We're embarking on an international adventure with Alex Cross in this one, dear readers! But make no mistake, it won't be a pleasant jaunt - not by a long shot. The Wolf is making all kinds of outrageous demands, and, for the sheer fun of it, has enlisted one of Alex's other adversaries, The Weasel.

How on earth can you catch someone who always seems to be one step ahead? The truth is, it's nearly impossible, even when the world's top law enforcement agencies unite. The clock is truly ticking because if they don't meet the deadlines, yet another major global city will fall victim to a terrorist attack. Specifically, one of their bridges. But what's the significance of that?

Published way back in 2004, this serves as a stark reminder of a time when the world changed in an instant and was never the same again. It's truly terrifying stuff. Still, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

The action-packed pursuit had me completely engrossed. However, if I were in Alex's shoes, I'd be utterly exhausted by now, constantly jetting around at a moment's notice. Not to mention, being constantly in harm's way. Give the guy a break and let him relax and sort out his priorities already!

London Bridges is an improvement over the previous installment. The Wolf and The Weasel collaborating to cause mass destruction? Sign me up! But, alas, why wasn't there more of this dynamic duo? I was left wanting more.

Also, what's with that ending? It feels like a bit of a cop-out. Then again... perhaps we're being deceived. After all, it's James Patterson, and he always has a trick up his sleeve.

4.5

Mr. Patterson is widely regarded as the best-selling author in the world. However, here I am giving a three-star review instead of five. Objectively speaking, Mr. Patterson has achieved better results from his writing compared to everyone else, and thus must be doing something better.

This makes me feel a bit silly, but here goes.

The Alex Cross series is my favorite among Patterson's books, and Cross is my favorite character. His adventures are gritty, relatable, grounded, and incredibly suspenseful. This is also true for "London Bridges," but to a lesser extent.

Most of the grittiness is gone. In fact, Cross spends a significant amount of time in luxurious settings and jetting around. The organic feel of D.C. is lost in favor of a glamorous spy-ride through Europe. This book feels more like an action movie than a detective drama.

Cross seems less relatable than in previous books. Although Patterson maintains the character's voice quite well, this story places Cross in situations that are a bit too fantastical, making it difficult to maintain a sense of closeness to the character. This leads to...

The story lacking a firm grounding. I applaud Mr. Patterson for having some of the disasters planned by the Big Bad Villain actually occur. However, in doing so, he broke the scale of the reader's emotional connection to the story. Some huge events take place in this book, but Cross's reaction to these large events seems deeply impersonal, and the reader can even forget they happened. Towards the end of the book, a series of major events occurs that could form its own novel, but they are essentially summarized in a few pages. They don't feel real. Some of them might not make sense (I got a little confused about how the story transitioned from one thing to the next - maybe it was just me not paying attention). Anyway, at times the story drifted from a personally gripping narrative to almost a reporting of events. This contributed to...

A lack of suspense. I can only tolerate so much wildly improbable content before suspension of disbelief becomes strained and the story loses its sense of immediacy. I'm not saying that fiction needs to be completely realistic, but plausibility matters. One example is the Big Bad Villain in this story. The villain seems bent on the ruination of all human happiness and social harmony simply because of "EVIL! Cackle, cackle, cackle." Add to that the villain's limitless wealth and infinite layers of plans and deceptions, and the core conflict starts to feel rather contrived. It's hard to feel invested in such silliness.

Did I enjoy the story? Yes! Was it well-written? Yes! But was it up to the same standard as previous Alex Cross novels?

I didn't think so.

Musuh lama Alex, the Weasel, is once again presented in this script. The cooperation between the Weasel and the Wolf will bring more problems to Alex. Four cities become the target of the Wolf in order to obtain what he desires.

The strength and wisdom of the Wolf cannot be denied in this script. How he is able to gather people who are proficient in their respective tasks, how he is able to cause unease in the hearts of all those involved, and how he eliminates whoever he desires already sufficiently depicts the strength he has.

I am dissatisfied with the ending of this story. The Wolf is characterized as someone who is cunning and overly smart, yet his ending is like this. It doesn't seem to match his nature. And there is a question that remains unanswered. What is the relationship between Klara and the Wolf?

High literature this ain't! You'll enjoy it anyway!

LONDON BRIDGES is a book that offers pure pace, pure dialogue, pure hard-driving action, and pure plot. That's the good news. However, the bad news is that it reads like a high-speed jet boat ride in the very shallow end of a very large swimming pool. There is no depth, no character, no development, no background, and no scenery.

Patterson is certainly capable of much better. But for many readers, including myself, LONDON BRIDGES will come up to a passing grade, depending on your mood and what you're after at the time. I happened to be in exactly the right mood when I picked this one up. Like a rock-em, sock-em made-for-television thriller drama, this novel requires no attention or effort to follow. The action and the plot are more than enough to absorb you completely and pull you from the first page to the last. (Did I hear somebody say "screenplay"?) And the plot? Well, it's full of mass murder, assassination, nuclear weapons, terrorism, Russian mafia, extortion, snipers, assault teams, megalomania, globetrotting, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security, and more!

Oops! Silly me! I said there was no character development, but that isn't quite true. In a moment of weakness, Alex acknowledges that he is "smitten" with his new lady friend, detective Jamilla Hughes. And he continues to show that, despite his dedication to the job, he is the consummate family man.

I haven't read BIG BAD WOLF yet, and it's been a long time since I read POP GOES THE WEASEL. But I don't think I missed a thing as references to the Weasel and the Wolf as bad guys in LONDON BRIDGES seemed forcibly shoe-horned into the story.

High literature, this ain't! But put your feet up, relax, and turn the pages quickly. It's practically unavoidable. Think of LONDON BRIDGES as a giant vacuum cleaner - it'll pull you along like an irresistible force, but ultimately... it still just sucks!

Paul Weiss

I'm probably extremely jaded.

However, it seemed a little preachy in certain areas.

Overall, though, it was decent and approximately on par with Patterson's typical work.

Perhaps my weariness has made me more critical than I otherwise would be.

Nonetheless, there were still some aspects of the piece that were enjoyable.

It had its moments of interest and kept my attention to a certain extent.

While it may not have been a masterpiece, it was a solid effort from Patterson.

Maybe with a different mindset, I would have found more to appreciate in it.

But as it stands, it was a decent read that didn't overly disappoint.

It's just that my high expectations may have led to a slightly more lukewarm assessment.

Nevertheless, it's still worth considering for those who are fans of Patterson's style.

Plenty going on in this one.

A madman, out for vengeance and supposedly in league with Al Quaida, is threatening to blow up major cities in the world.

Time is short, and this guy has all the angles covered. He seems to have inside help, which has put all the major Western world leaders on the back foot.

His demands are huge volumes of cash and the release of some political prisoners.

Alex Cross is in a constant state of motion, traveling from one city to another, always just one step behind.

The tension mounts with each passing moment, and there are some unexpected surprises along the way.

Overall, it's a good, fast-paced novel that will keep you turning the pages, eager to find out what happens next.

You'll be on the edge of your seat as you follow Alex Cross's race against time to stop the madman and prevent a global catastrophe.

The story is filled with action, mystery, and suspense, making it a must-read for fans of thrillers.

Don't miss out on this exciting adventure!

The Wolf is back, and this time he is causing even more trouble than before.

He prowls through the forest, terrifying the other animals with his fierce growls and sharp teeth.

The rabbits hide in their burrows, the birds fly high up into the sky, and the deer run away in fear.

But the Wolf doesn't care. He is hungry and wants to hunt.

He attacks a small lamb, but the lamb's mother comes to its rescue and chases the Wolf away.

The Wolf is angry and发誓 to get revenge.

He continues to cause chaos in the forest until one day, a brave hunter comes along.

The hunter sees the Wolf and knows that he must be stopped.

He takes aim with his rifle and fires.

The Wolf is hit and falls to the ground, dead.

The animals in the forest are relieved and celebrate the hunter's victory.

The forest is now safe again, and the animals can go about their lives without fear of the Wolf.

What was this?

It was a mysterious thing that caught my attention. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was exactly. It seemed to have an air of enigma surrounding it.

As I looked closer, I noticed its unique features. It had a shape that was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The colors were vivid and yet somehow muted at the same time.

I was filled with curiosity and a desire to know more about this object. I wondered where it had come from and what its purpose might be.

Was it a relic from the past, with a rich history waiting to be discovered? Or was it something new and unknown, a creation of someone's imagination?

These questions swirled in my mind as I continued to study this mysterious thing. I knew that I had to find out the truth.

And so, I embarked on a journey of exploration, determined to uncover the secrets of what this was.

Wow, what an intense and nail-biting story it is! The suspense is palpable, and the over-the-top mayhem keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. My heart was pounding like a drum, my blood pressure skyrocketed, and I felt as if I was right there with the SWAT team, in the midst of the chaos and confusion that ensued after the cold-blooded murders of innocent people by two notorious killers, The Weasel and The Wolf.

In the beginning, The Wolf scouts out The Weasel, and together they embark on a global terroristic conspiracy. These two are ruthless beyond measure, but The Wolf takes it to a whole new level. He is pure evil, power-hungry, a complete and brutal control freak, and a money hoarder. What is the reason behind this complete death and destruction? Who are these people?

What kind of hangup or connection does The Wolf have with his obsession with murder, fast sports cars, and bridges? Who is this sinister terrorist who has governmental officials from around the world on lockdown, in a paranoid state of alert, and eating out of his hands for some of the most insane demands? The Weasel meets his end, but he was just a pawn in this sinister plot, not quite as diabolical as The Wolf, whoever he or she may be. Alex Cross and intelligence officials have theories about the identity of The Wolf, but nothing concrete. They have many missing pieces to the puzzle in order to bring The Wolf down. Somehow, this all seems like a crazy nightmare of a game. The Wolf is always one step ahead of them.

The Wolf definitely outsmarted his adversaries. He had them running around like headless chickens, from one place to the next. He is cunning, arrogant, and has left many law enforcement and government officials sleepless at night. This is a heart-racing page-turner, but I had hoped that in the end, The Wolf's demise would have been more dramatic...if this was indeed the real Wolf! Hmmm..... Overall, it's a good, thrilling read that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

This is my last Alex Cross book.

I have to say that it is really disappointing. There is just no resemblance to the first book, "Along came a Spider".

The story in this latest installment seems to lack the excitement and the engaging plot that made the first one so memorable.

The characters don't seem as vivid and the twists and turns are not as thrilling.

It feels like the author has lost the magic that made the Alex Cross series so popular in the first place.

I was really looking forward to this book, but unfortunately, it has failed to meet my expectations.

I guess it's time to say goodbye to Alex Cross and move on to other series.

I actually really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book.

The action was brilliant, fast-paced, and interesting. It kept me reading page after page, and the short chapters were a great help in that regard.

However, the last 1/4 brought it down a whole star. For such formidable baddies, the ending went out with a whimper instead of a bang.

Alex's home life/love life is starting to bug me. It's all over the place and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it anymore. It's like James Patterson can't decide who Alex should be with and just keeps flip-flopping around.

The actual plot flowed really well. It was a little simplistic and seemed a bit too convenient, but overall it was good fun. I will definitely be continuing with this series.

I'm curious to see how the story develops further and if the author will manage to improve on some of the aspects that I found lacking in this particular installment.

Despite its flaws, this book still managed to keep me entertained and engaged, which is a testament to Patterson's writing skills.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing what new adventures Alex Cross will embark on.

Alex Cross - book No. 10
The big bad 'Wolf' has made a grand return. On his path, he picks up the 'Weasel' from 'Pop Goes The Weasel'. But that's not all. He then proceeds to overtly attack not only the FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security but also targets the USA, UK, Germany, France, and Israel. It seems he is forming a coalition between the Red Mafia and Islamic Fundamentalism. Yes, indeed. Despite the fact that the series has always been a bit on the extreme side, this time it takes a significant 'shark jump' as organised crime now employs international terrorism for revenge and financial gains. However, Patterson, in his remarkable way, still manages to make this book a real page turner. The readers are so engrossed that they eagerly want to see how, or if at all, they will manage to capture the Weasel and unmask the Wolf. Out of 12, this book gets a 4.