Oh, that ending!

It was truly something unexpected and left me completely in awe. The way the story unfolded and then reached that final moment was just remarkable. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but let's just say it was a twist that I never saw coming. It made me reflect on the entire narrative and look at all the events in a new light.

This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, and the ending was the perfect capstone to an amazing journey. I found myself thinking about it long after I had turned the last page.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story with a powerful and unforgettable ending. It's one that will stay with you for a long time. And that's all I'm going to say about this book.

Paterson is known for creating short and snappy characters. However, in this particular story, there are so many flaws that it borders on the absurd.

The Weasel is introduced, tortured by the Wolf, and then suddenly starts working for him. There is virtually no character development to speak of, with the Weasel simply being portrayed as bad, the Wolf as stark raving mad, and any redeeming qualities being as insignificant as that of a gnat.

Bridges are blown up, nuclear devices make an appearance, and world leaders tremble and pay off the Wolf. Meanwhile, the Weasel is killed relatively easily by Alex in London.

Alex's love life also takes a more complicated turn. The ending is extremely confusing. Who on earth was the Wolf? Was the guy who had plastic surgery and fell to his death the Wolf? Or was it Klara, the wife of the dead British agent? Or perhaps it was the bodyguard Alex spotted squeezing a black rubber ball? If the Wolf is supposed to be this brilliant mastermind criminal, then getting caught in such a simple way seems rather implausible.

Furthermore, why does Alex make an 80-year-old cook, clean, and look after his kids? Is the Wolf really dead? And will Alex stay with his current girlfriend? The ending was not only anticlimactic but also quite annoying, leaving readers with a plethora of unanswered questions and a sense of dissatisfaction.

My 10th Alex Cross book - I sprinkle them in once in a while, not reading all of them in a row. However, Patterson pulls me back into the story within 3 - 4 pages, so there's no need to worry about that.

In this one, The Wolf and The Weasel are back. It was fast-paced as usual, but there wasn't as much Nana Mama and Sampson as I like in these books. That's not to say they weren't in the story, and it's not to say I didn't enjoy the book. I just think part of the appeal of reading about the same detective over and over is that we get to be part of his family life too.

Anyhow, I'm sure you know (since there is a book 11) that Alex gets through this challenge too. It was a worldwide effort this time, and you'll get to travel to London, Paris, Switzerland, and more if you read this book. The story takes you on a thrilling adventure across different cities, with Alex Cross facing numerous challenges and trying to solve the mystery. The action-packed plot keeps you on the edge of your seat, while the characters continue to develop and grow. Overall, it's another great addition to the Alex Cross series.

This story takes us on a thrilling journey between Europe and the USA.

At times, it can get a bit confusing as to just why Alex Cross had gone to Europe.

The plot is filled with excitement and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

However, I felt that the ending was rather lacking and a bit flat.

It didn't quite deliver the impact that I was hoping for after such a build-up.

Perhaps a more satisfying conclusion could have been crafted to tie up all the loose ends and leave the reader with a stronger sense of closure.

Overall, the story had its moments of excitement but the ending left something to be desired.

Sigh. Once again, I find myself reading another Cross book, and once again, it is poorly written and completely unrealistic. Patterson is far from being a master of dialogue. In fact, he struggles with it. He simply cannot write kids convincingly. He has this unfortunate habit of making them sound much too old and worldly wise. Jannie and Damon are particularly guilty of this, but even little Alex uses phrases that only a 50-something writer might come up with. And the kids suddenly seem to know everything about every country Alex visits, including the languages. It's just silly and totally implausible.

Many of the plot points in this book are so unrealistic as to border on the absurd. Would a proper 40-something British man use a word like "skank"? Would he even be familiar with it? Is it possible that in his attempt to seem current, Patterson Googles "current slang terms" and then randomly inserts them into the story, regardless of whether they make sense or not? His efforts to make the Weasel sound British by using words like "sodding" and "bloody" are beyond ridiculous. At one point, a British cop claims his Czech wife is "totally British now" because she listens to British radio. Apparently, in Patterson's mind, liking the BBC is what defines a person as British. Why is the book even called London Bridges? The main focus that matters is actually in Paris, but I guess that wouldn't have had the catchy title he was after. Who cares if it makes no sense in the context of the story?

Considering that Schaefer was brutally tortured into complying with the Wolf, it seems very strange that he happily takes orders from a guy who almost killed him and doesn't even attempt to escape. The part where he is killed seems forced and without any real reason. He suddenly decides to kill Alex on a public street in front of a government building? What did he think would happen? And where was the other guy who was supposed to be there? That entire sequence makes no sense and gives the impression that Patterson simply ran out of ideas and wanted to get rid of him.

Why would Alex inanely comment on how great it is that his London hotel is near Buckingham Palace and Parliament when he is in the middle of stopping a terrorist attack? After the NY attack, Alex says nothing about it and keeps harping on the deadline as if NY never happened. And regarding the NY attack... A bridge is taken down in a terrorist attack, and then a second bridge is destroyed days later? Wouldn't there be an enormous amount of security around every bridge in the cities the Wolf threatened? After 9/11, every tall building in America was on high alert! They knew the Wolf was planning to strike again, so it's completely unrealistic that they wouldn't take precautions and at least be monitoring the bridges.

Would a group of Middle Eastern terrorists meet with and trust a Russian guy when they're not even sure of his identity? Would they sit calmly by while he murders one of their own? Would they even allow a white guy who refuses to reveal his true identity access to their secret meeting places? Would anyone be able to get into that meeting without being searched for weapons? Would al Qaeda really need to collaborate with the Wolf when they are more than capable of handling their own affairs? Would former tough-as-nails KGB guys cower in the face of the Wolf? Even if they thought he might be dangerous, it seems strange how openly nervous all these tough KGB men were. It seems out of character. Why would they even meet with the Wolf when they knew he was killing off everyone who knew his identity? It's totally implausible!

Would world governments really have no idea who the Wolf is? Would they be so ill-prepared three years after 9/11? With all the money that was poured into overhauling government agencies and enhancing security, isn't it highly unlikely that all these Western world leaders would be so completely unprepared? Even given the circumstances, it's extremely improbable that powerful leaders would stutter and act afraid on the phone with a guy threatening their countries. They all seemed clueless and stymied about what to do, which is absurd.

Is it plausible that nobody ever sees the bad guys unless the Wolf plans for them to be seen? He kills everyone he meets, many of them in public, but nobody ever witnesses anything. All it takes is a threat or two, and people are willing to do anything. He kills a doctor and nurse and assumes there's no record of his visit. He has plastic surgery without anesthesia and doesn't react because he's such a tough guy. A doctor equipped to perform major surgery in her office? Also, the body has its own natural reaction to intense pain, regardless of what the mind wants. He almost certainly would have fainted or had some sort of physical reaction to the intense pain he was experiencing. But that wouldn't fit with the image of the Wolf as a hardass. Sigh. All the public killings became redundant and insulting, given how ridiculous and absurdly implausible they were.

Knowing that the Wolf is Russian Mafia, is it likely that he meets with a bunch of other Russian mobsters in NY without anyone knowing? Wouldn't they already be under surveillance by the FBI and CIA? With so many people involved in the Wolf's scheme, wouldn't at least one person defect to the FBI?

Why do they keep insisting that NY and DC are unprepared for a terrorist attack when they implemented plans after 9/11, including evacuation procedures? In a post-9/11 world, is it realistic that people could set explosives on a busy NY bridge without anyone noticing? Patterson reached a new low in bad taste when he had people jumping off the bridge. He obviously wanted to remind us of the awful footage of people jumping out of the WTC. There was no real reason for people to just jump off the bridge without waiting to see if there was another option. This entire book was in extremely bad taste, given all its comparisons to 9/11.

It felt like Patterson was on a mission to make the West seem as weak and stupid as possible. Somehow, the Wolf's technology is superior to that of all the other countries in the free world? How would that even be possible unless he has a team of inventors hidden away somewhere who have secretly developed new technology that nobody has seen before? As a general rule, governments are usually the first to adopt the most cutting-edge technology. But Patterson writes it as if the Western powers are still using DOS while the Wolf has an iMac. Then he has heads of state freaking out and coming across as very weak and uncertain whenever the Wolf calls. They have no idea what to do and pay him the ransom without making any real progress in the case. Israel would never negotiate with terrorists, especially if they were connected to al Qaeda. This almost became like an alternate reality story because so much of it would never happen in real life. Yes, this is fiction, but Patterson goes to great lengths to insert realistic details in his books because he wants you to believe that the events could actually occur.

Is it plausible that the Wolf has so much power and control for no other reason than money? Would the Wolf really have infiltrated government agencies without being detected? How do they know "something terrible" happened to him in Paris but have no idea what it is? If nobody had ever met the Wolf or knew his real name, how do they know he likes fast cars or anything personal about him? Cross keeps poring over the Wolf's CIA file, but it seems to have no details about the guy at all, so what's the point?

In a post-9/11 world, would random homeless guys be able to gain access to the Hoover building compound without being stopped? Would readers still care about the true identity of the Wolf when it keeps changing every few pages? Does a story still have meaning when the bad guy is constantly killed off and then pops back up again in another chapter or in another book? Does the author lose credibility when he keeps tricking the reader and resurrecting old villains? Is a story worth reading when it turns out that the bad guy was never even close to being revealed?

Is Alex Cross even a competent detective or does he just follow the violence? Nothing is prevented here, and lots of people die, and parts of cities are destroyed, including NY just a few years after 9/11. Isn't the whole point of a detective story that the hero stops the bad guy from harming people? When Alex does have some sort of breakthrough, does it even make sense that he would arrive at that conclusion, or is the author taking liberties to advance the plot? Patterson always has Alex "working late into the night." But what exactly is he working on? He makes precisely zero breakthroughs in the case unless they are handed to him on a silver platter. He's always working late and shuffling papers around, but getting nowhere. What's the point of all this?

Does anyone still care about Alex's love life? Would Jamilla get angry and consider it a dealbreaker when her cop boyfriend gets called into work, or would she be understanding since she's a cop too and is used to it? Do we really need another sex scene where Alex says he "kissed her down there"? If Alex keeps acting frustrated and put out every time he's called into work, do we even believe him anymore? Is there ever a time when he actually wants to go to work, or does he just enjoy complaining every time the phone rings? When he tells his kids they are the most important thing in his life and then disappears to work for days, is he lying? When Nana Mama yells at Alex for going to work, does it seem realistic that Alex wouldn't sit her down and explain that work leads to a paycheck that pays for all the food she's constantly cooking? Why does he even still live with his grandmother? What woman would happily date a guy living with his nosy, bigmouth grandma? Would Nana encourage Alex to step out with another woman when she knows he's still dating Jamilla?

They had a warrant for a Swiss bank account and found deposits made from another account which the warrant didn't cover, yet they were still able to look at the activity on the other account? How? Swiss banks are renowned for their high level of confidentiality, so it's highly unlikely that they would violate someone's privacy just because Alex Cross asked. Does Patterson think we don't pay attention to what's on the page, or is he the one not paying attention?

You’ll like me better if I’m honest.

The body count in this story is astonishingly high. So much so that the author simply doesn't have the luxury of time to fully develop the characters. Instead, we are introduced to characters from other, earlier books in the series.

However, these old characters, despite their familiarity, don't bring about any significant changes apart from a difference in appearance.

Nevertheless, I still managed to enjoy the story to some extent. But I found myself skimming through certain parts, perhaps because I was eager to get to the truth.

Frequently, the James Bond music seemed to play in my mind, and Goldfinger even made an appearance. Interestingly, in books, the concept of endless death seems more tolerable than it does in movies.

Despite my reservations, I will continue to plough on. After all, compared to this, Inspector Montalbano and Archie Goodwin are far better characters, with more depth and charm.

Another action-packed addition to the series!

It offers a great blend of the personal and professional aspects of Alex's life. Patterson, as always, has me on the edge of my seat, constantly guessing where Alex's personal relationships are headed. There is an abundance of heartbreak in this story, which adds an extra layer of drama and emotion.

Thankfully, there is some progress on the front of catching the bad guy in this installment. Finally! This gives me hope that the mystery will be solved and justice will be served.

I'm still highly intrigued by the story and the characters, so I will definitely move on to the next book in the series. I can't wait to see what adventures and challenges Alex will face next.

James Patterson is one of the leading figures in the mystery and crime novels.

He has written dozens of novels about security breaches, intelligence agency conflicts, and the use of crime to achieve security goals or impose strict laws that limit the freedom of individuals and groups.

"Killer Instinct" (assuming this is the relevant novel) explores the conflicts of security agencies at both domestic and international levels, as well as the cooperation of international security agencies.

It shows how some security agencies within a single country attempt to fail, target others, and create security crimes.

"Killer Instinct" tells this story in a stylish, smooth, and eventful manner.

Patterson's works are known for their fast-paced plots, vivid characters, and ability to keep readers on the edge of their seats. His novels have been widely read and adapted into movies and TV shows, making him one of the most popular mystery and crime writers of our time.

I just finished this one, fucking finally!

I had bought it way back in 2004 and it took me 18 years to read it.

Now, it wasn't because I thought it was that bad. Fuck no! But I stopped reading books for many years. I just lost the motivation, I guess.

So, actually, the one I had gotten stuck on was Four Blind Mice (2002). That one, I just could not get into for years, for whatever reason. That one turned out to be a dud in the series anyway. But this one wasn't that good either.

Now, the Big Bad Wolf, I fucking loved! This one fell flat on its ass. I mean, it's not among the worst I've ever read, to be fair. But I also was waiting for it to end as well.

So, if you are reading them in order, read it. Hell, don't skip any of them really, only because shit gets mentioned in other books from past books. So, to keep yourself up to date, read it. My vote is 3/5.

The Alex Cross TV show is truly long overdue.

For years, fans of the Alex Cross novels have been eagerly waiting for a proper adaptation on the small screen.

The character of Alex Cross is complex and multi-faceted, and it would be amazing to see him brought to life by either Idris Alba or Omar Sy.

Both actors have the talent and charisma to do justice to this iconic role.

Idris Alba has proven himself in numerous roles, with his intense gaze and powerful presence.

Omar Sy, on the other hand, has a charming and engaging screen presence that would make him a great fit for Alex Cross.

With the right actor in the lead role and a talented team behind the scenes, the Alex Cross TV show could be a huge success.

It would not only appeal to fans of the novels but also attract a new audience who would be captivated by the thrilling storylines and compelling characters.

Let's hope that this long-awaited TV show finally becomes a reality and that we get to see either Idris Alba or Omar Sy step into the shoes of Alex Cross.

Alex Cross is an excellent character, and his decision to join the FBI makes for an excellent read.

His journey as he enters this new world is filled with excitement and anticipation.

We get to see him face new challenges and use his unique skills and abilities to solve crimes.

The story unfolds in a thrilling manner, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

As Alex Cross becomes part of the FBI, we witness his growth and development as a character.

His relationships with his colleagues add depth and complexity to the narrative.

The author does a great job of creating a vivid and engaging world that the reader can easily get lost in.

Overall, this is a must-read for fans of crime fiction and those who enjoy following the adventures of a strong and determined protagonist.

Alex Cross's decision to join the FBI is a turning point in his life, and we can't wait to see what lies ahead for him.

I have to say that I feel this book is truly lacking in effort.

The plot lines are inconsistent, which makes it difficult for the reader to follow the story smoothly.

Moreover, the addition of new characters in a confusing manner undermines the impact of the big reveals, making them seem a little less exciting than they should be.

The conclusions are also unsatisfying, leaving the reader with a sense of dissatisfaction.

To be honest, I'm not a fan of this book.

However, I'm still going to continue reading the series because they are quick reads and I'm hoping that there will be an improvement in the subsequent installments.

But at the moment, I'm really disappointed with this particular book.