I, Alex Cross
by James Patterson
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Book Reviews of I, Alex Cross
Book Review: Vintage James Patterson
Summary: 5 Stars
James Patterson is at the top of his game in this novel. The main plot deals with Alex Cross's investigation into the death of his niece Caroline, who worked in a sex club outside Washington, DC that catered to high ranking politicians and businessmen, including a mystery man named Zeus. As Cross pursues the investigation, a bloody and massive coverup goes into action as Zeus seeks to eradicate anyone who knows anything about him. The action is riveting, the plot is well crafted, and there is a surprise but plausible ending.
The subplot deals with Nana's hospitalization, during which the reader sees the human side of Cross as doting father and grandson (Nana is the grandmother who basically raised him), as well as adoring boyfriend of Bree, who has become part of the family. The events are realistic and leave the reader with a nice feeling about a loving family that stands in stark contrast to the horrors that Cross encounters in tracking down Zeus.
I totally disagree with the negative reviews that this novel became boring, or that exploring Cross's family relationships was an unnecessary "filler." For me this novel was not only a page turner, but also nicely meshed how Cross's strong family relationships enabled him to endure the horrors wreaked by the psychopathic Zeus without Cross ever losing his own humanity. If you like James Patterson, this novel will not disappoint you.
Book Review: Worst book I ever read!
Summary: 1 Stars
I used to be an avid fan of James Patterson until he pulled the "Mastermind" out of thin air and made him Kyle Craig, his long time friend and F.B.I. agent. I read a couple of his subsequent books, but the pattern was always the same, the antagonist was revealed at the last minute with not even the slightest clue given to the reader along the way to justify the revelation. While I understand that the genre is "mystery" Patterson has become the master of the cheap trick twist ending. Maybe he does it for shock value, but it's just inferior writing. Take Michael Connelly for example. His books are well crafted, his characters are three dimensional, and the story is not padded with filler about characters like "Nana." When I get to the end, when the case is solved, I don't feel like I just downed a bowl of "empty calories." Patterson's "Along Came a Spider," my first read, was a great book but it's been down hill from there. In his television promos Mr. Patterson said "If you don't buy this book I'm going to have to kill Alex Cross off." Well I'm sorry I bought the book because his should kill Alex Cross off along with Nana and get down to some serious writing and produce something like "Along Came a Spider." Why is he throwing his talent away on this cheap, padded drivel? It's almost like he is stealing from his fans by writing these types of books.Book Review: pretty good and worth reading, but just missing that something that would make it more than a mediocre alex cross novel
Summary: 4 Stars
i'm reading all these alex cross novels a bit out of order, but i've read most of the old ones, and what 'i, alex cross' is missing, for me anyway, was alex cross actually doing the detective work. i understood that it was an important case for cross due to the involvement of a family member, but pretty much none of it was in his jurisdiction, and he's NOT an fbi agent anymore, and basically the whole thing was solved by the fbi. it seemed more like although he tried to get things done, alex never got anywhere close, and anytime he was close it was because his friend mahoney from the fbi included him on a raid, just to be nice. alex cross just didn't actually solve anything, and i enjoy it when cross actually helps to solve things using his brain. here alex got a phone call and took off into action, but i never felt he was integral to the case being solved, so it lost something because of that. the ending is interesting, though i don't know it's all that surprising, (which is also unusual and not great for patterson), in fact i had guessed who the murderer was about halfway through i think; too much foreshadowing this time maybe made it much to obvious....after writing this review and comparing it to others like roses are red, it definitely is a mediocre alex cross novel, but still interesting enough and better than most other random crime solving novelsBook Review: an interesting read
Summary: 4 Stars
In James Patterson's latest thriller "I, Alex Cross," Detective Cross confronts the brutal murder of his niece Caroline and ends up being involved in an investigation whose culprit is a serial killer with ties to the White House. As bodies pile up, it's gradually revealed that most of the victims are females of a certain profession, with a connection to a mysterious client called Zeus. While Cross investigates, his beloved grandmother Nana is rushed to the hospital and falls into a coma.
The chapters are brief, and the action frequently revolves around different characters---Cross's first-person narrative mixed in with third-person narratives from victims, high powered government officials trying to contain the story, and sketchy witnesses. I found the ending surprising but simultaneously providing a strong closure to the story. This was a quick read, with an easy writing style.
Unlike some thrillers where each chapter revolves around the investigator and all events are shaped by his point of view, I appreciated the alternating narratives and action sequences. Most of the book is very action-driven, with occasional relief provided by chapters focusing on Detective Cross's relationship with his family--his ailing grandmother, girlfriend Bree, and their children. Overall, an interesting read.
Book Review: Review by www.cymlowell.blogspot.com
Summary: 3 Stars
The famous detective, Dr. Alex Cross, faces a tsunami of combustible elements in this most recent adventure, including:
*A niece is brutally murdered
*White House involvement
*Alex's grandmother (who raised him and is his confessor) is seriously ill in the hospital
*A sensual playground for the rich and famous
*Female President
*High-level cover-up swallowing everyone in sight
*An engagement ring in the pocket
*Our hero is a marked man of the best at elimination without trace
This long-running series is one of the premier suspense-mystery-thriller sagas in the genre. It is easy to understand why. This story grabbed me from the first line, held my attention throughout, and proceeded at Patterson's normal break-neck pace to an unanticipated ending.
This is a great read! It is such a joy to read the work of a master on his plane of creativity.
Maybe in a future saga, Alex will be off to exotica on a honeymoon where crisis ensnares him in a world where he does not have bearings, friends, or knowledge. He is left to his own wits to navigate in the stormy, uncharted seas, with the essence of his heart and soul adrift in a shadowy world of circling sharks.