Along Came a Spider

James Patterson

Feb 2001 · Alex Cross Book 1 · Sold by Little, Brown

About this ebook

Discover the classic thriller that launched the #1 detective series of the past twenty-five years, now one of PBS's "100 Great American Reads"

Alex Cross is a homicide detective with a Ph.D. in psychology. He works and lives in the ghettos of D. C. and looks like Muhammad Ali in his prime. He's a tough guy from a tough part of town who wears Harris Tweed jackets and likes to relax by banging out Gershwin tunes on his baby grand piano. But he also has two adorable kids of his own, and they are his own special vulnerabilities.

Jezzie Flanagan is the first woman ever to hold the highly sensitive job as supervisor of the Secret Service in Washington. Blond, mysterious, seductive, she's got an outer shell that's as tough as it is beautiful. She rides her black BMW motorcycle at speeds of no less than 100 mph. What is she running from? What is her secret?

Alex Cross and Jezzie Flanagan are about to have a forbidden love affair-at the worst possible time for both of them. Because Gary Soneji, who wants to commit the "crime of the century," is playing at the top of his game. Soneji has outsmarted the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police. Who will be his next victim?

Gary Soneji is every parent's worst nightmare. He has become Alex Cross's nightmare. And now, reader, he's about to become yours.

Ratings and reviews

This is soo bad, how is this a bestseller? Alex Cross is absolutely boring as a main character, most of the plot happens without his intervention or insights, and therefore you have no reason to believe he is actually smart or resourceful. So many plot lines are introduced and unresolved at the same time and I didn't even finish the whole book and I'm cringing at the thought of what's more to come. You could have simply replaced the main characters with token characters and presented it as a standalone novel and it would have been so much better as a crime novel shown through the perspectives of everyone involved, instead using it to launch a new franchise with multiple sequels using an extremely pedestrian and dull Leading Character.

This was my first novel by James Patterson and based on the number of books he has out and the praise I've read I feel kind of let down in the long run. However, the story was entertaining and a three star rating will result in either the next book in the series or some other Patterson offering into the queue at a later time. You like the good characters and detest the bad ones. The story seems to unfold from your perspective but not really; key plot twists are hidden and presented in the end.

This was different. In the beginning it was a little drab lacking the action I thought it was to have. But towards the middle it picked up speed. I truly enjoyed the mastermind of “”The son of Lindbergh”. I loved how Patterson captured the truth in his disturbed character. The psychological perspective is what grabbed me into this book. It does a minor in depth diagnosis of the different criminals that are presented. It’s almost like the show “Criminal Minds” but its Dr. Cross doing the digging. Also, the graphic detail of the kidnappings and murders. Oh that is the best part. Patterson wasn’t afriad to take it to the level with children. I know that some people are very uptight about that but others, I like reading the thrills and chills. And this one sends the chill right up your spine. Its horrible, graphic, disgusting and all the other bad words…. But I loved it.

About the author

James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977 James Patterson's books have sold more than 300 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.