Pop Goes the Weasel

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James Patterson

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Pages: 512 (Paperback)

ISBN: 0747257906

Pub: Headline

Pub date: 2000-07-06

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 6274

Editorial Review:

Likened to a "young Muhammad Ali", Alex Cross, the Porsche-driving profiler, doctor, detective and father of two has seen his fair share of vicious killers. From a bloodthirsty butcher who came after his family (Cat and Mouse) to a devilish duo working cross-country (Kiss the Girls), Cross has managed to out-manoeuvre all of his enemies. Until he meets the Weasel.
A series of killings in the forgotten, crime-infested ghettos of southeastern DC has sent Cross and his 6'9" 250-pound-partner, John Sampson in search of the "Jane Doe" killer. However, their racist, tyrannical boss George Pitman orders them to stay out of the southeast and investigate the high-profile murder of a wealthy white man. Cross already has suspicions that the murders are linked, but when Sampson's ex turns up in an abandoned southeast warehouse kicked to death, the two detectives carry on with their original investigation.
Meanwhile, Cross's long-time love, Christine, (Cat and Mouse) has taken prominence in his life and it looks as if the two will finally get hitched--with one hitch: Cross leaves the force. Although Cross's instinct tells him to quit--to not put everything he loves in jeopardy again--he's compelled to catch the Weasel. Akin to a slick, Hollywood action flick, Pop Goes the Weasel doesn't have time for meaningful character development and thoughtful moral analysis. And it doesn't need to. Its winning formula is based in short scenes (chapters average about three pages), addictive plot progression and mean dialogue:
"Sampson sighed and said, "I think her tongue is stapled inside the other girl. I'm pretty sure that's it, Alex. The Weasel stapled them together." I looked at the two girls and shook my head. "I don't think so. A staple, even a surgical one, would come apart on the tongue's surface... Crazy glue would work."
This review refers to the hardback edition of this title. --Rebekah Warren

Reader Reviews:

Spectacular Thriller (1/1 people found this helpful)

Once again we watch Alex Cross investigate a diabolical killer. A serial killer that seems to not fit into a profile. And the reason is, the killer was basing his actions on the role of a die; in a game called the Four Horsemen.

In this book Cross finds out who the killer is. His name is Geoffrey Shafer and he has diplomatic immunity. He has been playing this game with three others for years on a world wide basis. Cross is forced into the game by the horseman Death.

The thing I enjoyed the most about this book is that Cross finds out who the killer is and arrest him. The problem is their is no apparent proof. I could not put this book down. It is a page turner.

AMAZING AUTHOR..... (0/0 people found this helpful)

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE JAMES PATTERSON BOOKS, THE FIRST I READ WAS 'ALONG CAME A SPIDER' (WHICH I BORROWED FROM A FRIEND) AND I HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK. I'D LIKE TO WRITE A REVIEW FOR ALL OF HIS BOOKS I HAVE READ BUT THERE ARE TOO MANY SO I WILL WRITE A GENERAL REVIEW. JAMES PATTERSON WRITES IN SUCH A WAY THAT KEEPS THE WRITER GRIPPED FROM START TO FINISH, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S COMING NEXT. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ALL HIS BOOKS, MANY OF WHICH I SELL AT A LOW PRICE, CHECK THEM OUT. THANK YOU.

very amateurish (1/1 people found this helpful)

i downloaded a copy of this to read the first few chapters to see if it was worth my money. And to be perfectly honest i thought some computer nerd with too much time on his hands had written his version and posted it online. to actually think that this book is the work of a professional writer as james patterson is disturbing. i loved his other books and feel extremely dissapointed with this offering. i've also noticed alot of books are being released with chapters every 2 pages, what the hell is that all about. if you love james patterson avoid this book as it may well put you off him.

Engaging Alex Cross mystery. (12/13 people found this helpful)

Someone is killing randomly - mainly black and Hispanic women - but the police seem reluctant to recognise that there is a serial killer on the loose. The murder victims are, for the most part, unimportant, the detritus of a big city, people on the margins and in the shadows. But Washington homicide detective Alex Cross is determined to root out the killer and establish the connections between these apparently random crimes.

The killer, as we are quick to learn, has a solid disguise and the skills to employ misinformation and disinformation. He also has a penchant for playing games, and he appears to have read "The Dice Man". Who he kills, where, and when, are all largely random decisions - a sure way to camouflage his insanity and disrupt any pattern to the crimes.

Thus we enter a cat and mouse game, intriguingly written in two narrative voices. Cross appears in the first person, the murderer and the incidentals in the third person. It's an intriguing technique and helps elaborate a sense of distance between hunter and hunted. Patterson writes with page-turning ease and you are quickly swept up in the story. There are unsatisfactory elements - a computer geek magically comes up with answers at the right time, there are a couple of over-stretched coincidences - but it's a helter-skelter, entertaining tale and one which fans of the thriller genre will love.

Truly a page turner! (6/9 people found this helpful)

I can't put this book down. With the twists and turns in the plot, all you want to do is keep on reading until the end. Then again, you don't want it to end! This is a great sequel to the Cat and Mouse.

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