Rating: 
Summary: I want my money back!
Review: I am very disappointed with this book. The story may have made a beautiful movie (which I have never seen), but it does not pass master as reading. The characters are cardboard cutouts from the standard psychopatic egomaniacal killer to the Alex Cross'es family. There is one (yes, I mean ONE) plot twist that is more or less interesting, the rest is so rote it is funny. The writer has no skills whatsoever in building tension. He also cannot put together an interesting description. I will not even touch the dialog with a ten foot pole. And why on Earth do viewpoints have to shift all the time? We don't learn anything interesting when they do.
Rating: 
Summary: Patterson is the Spider Man
Review: This ranks up there on my favorite books list. It's all about a teacher, Gary Soneji, who kidnapps two children from a highly secret-service protected private shcool in Washington DC. Alex Cross and his Partner Sampson spend the next year+ of their lives trying to figure out the mystery of what happened to the kidnapped and trying to figure out the personality of the mysterious kidnapper. Is everything linked together, or is something wrong? The book is one that you'll never want to put down. It'll make you sit up when you're lying down in bed, and it'll suck you right into it's deep story. Patterson uses his creative mind to captivate anyone who reads this impressive and beautifully written suspense novel.
Rating:
Summary: Silence of the Lambs meets Primal Fear
Review: I picked up Along Came A Spider as something to read on the plane. I ended up getting delayed, which was annoying, but in the end, not a bad thing, as it gave me time to spend with this book. Once I started reading, I ended up using all my free time to finish it, which I did the following day.The protagonist of the novel is psychologist/detective Alex Cross, a black man living in the "South East" an area near Washington D.C. Cross and his partner are among the elite in the police force. Described as "the Last Southern Gentleman", Cross is a great and unique character, who likes to dote on his kids and play the piano in the middle of the night on his porch. Cross and his partner get called into investigate the kidnapping of two children of influential figures in Washington. We know from the start who committed the kidnapping, and we even get to explore their motivations through the third person point of view. However, this doesn't ruin the story. The kidnapper, Gary Soneji/Murphy, has planned everything to the last detail as he tries to pull off the crime of the century. Cross has a challenge on his hands. Just when you think you get everything figured out in this story, you come across an unexpected twist. This may be a bit of a spoiler, but they do catch Soneji, much earlier than you would expect. Just when you would expect that to be the end of the book, the real scheme and plot kicks in. This portion of the novel reminded me a bit of Hannibal Lechter from Silence of the Lambs and Aaron Stampler from Diehl's Primal Fear. However, Patterson has added some twists that those novels didn't explore. I hesitate to elaborate, so as not to ruin the surprise. In the last fourth of the novel, you'll find yourself racing through the pages, just to find that just when you had it figured out, your expectations get dashed as the story takes another unexpected turn. I know, it sounds cliche, but I felt that Patterson pulled this off well. This novel does have a bit of a social commentary to it. Cross rebels at being pulled off a murder case in the beginning of the novel to be put on the kidnapping case of two white rich children. The victims in his murder case were poverty stricken blacks. Patterson also explores a relationship between Cross and Jezzie, a white Director in the Secret Service, which leads to a confrontation with some ignorant drunk men and a cross burning. These sub plots do tie into the story fairly well though. This is the first of the Alex Cross series of novels that I have read. It is also the first novel by James Patterson that I have read. It won't be the last as I am eager to move onto its sequels. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in suspense, crime, or psychological thriller novels.
Rating:
Summary: And along came James Patterson...
Review: From one of the greatest thriller writers of this generation, James Patterson, comes the explosive, eye-popping novel "Along Came a Spider."
I first read this book about five years ago, long before the movie came out (which is actually a horrific depiction of this great thriller). I got interested in Patterson after I read and saw "Kiss the Girls." I read ACAS and was totally amazed. It was one of the best books from a new author that I'd read in a long time.
The novel begins with a serial killer kidnapping two children from an exclusive private school where he teaches. Detective Alex Cross is hired to find the missing kids. This being the first Alex Cross novel, Patterson portrays him amazingly. Cross is the most intelligent, noble, and kind man that has ever existed in fiction. No matter what Alex Cross book you're reading, even if the plot is horrible, you'll enjoy the book just because Cross is in it. He brings so much to the novel, with his excellent detective and psychologist skills to the love he openly shows for his partner, his grandmother, and his two young children - the latter of the three being the most admirable. Reading scenes between Cross and his children is just so touching...or maybe I'm just being too much of a girl. :)
Anyway, back to the novel. In the infinite world of psychos in novels, Patterson knows how to creep us out. Gary Soneji, the killer in ACAS, is a frightening and disturbing character that adds all the suspense needed for the novel. He is a smart killer obsessed with committing the crime of the century.
"Along Came a Spider" will send chills through the reader's body and keep their eyes open, alert and glued to each page until all hours of the morning. It is solid, compelling psychological thriller.
Rating: 
Summary: VERY DISSAPOINTING
Review: I really like "serial" books about a central character that is carried from book to book. The problem here is that the central character is never fully developed. Neither are the supporting characters. Patterson's writing style is to write in the first person for the main character and third person for the other characters. This lets us look into the minds of his characters, but he never makes me feel I am really into the story. The main character is constantly touting his own good traits and just comes off as phony to me. I do like the way he has a good twist for the endings of his books. I have read two and just don't know if I can read any more.
Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Review: Disappointed to say that I dont see how this book gets great reviews. A friend suggested I read it, because I enjoy reading murder mysteries especially ones with reoccuring characters, but this book is dry. I read "Kiss The Girls" immediately after ACAS hoping it was better written, but it was worse. In both books the suspects exhibit better intelligence than the detective yet the detective somehow solves the mystery without explanation.
It has an unabsorbing storyline with shallow unrealistic main characters. An easy read with predictable outcomes.
Disappointing.
Still looking for well written mysteries with reoccuring characters along the lines of the EARLY Cornwell stories and early Jonathan Kellerman.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book of all time!
Review: This is my all time favorite book. It gave me the chills and I could not put it down. James Patterson helped me to understand how the mind of a serial killer operates. I've read all of the books in the series and this one is my favorite. The movie did not do the book justice.
Rating:
Summary: Read this Book before you see the movie....
Review: This was a great book. If you liked Kiss the girls you will also like this one. Dr. Alex Cross is a exceptional character and you will feel like you are right there with him.
Rating:
Summary: Along Came a YAWN
Review: I don't do this often, but this was quite possibly the worse book I have ever had the misfortune to read. In fact, if a friend had not recommended this book to me I would never have finished it. Most books you can't put down, this one I could not keep open. James Patterson created a character in his mind and then perpetuated every stereotype in the book about african americans and threw them in the mix. The only thing he got right was the fact that a good portion of DC police are african american, outside of that he sounded like a middle aged white man trying to depict a black character and his surroundings. I didn't buy it. The romance novel type story did not fit the main plot, it just didn't go. I know you have to have back story, but don't stray from what the book is supposed to be doing. At points in this book I had to check to make sure that Fabio wasn't on the cover. I like it when a character can carry a series of books. You get to find out more about them over time. The way Alex Cross is written, it is hard to even be interested in knowing more about him.
Rating:
Summary: James Patterson, Two for Two!
Review: James Patterson is two for two in my book. I had so much fun reading Along Came a Spider that I gladly gave up my weekend to read it. Another chance to play detective with Alex Cross. After I read Kiss the Girls I wanted to go back and see how it all began. At first I wondered if it could be as good. A few pages in and my doubts were erased. This is such a brilliant piece of work! I don't think there is an author today who can match Patterson's wonderfully woven spider webs of intrigue, deception and suspense! He is in a league of his own. Both Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls are the two best books I have read this year! It is no wonder that he is becoming one of my favorite authors.
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