Four Blind Mice

Having fought a bloody battle with a criminal mastermind, the weary Alex has decided to leave the Washington Police Force. Another factor in his decision is a new romance: his life has changed since he met the seductive Jamilla Hughes. But (readers won't be surprised to hear) Alex is persuaded by John Sampson to take on one final case: his closest friend has been indicted for a grisly double murder. Fingerprints and DNA evidence link the suspect with two women who have been savagely knifed at an army base, but Alex comes to believe that he's looking at a frame-up. And as the resourceful detective cuts through a swathe of intrigue to uncover both a complex plot and a malign opponent, he finds himself in quite as much danger as in any of his confrontations with super-intelligent serial killers. Those familiar with previous Patterson novels as will know exactly what to expect here. If there is less time than usual spent on developing Alex's personality, that's because Patterson is more than ever putting his skills at the service of an extremely fast-moving narrative. Four Blind Mice will keep Patterson admirers more than happy. --Barry Forshaw

Reader Reviews:

Another Cross Suspense Thriller (2/2 people found this helpful)

James Paterson's narrative style has improved with this writting. We once again follow Alex Cross as he works on a homicide case. But this time, he is brought into the case by his best friend and partner John Sampson.

An old army budy of John's from Vietnam, a decorated veteran with a perfect record, is convicted of a brutal murder. And Alex can not accept this. He ask Alex to investigate this crime as a favor. As they delve into the murder, they find that there is more then one crime associated with the Army that have the same profile. The army does not cooperate with Cross, and we are left wondering if they are protecting their own, or hiding something.

There are a lot of distractions in this book, and some background. We learn why John feels like he was rasied by Alex's grandmother, Nana. The fact that John servered in Vietnam before going to the police academy. Both John and Alex have new budding relationships. And Nana is sick.

As usual, we know who the killers are toward the begining of the book. And we get to see things from the killers propsective as our hero, Alex Cross tries to catch them. Still, the book is a page turner and I read it in one day.

A'ght (0/0 people found this helpful)

I never thought I would say this about a JP book but It was okay nothing exciting. I rushed through the chapters and closed it without looking back cha!

Easy to read, easy to forget (0/1 people found this helpful)

This book was the first Patterson book I have read, and I have to admit I wasn't impressed. About the only positive thing I have to say is that it rattled along at a good pace.

The plot felt like a real missed opportunity, as it was an interesting idea badly executed. The baddies were weak, caricature villains and the dialogue between them was truly dire (along the lines of 'I feel like doing some killing' 'yep, I sure do love killing', I mean, come on!)

Add to that the predictable 'twist' at the end, the dull shoehorning in of a bit of romance, and the seeming invincibility of the two bungling detectives, and you end up with a really shoddy book. A shame, because I think with a bit more care and attention, the plot could have made a good story.

Good (4/4 people found this helpful)

Mr Patterson here has written a very good book. Alex Cross being the strongest of the characters he has created, I expected good things from this book, and I was not disappointed. A criticism that I have is that in some places the story doesn't seem to move, and in other parts it skips to fast. Regardless of this the story is easy to follow. There are a lot of charcaters in the plot so it can be quite difficult to remain 100% certain as to whom each character is. My own personal favourite detail of this book is the characater growth of Sampson. Before he has only been a side character with not too much of the emotional weight put upon him, but here we see more from his side. Impressed with the book, and the extra glow that is given here to other novels of his, such as 'Along Came A Spider' is that there are twists, and old characters thrown in from the past. A very good read.

One very important word = ENJOYABLE! (3/5 people found this helpful)

I have followed the Alex Cross series from the very beginning. I love the characters Patterson has created. I enjoy the stories Patterson keeps producing. It is as simple as that! These novels are not academic, non-fiction. They do not pretend to be anything else but enjoyable crime novels. I have noticed that the last few books in this series tend to get very mixed reviews and this surprises me somewhat. I fully admit that the series is now rather far-fetched, or Alex Cross is the most unlucky guy in the world, but I feel this could only have been unavoidable if Patterson was to continue the series. And long may he continue it!

Another love interest, a friend in need, family concerns........ oh and some very nasty killers to add to the formula. This is what Patterson throws at the reader in this Cross adventure. Once again, the characters are written brilliantly and evolve, as now expected. For me, if you have enjoyed the series so far, then this is a MUST BUY/READ. Better than Roses are Red and Violets are Blue. Admittedly, it is more of the same but with another different angle - a very good one at that.

I really don't know what all the negativity is about. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Isn't that what is important when reading fiction? Well, for me, it certainly is. A nice, enjoyable distraction from work and the seemingly (at times) endless world of academic texts. Great characters, good plot and plenty of twists. THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE!

James Patterson

Editorial Review: