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Summary: THE BEST THRILLER EVER WRITTEN?
Review: Quite possibly yes. Take it from me I've read every Alex Cross book besides Jack and Jill, and this is my absolute favorite. Along came a spider is about a tough yet tender Washington D.C. detective (Alex Cross), who is about to stumble into one of the hugest kidnapping cases of his life. Two children (one a movie stars, the other the seceratry of the treasury?, I can't remember if it's a Congressman's son or the seceratry's) are kidnapped at a prestigious prep school by their "teacher" Mr. Gary Murphy. Who's alter ego is Gary Soneji. Alex must track them down. While on the case he meets and falls in love with an FBI agent (Jezzie Flanagn). I'm not going to go into Soneji's court battle or his hospital stay, because I feel those are the more interesting parts of the book, and must be read and experienced by the reader. BOTTOM LINE: READ THIS BOOK!! YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!
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Summary: James Patterson's Best Book!
Review: Of all the James Patterson books, Along Came A Spider had to come along, this is an engrossing read, It took two sits for me to read this, it grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go, It follows Detective Alex Cross and his adventure to Stop Gary Murphy/Soneji who appears to have a split personality and he's been accused of murdering two children, one is a famous movie star's child. It's up to Alex to hypnotize Gary and get the truth, he meets Jezzie Flanagan an FBI agent whom he falls in love with. This book will shock you until the ending which has an amazing twist to it. I recommend Beginners of James Patterson this Book, I also recommend it to any body, If you like this read Cat & Mouse which has Gary Soneji in it to. I cannot wait for Violets Are Blue.
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Summary: along came a spider
Review: first of all i want to say that the the book kept me interested the whole time i was reading it. It was so hard to put it down. I dont like alot of books and i barely ever read alot of books but for an english project i had to do i choose this one bc i saw the previews for the movie and it looks really interesting so i desided to go with this one. The begining of the book was really good it really got my attention and kept me focused in the book witch is really important to me bc i look focus with books ealily if there not interesting in the begining.
The book starts off ass Detective Alex Cross, a hardbitten black cop / psychology major from DC, is investigating a series of gruesome deaths in the ghettos of Washington when he and his partner get dragged off on a case involving the kidnapping from an exclusive private school of two children. One is the son of the secretary of the treasury; the other, Maggie Rose, is the daughter of a famous movie star. Initially Dr. Cross is annoyed at all the attention being focussed on the privileged but he finds himself getting dragged into the case.It appears that a Gary Soneji, a teacher at the school who was so well liked he was named Mr. Chips, kidnapped the children out of the blue. As the plot thickens, leads seem to connect to the ghetto killings, one of the children turns up dead, a ransom is paid and lost and the kidnapper proves elusive. Alex Cross, vilified for his role in the handing over of the ransom, finds solice in the figure of Jezzie Flanagan - the prime secret service minder of the two children. The relationship, crossing racial boundaries, adds more tension.
All in all i think the book is a great book and would deffinatly recogmend it to people who like mysteries and suspence novels. It kept me wondering what it would lead me into on the next page. I was verry pleased with the book and it is one of the best ive ever read. Deffinatly let this book be the next book you read you will enjoy it and wont be able to put it down.
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Summary: Superb Mystery/Thriller--And don't bash the movie!
Review: This was, simply, the best mystery/thriller book I've ever read. Constantly kept me guessing, surprises around every corner, and superb characterization! Alex Cross was especially moving, and Gary Soneji...well...though not my favorite bad guy, he certainly is the most clever I've ever seen. I liked the shifting viewpoint; you know, first person Alex Cross in one chapter, then third person somebody else in the next, and back and forth and so on. Also, the very short length of the chapters was especially useful--I hate chapters that go on and on and on so you can't finish them in one night. I am verymuch looking forward to Kiss the Girls; I hope to finish reading all the Cross novels before the next one, FOUR BLIND MICE, comes out in November. And as for the movie, don't blame them! This novel was HUGE, with LOTS of events and plot and scenes, so it's no wonder that they had to cut so much of it in order to cram it all into a 2 hour movie! Blame the production company! Paramount, I think. In that case, there might have been at least a LITTLE justice. The movie did fairly well considering how much of the plot it was able to get from the book...okay, maybe not a lot, but enough to make it's own story!! Oh, and my only problem with both book and movie, I don't get why it was called "Along Came A Spider". I mean, I know where that phrase came from, but how does it fit into the novel? It's never explained. Oh well, maybe I'm just a crackhead.
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Summary: Just Looking for Some Fun
Review: This book was a slam dunk. I am glad it was the first Patterson (featuring Cross) book that I read because it set up a lot of things that might have seemed odd or inconsequential later. Now that I have read all the books in the series, I rank this one and KISS THE GIRLS as his two best. Much has already been said by others ... about the thrilling plot, the surprises and etc., so I will focus on two aspects of the book that have remained with me long after reading. The first is the deft insertion of social commentary in the book. When I first read the book, I thought James Patterson was African American, and I mean that as a compliment. He became Alex Cross, and Alex Cross is a black man with real life black man problems aside from solving serial killings. His family is authentic; his associations with black and white people; his romances (with white and black women) without being condescending, cute, or stereotypical--I should maybe write more about this category it was handled so well without making Cross a whitegirl chasing Tom, despite his affair with Jezzie, good job, good job, good Job Mr. Patterson; his reluctance to be pulled off a case involving working class blacks to solve one involving elite whites. In short, his attitudes about things is not typically black, but typically Alex Cross, who happens to be black. Get it? He is real first. And he is black second. The second aspect that burns long after consumption is Soneji/Murphy as a husband and father in suburbia. There is humor, humanity, and lurking danger in these scenes. I kept praying that when he finally snapped--which I suspected was coming and boy was I right--that he wouldn't hurt his daughter. Patterson pulls no punches, and reading these scenes I began to buy why a man with such a regular looking life (dull normal life) might secretly be a serial killer. Just looking for fun. OK, that's sort of a simplistic assesment of Soneji/Murphy's particular psychosis, and to understand him better, we would probably have to consider what we know about his Freudian footnoted childhood on his grandfather's farm and whatnot. Nevertheless, Soneji/Murphy is scary BECAUSE he is looking for fun, on some level.
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Summary: Alex Cross won't be forgotten
Review: I read this book a few years back, and recently saw the movie. I'm such a fan of Patterson's, I wanted to include my review. In the first of the Alex Cross series, this story is a race against time to find a kidnapped girl of a famous actress. Cross is called in to help, and in only the way he can, he finds his way to the end of this suspenseful ride. Not only will you enjoy the writing which propells the suspense and mystery, but you'll also enjoy the character development. It leaves you wanting more of Alex Cross, one of my most favorite detectives of all time! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading thrillers. I'll warn you though, like me, after you read this book, you'll be off to the store or library to pick up many more books by James Patterson.
Rating: 
Summary: Great read!
Review: Like all Patterson novels, the chapters are short, there's sex and violence, and the story is superbly told. What more could you want? If you haven't read any of Mr. P's novels before, this one is a good place to start. It features Alex Cross, as do almost all of his books, who is working on a case of kidnapping. And as if one kidnapping were not enough, Patterson gives us more than that. There's love story inbedded within the plot (Patterson knows his audience) and enough thrills to keep you turning the page well into the night. But the most amazing thing about ALONG CAME A SPIDER as well as many other Patterson books, is that not only is it a thriller in the real sense, but psychologically as well. (...)
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Summary: Saw the movie and read the book, too...
Review: Author James Patterson again at his best. Readers who are not familiar with Patterson's work may find his short-chapter style an unattractive read and be put off by the style. New readers to Patterson's style need to give his books a chance, knowing that the reader will find Patterson's stories a good read. This reader is used to Patterson's style of writing and finds that it adds to the attraction of the read. Riveting and enjoyable for this avid reader is the shifting from Alex Cross in one chapter, with another character in the next, back and forth. This JP fan had the pleasure of meeting Patterson more than once in Manhattan before 9/11. ALONG CAME A SPIDER is riveting and glues you to reading the book in as less sittings as possible. This bestseller is written simply, with a harrowing plot. Detective Alex Cross, family man and psychologist too, profoundly plays a key role in many of Patterson's novels. Cross' manner and delivery of detecting is above par with a concentrated number of detectives in novels, among which are Sara Paretsky's "VI Warshawski", and Patricia Cornwell's "Kay Scarpetta". Considering it is the first Alex Cross book, Cross is a character a reader can relate to with his mild manner but hard-driving methods of investigation. Cross' associate in the plot is Jezzie Flanagan, also a police detective with a PhD in psychology connected with the Secret Service. Two crime-stoppers who work symbiotically in their efforts to apprehend a chilling psychopath -Gary Soneji- who commits child kidnapping, murder of a school teacher, horrific acts and all this from a man (Soneji) who can easily be labelled "a split-personality", while appearing as a mild-mannered, popular math teacher at an elite private school for children of the affluent society, and known to the students as "Mr. Chips". ALONG CAME A SPIDER is engrossing & thrilling, emitting emotions that deliver a true-to-life portrayal. Victimizer Gary Soneji resembles in some ways other perpetrators who get into your mind throughout the story, such as Hannibal Lector. Soneji with his terrifying crimes outsmarts the FBI, Secret Service, and Police Department. Detectives Cross and Flanagan face the ultimate as psychologists to outmaneuver a brilliant psychopath before his next victim... and the next... and the next... This self-professed biblioholic always looks forward to a James Patterson read. Thank you Mr. Patterson.
Rating:
Summary: Keeps you guessing all the way
Review: I think that all fans of detective novels - particularly those of a psychological nature - will get a big kick out of these eight legs! James Patterson brilliantly keeps up the tension throughout the novel. As with great stories like this the villain seems unlikely at first but all the clues are there and it all fits! Detective Alex Cross, a hardbitten black cop / psychology major from DC, is investigating a series of gruesome deaths in the ghettos of Washington when he and his partner get dragged off on a case involving the kidnapping from an exclusive private school of two children. One is the son of the secretary of the treasury; the other, Maggie Rose, is the daughter of a famous movie star. Initially Dr. Cross is annoyed at all the attention being focussed on the privileged but he finds himself getting dragged into the case. It appears that a Gary Soneji, a teacher at the school who was so well liked he was named Mr. Chips, kidnapped the children out of the blue. As the plot thickens, leads seem to connect to the ghetto killings, one of the children turns up dead, a ransom is paid and lost and the kidnapper proves elusive. Alex Cross, vilified for his role in the handing over of the ransom, finds solice in the figure of Jezzie Flanagan - the prime secret service minder of the two children. The relationship, crossing racial boundaries, adds more tension. The figure of Gary Soneji, the alter-ego of a Gary Murphy, is a brilliant creation up there with the likes of Hannibal Lecter. At least you know where you are with Mr. Lecter - Murphy/Soneji keep you guessing all the way - scary! James Patterson brilliantly handles all of the threads, not letting any of them unravel and adding twist after clue after hint. The final unveiling of the villain is wonderful - suprising, but the clues are all there to find.
Rating:
Summary: A thrilling novel!
Review: ALONG CAME A SPIDER, by entertaining writer James Patterson, is a thrilling novel that I have read many many times thus far and will continue to re-read it again and again. A definite keeper! In ALONG CAME A SPIDER, Alex Cross (psychologist/detective) attempts to track down someone that is taking the children. A great writer...great book! (Take a bow Mr. Patterson, you've certainly earned it with this wonderful story!)
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