Rating: 
Summary: Don't Believe the Book Jacket Hyperbole but a Good Read
Review: This is a more than adequate prototypical James Patterson assembly line thriller involving another case for fans of DC Detective Alex Cross. The dialog is simple, the action is fast, the murders are brutal, there is a mastermind to catch, and the chapters are shorter than ever (less than four pages on average). However, I found this book much more enjoyable than the last few Cross books. First, we don't get so many mindnumbing gruesome details about the murders. Second, John Sampson's character gets fleshed out and he has a more instrumental role in the story. Third, it was much more a straighforward police procedural and detective story despite a few stupid and unrealistic actions by Cross (including breaking and entering at the home of one of the suspects). Last, I personally was glad that a bestselling author like Patterson addressed the continuing effect of the Vietnam War on many veterans and the ethical dilemmas which they faced, even if this is a very superficial treatment.As usual, Patterson hooks you through immediate action and the fact you're several chapters in the book almost before you have begun, since it's always easy to read another three or four pages. This is no literary masterpiece and there are no long descriptive sections, just the necessary facts to advance the plot intermixed with more than usual degree of involvement in the personal lives of Cross (and his new girlfriend Jamilla), Sampson, and Nana, Cross' grandmother. Sampson's Vietnam buddy, Ellis Cooper, is convicted of a brutal triple murder based on compelling physical evidence. He contacts Sampson from Death Row and he and Cross become convinced that he was framed. As they investigate, they uncover several previous murders where Vietnam vets were apparently similarly framed and executed. We are then introduced to the three killers, a professional hit squad that was a covert assasination team in Vietnam. (Thus, in this book the suspense is more about how Cross and Sampson will trap the killers and why the murders have been committed than by whom or how.) Further murders occur and Cross and Sampson confront the killers but run into hostility from the miltary as they attempt to build their case. The action soon moves to the campus of West Point and direct involvement of the Army, and it becomes clear that there is someone directing events behind the scenes. Kyle Craig (known to previous Cross readers as the murderous FBI agent now in a maximum security federal penitentiary) appears briefly as a confidante of Tran Van Luu, also a prisoner, former Army agent in Vietnam, and leader of the NY Vietnamese gang, the Ghost Shadows. I found the conclusion more satisfying than recent Alex Cross books, and the explanation for the killings and the revenge exacted for long hidden events a sort of rough justice for all involved. Of course, as usual in Patterson novels a lot of questions concerning the details are left unanswered. For just a few examples, we don't know how all the evidence was fabricated, why the innocent victims were chosen, or how Kyle and Tran operated from supposedly solitary confinement. This book is recommended for both Alex Cross devotees and new James Patterson readers who want a quick easy read with a plot with a few intriguing twists.
Rating: 
Summary: James Patterson has got me hooked on Four Blind Mice!
Review: Wow! This was definitely a fun reader. I loved the fast chapters and the vivid content. I finished the book in less than a week. Once I started, I could not get my hands off it. It was as though I was watching a movie. The bonds Alex Cross shares with the other characters make the whole plot roll. Now, I know what people are talking about when they say he takes you on a "roller coaster" ride. I'm so glad I experienced the book. Thank you Mr. Patterson.
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe it's time for Cross to retire
Review: I really hate to say this, but FOUR BLIND MICE is one of the few Patterson books I couldn't really get into. And this is coming from someone who loves the Alex Cross novels.
In this addition to the series Cross has finally seen the Mastermind, Kyle Craig jailed, is preparing to retire from the police force and is considering going back to being a practising psychiatrist. But when his partner John Sampson learns one of his former army friends is accused of viciously murdering the wives of three military officers he is convinced of the man's innocence and persudes Cross to take on one last case. What always makes Patterson's books exciting are the short, fast paced chapters. This book is no exception, but the intrigue isn't there, and the chills and thrills aren't there either. It's as though Patterson is tired of writing the Cross novels but only carries on to fulfill his contract with his publishers. Personally, I think it's time he concentrated more on his Women's Murder Club series- and from reading FOUR BLIND MICE it seems Patterson would like to do the same. But being the die hard fan I am I'm eagerly awaiting the publication of THE JESTER. That one will be interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Another feather in Patterson's hat
Review: I am the type that when I find an author I like, I tend to read all of thier books, regardless of the subject matter. I have have read all of Patterson's book to date. I have always been pleased with his writtings, some more than others of course. I must say this Four Blind Mice was one of the more enjoyable reads. It did have more twists and insight than his normal Cross novels and they played well.
If you like Patterson and the Cross series, this is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable And Better Left Unread
Review: Why Mr. Patterson believed that the world needed yet ANOTHER novel about "crazed" 'Nam veterans and the atrocities of the war, that we should have healed from long ago if not for these rehashes, is beyond my understanding. The memory of those who served honorably is continually tarnished by these "sensational" nightmare novels. I gave it two stars because the characters of the detectives and their families are so very well done. The rest should have remained in Mr. Patterson's head.
Rating:
Summary: Could not put it down
Review: Started the book on my 1-hr bus+rail ride to work. By the time I walked out of the rail station I already had gone thru over 100 pages. By the time I was back home I was halfway thru the book. I read nonstop until I finished it. Cross in his finest form. I was joking to my wife that Patterson needs to either add 200 pages to his books or add some kind of break between parts of the book so we can actually consider reading it in more than one day. I could have finished the book in one sitting had I decided to read it on a Saturday instead of on a work day. This has been true of all of his books I have read, including the ones without Cross. I am of course eagerly awaiting the next one.
Rating:
Summary: Love at first sight
Review: I happen to be an avid Patterson reader, so my opionion may be biased, but I'll try to not be partial. Although the book is one in a series, anyone could pick up this bestseller and completely understand it. If you happen to be a fan, your experience will be far greater than imagened. Patterson is amazing at detailing his characters. When reading the series, you feel like you've known these characters for years. They begin te feel like part of your own family! From New Jersey to Georgia, Patterson is so good with detail, you dont need to see the movie to get a good idea of whats going on. The romantic scenes between Jamilla and Alex and between John and Billie really add an emotional twist to the investigation. As for the plot itself, Patterson in a genious. The manner in which the murders take place, the reasons for the murders, and the dedication of the two police detectives in tracking down the killers, will force you to keep turning the pages until the very end. The "ending" keeps on getting better and better and better. At each point you think the story is wraping up, Patterson write the most incerdible sequence of events surrounding the final ending. I've said it once, and I'll say it again...Patterson is one of the best authors I've ever read. I find most authors "best" work is at the begining of their writing careers (Stephen King!!) but James Patterson amazes me because every book he writes is better than the last.
Rating:
Summary: Slick entertaining thriller
Review: James Patterson's popular protagonist Dr. Alex Cross returns in yet another slick entertaining thriller when his best friend John Sampson enlists his assistance after his army comrade Sgt. Ellis Cooper gets incarcerated in Central Prison, North Carolina and charged with the murder of three women. The trio of scot-free perpetrators acting upon the orders of a mysterious mastermind, meanwhile commit serial killings across the States, leaving clues that pinpoint to a Vietnam War operation. The red-tapes of army bureaucracy and the nightmarish revival of Kyle Craig as well as Cross's love-path and family offers interesting diversions to the fast-paced, punchy mystery with twists and turns. As always the tone of this Patterson's story is dark with themes of vendetta and even terrorism but what is new and improved here is more solid character development from Patterson. With his usual style of relentless suspense, this is a harrowing cat-and mouse game with not three but four mice on the loose.
Rating:
Summary: It's really nice to see Alex again!
Review: This book was just what the doctor ordered - a quick, engrossing read with a lot of action, suspense and thrills!
I was really happy with this volume of the Alex Cross series b/c so much of his family and friends were included in this one! Many, many chapters were about Nana Mama, and the kids! Also, Sampson was featured in this one, and he had as much to do with this story as Alex! It was a nice change. This book was more than an Alex Cross mystery - it was also about him as a person and the choices that he has to make about his life, his loves, and his friends.
If you're looking for Pulitzer Prize winning writing, this isn't the book for you - but if you want excellent characters, a fast thrill-a-minute ride, and a great story, Four Blind Mice won't disappoint you.
Also - start from the beginning of the Alex Cross series if you aren't caught up - it's worth it!
Rating:
Summary: A great entry in the Cross series.
Review: Three women are found brutally murdered. Their bodies, painted blue from head to toe, are positioned in an obscene way. The accused man is Sergeant Ellis Cooper. Cooper is found with the murder weapon, as well as photographs depicting the murder. This should be an open and shut case, but Cooper swears his innocence, claiming he has been framed by the Army. After being found guilty, and awaiting sentencing, Cooper calls his good friend John Sampson who then enlists his good friend, and expert detective, Alex Cross. Cross and Sampson journey to the Army base in South Carolina with hopes to find something that can turn the verdict around, but are they too late? Upon Arriving at the base the two men are given an un-friendly welcome and when they begin looking through the crime reports, and interviewing several witnesses they find suspicious evidence that could prove the man is innocent, but why isn't the Army doing anything? Cross knows that something is not right, but how is the Army involved, and what are they covering up? The further Cross becomes involved in the "Blue Lady Murders" another body is found, and he begins receiving letters from the "Foot Soldier" taunting him that an innocent man is being set up. As the pressure rises for Cross to find the real killer, so does the tension between him and Sampson as their friendship is pushed to the limits. 'Four Blind Mice' is another Patterson page-turner that shocks with each new plot twist. It's pointless to go on and on about the good points in this new novel because it's EXCELLENT like all the previous books in the series; gripping plot, short punchy chapters, brutal murders, vicious killers, and shocks galore. No reader of the Cross series will be disappointed. James Patterson is the best writer in the thriller genre...period. What else can I say? The man is a genius, his novels are always original, they always surprise, and they always provide a few hours of total enjoyment. There is no other author who has consistently written excellent novels for as long as he has, and there probably never will be. Expect 'Four Blind Mice' to dominate the number one spot on all the best-seller lists. This is a MUST read! Nick Gonnella
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