Average police murder type of book? Well, for me, it just didn't cut it. There wasn't nearly enough suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat. The story seemed to unfold in a rather predictable manner, lacking those unexpected twists and turns that make a mystery truly captivating.

I found myself easily able to guess what was going to happen next, which took away a lot of the excitement. The characters also didn't seem to have much depth, making it difficult for me to really invest in their fates.

Perhaps if the author had added more elements of mystery and intrigue, or developed the characters more fully, this could have been a much better book. But as it stands, it was just an average read that failed to live up to my expectations.

Dek kerana desakan John, Alex menyiasat sebuah kes pembunuhan berkaitan dengan pegawai tentera. It seems that they are accused of murder but have actually been far away from the punishment although they are not the perpetrators.

The case this time, SH feels rather interesting because it involves a conflict between the police and the military, where each side is very protective of their respective 'groups'. They don't like others interfering in their affairs.

In this script, there are several dialogues in the Vietnamese language but not all the dialogues state their meanings. This makes SH somewhat wonder about what they are saying. If all the meanings of those sentences can be explained, it must be even more understandable.

And SH also likes the portrayal of the character John in this script. Usually, he is the one who takes care of Alex. He looks strong and tough. But in this, the softness of John's heart can be seen. For SH, this completes him as a human being. Not always strong and firm.

In "Four Blind Mice," the latest book I delved into within the Alex Cross series, Detective Cross finds himself immersed in an incredibly complex case.

This case revolves around a series of truly gruesome murders that involve former soldiers. The methods employed by the killer bear a striking resemblance to those of a notoriously infamous case from the past.

As Cross delves deeper and deeper into this investigation, he gradually uncovers a vast web of secrets and conspiracies. These revelations force him to question everything he thought he knew.

Equipped with his sharp instincts and remarkable expertise, Cross must race against the clock to untangle the mystery that lies behind these murders and ensure that the perpetrator is brought to justice.

Patterson's signature blend of suspense, action, and intrigue makes "Four Blind Mice" an absolutely riveting page-turner. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning the pages, until the very end.

You simply won't be able to put this book down as you become fully engrossed in the thrilling world of Alex Cross and his quest to solve this baffling case.

Reading a James Patterson novel is like having soggy cereal for breakfast. It's eatable, but not necessarily the top choice. That being said, I gave this one four stars. You can call me a hypocrite if you want. The rating isn't so much about Patterson's writing skills (which I think are few); rather, it's about his skills as a storyteller (which he excels at).

FOUR BLIND MICE features Alex Cross, a homicide detective with too much education. Morgan Freeman played the character in two movies, and Tyler Perry is set to play him in an upcoming film. Cross is thinking of leaving his job and joining the FBI as a profiler. But strange murders are happening, where the killers paint their victims red, white, or blue and leave strange calling cards at the scenes.

The killers have a connection to Vietnam and some of the atrocities committed there by American forces. I liked this part of the novel. It was fast-paced, full of action (though sometimes implausible), and kept me turning the pages. However, the novel slowed down during the parts about Nana Mama's health issues, Sampson's dating of a widow, or Cross's dating of a San Francisco detective. To be honest, I didn't pay much attention to these parts. The writing was weak here.

The novel has many problems, but Patterson can tell a story. His ability to twist and turn a plot is impressive. However, too many twists can make the story seem ridiculous. FOUR BLIND MICE has a lot of twists. Not to mention, there are many unlikely escapes. I can suspend my disbelief, but there are limits. At one point, I actually laughed out loud at a scene in the forest.

Okay, I haven't said anything positive yet. Here it is. I got really into the story. I wanted Cross to catch the killers so badly that I lost sleep. I kept reading, hoping the next chapter would reveal more. And when the plot hook was revealed, I raced through the pages, looking for the golden thread of the plot. I found only small fragments, but I loved every second of this weak novel.

Overall, I don't think you need to rush out and buy this book. I'm sure there are plenty of copies in used bookstores. But if you're looking for a quick and easy read, you could do worse. It's a great time killer.

4 1/2 stars!

This one was truly grisly. It was chock-full of murder that dated all the way back to The Vietnam War. The story was filled with dark and disturbing events that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. As the plot unfolded, it became clear that all secrets have a way of coming to light, sooner or later. The author did an excellent job of creating a sense of mystery and suspense, making it impossible for me to put the book down. I highly recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a good thriller with a touch of historical background. It's a must-read for fans of the genre.

I don't possess a large number of Patterson novels. However, the 5 or 6 that I have read are extremely entertaining and feature a fast pace.

This particular one is no different.

Here, you encounter homicides, army rangers, army conspiracies, politics, along with good old-fashioned criminal psychology and detective work. And from all these elements, you get this 4-star Alex Cross novel.

The story unfolds with a thrilling combination of these various aspects. The homicides add a sense of mystery and danger, while the army rangers and their associated conspiracies bring in an element of excitement and action.

The political backdrop adds another layer of complexity, and the criminal psychology and detective work keep the reader engaged as they try to solve the mystery along with Alex Cross.

Overall, it's a captivating and enjoyable read that lives up to the expectations set by the other Patterson novels I've read.

This is Patterson's eighth Alex Cross novel, and I have to admit, I've been quite impressed.

The guy is extremely prolific and popular, and his other books have been rather good.

However, my biggest complaint is that around page 300, I discovered that Cross, the main character, is African American, not white as I'd initially assumed. And it was a reasonable assumption: Patterson is on the back cover of the book, and he sure appears to be a white guy to me. My issue isn't with the character's race; it's with having to readjust my mental image of him three-quarters of the way through the book. It seems like something an author might want to mention a little earlier, perhaps.

Cross should have been a familiar character, but I read a great many books. Patterson's other Alex Cross novels, in order, are:

Along Came a Spider

Kiss the Girls

Jack & Jill

Cat & Mouse

Pop Goes the Weasel

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

Four Blind Mice

The Big Bad Wolf

London Bridges (due out in November)

The main plot was somewhat cool. It revolves around a team of ex-Vietnam Ranger villains who are hired assassins with a twist - they frame other soldiers for their kills. Evidently, the wheels of justice move more quickly in the military than in the rest of the civilized world. Several men have already been executed for crimes they didn't commit. Cross and his partner/sidekick John Sampson are on the case.

Side plots include Cross struggling with a decision centering on accepting an FBI job, worrying about his aging grandmother, and a budding romance with a homicide detective on the other side of the country. Sampson also finds love, and the hot dating scenes thrown in about every fourth chapter are painfully unappealing. It feels like Patterson is trying hard to appeal to female readers - his resource was a stack of Danielle Steele novels and a box of Calgon.

The killers, aka Three Blind Mice, have individual personalities and are almost interesting. They videotape their violent activities and paint the victims red, white, and/or blue. This must be Patterson appealing to his male readers with lots of testosterone and psycho-manly man stuff, like raping and killing girls in a brothel.

The Associated Press said Patterson "writes thrillers as if he were building roller coasters." Maybe so, but this was more like a ride on the Wild Mouse. There were lots of twists and turns, but no depth. I'd suggest skipping this one.

Alex Cross, just before making his final decision to resign from the Washington, D.C. police force, decides to help his childhood friend and partner John Sampson with a case that involves the United States military and has its origins in the events in the An Lao Valley of Vietnam during the war. Soon, Alex Cross will find himself facing a large conspiracy that must under no circumstances be uncovered, otherwise the military's secret and the honor of veteran soldiers are at risk!

The central idea of my book appealed to me because it dealt with the Vietnam War and all that it entails, something that we have all seen in movies or read about in books. Through the plot, the murders of innocent officers who are lured into traps and the killing of defenseless Vietnamese prostitutes, and the blind obedience that the military represents, stories of horror and a truth that would be better forgotten emerge, leaving behind many unjust deaths and even more soldiers with psychological problems. Once again, James Patterson prefers to reveal from the start the real killers who manage to set up sophisticated traps for officers, leading them directly to the death penalty. However, page by page, I discovered that the driving force behind the murders, Tetartos the Blind Fox, is someone who remains in the shadows until the author himself chooses to reveal him to us.

This mystery that surrounds the story gives Alex Cross the opportunity to team up with Kyle Craig, a satanic personality and former FBI agent whose role was revealed in the previous book of the series, "The Night School Murders", in order to determine if he is the one behind the killings. The solution to the mystery is found in something that appears at a logical moment and not out of nowhere, motivated and assisted by a person who wants to take revenge for what happened in the An Lao Valley back then. What I liked was the fact that both sides of this bloody war are depicted: the American soldiers were attacking and fighting in the villages of Vietnam, but ultimately, this was a guerrilla war, resulting in some losing their sense of proportion and any sense of humanity (we're not talking about a violation of duty or abuse of power, but something much deeper). Anyway, after a series of investigations, interrogations, manhunts, and other exciting moments, the case begins to unfold and the truth comes to light. Yes, I have some doubts here, such as how a well-trained detective like Sampson can come out in the middle of gunfire from his hiding place just to see if a victim is still alive (yes, they wound him but don't kill him) or how all this elaborate scheme can be so well organized in a place that hardly gives you freedom of movement (I'll stop here).

On a personal level, Alex Cross's grandmother, the dynamic eighty-year-old Nana Mama, starts showing signs of fatigue and undergoes a series of routine medical examinations for her own good. John Sampson meets and marries Billie Houston, the widow of a victim of the "Three Blind Mice" killers. Meanwhile, Alex Cross, completely disillusioned with the butchery and inhuman minds he has encountered so far, although he wants to resign from the police force, begins to consider the offer of the FBI director, Ron Burns, to become an agent for them and at the same time spends significant time with the agent from San Francisco Jamilla Hughes, whom we met in the previous book. Will this love be able to succeed? What feelings have been created in Alex Cross and how will he manage his complex and dangerous life?

"The Four Blind Mice" is the 8th book in the Alex Cross series and is a good story about the investigation of some revenge killings and a secret that the United States military wants to keep well hidden.

As usual, when driving to Virginia in the middle of the night, I listened to a Patterson murder mystery.

I need something that can keep me awake. (Thankfully, this one didn't have gunshot sound effects, as that last time sent my dog into a frenzy.) But it also doesn't require my close attention.

I mean, without a doubt, Alex Cross will vow that this is his final case (but it won't be). He will fall head over heels in love with someone. He will go on and on about how much he adores his children while still neglecting them. His grandmother will contract some life-threatening illness (but of course, she'll pull through). And, obviously, he will pursue a brilliant and terrifying killer and come perilously close to dying himself at least twice.

Phew!

Seriously, I'm fully aware of how bad these books are. I really do know. I know I should stop listening to them. But there's just something comforting to me about their predictability and terribleness.

It's like a strange sort of guilty pleasure that I can't seem to give up. Maybe it's the familiarity that makes me keep coming back for more, even though I know it's not the best choice.

But for now, I'll continue to listen to these Patterson murder mysteries on my late-night drives, and just enjoy the ride.

This is one of the earlier Alex Cross tales, and I was extremely pleased with it from start to finish.

The story masterfully maintained the storyline, captivating the reader to such an extent that they desired to keep reading long after they were tired. We simply had to know what was coming next.

Alex is requested to assist his friend, John, in looking into a case where a soldier is accused of a triple homicide and sentenced to death. Alex decides to offer his help, but there is far more happening than meets the eye. How can they exonerate the accused before his execution date? Why isn't the Army cooperating, and why is everyone turning their backs on them? As Alex and John race against the clock to conduct their investigation, other situations begin to surface. Who is responsible for this? Who are they working for?

Meanwhile, Alex is grappling with issues at home regarding his aging Nana and commencing a new relationship with a homicide detective from California. He has a lot on his plate, and now he himself may have been placed in harm's way.

This is an excellent story that has ignited my interest in the earlier stories within the Alex Cross series.

I read quite a few chapters of this book. At first, it seemed quite interesting and held my attention. However, as I progressed further, I reached a point where I simply could not continue.

The story started to become convoluted and the characters' actions and motives were no longer clear to me. I found myself constantly having to reread passages in an attempt to understand what was going on, but it was all in vain.

Frustrated and losing interest, I finally decided to abandon the book. It was a difficult decision, as I had invested so much time in reading those initial chapters, but I knew that if I continued, it would only be a chore and I would not gain any enjoyment from it.

Perhaps this book was not meant for me, or maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind when I picked it up. Either way, I have learned that it is okay to abandon a book if it is not working for you. There are so many other great books out there waiting to be discovered.

Easy review here. This piece truly shines a spotlight on Sampson, with more of his story being told. There are also more stars involved, which adds an extra layer of interest. It's easy to be pleased with this story as it has a certain charm. However, it's not overly unique in terms of plot. What makes it stand out is the background and the feelings that these two brothers have. This aspect is presented in a very well-done manner. The author has managed to create a vivid picture of their relationship and the circumstances that surround them. It's a story that engages the reader and makes them want to know more about Sampson and his brother. Overall, it's a good read that offers a combination of entertainment and a deeper exploration of the characters' emotions.