Review: I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

Hardcover: 400 pages

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Released: November 16, 2009

ISBN-13: 978-0316018784

Recommended for: Thriller/suspense fans

Teaser quote:
"I want this done fast gentlemen. Fast and clean and thorough. We need some real facts. And clarity. We need to find out who the hell Zeus is and what he's done, and then we have to deal with it like it never happened.

My rating: 3.5/5

My thoughts:

Detective Alex Cross was at home celebrating his birthday with the family when the phone rings. His niece, Carolyn, whom sadly he had not seen in many years, has been found murdered. Alex discovers the call-girl lifestyle Carolyn was living and pieces fall into place...she wasn't the only victim! What starts out as a hunt for Carolyn's murderer quickly turns into a hunt for a serial murderer with assistance from the Secret Service.

What I love about Patterson is ability to balance the thriller & family story aspects. Although not graphic, the story contains sex, violence, sexual violence...and a wood chipper. But alongside the murder investigation, we see Alex's family living a somewhat normal life. Nana is not well and this plays a huge role in the book. As a reader, it was comforting seeing the family support through the tough times and not just focusing on the bizarre case at hand.

I was a bit disappointed that the murderer was announced so quickly near the end. I was hoping to read a little bit more about the aftermath. Did the truth come out? What did the murderers wife say/do? I am a huge fan of happy endings though and the epilogue worked for me.

Although this is the sixteenth book of the Alex Cross series, it can be easily read as a standalone. For many more books by James Patterson, visit www.jamespatterson.com

In My Mailbox - October 25, 2009

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren

My goodies this week:

The world is ending. Again.
Years of covering the antics of End Times cults for The Banner, a religious news magazine, have left Christine Temetri not only jaded but seriously questioning her career choice.

That is, until she meets Mercury, an anti-establishment angel who’s frittering his time away whipping up batches of Rice Krispy Treats and perfecting his ping-pong backhand instead of doing his job: helping to orchestrate Armageddon. With the end near and angels and demons debating the finer political points of the Apocalypse, Christine and Mercury accidentally foil an attempt to assassinate one Karl Grissom, a thirty-seven-year-old film school dropout about to make his big break as the Antichrist.

Now, to save the world, she must negotiate the byzantine bureaucracies of Heaven and Hell and convince the apathetic Mercury to take a stand, all the while putting up with the obnoxious mouth-breathing Antichrist.

http://mercuryfalls.net/

I'm hoping this one keeps me laughing as much as Christopher Moore's Lamb did!




You can't run

Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.

You can't hide

The hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain--they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.

Alex Cross is your only hope to stay alive

As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable--a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.

It's been a couple of months since I read a thriller, I'm super excited to finally read this!

Giveaway: Run For Your Life by James Patterson & Michael Legwidge

A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful and the arrogant. His message is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York's elite, it is a call to terror.

Only one man can tackle such a high-profile case: Detective Mike Bennett. The pressure is enough for anyone, but Mike also has to care for his 10 children-all of whom have come down with virulent flu at once!

Discovering a secret pattern in The Teacher's lessons, Detective Bennett realizes he has just hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. From the #1 bestselling author comes RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, the continuation of his newest, electrifying series.
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Thanks to the amazing people at Hachette, I have 5 copies to giveaway!

Contest end date: October 27th, 2009

Contest rules:

you MUST BE A FOLLOWER to join. It's super easy, just click on the follow box on the right hand side if you don't follow already!

open to Canadian & US addresses only (no P.O. Boxes)

leave a comment with your email address as I will contact the winner by email. Should you win, you have 48 hrs to respond, otherwise I will pick another winner.

Additional entries:
+1 for promoting the contest on your blog
+1 for tweeting the giveaway(include me in the tweet: @hefollowedme)
+1 for referring a friend (just get them to mention your name & blog)

Good luck everyone!!