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Bestseller Patterson's 13th Alex Cross thriller (after 2006's Cross) pits the legendary profiler, now retired from law enforcement and working as a psychiatrist in private practice, against two serial killers. Kyle Craig, Cross's former colleague in the FBI (who was revealed to be the Mastermind, a particularly vicious and resourceful murderer, in 2001's Violets Are Blue), has managed to escape from a Colorado maximum-security prison and is steadily working his way through his list of those he holds responsible for his capture and incarceration. Cross, who heads the list, is drawn back into police work by his love interest, Maryland homicide detective Brianna Stone, who's been assigned to the task force focusing on the D.C. Audience Killer (or DCAK), who stages high-profile and sadistic murders to get the most public attention possible. Even newcomers will find themselves turning the pages to see how everything turns out, but significant plot holes and implausibilities make this a far cry from the similar, but far more suspenseful, two-front war waged by Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs. (Nov.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business InformationIt was smart to hire two talented and very different readers for Patterson's latest blockbuster about now retired FBI psychiatrist and former ace profiler Alex Cross. Fernandez catches Alex's raspy wisdom with instant credibility (he's done Cross before, in London Bridgesand Cross), and Stuhlbarg is full of lighter charm as the narrator and one of the two serial killers who are trying to spoil Cross's return to private practice. Stuhlbarg makes Alex's former FBI colleague Kyle Craig, who turned out to be a mass murderer nicknamed the Mastermind, as charismatic as he is deadly. Cross's other burden comes from a more conventional serial killer terrorizing the Washington area where Alex's lady is on the case. Simultaneous release with the Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 22). (Nov.)
Copyright 2007Reed Business Information
A string of gripping standalone mysteries followed, but it was the 1992 release of Along Came a Spider that elevated Patterson to superstar status. Introducing Alex Cross, a brilliant black police detective/forensic psychologist, the novel was the first installment in a series of bestselling thrillers that has proved to be a cash cow for the author and his publisher.
Examining Patterson's track record, it's obvious that he believes one good series deserves another…maybe even a third! In 2001, he debuted the Women's Murder Club with 1st to Die, a fast-paced thriller featuring four female crime fighters living in San Francisco—a homicide detective, a medical examiner, an assistant D.A., and a cub reporter. The successful series has continued with other numerically titled installments. Then, spinning off a set of characters from a previous novel (1998's When the Wind Blows), in 2005 he published Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. Featuring a "flock" of genetically engineered flying children, the novel was a huge hit, especially with teen readers, and spawned a series of vastly popular fantasy adventures.
In addition to continuing his bestselling literary franchises, Patterson has also found time to co-author thrillers with other writers—including Peter de Jonge, Andrew Gross, Maxine Paetro, and Howard Roughan—and has even ventured into romance (Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas, Sam's Letters to Jennifer) and children's literature (santaKid). Writing at an astonishing pace, this prolific author has turned himself into a one-man publishing juggernaut, fulfilling his clearly stated ambition to become "the king of the page-turners."
Two of Patterson's Alex Cross mysteries (Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls) have been turned into films starring Morgan Freeman; in 2007, a weekly television series premiered, based on the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels.
JP, where is the brilliant criminologist/psychologist Alex Cross of ALONG CAME A SPIDER, KISS THE GIRLS, and JACK AND JILL? In this outing, Cross is reduced to a hormone raging teen boy in heat, even as he and Bree study crime photos. Give me a break!
And stop with the 2 page chapters already. Your stock in trade writing has become trite and formulaic. It seems as though Patterson can't live up to the standard of mystery and intrigue that Alex Cross used to have, what made Patterson fun to read. Now, everything is predictable. A killer or two, the killing keeps going until he/she/they are caught by the master criminologist himself, 1 dimensional characters, and Cross' love interest is short lived either by death or by break up. And BTW, Client/attorney privacy doesn't mean no videotape, guards watching just outside of hearing range.
The plot could have been good, but JP's execution was dismal to the point that this reader put it down ½ of the way and dumped my last Patterson novel into the recycle bin.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This was hard to put down. A bit on the gruesome side but definitely kept your attention from the first page through.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 6, 2012
Again i have enjoyed another Alex Cross book Well worth the read Once again James Patterson takes you right to the edge
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 10, 2011
Great book, couldn't put it down. This is what Alex Cross is all about. Great story line, this book really sucks you in and you can't wait to read what will happen next.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 10, 2010
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This is my first James Patterson book and it won't be my last. The characters were rich and the story had many twists and turns. I loved it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.If you like Alex Cross and James Patterson, you will love this one. I read it quickly, loved the characters, but was glad the ending wasn't a neat little bow! Have fun reading!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BolivarJ
Posted February 25, 2010
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"New admirers arrived every few minutes. The press was all over it- CNN, the other major newspapers, radio, video artists, bloggers" "You see what I see?" " That's detective Bree Stone getting out of the car. And the other one-That's Alex Cross. Cross has come, and it's only our first show. We're a hit!" (D.C. Audience Killer) DCAK
Double Cross, is the 13th installment in the Alex Cross series, and a beautiful encore of gruesome murders, impressive movie sets, and studios and theatrical performances by the DCAK. The plot of the book is great, it manages to give early surprises not expected in the first two parts of the book.
The history behind Alex's nemesis Kyle Craig gives the book a strong foundation for the DCAK role in the story. However; Patterson comes short in explaining the motives or background of DCAK. No element of surprise of how the story will end.
"Predictability was weakness" according to DCAK, and that's what I found in Patterson's Double Cross. The main villain characters, are the most exciting elements in the book, I wasn't impressed by Alex Cross persona in this book, or moved by his love interest Bree Stone. I found no place in the story for explicit details of her intimate physical relationship with Alex, in my opinion it did not add anything to the book.
The writing style is very James Patterson's. It has a lot of small chapters, but it is what works for him, and sometimes makes it easier to go back and find something you may have missed. The originality, there is nothing to argue about. If you read a lot of fiction thrillers you may have seen something similar; however, Patterson does a nice job plotting the events and chronological order of all murders by Kyle Craig and the DCAK.
What I really enjoyed in the book is that Patterson made a good use of the sub stories, in this case Alex's private practice working as a psychiatrist, nice twist and switch for the story. The book is also very explicit in describing the gruesome murders which are enjoyable and make the book an easy reading. Nevertheless; I would have expected the last two parts of the book to top the beginning, but it did not happen, the book fell a little short in the conclusion, however; it is still a good read if you are a Patterson's fan.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.There's not much to say about this book. It is a very typical Alex Cross novel from the extremely prolific James Patterson. It follows the usual formula- Cross is trying to get out of the murder business only to get sucked in by a particularly twisted serial killer. In this case, the serial killer is the D.C. Audience Killer, who does just as his name implies: he kills dramatically before an audience. Added to the mix is the escape of Cross's nemesis, Kyle Craig, and a new girlfriend for Cross, fellow homicide detective Bree Stone.
Patterson seems to be falling victim to his own machine; the repeated churning out of books correlates to a drop in quality for the story. The mystery in this installment is suspenseful, if not particularly captivating, but the quality of writing is pretty mediocre. Patterson abuses the exclamation point like it's going out of style, and the antagonists are barely fleshed out. Kyle Craig gets his due, I suppose, but DCAK is never really given a motive or any sort of backstory, even after the identity is revealed.
If you like the Cross series, this one will suit just fine, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't already a fan.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 15, 2008
This book isn't as good as I had hoped, it was somewhat entertaining but found myself drifting while reading it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.smAM
Posted January 26, 2012
I haven't read yet still reading Four Blind Mice
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AMilo
Posted November 14, 2011
This was the first James Patterson book I have read and I didn¿t know what I¿ve been missing! I though it was extremely well written and very entertaining. It was very unpredictable, which I think is good for a murder mystery. The books storyline was overall interesting and it was hard to stop reading. One of the things I liked is that the ending wasn¿t just a quick little wrap up like many other books of this type. I would recommend this book to any mature reader, as it has many adult scenarios. Overall this is a very good book by a very good author that should be read by mostly everyone.
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Posted June 25, 2011
Alex & kyle what a pair
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MrsTPayne
Posted April 9, 2011
This was the first of the James Patteson Books that I have ever read. I picked it up at the airport on an Unexpected early morning trip.... and Oh my Goodness I could not put it down! I have read and RETURNED many airport books but this one was a MUST KEEP! This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way there and back, (snapping at my daughter) OOps.... for asking me to take her to the Restroom. I literally could not go to sleep until I had read every word, and the Author kept me in suspence right up until the last word on the very last page! This is an excelent Book, James Patterson is a Phenominal Writer, I am on my 3rd Patterson book, and looking to Buy more!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.8278097
Posted February 22, 2011
awesome
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.95vas
Posted February 5, 2011
Good book. It gets a little predictable towards the end but it's still a good read.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Bless his heart for being so honest. James Patterson is a writer determined to make a lot of money. And, make a lot of money he does. This is an easy, quick read. The plot does get your attention. The life story of Alex Cross continues, if you like to follow a character's development throughout several books. The writing level is an upper-elementary school level. The plot is fast, but shallow. As you can tell, I really have mixed feelings about this author.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted July 24, 2010
This is a good book James Patterson never fails on his book. Great start for this character.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.this book was sexy, thrilling, and breath taking! brilliant characters and Alex Cross captures the bad guys again.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Alex, now a psychiatrist in his private practice, is pulled back to help the FBI and girlfriend Detective Stone, who is in charge of heading up the task force to hunt down the latest serial killer DCAK. DCAK who thrives off of killing for attention has put D.C in hysteria with his public murders. No place is safe and match that with society's love of everything media, the killer is getting exactly what he wants - fame. Great, fast, intense, quick moving plot that had the next kill bigger and better than the first. Will keep ranting and raving about the Alex Cross series!
xoxo_leigh
avidmysteryreader
Posted May 5, 2010
I have been reading the "Cross" books for years. This was another good one. Always interested in the growth of the family.
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Overview
Alex Cross rejoins the police force to face the most diabolical villain he's ever encountered-a serial killer with a hunger for mega-celebrity.Just when detective Alex Cross thought his life was calming down, he finds himself back in the game-this time to catch a criminal mastermind like no other.
A spate of elaborate murders in Washington D.C. has the whole East Coast on edge. It is like nothing Alex Cross and his new girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, have ever seen. With each murder, the case becomes ...