My favorite Alex Cross book so far is an absolute masterpiece.

It takes the reader on a thrilling and heart-pounding journey through the mind of a brilliant detective.

The story is filled with twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

The characters are so well-developed that you feel like you know them personally.

Alex Cross is a complex and compelling protagonist, with a moral compass that guides him through the darkest of cases.

The author's writing style is engaging and descriptive, painting a vivid picture of the crime scenes and the emotions of the characters.

Overall, this book is a must-read for any fan of the mystery and thriller genres.

It is a testament to the author's talent and creativity, and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us in the next installment of the Alex Cross series.

Such a classic James Patterson. I have always been a huge fan of his writing, and as soon as I started this book, I was reminded of why. However, this particular installment wasn't my favorite of his works.

For some reason, I felt a bit of a disconnect while reading it. I decided to try listening to the audio as well, but unfortunately, that didn't enhance my experience. The audio was a little dry, and to make matters worse, it left out whole chapters. There were consecutive chapters that were missing, and I had to go back to the book to read those excluded parts.

Moreover, the audio didn't have proper chapter breaks. It just kept going as if the entire book was one long, unbroken chapter. It was a really strange and inconvenient listening experience.

But let's get back to the actual book. One positive aspect was that I didn't manage to figure out the culprit until the end, which is always a good sign in a mystery novel. However, I did notice that Alex's character seemed a little off. He appeared to be unusually tied to his job and less connected to his kids compared to how I remembered him in previous books. As a result, his character felt a bit flat and one-dimensional. Overall, it was still a good mystery, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Whew!!! I'm ready to start on book 7.

This time, it's "Violets Are Blue" by James Patterson.

The anticipation is palpable as I'm about to embark on this new adventure with Alex Cross.

I've heard great things about this particular installment in the series.

The story is said to be filled with thrilling twists and turns that will keep me on the edge of my seat.

I can't wait to see how Alex Cross tackles the new challenges and mysteries that come his way.

As I click on the link Violets Are Blue, I'm filled with excitement and curiosity.

I'm sure this book will be another page-turner that I won't be able to put down.

Let the reading begin!

The Dragonslayer had an extremely tough time this go-round.

With each passing moment, it felt as if the odds were stacked against him.

My heart ached for him at every single turn, filled with a sense of empathy and concern.

It was truly a harrowing experience to witness his struggles.

Right up until the very last line, the tension remained palpable.

I couldn't help but hold my breath, hoping against hope that he would somehow overcome the obstacles in his path.

The Dragonslayer's determination was evident, but the challenges he faced were no small feat.

It made me wonder if he would be able to emerge victorious in the end.

As the story unfolded, my emotions were on a rollercoaster, riding along with the Dragonslayer's journey.

Would he succeed in slaying the dragon and claim his glory?

Only time would tell.

REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; AUGUST 25, 2018
Narrator: Peter Jay Fernandez

First and foremost, it is crucial to ensure that you have the next book readily available either before you commence or complete this one. The reason being that Roses Are Red is merely Part One of a two-part book.

I derived great pleasure from this installment, notwithstanding the presence of a touch of necrophilia. Admittedly, that particular aspect is not to my personal taste, but as they say, to each their own.

The pacing of the story is truly excellent, with恰到好处的tension and suspense as Cross chases after the killer and struggles to determine the identity. I must confess that I initially thought it was rather obvious, as all one had to do was listen to Cross' silent questions regarding the perpetrator. However, in order not to spoil this installment for others, I will simply say that you most definitely need the next book, Violets Are Blue, at hand before you finish Roses Are Red.

Fuck man, I completely forgot how that one ended. It's really frustrating. That novel was such a crazy ride. From the very beginning, it had me hooked with its unique plot and vivid characters. The story took so many unexpected turns and twists that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I remember being completely immersed in that fictional world, experiencing every emotion along with the characters. But now, as time has passed, the details of the ending seem to have slipped away from my memory. It's a pity because I really want to recall how it all wrapped up. I might have to go back and reread the novel to refresh my memory and finally get the closure I need.

Not a bad read overall.

The story managed to hold my interest right from the start. However, as the narrative progressed, I began to lose respect for the main character, Alex Cross.

The way he responded to his daughter's medical situation really disappointed me. I found his actions and reactions a little implausible.

It seemed that he didn't handle the situation with the kind of composure and rationality that one would expect from a character of his caliber.

Perhaps it was the stress and emotions clouding his judgment, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.

Despite this, the story itself had its merits and kept me engaged until the end.

Nevertheless, the flaw in Alex Cross's character in this regard did somewhat detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

It made me question the authenticity of his character and whether the author could have handled this particular aspect of the story better.

Overall, it was an okay read, but it could have been better had the main character's response to his daughter's medical situation been more believable.

I felt that this particular installment of the Alex Cross series wasn't the absolute best, yet it was still very good. The writing pattern is such that it makes it effortless to put the book down and then return to it later.

However, there is one thing that really annoys me. The biggest bad guy never seems to get caught. In some of the other books, certain bad guys have been identified and brought to justice. But, boy, do I渴望 to see the worst of the worst, the mastermind, finally get what's coming to him. I understand that this allows for the possibility of a sequel with a similar theme, but it leaves an unsatisfactory taste in my mouth.

I deliberately bought 'Violets are Blue' with the hope of seeing Alex catch the mastermind. But upon looking up the novel, I found out that he once again manages to elude capture. Then I learned that the Weasel is still on the loose as well. As Alex Cross himself says, he's trapped in an ongoing nightmare that he just can't seem to摆脱. But we readers deserve a break too. Alex manages to apprehend the current bad guys, but the truly evil ones, the ones who torment him, remain uncaught.

I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to pick up the sequel to "Violets are Blue". It's high time for Patterson to let Alex finally catch the Weasel and the Mastermind and move on to new and different storylines.

Number six in the Alex Cross series.

This is Alex Cross, and as expected, he is once again deeply immersed in a web of chaos and danger. I truly don't know how James Patterson manages to do it, but with each successive book, the villains become increasingly more sadistic and vile.

Alex and his new, good-looking (of course) female FBI sidekick are pulling their hair out in frustration as they attempt to catch the sadistic "mastermind". This mastermind is not only in the process of stealing a huge sum of money but also leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake. As if this weren't enough for Alex to contend with, he is also facing heartbreak on the romantic front and dealing with health issues. All is not well in the Cross household.

Everything one would expect in an Alex Cross book is here: page-turning excitement, death, blood, and the biggest, meanest monster this side of Mars. The end was a real jaw-dropper, leaving readers on the edge of their seats.

However, there are a few things that I have issue with. What is Samson, his best friend since childhood, doing in these books? All he seems to do is go around calling Alex "sugar". What is the point of this? Also, why does his family have to be so sickly sweet? I long for the day when someone in the family throws a conniption, just to show that they're human after all.

Despite these minor gripes, this is a fast, entertaining, and easy read. I would give it a four-star recommendation.

James Patterson should have written GOT season 8.

His writing style is known for its fast-paced action and engaging storylines, which would have been a perfect fit for the final season of Game of Thrones.

With his ability to create complex and interesting characters, he could have given the viewers a more satisfying conclusion to the series.

Instead of the rushed and sometimes confusing ending that we got, Patterson would have taken the time to develop the plot and characters, ensuring that every scene had a purpose and contributed to the overall narrative.

His experience in writing best-selling novels would have also allowed him to handle the large cast of characters and multiple storylines with ease, creating a seamless and cohesive final season.

In short, if James Patterson had written GOT season 8, we might have had a truly epic and unforgettable conclusion to one of the greatest TV shows of all time.

The Mastermind is the mastermind behind a series of bank robberies in Washington D.C. Those he recruits have to follow his instructions precisely, otherwise, there will be serious consequences.

He has the remarkable ability to stay hidden, closely observing the FBI's every move. No one seems capable of catching him, not even when he is in the same room. This twisted game will only come to an end when he seizes the ultimate prize: Alex Cross.

"Roses Are Red" is the sixth installment in the Alex Cross series. Over time, our favorite detective/psychiatrist has encountered numerous terrifying monsters. However, The Mastermind is truly the most challenging adversary, and Alex is at a loss as to how to bring him down. His complicated home life causes distractions on the job, leading him to miss crucial clues.

The final moment when The Mastermind is unmasked will leave everyone completely astonished.

I am extremely eager to delve into "Violets Are Blue" to explore the aftermath.

4.75

Alex Cross, the head detective of the Homicide Department in Washington and the liaison between the FBI and the Washington Police Department, returns with a case that will trouble him greatly. Bloody robberies are taking place in the city, with the victims being the employees or their families in their homes. Everything indicates that a very clever criminal is hiding behind it all, but no one can explain why he kills people since the robberies are successful! Alex Cross, along with FBI Special Agent Betsy Cavalierre, are assigned to a frenzied manhunt, where every piece of information counts!

The sixth installment of the Alex Cross series left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, it seemed almost flat, with Cross going from suspect to suspect, so we know the characters and enough details to justify a possible involvement in these robberies. On the other hand, with the cliffhanger ending and the big revelation on the very last page, it left me with my mouth open. The truth hit me like a punch in the stomach, but the book ends there and its continuation plays out in the next book of the series, "The Night School Murders". For this reason, these two books have the original title from a children's song: "Roses are red" and "Violets are blue". To be honest, I never liked cliffhangers, because very few are truly necessary, let alone here!

I had conflicting opinions about this book because I felt that we wasted precious pages of the narrative describing some situations that turned out to be pointless (with the pattern of "You caught the wrong person" being repeated to a tiresome extent) and at the same time, it seemed completely unpsychological that this particular person would hide behind the bloody robberies, the brutal murders, and the sadistic mania for torture. I really hope there is a proper explanation because this is a twist that puts the entire series of books with Alex Cross on a completely different level!

The book, therefore, seemed unbalanced to me, since in the first chapters we have the exciting manhunt of the robbers, the different robbery cases in many bank branches, even a kidnapping and ransom payment, and suddenly, as if given an invisible order, the case focuses on Cross and Cavalierre's investigation, with searching, interviewing witnesses and informants, and a step-by-step dissection of the case, so the tones dropped almost vertically. Intensity, excitement, suspense, cinematic narration at the beginning, but almost static, gradual development of the plot in the end.

On a personal level, the detective's ten-year-old son, Damon, and his six-year-old daughter, Jannie, welcome the new member of the family, Alex Junior, Cross's son with Christine, who, however, due to her kidnapping in the previous book, decides to leave Washington as soon as the school year ends. She no longer sleeps at night, is always afraid for her life, and since the man she loves doesn't change his job and continues to live with the risk, she has no other choice. Until she adjusts to her new life, she leaves her baby with Cross's family. At the same time, the detective shows emotional instability since there is a nice flirtation with Betsy Cavalierre, but will he manage to have something nice? Will he ever be happy again with a woman by his side? Finally, Jannie has a health incident with a tumor in her brain, but as a story, it doesn't affect the developments, and the whole stance, behavior, and emotional state, especially of the children, that is, how they handle all this struggle, didn't convince me at all.

"The Big Burn" is a new adventure of Alex Cross, with a manhunt, revelations, adventures in Washington, Virginia, and Florida, sadistic murders, and a very clever, brutal, and bloodthirsty man who hides behind the alias "Brain" and has targeted the elimination of Alex Cross.