Our Review
The Cradle Will Fall
James Patterson, bestselling author of Pop Goes the Weasel, Along Came A Spider, and Kiss the Girls, returns with Cradle and All, a re-edited version of an older book, Virgin. Somewhere between the gritty psychological works of John Sandford and Thomas Harris, Patterson has firmly wedged himself among the world's bestselling thriller writers and has mined an area of suspense that is all his own. In Cradle and All, Patterson leaves the world of serial killers behind once more and enters into the realm of dark fantasy and outright horror, bringing his own masterful touch to an allegorical story pitting good against the darkest evil.

In 1917, at the French shrine of Lourdes, three children witness a vision of the Virgin Mary and are given a divine message. Two girls are destined to become pregnant though immaculate conception, one bearing the Messiah and the other giving birth to the Antichrist. Former nun and ex-cop-turned-Boston P.I. Anne Fitzgerald is hired by the Archdiocese to investigate the apparent virgin pregnancies of two teenage girls. Kathleen Beavier is a rich, spoiled Boston brat who hears voices and feels herself constantly being watched. After attempting to get an abortion at a seedy clinic, Kathleen discovers the mutilated corpse of her doctor -- but was he killed by malignant forces or by so-called good ones to keep from harming the Messiah? Her counterpart is 14-year-old Colleen Deirdre Galagher, a chaste and charming girl who attends a Catholic boarding school in rural Ireland and who must suffer the sneers of her fellow students as well as those of her pious teachers.

As the pope lies dying from a mysterious virus, Father Nicholas Rosetti, an "expert on miracles," suffers from a mysterious attack in Rome before being sent by the Vatican to keep an eye on Colleen. Fitzgerald's own murky past comes to light when she is reunited with Father Justin O'Carroll, the priest she fell in love with and eventually left the order over. Soon the fulfillment of various biblical apocalyptic prophecies begins to take place, including famine, floods, and plagues that sweep across the planet. As occult forces gather to stop them, Fitzgerald and Fathers O'Carroll and Rosetti race to discover which child is the savior and which one may very well doom all of humanity.

The Catholic flavoring of Cradle and All adds another level of intrigue to the novel, giving us a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Vatican's active attempt to save the world. Patterson knows how to stretch out his suspense factor with incredibly short chapters and increasingly taut plot elements. The author's writing is clear and controlled, distinct without being so stylish that his voice impedes or hampers the narrative. His attention to the smallest details of characterization add credibility both to our protagonists and to our villains despite the supernatural events swirling around them throughout the novel.

The plot flies by with such speed that you'll suffer from friction burns from turning the pages so quickly. Once again, Patterson proves that he's more than capable of turning in a highly readable, cunningly crafted novel that transcends both the mystery and horror genres. Cradle and All is an intense, action-packed, and thought-provoking meditation on the clash between light and dark that will leave the reader moved, disturbed, and delightfully thrilled.

—Tom Piccirilli

From #1 best-selling author Patterson, this "surprisingly good," "heart-pounding and fast-paced" suspense story (lacking his beloved Alex Ross character) tells of the clash between good and evil at the end of the millennium with "an unforgettable ending." "No serial killers anywhere!" Dissenting reviewers said, "I was transported to a better book on my nightstand." "Patterson struck out with this one - a disappointment for his followers."

His Alex Cross series (Pop Goes the Weasel, etc.) has made Patterson a top-selling author, but his most interesting work lies elsewhere: in his debut mystery, The Thomas Berryman Number; in last year's SF thriller, When the Wind Blows--and in this exciting and moving religious thriller about two pregnant virgins, one of whom may carry the Son of God and the other the Son of the Devil. If that plot line sounds familiar, it should. The novel is a reworking of Virgin, Patterson's second novel, published in 1980 by McGraw-Hill and long out of print. The narrative features the first-person/third-person narrative mix that's Patterson's trademark. The "I" belongs to ex-nun Anne Fitzgerald, now a PI. Her latest case for the Church involves investigating--and guarding--Newport, R.I. (i.e., rich), teenager Kathleen Beavier, who's eight months pregnant but, by expert medical testimony, a virgin. The Church is particularly anxious about Kathleen's condition because the Third Secret of Fatima (a real-life secret guarded by the Church since the Virgin Mary allegedly revealed it in 1917) prophesied two pregnant virgins: one bearing the Savior, the other the Devil's child. Anne eventually learns that indeed there's a poor girl in Ireland who's also pregnant, yet a virgin. Which girl carries which child? For texture, Patterson throws in some romance between Anne and a priest, but the novel's considerable suspense arises from his treatment of the central question as he speeds the action from America to Ireland to the Vatican, complicates it with a media frenzy over Kathleen, sharpens it as supernatural forces come into play and spins it with a wicked twist. While not subtle, this novel tackles issues of faith with admirable gusto. It could be a massive bestseller, appealing not only to Patterson's fans but also to those of the apocalyptic thrillers of LaHaye and Jenkins. 1 million first printing; $1 million ad/promo; Literary Guild main selection; author tour. (May) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|

A pregnant 16-year-old from a wealthy Newport, RI, family and a pregnant 14-year-old head of a household in a small Irish village are about to fulfill the 1917 prophecy of the Virgin Mary, which was delivered to three small children in Fatima, Portugal, and has been kept secret by the Vatican ever since. A virgin will deliver a "savior," who will rid the world of famine, plague, drought, and other disasters occurring in epic proportions around the globe. Another virgin will produce "the Beast," who will unleash the legions of evil, increasing human suffering infinitely. But which girl is which? Which baby is which? Who will be able to tell? The Catholic church sends Father Justin O'Carroll and private investigator (and former nun) Anne Fitzgerald to figure it out. The Vatican sends Father Nicholas Rosetti, the church's chief investigator of miracles. This threesome must battle the works of the devil--illness, disaster, hallucination, and disguise notwithstanding. Patterson's story is disappointingly thin, assuming the general public has a great deal of knowledge about the Catholic Church and its theology regarding the Virgin Mary, the investigation of miracles, and the proofs of good and evil. There are inaccuracies and inconsistencies throughout. Even the unabridged version, well read by Barbara Caruso, fails to provide explanations for the bizarre actions of some characters. Ally Sheedy provides a "valley girl" inflection to her female voices, even for Fitzgerald; Len Cariou gives a shiver-producing voice to "the devil" and a passable Irish brogue to O'Carroll. The abridgments, like most, omit details, causing the tale to be flat and making it proceed in fits and starts without satisfactory explanation. The gist of the story is there--it's just not very interesting.--Joanna Burkhardt, Univ. of Rhode Island Coll. of Continuing Education Lib., Providence Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

12/05/2016
This updated YA adaptation of Patterson’s 2000 thriller is built on a powerful premise: two pregnant teens, Kathleen of Newport, R.I., and Colleen of Maam Cross, Ireland, are medically confirmed to be virgins. This and further otherworldly occurrences (plagues, droughts) seem to conform to a prophecy given by the Blessed Mother Mary at her 1917 apparition in Fatima, Portugal, that two virgin births would occur, one the Son of God, the other the son of Satan. The Roman Catholic Church assigns Fathers Rosetti and O’Carroll to authenticate the medical claims, while a Boston cardinal hires private detective Anne Fitzgerald. Anne, the novel’s protagonist, is a former nun who gave up the calling because of feelings she had for Father O’Carroll. Her chapters, first-person accounts, are narrated by Soler, an actress who, though her Boston accent is acceptable, sounds a bit too young and too sweet for a practicing PI, even one who’d formerly carried a rosary instead of a gun. Reader Ballerini handles the objective, third-person chapters, which follow the grueling progress of Father Rosetti, whose Italian accent thickens during his many moments of extreme stress in encounters with a deep-voiced Satanic figure. Age 15–up. (Sept.)

A #1 New York Times Bestseller!

Immaculate conception is a bizarre occurrence. When two young women, both virgins, turn up pregnant, the Vatican is doubly concerned. Half of Patterson’s novel is written from the point of view of Anne Fitzgerald, an ex-nun turned private eye hired by the Archdiocese of Boston to determine if either of the virgins is bearing the child of Satan. Ally Sheedy’s pleasant voice comes across a bit too sassy to make a believable ex-nun. However, the other half of the story is narrated by Len Cariou in a smooth and compelling reading. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine