Along Came a Spider

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+++.

Rating:
Summary: Oh Alex! What would the world be like without you, Sugar!
Review: This is the first series of the Alex Cross novels created by James Patterson. I have read all of them three or four times each by now..they really are that addictive. Alex Cross, the fictional love-of-my-life, is a tough, detective/psychologist in the Southeast side of Washington D.C. Alex has a wonderful family and best friend Sampson (who I always imagine as a Forrest Whittaker type) who help him get through his daily doses of crime and maiming. Let's talk about the story...it was a normal day at the Washington Day school, until two students, Maggie Rose Dunne, and Michael "Shrimpie" Goldberg are kidnapped. Their favorite math teacher, Gary Soneji takes them, burries them in the ground and demands a huge ransom. These two students were children of the most prominent families in the area. Alex and Sampson are taken off a brutal crime in the D.C. area and forced onto the Goldberg-Dunne kidnappings. Everyone gets involved. Secret Service, FBI, and the Washington police all try to work together to solve the crime. This book has so many twist and turns, and plots within plots, it will make your head spin. Every page you turn reveals something new and exciting. Even when Gary Soneji is caught....nobody is sure who is responsible...Gary seems to have a split personality (Remember Adam Stampler from "Primal Fear") and the outcome of his trial is questionable. You have to read this book...Alex Cross books like this one, and "Kiss the Girls" are movies now, but they never let you see Alex in an intimate way.... he has a loveable family, his best pal Sampson, and lots of juicy romances. All of these are left out of the movies. Why? because Patterson wants you to see the movie...love it...and then read the books..because he KNOWS you too will like it better than the movies and read the whole series. I promise, the books are really are not comparable to the movies.

Rating:
Summary: The start of a series
Review: This was a true thriller! Alex Cross is introduced in this novel and so starts the series that deals with a serial killer, who in his own mind is unstoppable. I fell in love with the Cross character because he is so sensetive to his children and his Nanna. This makes him vulnerable and while he is searching for the two kidnapped children, you feel the emtions he is feeling because he is thinking what if it were his kids. You get to know Samson also, (Alex's friend.) I could not put this one down. The twist and turns and the surprise ending kept me spellbound, as is typical of any James Patterson novel. Anyone who read "Kiss the Girls" will be thrilled by this one if they have not read it. "Along Came A Spider" sets the tone for it.

Thanks to Mr. Patterson for all his amazing thrillers. I am a true fan of his and can't wait for his next novel.

Rating:
Summary: Didn't enjoy.
Review: The biggest thing to me is when I read novels by black authors about black charaters, their voice is different, the things they see and report are different. This writer, who is white, didn't seem to capture an authintic voice.

Rating:
Summary: The FIRST Alex Cross Book
Review: First of all, everyone should know that this is the first Alex Cross book, before "Kiss the Girls," which was the second. This book is Patterson at his finest. The killer in the book is very unpredictable and will keep you guessing and second-guessing. This is argueably the BEST in the Alex Cross series. READ THIS ONE FIRST. If you have already read others later in the series, read them again after you read this one, it is essential because the devolpment of the main character, ALEX CROSS, throughout the seris is important to the final book. Also, as you get to know Cross you can better feel the fear and danger he expereinces throughout the series. You will actually start to feel that Cross and his family are friends of yours and the reading expereince will be intense. Yes, Patterson is THAT GOOD.

Rating:
Summary: Along Came a Spider is a winner!
Review: I am only 15 years old and don't enjoy reading that much, that is until I read this book. This book is brilliant, with a good plot, an outstanding cast of characters, and one heck of an ending. I like the short but intriguing chapters.I like how the book shifts from Cross' family life to Soneji's sick and twisted mind. I am almost done with "Pop Goes the Weasel" which isn't as good as "Along Came a Spider" but it is pretty good. I'm looking forward to reading more Alex Cross novels in the future and I'm hoping they are just as good as this one was. This book is something I recomend to readers who love mystery and love getting scared. This is definately a FIVE STAR book!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I quite enjoyed the story. It was well written, made sense and was suspensful enough to make you keep reading. While later Patterson books have been a disappointment, this one was great. Definitely worth a read!

Rating:
Summary: DEFINITELY A FIVE-STAR PLUS!
Review: Of all the James Patterson novels, this one is definitely at the top of the list. In this and subsequent novels, kidnapper, Gary Soneji is to Alex Cross as Hannibal is to FBI Agent Clarice Starling.

Without going into the specifics of the book, all of which have been provided for you in the editorial reviews, this book is one of my all time favourites of James Patterson. It is packed with suspense, drama, a super A-1 plot and great characters. Be prepared for a long night ahead because it is a book you will not want to put down from start to finish. Also, at the top of the list is "Kiss the Girls" and "Cat and Mouse."

If you have read Patterson's later novels,"When the Wind Blows" and "Cradle and All," and are disappointed with what you have read, do not be discouraged. This book has all the punch and power of a real super thriller! You will not want to miss this book or the movie of the same name.

Rating:
Summary: The best of James Patterson
Review: At first I didn't want to read this because Cradle and All wasn't to good. But then I read it because it was the first Alex Cross novel I found this to be the greatest book I ever read before.

Gary Soneji is a bright teacher at a famous washington school. But then when he kidnaps two kids and there is a large search, what can Alex Cross do? Unlike other books Alex Cross isn't perfect. He makes several mistakes in this. But this seems to be a first rate thriller. Gary Soneji is the most clever fictional character ever! He always has a plan, and a backup plan to follow. He was driven to madness, and it was a good reason. He wants t be somebody. The ending is so good. (I can't see why the director of the movie would want to change it) Gary Soneji has to be the best villian I've ever read about! The characters are great. Gary seems also to be a good actor, and he shows it in the story. This is the best Alex Cross novel of them all.