Rating: 
Summary: Good follow up to Roses Are Red
Review: After the disappointment I felt in Roses Are Red, Patterson follows up with a much better conclusion to the Mastermind case. While chasing a unique band of killer "vampires", Alex Cross continues to be tormented by the Mastermind, whose identity was revealed in Roses Are Red. Patterson had masterfully put together a dual villain-hunt in Cat and Mouse, but doesn't quite get it together here. Regardless, the book still had a lot of action and suspense in true James Patterson fashion.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Patterson--although a bit fomulaic...
Review: I enjoyed the book--great plot, good character development & he has an ingenius way of weaving together plots almost seamlessly. However his books seem to be getting too predictable--I knew the killer half way through the book. Now I'm very good at solving things like this but I thought it would be more along the lines of..you don't know who it was until the very last page. That's the kind of reading I enjoy & I felt this installment in the Alex Cross series lacked. I think maybe Patterson needs to take a new "angle" or "direction" with the Alex Cross series--they're getting a bit stale & he's so talented--it's a shame to waste that.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't finish it
Review: Ok-I love and have read probably all of his books. I love his style-short chapters, fast moving, insights into the killers! But vampires? Nope, gave me the willies and I didn't want to read it for fear of bad dreams! Seriously! I can read killings with no problem, but there was something about the whole vampire aspect, "drinking and feeding" that was too much for me! I am sorry I could not finish it-I am sure it was great if you can handle that type of thing!
Rating:
Summary: like vanilla ice cream
Review: It's good, it's fun, you enjoy it, but it's never quite as good as you wish it were. James Patterson, as always, has come up with a good, fun mystery and lots of interesting characters. Although, hopefully the next time we see Alex Cross, he'll be on to something slightly less bizarre. I just wish Patterson could write a little better. Not that I require fine literature--I like a good beach read as much as the next person. But Patterson feels compelled to spell out what's happening right in front of our faces, and he's got major issues with putting every other sentence in italics (why hasn't his editor done something about that one?). So...like the vanilla, when I finsihed this book (like most of Patterson's) my reaction was "yep, that was good," ...then promptly forgot about it and moved on to the next thing.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable and Boring
Review: I love the Alex Cross series, I read all the first books in like two weeks straight! This one was a little harder to get into and it flowed really slowly. It was also difficuly not to imagine that Alex Cross was being played by Morgan Freeman! I wish they hadn't made a movie of the series so soon. I wish Alex's kids had more of an intergral part of the stories, bit that might not be a good move. I was a little disappinted in the truth telling about the 'Mastermind', but I guess it helps with solving the current stoies. It was pretty predictablble about the identity of the Mastermind, but that made the story go a lot quicker. I liked the novel, and I didn't like it. It was a little too easy to read and not challenging enough.
Rating: 
Summary: Biased Patterson Fan
Review: ...Maybe Pattereson did not live up to his name with this novel but really, it was still a good read. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the fact that we were given the name of the mastermind in the last book (roses are red) and had to wait until the end of this one before he revealed it again. It was a big build up to what we already knew.
Other than that though the story was every bit Patterson at his best. Between large Tigers and Blood Hungry Vampire-Wannabes to a criminal Master-mind you couldn't ask for or expect much more. I don't think this is going to be the last we see of Alex Cross and I hope it isn't.
Rating: 
Summary: A Thriller That Keeps A Reader On The Edge Of Their Seat
Review: Once again, James Patterson didn't let me down in Violets Are Blue! He continues to keep my attention on what is going on with Alex Cross and the Mastermind. The chapters are short - 3 pages on average. I warn you in advance that once you start reading this, you may have a tough time putting it down, it's that good, which is the reason I give this book 5 stars. James Patterson does a fine job again.
Rating: 
Summary: This Reader Was Blue
Review: I have not been this disappointed in a book in a long time. Found myself flipping it over to glare at the author's photograph as I trudged through. If I didn't have feelings for Alex Cross I would have bailed early on, but sadly, I saw this thing through 'til the simple-minded end. The vampire subplot was not even remotely believable, and the subject of murderous biting was done far more elegantly by Thomas Harris. An example of the lack of basic police work: due to an amazing congruence between the murder dates and the show schedule of a pair of magicians, Alex and Co. suspect them of the vampire murderers. Once they rule these poor guys out as suspects, however, they apparently neglect to screen the magicians' fans. If they'd but asked around a bit they might have caught wind of the only fans who giggled hysterically through the Shocking Fake Bloody Death Tricks AND left the show with a couple of future victims. In the same vein, that Alex Cross could stumble through the entire thing without figuring out the identity of the Mastermind, his oh-so-personal nemesis...well. One wonders if the man might best be looking for other work. Perhaps the hint at Alex as a future stay-at-home Dad is a great outcome: for him, for his kids, for law enforcement, and for us.
Rating:
Summary: Truly one of the best
Review: I really enjoyed this novel. Alex Cross is one of my favorite characters in literature. James Patterson hooked me with Kiss the Girls, and it's been a great ride since then. Alex is a man of many layers and I look forward to reading more!
Rating:
Summary: Hitting the Nail on the Head
Review: After reading Violets are Blue, I have to say that after six previous Alex Cross novels, James Patterson has finally got it right.
Violets are Blue contains two main story lines. The first story line is about two demented brothers who believe that they are vampires and travel across the United States murdering people. They tie thier victims upside down and drain them of thier blood by pucturing thier necks. Washington, D.C. Detective Alex Cross is assigned to investigate the case along with San Fransico Detective Jamilla Hughes. As the investigation continues, Alex and Jamilla become increasingly attracted to each other.
The secondary plot line would be the continuous taunting of Alex Cross by someone who calls himself "The Mastermind". The Mastermind continuously calls Alex and threatens him, as well as his family.
I have to say that I was truly satisfied when I completed this novel. The main plot line was horrifyingly unique and the secondary plot line was a creative way to add to the suspense of the story.
If I had to say one negative comment about the story, it would be that the murders were slightly too graphic for my taste. Creating extremley grotesque crime scenes is a cheap way to add to the suspense of the novel, but thankfully, it was not used that much.
All in all, I would gladly recommed this novel to anyone who apperciates a good murder mystery and has a tough enough stomach to read through the gruesome details that Mr. Patterson provides.
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