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.
Rating:
Summary: Lacks punch from poor editing
Review: ALONG CAME A SPIDER is another of those novels that leaves me equivocal - one thumb up, and one thumb down. I hate that. Dr./Detective Alex Cross, a Washington DC forensic psychologist/gumshoe and his partner, John Sampson, are assigned to investigate a double kidnapping with the FBI and Secret Service. The victims are Michael and Maggie, the former the young son of the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and the latter the young daughter of a movie star. Very early on, the reader knows the identity of the perp, a brilliant serial killer named Gary Soneji, and Michael's fate. As Gary continues his murderous swathe across the landscape, all wonder. How do we catch this guy, and where's Maggie? The best thing about this thriller is Cross, a world-weary widower who loves his kids and his grandmother, and who's not afraid to be, in the honorable tradition of Eastwood's Dirty Harry, a thorn in the side of his boss and the mayor. You gotta love the guy. Also, the Maggie character was endearing, but author James Patterson gave her too little press time. The main problem with the book is that, at 502 pages in paperback, it's about 50 too long. By the novel's end, Gary's essential evilness and the de rigueur plot twist have been diluted out by an overabundance of other bad guys and the relationship between Cross and Secret Service agent Jezzie Flanagan, which Patterson develops ad nauseam. Moreover, for the apparent sake of maintaining the potential for a series, a major thread is left hanging. It's as if the author, or his editor, didn't know when to quit. Less would have been better. The movie version of ALONG CAME A SPIDER was recently released, starring Morgan Freeman. From the trailers I've seen, the film adaptation seems to be a different story entirely. (Gee, what a surprise!) Besides the opportunity to observe the great actor Freeman, I'll want to see if the output of some Tinseltown scriptwriter can force both my thumbs in the same direction. Up or down, I don't care. I just want closure.
Rating:
Summary: I hope the movie is as good as the book!!!!
Review: If you love alot of blood and guts then this is your kind of book. I recently purchased this book and I am so glad I did. Those of you who like gore , you will not be dissapointed. I couldn't put this book down once I was started, this book went everywhere with me, it was that good. I loved Alex Cross. I am starting the next book in this series, and hope that the old saying "it doesn't get any better than the first" doesn't happen in this case. So on a rating scale this a 5+++.
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