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Pop Goes the Weasel

James Patterson

Pop Goes the Weasel James Patterson Amazon Price: $7.99
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 363 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Patterson, puh leez 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I read Kiss the Girs, a serial killer. Then Spider, aha, another serial killer. Now Pop Goes the Weasel, well he popped and we got that krap all over us. This book is for those who have a choice, Nancy Drew or Pop Goes the Weasel. Patterson uses quantity instead of quality. Forget this one.

Kindle edition review 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Like the previous 4 books in the Cross series, this Kindle edition must have been converted using character recognition scanning software, because it is riddled with the kind of typos you get that way, (e.g. "n" instead of "r" and vice versa etc.) This book is particularly bad. Usually it is just annoying, but a few times I had to re-read the sentence to figure out what it what supposed to say. (Doesn't anyone edit/proof these things??)

As for the novel itself, I'm a bit tired of the cute kiddies and grandma; will probably have to take a break before deciding whether to go on with the series.

I also agree with other reviewers that the ending was a bust, scarcely believable and too much of a teaser for the next in the series. These are not stand-alone novels. (Incidentally, I was intoduced to Alex Cross with the recent "Double Cross" volume, and maybe I'm a bit dense, but it took me half the book to tumble to the fact that Cross is African American. You need to read them in order.)

After working my way through the Women's Murder Club series and the first 5 of Alex Cross, I rank Patterson (and his et al. co-authors) as a mystery/thriller "mill" that produces a modestly entertaining read for those times when you're either desperate for a one night "junk" book, or waiting for the next really good read from the many outstanding authors.

Editorial Review:

Detective Alex Cross is back-and he's in love. But his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders in Washington, D.C., murders with a pattern so twisted they leave investigators reeling. Cross's pursuit of the killer produces a suspect, a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But proving he's the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As Shafer engages in a brilliant series of surprising countermoves, Alex and his fiance become hopelessly entangled with the most memorable nemesis Cross has ever faced.

Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross)

James Patterson

Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross) James Patterson Amazon Price: $10.19
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 346 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Over the top 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

As is the case in nearly all James Patterson's novels, the villains are over the top here--geniuses, handsome devils, phi beta kappas--and the crimes they commit over years are well beyond belief. There are no crimes in real life to compare with those in this book or in other Alex Cross novels. Not even Jeffrey Dahmer or Jack the Ripper could compete with Casanova and his sidekick, The Gentleman Caller.

And Alex Cross, the psychologist police detective, is perhaps just a little too good in places and a bit naive, even blind, in others. Coupled with his character flaws are more serious plot flaws. Casanova has captured a good many women and is holding them in a cellar at a remote rural area. He parks his car some distance away and visits regularly to have his way with them. But when Cross goes looking there, he finds no path, and there surely must have been one with all the foot traffic in and out. Another flaw: Casanova gets some nasty karate kicks when he captures one victim, bone crushing kicks to the face, as they are characterized. Would there not have been clear signs of his injuries next day when he resumes his public persona? Didn't anyone notice that his nose was purple and bent sideways? It seems to me that the laws of physics apply in fiction, the same as in real life. There are other flaws as well, but two will suffice here. Certainly there are many readers who like crime fiction that goes far beyond reality, but for me it just gets funny, rather than scary, when the laws of nature are abrogated.

I have to add one observation with respect to this book and other Alex Cross novels: it is very dangerous for any woman to become closely involved with our hero. Such women get shot, raped, cut, traumatized for life, kidnapped, tortured, electrocuted, etc. Cross's love affairs are not to be envied, despite the fact that he keeps meeting gorgeous and willing females. Perhaps he should consider celibacy for the sake of society.

Editorial Review:

In Los Angeles, a reporter investigating a series of murders is killed. In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a beautiful medical intern suddenly disappears. Washington D.C.s Alex Cross is back to solve the most baffling and terrifying murder case ever. Two clever pattern killers are collaborating, cooperating, competingand they are working coast to coast.

Laughter of Dead Kings (Vicky Bliss, No. 6)

Elizabeth Peters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

For the first time in more than a decade, New York Times bestselling Grand Master Elizabeth Peters brings beautiful, brainy Vicky Bliss back into the spotlight for one last investigation. But this time the peerless art historian and sleuth will be detecting in Amelia Peabody territory, searching for solutions to more than one heinous offense in the ever-shifting sands of Egypt's mysterious Valley of the Kings.

Who stole one of Egypt's most priceless treasures? That is the question that haunts the authorities after a distinguished British gentleman with an upper-crust accent cons his way past a security guard and escapes into the desert carrying a world-famous, one-of-a-kind historic relic. But the Egyptian authorities and Interpol believe they know the identity of the culprit. The brazen crime bears all the earmarks of the work of one “Sir John Smythe,” the suave and dangerously charming international art thief who is, in fact, John Tregarth, the longtime significant other of Vicky Bliss. But John swears he is retired—not to mention innocent—and he vows to clear his name by hunting down the true criminal.

Vicky's faith in her man's integrity leaves her no choice but to take a hiatus from her position at a leading Munich museum and set out for the Middle East. Vicky's employer, the eminent Herr Doktor Anton Z. Schmidt, rotund gourmand and insatiable adventurer, decides to join the entourage.

But dark days and myriad dangers await them in this land of intriguing antiquity. Each uncovered clue seems to raise even more questions for the intrepid Vicky—the most troubling being, Where is John going during his increasingly frequent and unexplained absences? And the stakes are elevated considerably when a ransom note arrives accompanied by a grisly memento intended to speed up negotiations—because now it appears that murder most foul has been added to the equation.

Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross)

James Patterson

Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross) James Patterson Amazon Price: $10.19
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 324 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Exciting page turner..Couldn't put it down 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

[...] Seriously this was the 4th book in this Alex Cross series, it may not have been all that bad if you knew the back stories/characters. OK, coming off my soap box now.

So the basic story line, Soneji is back and he is a twisted SOB... he wants to take out as many people as possible as well as Cross. He has a plan and the plan unfolds quickly and pretty darn exciting. However through the first half of the book you start to read about this other psycho "Mr. Smith" who is one his own murder spree... the twist in plot hits! And you wont be able to stop reading!

I think this may have been one of my favorite Patterson books to date. I love the twist in plot mid way through, it really made it difficult to put it down at that point. If you are a fan of twists in the plot that you didn't see coming then this book is for you. Great Summer time read!

BTW Here is a link to the order of the Cross Series:

http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Cross-Series-In-Order-James-Patterson/lm/RPDN9G1NBTS3Q/ref=cm_rna_own_lm

Editorial Review:

That monstrous villain Gary Soneji is back in Cat & Mouse, the fourthbook in James Patterson's series about Alex Cross, a police forensic psychologist, buthe's not alone. In seeming support of the premise that you can never have too much of abad thing, Patterson has thrown a second serial killer into the mix: Mr. Smith, amysterious killer terrorizing Europe while Soneji practices his own brand of evil alongthe Eastern Seaboard. With two killers to track, Cross has his hands full--andPatterson has another hit.

2nd Chance (The Women's Murder Club)

James Patterson

2nd Chance (The Women's Murder Club) James Patterson Amazon Price: $11.19
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 259 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A page turner, but... 1 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Yes, this book has a nice simple story line that makes you turn the pages. But, those pages are usually three-page snippets (called chapters) and the four women characters of the "club" are stereotyped middle-class working women. The protaganist, Lindsay Boxer is the last person in the world you would want to see heading up a homicide squad: emotional, impulsive and not very bright. The turning point for me was when she and her department buddies wanted to apply a little pressure to a suspected murderer and parole violator. They couldn't figure out how to bring him in on murder charges, so they just showed up at his door to let him know they were watching. Why didn't they simply arrest him on the parole violation? Combine this with her impulsively chasing after bad guys by herself (twice) and her need to be rescued (twice) by a man or men (her father and homicide department buddies), and you've got a less-than-compeling lead character. I'd never heard of James Patterson before, and this book certainly doesn't incline me to read any more of his books. For my money, John Lescroarts' series of books set in the same place--San Francisco's Police Department homicide unit and legal community--are much more sophisticated and equally page-turning.

Editorial Review:

2nd Chance reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (a detective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner) who used their networking skills, feminine intuition, and professional wiles to solve a baffling series of murders in 1st to Die. This time, the murders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all the signs of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of San Francisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even more disturbing: both victims were related to city cops. A symbol glimpsed at both murder scenes leads to a racist hate group, but the taunting killer strikes again and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever more cleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk--and the killer knows who they are.

4th of July (Woman's Murder Club)

James Patterson, Maxine Paetro

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 192 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A young girl is killed in the crossfire after a routine arrest goes terribly wrong, and Lt. Lindsay Boxer has to defend herself against a charge of police brutality. In a landmark trial that transfixes the nation, Lindsay fights to save her career and her sanity.
While awaiting trial, Lindsay escapes to the tranquility of the beautiful town of Half Moon Bay. But the peaceful community there is reeling from a string of unspeakable murders. Working with her friends in the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay finds a link between these killings and a case she worked on years before - an unsolved murder that has haunted her ever since. As summer comes into full swing, Lindsay battles for her life on two fronts: before a judge and jury as her trial comes to a climax and facing unknown adversaries who will do anything to keep her from the truth about the killings. It all comes to a head before the big annual 4th of July celebration on the waterfront at Half Moon Bay.

"Patterson knows where our deepest fears are buried. There's no stopping his imagination."
-New York Times Book Review

"Patterson's skill at building suspense is enviable." -Kansas City Star

"When it comes to constructing a harrowing plot, author James Patterson can turn a screw all right."
-New York Daily News

Mary Mary

James Patterson

Mary Mary James Patterson By: Little, Brown and Company
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 184 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

James Patterson is back in form! 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Top females on Hollywood's A-list are being murdered in a particularly vicious manner. The details of each killing make it clear that the motives are entirely personal. After each killing (and in one case almost during the killing itself), the murderer sends an e-mail to a Hollywood entertainment writer gloating about the murder and virtually daring the police to come and get her. Yes, you read that correctly ... "HER"! The e-mails are all signed "Mary Smith"! Top FBI Agent Alex Cross, much to his chagrin and to the disappointment of his children and his long-suffering grandmother, is pulled away from a well-deserved Disneyland holiday with his family and ordered to act as a consultant to the LAPD on the case.

Admittedly, there's nothing about "Mary, Mary" that will elevate it beyond the ranks of enjoyable brain candy thriller to the status of literature. But it is worth noting that unlike the outrageously weak fare that we suffered through in "London Bridges", "Mary, Mary" seems to be a long awaited return to the quality of thriller that justifiably vaulted James Patterson onto best seller lists around the world. We're treated to an enjoyable plot that moves along with compelling page-turning speed. Alex Cross, in the manner of Inspector Rebus, Harry Bosch and all of the other loner cops in mystery and thriller literature successfully marches to the rhythm of his own drummer. We are also witness to some realistic character development as we watch the relationship with his current squeeze, Jamilla, go down in flames and we hurt with him as he is hauled into a nasty court custody battle for his beloved son, Alex. And our heart aches as Patterson gives us a wrenching example of the trials of a complete mental breakdown!

Literature? No. Brain Candy? Yes. Memorable? Not particularly. Enjoyable? Absolutely! Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

Kingdom Keepers, The: Disney After Dark

Ridley Pearson

Kingdom Keepers, The: Disney After Dark Ridley Pearson Amazon Price: $8.99
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this fantastical thriller, five young teens tapped as models for theme park "guides" find themselves pitted against Disney villains and witches that threaten both the future of Walt Disney World and the stability of the world outside its walls. Using a cutting-edge technology called DHI--which stands for both Disney Host Interactive and Daylight Hologram Imaging--Finn Whitman, an Orlando teen, and four other kids are transformed into hologram projections that guide guests through the park. The new technology turns out, however, to have unexpected effects that are both thrilling and scary. Soon Finn finds himself transported in his DHI form into the Magic Kingdom at night. Is it real? Is he dreaming?
 
Finn's confusion only increases when he encounters Wayne, an elderly Imagineer who tells him that the park is in grave danger. Led by the scheming witch, Maleficent, a mysterious group of characters called the Overtakers is plotting to destroy Disney's beloved realm, and maybe more.
 
This gripping high-tech tale will thrill every kid who has ever dreamed of sneaking into Walt Disney World after hours and wondered what happens at night, when the park is closed.

London Bridges (Alex Cross)

James Patterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 298 Average rating: 2.0 of 5

After the first three, each book gets progressively worst 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I read Kiss the Girls several years ago and was impressed with Patterson as an author. Several weeks ago my daughter loaned me five of Patterson's latest Alex Cross books. Before reading those books I went to the library and got the beginning eight books in the series skipping the Kiss the Girls book which was the number two book in the series.

The first two that I read, Along Came a Spider and Jack and Jill were great books. Since then I have read books 4 through 10 and they have all been one star or two star at the most. His books are getting worst with each one that I read.

London Bridges has a plot that is so contrived and unrealistic that it borders on comical. It's absurd that Wolf, the villain, had a mole in the FBI in the last novel, The Big Bad Wolf, that was never found and this same mold, or maybe a different one, reappears and is not discovered in this novel. Nothing is ever explained. The story just continues when the FBI gets a phone call, something is blown up, bodies are found or someone suddenly remembers something. No crime scene evidence is ever found to follow up on. And what an insulting conclusion.

Editorial Review:

Alex Cross is back--and so is the Big Bad Wolf. Terrorists have seized the worlds largest cities. London, Washington, DC, New York, and Frankfurt will be destroyed, unless their demands are met--and their demands are impossible. After a city in the western United States is fire bombed--a practice run--Alex Cross knows that it is only a matter of time before the bombers threats to the other cities are brutally executed.Heading up the investigation by the FBI, CIA, and Interpol, Alex Cross is stunned when surveillance photos show Geoffrey Shafer, the Weasel, near one of the bombing sites. He senses the presence of the Wolf as well, the most vicious predator he has ever battled. With millions of lives in the balance, Cross has to see if the most powerful law enforcement agencies in the world can stay ahead of these two mens cunning.

Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross)

James Patterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 241 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

I keep looking for another Patterson thriller but this wasn't it 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

A lot of loose ends abound, such as why the innocent victims were selected, how the master minds operated from solitary confinement in prison, and how all the evidence was fabricated
Since I gave four stars to the first three books in the Alex Cross series, I wonder if Patterson really wrote this book. This plot was simplistic, unbelievable and too pat.

I have complained about all the white space in each of the eight books by Patterson that I have read, so I will just say that C. H Mitchum (Chelmsford, MA USA) posted a review on January 27, 2003 that captures my sentiments exactly.

Editorial Review:

In this latest thriller from perennial bestselling author JamesPatterson, Washington cop Alex Cross gets involved in his partner's effort to save the lifeof an old Army buddy who's facing execution for a horrendous and inexplicablemurder spree in North Carolina. The Army's evidence against Sergeant EllisCooper, a decorated Vietnam vet, is overwhelming, which isn't surprising sinceit's all been planted by a quartet of killers whose reason for framing theerstwhile hero isn't revealed until long after they are. The big secret is whoset the murderers loose, and in true cliffhanger fashion, Patterson keeps itunder wraps until the very end. Meanwhile, his usual blend of action, violence,fast pacing and uninspired-though-serviceable prose prevail, and will probablydo so all the way to the top of the bestseller lists. --Jane Adams

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