On paper, this sounds like an awesome thriller. You've got a Russian kidnapping ring, a brilliant criminal mastermind, a hidden website for sadistic sexual predators, the return of Kyle Craig, a teenage computer hacker marked for death, and surprise plot twists galore. You've also got Alex Cross' first experiences with working for the FBI, as well as the looming threat of him losing custody of his baby son. All that's missing is an author who can do any of it justice.
I'm guessing a lot of people read Patterson, not because his books are great, but because they are just so darn convenient. You can finish a chapter in just a minute or two, which makes them perfect for reading in sporadic bursts of very limited free time. And, of course, they are paced like a bullet.
I read THE BIG BAD WOLF in between sessions of a government forum I attended for work. Any time there was a coffee break or the presenters needed a few minutes to set up, I was able to knock down another two or three chapters. I also read pieces of it on the subway, and to kill time on my lunch break. In that respect, THE BIG BAD WOLF was a satisfying read. It kept me from being bored without requiring much effort on my part. Patterson's books are such easy reads that distractions almost don't matter.
As an actual piece of literature, however, the best thing I can say for it is that I didn't mind it--which is a better review than I gave to the previous Alex Cross installment, FOUR BLIND MICE. I've had a soft spot for Alex Cross ever since watching Morgan Freeman in KISS THE GIRLS as a teenager. That movie was a major reason why I initially wanted to major in Criminal Justice in college. So, in some ways, it feels nice to reconnect with Cross now and again, even if it's in the context of another tepid James Patterson thriller. And this one has sort of a "to be continued" aspect to it, which means I'll have to pick up the next installment before this one vanishes from my memory--considering what a forgettable book this is, I'm sure that won't be long.

Rightly rated by The Times "Unputdownable"

The first section of the book had me a bit worried. Alex is now an FBI agent. Everything kind of glosses over his training and the lack of relationship-building he is participating in, and then bam a hostage negotiation.... that is over faster than any on record. I was worried that this might have been the fizzle of my beloved Alex Cross...

Enter the WOLF! LOVING this villain So much! He is despicable. He is narcissistic, and he is all of the things that you love to hate in a villain. James Patterson did a fabulous job allowing him such narrative freedom to really add depth to this series to reinvent the cat and mouse game in each new book.

Sadly Alex's character probably portrayed his stress and depression a bit TOO well, as it was bumming me out when it was his turn to narrate. The little Alex stuff was mostly making me mad, and I was trying to see things from all perspectives, but that end was brutal... I feel like Christine may be taken out at some point in the future since that seems to be the best way for Alex to get his way.... kill the adversary, hahaha. Sadly there wasn't much of Sampson as he is shacked up now.

The interwoven web of wondering who is involved and who the Wolf is will have your mind whirring. So many shocking reveals and twists that I really didn't see coming. Bravo, Mr. Patterson... Alex is back in the game and showing the feds that he can dominate on any playing field! I look forward to more action in the continuing chase of n  n

5 solid stars from me!

What a great book! Kept me on edge and guessing. Someone should smack Christine upside the head, Hard!

I liked it but it wasn't as good as some of the others in this series.

A series of kidnappings with no ransoms perplexes Alex Cross and his fellow FBI agents. Both men and women have been kidnapped in places like shopping mall parking lots and have later turned up dead. The victims were all tortured before they died. Apparently, they are being kidnapped by a Mob-type network and given to psychopaths who pay a high price to have them as slaves for their own satisfaction. The monster believed to be behind the kidnappings is a criminal mastermind known as the Wolf, who is ruthless beyond belief and has never been photographed. Alex Cross must rise above the fray of bureaucratic disputes and solve the puzzle of the Wolf before more innocents are tortured and killed.

The story tells a tale of problems occurring in today's world: the rise of the Russian mafia and the kidnapping of college and suburban men and women for the pleasure of a psychotic buyer. The Wolf, a psychotic Russian mobster, is a crude and dangerous, yet fascinating character. And Alex Cross' battles with FBI bureau heads are interesting and believable. This is an exciting thriller from beginning to end that will stick with you long after you have finished reading.

Book 9 in the Alex Cross series.

This has nothing new; the only new thing is the names of the characters.
This is nothing more than formula writing. The first two books were a huge success so why kill that goose that gave you these eggs.
The story staggers between gross violence and sweetly sick sentimentality.
Alex Cross is now the FNG at the FBI. Although he is still undergoing training the FBI feel he is the right man to take on the Wolf, who is one seriously sick individual.
If the intent was to show just how incompetent the FBI are then this is a roaring success. How many times can the FBI get it wrong? Endlessly it seems.
Every descent thriller needs some twists and turns but it is possible to get too much of a good thing. Accusing the wrong guy became so predictable you just knew where it was heading.
This is not a bad read, if this was your first venture into the world of Alex Cross you’d thing that it’s pretty good but after reading 9 of them they start to pale a bit.

If you’re are a devoted James Patterson fan, you wont be disappointed with this effort. It’s just more of the same that you have enjoyed in the past.

3 stars is the best I can do.

Now Alex Cross is after those who kidnap white woman that are purchased by others for their pleasure. He is now working for the FBI, rather than the Washington D C police dept. This is a book that will be continued. Although many of the more minor criminals have been caught, the leader, the Wolf, has not. Also, Alex's baby is being fought over for custody by the mother.

گرگ بزرگ بدجنس یکی دیگر از سلسله کتاب های الیگس کراس میباشد.
در شهر های پنسیلوانیا و آتلانتا ای امریکا گروه پیدا میشود که دختر و بچه های مقبول را اختطاف میکنند. ربایندگان از تکنالوژی روز یعنی انترنت قرار داد های خود مخفیانه انجام میدهند. دو خانم به نام های آدری و آلزبابت و یا لیزی و یک دانشجو به نام بنجامین از همین ربوده شده گان میباشد.
خوب داستان از همین جا برای پیدا نمیودن اشخاص ربوده شده آغاز میشود که سرانجام. اولین رباینده بنام تایلور را شناسایی میکنند و اما اف بی ای در تعقیب والف ویا همان گرگ است که بلاخره دستگیر میشود اما دوباره موفق به فرار میشود.
الیکس کوچک، پسر خورد الیکس کراس و کرستین که بدون مادر نزد پدرش به مدت یک سال بود دوباره مادرش کرستین میخواهد که پسر خود را بدست بیاورد. و الیکس کراس هم مجبور به این میشود که دست از جنجال بردارد و اجازه بدهد که پسر بزد مادرش برگردد.

I loved the easy connection with Alex Cross. I did feel like the danger and suspense only ever lasted for a few quick moments. The ending was a little bit of a let down. I did enjoy going through the disappointment with people as Alex experienced it.

Not one of my favourites in the Alex Cross series so far but still enjoyable. It did keep me wanting to read on but I felt myself losing a little interest around the 3/4 point. It wrapped up so quickly too, the ending just was abrupt, I understand that things are never fully tied up in these as there is always another but this book felt unfinished.

Alex Cross's personal life is also in the limelight in this book but it felt so clumsy and out of the blue, I think it's a way of progressing his love life but it didn't feel right or in character. It was trying to be an emotional moment but again it was rushed and messy and Alex didn't seem effected as much as he clearly should be.

Some of the sicko's in this book were really well written and creepy - I wish we would have focused more on these people than all the other stuff. Kyle Craig was back in this book too and I don't think that we have seen the last of him which I am looking forward to. On to the next.

Rated R—(my personal opinion based on content)