Always love an Alex Cross book! Even when it's old.

The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson is the 9th in the Alex Cross Detective Series.

Cross has finally joined the FBI, and he's not overly impressed. He is used to being in charge, and doing things his own way (which is often why he was in trouble with the police department). His training is not going well, as he and his instructor don't get along. His first case is also a nightmare. There are kidnappings occurring all over the country, but no ransoms are being requested. It soon becomes evident that these people are being bought and sold, by someone who goes by the name "The Wolf". They find a website where you can put in your order, and The Wolf will deliver. Tracking him back and forth across the country, the FBI think they have him a couple of times, but he has covered his tracks well. Meanwhile, Christine comes back into Alex's life, but that isn't good either.

Another fast read, and although these books aren't deep, they are good, action-packed crime novels.

The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson was okay for me felt the storyline fell a bit short for this fabulous series it fell flat in the middle he has done a lot better 3 1/2 stars

I understand why the Alex Cross series of novels are popular. They are deeply flawed with police procedural methods. A good example is when the Wolf escapes and why he was not handcuffed. The Wolf is an odd character which appeals and repels at the same time. Far fetched springs to mine. There is no intellectual challenge whatsoever in the story with its rollercoaster of short chapters. However, sometimes it’s relaxing to read a story without being challenged.

It’s odd the CIA know what the Wolf looks like but they fail to use that knowledge to identify him from all the suspects. I have read this book twice and wondering why. The Wolf escapes or is never caught and I must read the next in this series.

I would call the author the Coronation Street writer of thrillers as at times it reads like a soap opera with his 82 year old no nonsense Nana, the perfect children, an ex trying to get back little Alex and of course Alex Cross the brilliant detective who can be easily distracted when someone yells Fire!

This is a decent read. Things look full of promise for Alex Cross. His new job with the FBI is prestigious and exciting. But no sooner has he gone in for orientation, when all heck breaks loose.

An all-women team of kidnappers has been snatching successful, upstanding man and women right before their families eyes--possibly to sell them into slavery. The Alex Cross Series has been overall a good one, but there are times that Patterson does better writing than others. This one is pretty good.

As usual the case started almost immediately and while Alex Cross now works for the FBI and has a new environment around him it still felt like good old times to be back in this series, even though I kinda missed his former partner and friend John Sampson who only made a short appearance this time. Alex's knowledge of the D.C. streets, together with his unique insights into criminal psychology, make this case one that only he can solve--if he can just get his colleagues to set aside their staid and outdated methods. With unexpected twists and whiplash surprises, this is another irresistible audio program.

The story dealt with kidnappings of really beautiful women and a few men and human trafficking and had a good level of suspense. What bothered me most was that a lot of things happened way too fast and I sometimes had the impression that James Patterson didn't take enough time to thoroughly write some scenes (maybe because he is too busy publishing 8,323 novels per year). There were passages where Alex and his colleagues flew to a place, went on a mission and what felt like made it sometimes a bit hard for the reader to feel as if I a part of the investigation. Also it seemed to me as if Alex' and his team's progress was often based on luck and not on their skills which made the case appear a bit simple. I'm not very fond of Christine his former wife, but I love little Alex. So to see big Alex giving up his boy is really tough.

However I had a good time listening to the book and it seems as if Patterson has found a new remarkable villain with the "Wolf" and I'm definitely making progress. Recommend.

The Big Bad Wolf
By James Patterson

Amazing! Truly amazing. This book was absolutely puzzling and suspenseful in a way only James Patterson could achieve. James Patterson has succeeded in creating a remarkable, yet captivating novel in The Big Bad Wolf. This book was a five star book in my mind the moment I read the overview. In this novel, Alex Cross, a middle aged, new FBI agent who is also trying to decide if the FBI is the right choice for him or if he should go back to being a street cop, has to help try and catch a Russian mobster named the Wolf. The Wolf is the leader of an online site where people are bought and abducted as sex slaves by people with sick minds and a lot of money. Every time Alex Cross thinks he has found the mobster, there is another twist and they have to start all over again. While this is all happening Alex is also fighting for custody of baby Alex from his ex-wife who has not been around for most of the babies life and is living in Seattle.James Patterson kept me guessing throughout the entire book: how would Alex Cross catch the Wolf, will Alex maintain custody of his young son, and will Alex continue as an FBI agent or return to the police force.

While the book is a good read, the ending ruined the book for me. I enjoyed the short chapters and the change of character focus throughout.

I enjoyed this installment in the Alex Cross series. The villain (known as the Wolf) was okay but it wasn't as thrilling as some of the other Cross books I've read. I'm still going to read them all though because I love that Alex Cross is from DC and is a stand up black man and a good role model for all.

Ένα μέτριο επεισόδιο της σειράς Alex Cross από τον "γράφω κεφάλαια των 500 χαρακτήρων -και δεν εννοώ περσόνες- Patterson.

Ο Κρος είναι πλέον στο FBI και μετά από ένα "δοκιμαστικό" περιστατικό ομηρίας, περνάει στο κυρίως πιάτο της δράσης. Ένας κακός Ρώσος (τύπικαλ...) με το προσωνύμιο "Λύκος" απαγάγει και πουλάει γυναίκες (και άντρες αν είναι gay ο πελάτης) βάσει προδιαγραφών που θέτει ο αγοραστής. Και όλα αυτά μέσω ενός (πολύ exclusive) chat room, που δε μπορεί να μπει η σάρα και η μάρα. Τα πράγματα είναι δύκολα, γιατί πέραν του ότι κανείς δεν ξέρει πώς μοιάζει ο Λύκος ή έστω το πραγματικό του όνομα, το παρατσούκλι δεν είναι τυχαίο... ο Λύκος περνάει στην αντεπίθεση και δεν αφήνει τίποτε όρθιο.

Στο side story, η μητέρα του μικρού Άλεξ, επιστρέφει από το πουθενά για να διεκδικήσει την κηδεμονία του παιδιού τους που... καιρό πριν εγκατέλειψε. Σε μια σπάνια στιγμή ρεαλισμού τής αποδίδεται σχεδόν αυτόματα η κηδεμονία (για κάποιο λόγο σε όλα τα δικαστήρια της υφηλίου ο πατέρας θεωρείται υποδεέστερος γονέας a priori) παρά το γεγονός ότι δεν είχε καμία αναστολή να παρατήσει το παιδί της και να εξαφανιστεί χωρίς να δώσει σημεία ζωής.

Ο Κρος ψάχνει να βρει τα νήματα (και τα πατήματά του στο νέο του πόστο), σε ένα μάλλον χλιαρό θρίλερ, με αρκετά loose ends και λιγότερη συνοχή απ' όσο θα περίμενε κανείς από έναν μετρ του είδους. Καθώς το βιβλίο δεν τελειώνει με σύλληψη, αλλά μέ έναν ακόμη φόνο του πορωμένου Λύκου, αναμένεται μάλλον συνέχεια (πρέπει να ανακαίνοζε το σπίτι τότε ο Πάτερσον και χρειαζόταν το ρευστό).

Easy to read. Somewhat interesting story. Not too much detail or feeling behind it.

Not his best effort here. Another Alex Cross book, but this one was not great.

First off, Alex Cross has become sooo obnoxious. Patterson tries way way way too hard to make him the perfect human being and perfect cop. Single dad, raising three kids, living with his grandmother, PHD from John's Hopkins, plays classical music on his piano to relax, reads poetry, athlete, grew up on the wrong side of the tracks. Come on, barf barf barf. Also, how does a cop from SE DC raise 3 kids in a Georgetown townhouse? Does no one else financial mismatch here? The more I read these books, the more Cross becomes a terrible character. Once of my biggest problems with this whole characterization, is that Patterson tries to pain Alex as this incredible father, but he regularly goes weeks on the job with barely seeing his kids. I was actually glad he lost custody of his son at the end of the story. That is how tired I have gotten of his perfect guy routine.

Secondly, this book has huge jumps when connecting dots in the case they are working on. So many times, they figure out some connection when there is absolutely nothing that makes it believable someone would make that link. This was continually frustrating.

Lastly, the thing I hate most in detective books is the whole local cops vs FBI drama. This is so boring and contrived and makes an author look like a hack. There is soooo much of this in Big Bad Wolf, probably because Cross just left the DCPD for the FBI so there is so much stupid, boring, played out, FBI vs PD garbage.

In the end, this is still a Patterson book, so there is good mystery and action. It is entertaining, but doesn't make me want to read (well listen to, I have never actually read a Patterson book) any more Alex Cross books.

The Big Bad Wolf is the ninth novel in James Patterson's Alex Cross series, which follows detective and psychologist Alex Cross and his high profile homicide cases. In this book, the same key elements found in each of Patterson's formulaic texts will drive the plot: Cross will investigate a complicated case, he will be overly qualified for whatever obstacles he faces, he will determine the identity of the murderer (who is typically working at the request of a more intelligent nemesis), he will fall in love with a colleague or mess up his current relationship, he will promise to quit his job to spend time with his family though he never will, he will praise his grandmother for caring for his children while she ails because she is overworked, he will speak about his children with admiration and love though he consistently chooses his job over his family, he will utilize several cop cliches during his investigations, and no matter what errors he makes the situation will rectify itself through an incredulous series of events.

Patterson's formula normally comforts me as I know exactly what to expect from a mindless adventure into the life of Alex Cross. However, the cop cliches, the repeated praise for Cross' intelligence and skill (despite its apparent absence at times), and the predictable plot twists found in The Big Bad Wolf have exhausted me. Patterson possess literary suave; he definitely knows how to mass produce page turning books that the average reader can enjoy (surely, no easy feat). Mass production, however, often requires the formulaic format and the cliches that have so worn me out.