr Patterson was trying to do with Alex Cross in this book. Alex isn't sure if he's going to retire or not. I felt that in this book Alex was in a transition phase of retiring all together or going into the FBI. It started out by helping his friend Sampson on a case which invovled an innocent veteran friend of Sampson being accused of killing 3 women. The whole concept of the 3 blind mice was great. 3 Vietnam veterans that did rogue-ish activities in the war, committing gruesome crimes in the good of U.S of A and a mysterious fourth mice is doing heavy duty cover-up. Finally, Alex have a stable love life. I really got tired of Alex feeling like he's a person that can be hard to love because of his job. There needed to be a balance in his life. I felt Mr Patterson at times added insteresting elements to the story which were interesting but I felt had nothing to do with the book. Maybe he was trying to hint of certain things coming on the horizion in future books. There were times I felt certain parts were rushed especially near the ending. After reading this book I felt if I hadn't read any previous Alex Cross novels I would of cared less about this book.
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