James Patterson – Best Crime Books and More

Crazy House by James Patterson

Synopsis: Becca Greenfield, 17, disappeared one morning on her way to school.

Everyone from her town, including her twin sister, is desperately searching for Becca.

They won’t find her.

Becca is being held prisoner in the crazy house.

She’s on death row, but is completely innocent.

No one has ever gotten out of the crazy house alive.

But there’s always a first time.

Kat’s Rating: 2/5

Kat’s Review: I will be honest and say that when it comes to books such as the Alex Cross and Bennett series I consider myself a Patterson fan. However, I HAVE had a few books which I have really not liked by him. Sadly this is one of them! I am aware this is a YA book and is different from the usual Patterson style of writing. However, once again it calls into question just how much input he had and whether this was more a book written by Gabrielle Charbonnet and just maybe contributed to by Patterson.

The story itself is okay, but even that as a description is maybe stretching it a little. Having said that it takes skill to even write a book, let alone make it amazing! I don’t want to re-hash the storyline to pad out a review because the general synopsis can be found in many places. What I will say is I didn’t particularly like the characters, and this mirrored the Hunger Games too much for my liking. Some of the dialogue was cringe-worthy and I just found myself completely un-interested in what would happen. I completed the book out of sheer will rather than anything else and although there is a follow up book I don’t care too much about it that I want to read any more. Not recommended by me I am afraid!

Cross Justice by James Patterson (Alex Cross #23)

Synopsis: When his cousin stands accused of a terrible murder, Alex Cross returns to his North Carolina hometown for the first time in thirty years.

As he strives to prove his cousin’s innocence amid small-town corruption and prejudice, Cross unearths a family secret that makes him question everything he thought he knew.

Chasing the ghosts of the past, Cross is pulled into a case baffling local police: a grisly string of murders, all of socialites. Hot on the trail of a brutal killer as well as his own past, Cross knows the answers he finds might be fatal…

My Rating: 4/5 Continue reading “Cross Justice by James Patterson (Alex Cross #23)”

Publication List – James Patterson

Alex Cross Series

1. Along Came a Spider (1993)
2. Kiss the Girls (1994)
3. Jack and Jill (1996)
4. Cat and Mouse (1997)
5. Pop! Goes the Weasel (1998)
6. Roses Are Red (2000)
7. Violets Are Blue (2001)
8. Four Blind Mice (2001)
9. The Big Bad Wolf (2001)
10. London Bridges (2004)
11. Mary Mary (2005)
12. Cross (2006) aka Alex Cross
13. Double Cross (2007)
14. Cross Country (2008)
15. Alex Cross’s Trial (2009) (with Richard DiLallo)
16. I, Alex Cross (2009)
17. Cross Fire (2010)
18. Kill Alex Cross (2011)
19. Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (2011)
20. Alex Cross, Run (2013)
21. Cross My Heart (2013)
22. Hope to Die (2012)
23. Cross Justice (2015)
24. Cross the Line (2016)
25. The People Vs. Alex Cross (2017)
26. Target: Alex Cross (2018)
27. Criss Cross (2019)

Women’s Murder Club
1. 1st to Die (2001)
2. 2nd Chance (2002) (with Andrew Gross)
3. 3rd Degree (2004) (with Andrew Gross)
4. 4th of July (2005) (with Maxine Paetro)
5. The 5th Horseman (2006) (with Maxine Paetro)
6. The 6th Target (2007) (with Maxine Paetro)
7. 7th Heaven (2007) (with Maxine Paetro)
8. 8th Confession (2009) (with Maxine Paetro)
9. 9th Judgment (2010) (with Maxine Paetro)
10. 10th Anniversary (2011) (with Maxine Paetro)
11. 11th Hour (2012) (with Maxine Paetro)
12. 12th of Never (2013) (with Maxine Paetro)
13. Unlucky 13 (2014) (with Maxine Paetro)
14. 14th Deadly Sin (2015) (with Maxine Paetro)
15. 15th Affair (2016) (with Maxine Paetro)
15. The Trial (2016) (with Maxine Paetro)
16. 16th Seduction (2017) (with Maxine Paetro)
16. The Medical Examiner (2017) (with Maxine Paetro)
17. 17th Suspect (2018) (with Maxine Paetro)
18. The 18th Abduction (2019) (with Maxine Paetro)
19. 19th Christmas (2019) (with Maxine Paetro)

Michael Bennett
1. Step on a Crack (2007) (with Michael Ledwidge)
2. Run for Your Life (2009) (with Michael Ledwidge)
3. Worst Case (2010) (with Michael Ledwidge)
4. Tick Tock (2011) (with Michael Ledwidge)
5. I, Michael Bennett (2012) (with Michael Ledwidge)
6. Gone (2011) (with Michael Ledwidge)
7. Burn (2012) (with Michael Ledwidge)
8. Alert (2015) (with Michael Ledwidge)
9. Bullseye (2016) (with Michael Ledwidge)
9.5. Chase (2016) (with Michael Ledwidge)
10. Haunted (2017) (with James O Born)
10.5. Manhunt (2017) (with James O Born)
11. Ambush (2018) (with James O Born)
12. Blindside (2020) (with James O Born)

Alert by James Patterson (Michael Bennett #8)

Synopsis: New York has seen more than its fair share of horrific attacks, but the city is about to be shaken in a way it never has before.

Two devastating catastrophes hit in quick succession, putting everyone on edge. Detective Michael Bennett is given the near impossible task of hunting down the shadowy terror group responsible.

Then a shocking assassination makes it clear that these inexplicable events are just the prelude to the biggest threat of all. Now Bennett is racing against the clock to save his beloved city – before the most destructive force he has ever faced tears it apart.

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Kat’s Review: I really like the Michael Bennett series however sometimes the books can be a little bit hit and miss and sadly in this case for me it was just mediocre. Normally these books pull me in but for some reason this one felt stilted or maybe I just need a rest from reading about terrorism?!? I didn’t feel like Bennett really got his usual outing where he uses his brainpower. This seemed more about packing in as much action as is humanly possible.

We hardly get to see the Bennett clan at all which is another minus for me, although I did like the addition of Martin the kid sitter! I read this and was reasonably engaged but although the storyline ticked along it just felt like it had been churned out to keep people happy. Finished this in record time as I do with most Patterson books but got to the end and just know it’s unforgettable which is never a good sign. I will continue to read the next in the series as normally I love them so I guess the odd one or two I’m not overly enthused with isn’t so bad.

Hope To Die by James Patterson (Alex Cross #22)

Synopsis: Detective Alex Cross has lost everything and everyone he’s ever cared about.

His enemy, Thierry Mulch, is holding his family. Driven by feelings of hatred and revenge, Mulch is threatening to kill them all, and break Cross for ever.

But Alex Cross is fighting back.

In a race against time, he must defeat Mulch, and find his wife and children – no matter what it takes.

Kat’s Rating: 4/5

Kat’s Review: It’s been nearly 10 months since I last read a Patterson Book, and 22 months since I last read an Alex Cross novel. Lately I have been a bit despondent with them although to be fair the last Alex Cross novel I read was a pretty good read. With that in mind I decided to fall back into Alex life, which with a Patterson novel is usually pretty effortless. Thankfully James Patterson demonstrates just how easy he finds it as I was plunged straight back into Alex Cross world and the one thing guaranteed to break the man, the loss of his family.

This latest release is book 22 in this series, which in itself is something of an achievement. Alex Cross has become a legendary fictional character and some of his early books from this series are still in my opinion some of the best I have ever read. However the series, along with many other JP books appear to be on shaky ground with fans across the world. I can include myself in that group as sometimes there is such a thing as ‘too much of a good thing’. Thankfully the last book ‘Cross My Heart’ was a vast improvement even though I wasn’t impressed with the ending. When you reached the end it makes it impossible for you to not buy this latest release as there are no conclusions until now. That kind of irritates but enough whining, on with the review of this latest.

With Alex Cross now in a perilous situation, we see him at possibly his most vulnerable. His arch enemy and frankly ruthless killer Thierry Mulch has taken those dearest to Cross, his family and Alex has now become the victim. This makes for an astonishing and very fraught opening with the book and one that has you reading incredibly quickly. Alex becomes a character that we not only know and love, but one that we now see stripped bare.

The book is based on the cat and mouse game between Alex and Thierry and has all the elements for a perfect Patterson/Cross novel. Short, sharp and punchy chapters interspersed with danger and threats from every corner. I have to be honest and say I was pretty gripped with the storyline from start to finish. I felt like this was Patterson going back to his roots and shows all of this authors talents at it’s finest. There were a few minor gripes (hence the 4 and not 5 stars) but overall I felt like James Patterson was finally back to his true style of writing. I found myself eager to get book 23 ‘Cross Justice’ but at nearly a tenner, I think I’ll wait!

Burn by James Patterson (Michael Bennett #7)

Kat’s Rating: 3/5

Synopsis: Detective Michael Bennett finally returns to New York City – and to the most unsettling, horrific case of his career. At last, Detective Michael Bennett and his family are coming home to New York City. Thanks to Bennett, the ruthless crime lord whose vengeful mission forced the Bennett family into hiding has been brought down for good. Back in the city that never sleeps, Bennett takes over a chaotic Outreach Squad in Harlem, where he receives an unusual call: a man claims to have seen a group of well-dressed men holding a bizarre party in a condemned building. With no clear crime or evidence, Bennett dismisses the report. But when a charred body is found in that very same building, he is forced to take the caller seriously – and is drawn into an underground criminal world of terrifying depravity.

Kat’s Review: Mmmmm, I’m feeling a bit weird about this one. On the one hand the return of Michael Bennett and his clan was brilliant and fast-paced and all the usual descriptions. However, on the other hand there is a part of me that is a little bit disappointed in this latest release. Michael Bennett is fast becoming my favoured Patterson lead, and when he and his 10 kids and the nanny return to New York it seems like life is finally returning to normal. However as is always the case (especially in a Patterson book), normal is when you are managing a murder case or multiple killers!!! What threw me initially was Bennett’s re-assignment to a chaotic ‘outreach squad’ in Harlem.

The outreach squad consists of coppers that aren’t wanted anywhere else. What happened though was the story and the characters were heating up nicely and I really started getting into the book. The initial storyline consisted of a bizarre complaint they had received from a man claiming to have seen a very bizarre party involving some well-dressed men. What at first seems like a complete waste of time, turns into the closest thing to a nightmare you could imagine. Now so far, so good right? Er, yes…but that is where it ends.

To my surprise, Patterson and Ledwidge then decide to throw in another case back on the Major Organised Crime desk involving some robberies that are rapidly getting bigger by the day. Add in some lovely romance between Bennett and Mary Catherine and finally a sick grandfather, and Bob’s your Uncle…your book is too crowded! Well, at least that how it seemed which is why I only rated it middle of the road. Lose the robberies, and the sick and ageing grandparent and the book would have been another belter? Instead it seemed like they had to cram in as much as humanly possible and then wrap it all up neatly with a bow on top.

Unfortunately this latest Bennett just didn’t hit the spot. This is too busy, but with essentially a fantastic main storyline (Such a shame). I will as always look forward to the next one and just hope it’s not as disjointed as this one.

First Love by James Patterson

My Rating: 4/5

Availability: Hardcover, Paperback (14.04.15), Kindle, Audio, Nook and Kobo

Synopsis: An extraordinary portrait of true love that will move anyone who has a first love story of their own.

When Axi Moore decides to take a road trip across the US, the only person she wants to go with her is her best friend Robinson – who she also happens to be secretly in love with. She’s planned it all out, and all he has to do is say yes.

Axi has had a tough life: her little sister died young, her mother walked out and her father turned to the bottle for comfort. Her parents escaped their grief in their own ways; this trip will be hers. But life doesn’t always work out as you plan it, and there are some things you just can’t run away from.

My Review: I knew this wouldn’t be a typical Patterson Book and the cover gave away very little. When I read the synopsis, I have to say I wasn’t overly excited but still got stuck in. The first thing that struck me was it seems more like a Young Adult novel (it may well be for all I know). I also don’t say that as a negative as it’s written beautifully. We meet the two your adults Axi and Robinson as they run away and decide to take a road trip.

Their motivation becomes clear very quickly and between them they seem to have experienced many trials and tribulations for their young ages. Before long we see them take small steps in opening up to each other and becoming the people they think they want to be. It is also while we are seeing them experiment with different things that we learn of their histories. The story itself is nothing short of heart wrenching.

There are moments in the book where I feel it’s going too far towards the unrealistic, but to be honest I didn’t actually care that much. The characters and their lives are what make the book interesting, heart-warming, sad and very readable. There are moments of recklessness and moments when you just want to sob into your hands. Overall, although the feel of the book leans towards the younger crown, I thought it was a beautifully written book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Unlucky 13 by James Patterson (Womens Murder Club #13)

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: When two dead bodies are found inside a wrecked car on the Golden Gate Bridge, Detective Lindsay Boxer doubts that it will be anything as simple as a traffic accident.

The scene is more gruesome than anything she has seen before. It definitely wasn’t the crash that killed these people.

While Lindsay starts to piece this case together, she gets a call she wasn’t expecting. Sightings of her ex-colleague-turned-ruthless-killer Mackie Morales have been reported.

Wanted for three murders, Mackie has been in hiding since she escaped from custody. But now she’s ready to return to San Francisco and pay a visit to some old friends.

My Review: My last few books in this series have been something of a let down. However, this latest instalment has somewhat restored some of my previous faith in these Patterson books. It seems that Lindsay Boxer has returned somewhat to her previous personality. What at first appears to be a routine accident on the Golden Gate Bridge, actually turns out to be the start of a disturbing case. The victims look like they have ingested bombs. Lindsey and Richie need to work out who and why.

In addition to this, we see Yuki (2^nd of the 4 WMC) get married to Brady (who also happens to be Lindsay’s boss). As they go off on their honeymoon, it appears that another thread to the story emerges with an attack on their Cruise ship. If that wasn’t enough then the return of Mackie Morales is the thread to complete the lot. Mackie was an ex-colleague of Lindsay’s who turned out to be a ruthless killer. She is now back and looking for her revenge. It seems that while Mackie is back, Cindy (the 3rd in the 4 of the WMC) is chasing her right back to give her, hopefully, the biggest story of her career in journalism. It appears that Clare (the 4^th of the WMC) didn’t want to make much of an appearance.

The writing style is the usual short and sharp affair, which always maintains my interest. Although there are three threads to the story the downside was that it at times appeared a little disjointed. That aside, I thought it was pretty pacey and the reintroduction of Mackie Morales made for a pretty exciting story too. I think the series is a far cry from being where it was in the early days, however this latest book I think is a big improvement on some of the others.

Gone by James Patterson (Michael Bennett #6)

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Forced into hiding from a mass murderer seeking vengeance, Detective Michael Bennett must decide whether to stay and protect his family, or hunt down the man who is hunting them.

When Bennett arrested Manuel Perrine, he thought he had brought an end to the drug cartel boss’s reign of terror and would get justice for the murder of his best friend. But then, during the trial, Perrine escaped.

In a bloody shoot-out, Bennett killed Perrine’s wife. Now he wants nothing more than to make Bennett suffer, to make him pay.

The whole family are moved to a safe-house in California. But as Perrine’s attacks on US soil become more vicious and more daring, it’s clear there is a war coming.

No one, anywhere, is safe.

My Review: Well, at last it seems that James Patterson is returning to form, or is it Michael Lledwidge that’s responsible for that? Who knows, but I for one am extremely glad. The Cross series, the Women’s Murder Club and some of the stand alones have been woeful of late (although the latest Cross was much better). Thankfully the Michael Bennett series also seems to be staying strong. Michael Bennett, his nanny Mary Catherine, Seamus and his ten kids make for an unusual family set up. However, if you have followed the series from the beginning it will be perfectly normal!

This story picks up from where the last one left off, meaning the Bennett’s are actually living in Protective Custody. For the 13-strong clan this means living in the back end of beyond which is quite a struggle to get to grips with. It is nice however, to see more of the Bennett kids, each with their own difficulty in the adjustment to life in the countryside. The reason for their situation is that the big drug cartel boss Manuel Perrine has escaped, and Bennett is his number one target.

The story has pretty reasonable pace from the very beginning as we see the brutal crew who work for Perrine start to make attacks. I was caught up in the story and knew it wouldn’t be long before Bennett had to come back into play. As predicted Bennett is landed once again back in the thick of it and between Bennett trying to help the case, and his kids trying to lead normal lives things heat up in no time. Although this is still a far cry from JP’s early books, this series is fast becoming my preference over Alex Cross. I like the characters and the story always seems to follow along at a good level. Overall I enjoyed this latest Bennett book and will actually look forward to the next one. I can only hope that this series doesn’t suffer the same fate as the Alex Cross and Women’s Murder Club has!

Cross My Heart by James Patterson (Alex Cross #21)

My Rating: 4/5

Synopsis: Alex Cross’s whole world is crashing down around him.

He has been hunted, stalked like prey, his predator priming himself for the kill.

Cross has devoted his life to protecting others. Now he’s unable to protect even those closest to him.

As a police detective, he has made many enemies, but never like this.

Everything he loves is being taken from him.

Soon he will have nothing and no one left.

My Review: I am guessing that if you are reading this review you know about James Patterson and his infamous Alex Cross series of books (who doesn’t?). I will be honest and say that I am extremely critical when it comes to JP, and for good reason. In one respect he is the King of this genre and has been in this game for many years, however it seems like in recent years, myself along with a growing number of fans are getting tired of the book churning going on. According to Forbes his earnings were $91 million as of 2013, so it seems his success is certainly paying off. However, to earn that sort of money and be so successful over so many years he HAS to have the talent, surely? Well, if this book is anything to go by we see glimpses of why he has got to where he has. However, I think MANY fans feel like they have been ripped off as the book itself ends on a major cliff-hanger meaning you HAVE to buy the follow on to find out what becomes of one of the most well known fictional characters in recent times.

The flip side of that is that although it ends on a major cliff-hanger, the story itself was a LOT better than many recent additions to the Cross series. It almost felt like Patterson was trying to give the series a boost by switching the table on Cross and instead of him being the hunter, he has become the hunted. As usual the short sharp chapters were in abundance and there seems to be two main plot threads running through this book. I found myself enjoying the story and actually liking the fact that for the first time in a while we are reading something new with Cross being on the receiving end. We also see the usual suspects alongside Cross such as his partner John, wife Bee and the rest of his family.

The last part of the book was better than the first half but when I realised where Patterson was heading with the ending I had mixed feelings. When I say he ended it on a cliff-hanger I mean it! There is no glimpse into whether Alex has any light at the end of the tunnel. However, from past experience, and feeling cheated with some of his ‘co-written’ books I made a decision a while ago to not rush out and buy these books pre-publication. Now I sit back and wait until the price comes down or the mood takes me. I think many people (myself included) would actually prefer James Patterson to announce that he is planning on only publishing one or two books a year. People would be pre-ordering until the cows came home. Myself, I would rather wait a whole year for one amazing book, than buy and read 4 or 5 that are mediocre. Thankfully this latest Cross was a vast improvement, but get the impression a lot of people are unhappy at the ending. I thought the series felt a little bit refreshed and the writing was certainly leaning more towards his original style. However, there is still a long way to go before we see the return of the old style writing Patterson used to do. I’m going to cross my fingers and hope that the next book shows me just that!