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Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross #5)

by James Patterson (Goodreads Author)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 29,689 ratings · 509 reviews

Detective Alex Cross is in love. But his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders in Washington, D.C., murders with a pattern so twisted, it leaves investigators reeling. Cross's ingenious pursuit of the killer produces a suspect-a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But proving that Shafer is the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As the diplom...more

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Published March 1st 2003 by Little, Brown and Company (first published 1999)

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Nov 27, 2012 Anna Koch rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Pop Goes the Weasel" is a very easy book to read. I got it done in two days. The story line sometimes made me mad, due to the fact that the killer kept getting away with everything. The ending was happy though. I recommend this book to people who like to read mysteries because the one in this book is very intense.

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May 18, 2013 David Roberts rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The book I am reviewing in this post is Pop Goes The Weasel by James Patterson which is a very good book which I bought from a car boot sale. I think this is quite an interesting story that questions the morality of diplomatic immunity. The story kicks off with someone with diplomatic immunity ignoring red lights in his car and driving the wrong way up a freeway for a bit of a thrill and getting away with it. The story centres around an online role playing game that 4 people are involved in and...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Angela rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers, whodunit

It's taking me longer and longer to get through these books. They aren't boring, per se, but I'm not really horrified by the murders, either. Somebody important to Alex goes missing, and I found I didn't really care if he/she was found alive or dead. The ending did make me a little teary-eyed, but I've had a rough past couple of days - the movie The Amazing Spider-Man had several spots where my eyesight was blurry. Sooooo, take that as you will. But I can say the whole 'diplomatic immunity' thin...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Andrew rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Geoffrey Schaefer--a bureaucratic spy with diplomatic immunity at the British embassy in DC--is our villain. He is a member of the "Four Horsemen," an online "game" that involves describing gruesome murder scenarios. Little do the other members know, Schaefer aka The Weasel aka the character "Death" is playing out these ceremonies in Southeast DC, where the police let murders go unsolved (that social critique was one of the most interesting aspects of the book). Schaefer drives an out-of-date ta...more Geoffrey Schaefer--a bureaucratic spy with diplomatic immunity at the British embassy in DC--is our villain. He is a member of the "Four Horsemen," an online "game" that involves describing gruesome murder scenarios. Little do the other members know, Schaefer aka The Weasel aka the character "Death" is playing out these ceremonies in Southeast DC, where the police let murders go unsolved (that social critique was one of the most interesting aspects of the book). Schaefer drives an out-of-date taxi, picks up a fare, rolls the dice, and kills them. He despises his family--his drug-addicted wife from wealth and his 3 small kids. He constantly flees to his psychiatrist to cheat on her.
Alex Cross is on the verge of happiness. His son sings in a prestigious boy's choir. He is engaged to be married to the love of his life Christine, who wants him to quit the force and focus on his psychiatry practice. But these Jane Doe murders in Southeast D.C. trouble and he refuses to give up the investigation, even after his partner is suspended for assisting with the investigation outside the force.
Things heat up when Christine disappears on their family trip to Bermuda. Cross gets e-mails that "We have her." Meanwhile, another DC cop PATTI finds out about the Four Horsemen roleplay and begins investigating. She and Cross work together as Schaefer begins losing his mind--getting strung out--and the murders amp up in intensity. Cross finally kidnaps Schaefer at his psychiatrist's apartment after Schaefer kills Paddi. Schaeffer has Schaeffer goes on trial, refusing to cite diplomatic immunity in order to clear his name, and he is cleared of the charges. Cross has lost--Schaefer says "You killed her," and Cross assumes he's talking about Christine. But everyone knows he's guilty. The British secret service closes in and they follow Schaefer to Jamaica where he wipes out the other three Horsemen. Cross beats him up swimming out to his yacht and finds Christine in a Jamaican outlaw colony in the hills, carrying Cross's new baby. The final scene is Schaeffer killing his wife Lucy in a London supermarket after having escaped on his sailboat and hopped around the globe. Death is still on the loose.
No twists or turns to this story. Pretty straightforward serial killer on the loose. Geoffrey Schaeffer is a well-drawn out villain--smart, insane, evil. Cross is somewhat one dimensional as a good cop, stifled by the bureaucratic DC police and police chief. Would have liked to see Cross go a little Dirty Harry in the second half to stop Schaeffer. The most tension came in the trial--waiting for Scaefer's verdict--and the surprise that came from the "not guilty." The Jamaica outlaw colony felt out of place after the gritty DC setting. Got a little James Bondish with the Jamaica set-piece. (less)

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Apr 08, 2011 BarkLessWagMore rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, mystery

This dark & gritty unabridged audiobook was the perfect choice for a dreary, misty morning ride to work. This was my first glimpse into the world of Alex Cross and once I finished this book I realized I've been missing out on some potentially excellent reads. Most hardboiled mysteries are too dry for my tastes and my mind starts drifting away but this one hooked me from the beginning with its attention to characterization and the emotional affects of crime on the victims left behind.

The sto...more

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Sep 11, 2009 Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

James Patterson- Pop Goes the Weasel (Warner Books 2000) 3.75 Stars

Alex Cross is finally engaged, and yes it is to Christine! Cross is after British diplomat Geoffrey Shafer, a serial killer having fun while playing a deadly game of dice. For the first time we see Cross in court trying to prove Shafer’s guilt, which may not be as easy as it seems. The two go back and forth moving and counter-moving, all in the effort to gain control of the situation.

Once again I enjoyed Alex Cross. He is a very...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Joel Kirk rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is the fifth book in the Alex Cross series, and currently - for me - the best written, a major improvement over the previous novels. To say the previous novels were poorly written is an understatement; they were convoluted, confusing, with adversaries that come off as 'supervillians' rather than crazed villains of a thrilling crime novel, and a lead character in Alex Cross who comes off as boring. 'Pop Goes the Weasel' reads like a book that has gone through a few rewrites; the pacing flows...more

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Jul 23, 2011 David rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Years ago, I gave up on Patterson after reading 1/5 of this book. I suppose seeing the author's name on the new release shelf 365 days a year makes it difficult to ignore him, and I decided to give this book another try. The first time was in audio form, which seems to highlight the worst traits of James Patterson - this being the inane dialog and the totally unbelievable villains. Seriously, I've read graphic novels and other comic books with more lifelike villains than Geoffrey Shaffer (AKA th...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Roxanne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

oooh dear alex cross.. How could i not know this is your 5th sequel book? How could i miss so much of your works James Patterson?!? This book was the first time i met alex cross and his world where i then realized that i totally missed a lot of excellent good reads. It is full of thrill makes me hunger for more page after page, chapter after chapter and then as i reach the ending I' am starting to hate myself for choosing to read books that focus with sweet and romantic love stories rather than...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Tvguy347 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'll skip the synopsis. Honestly, James Patterson DOES what he's supposed to, and that's to craft a gripping, thrilling read and this story SOMEWHAT delivers. It's less than superior to other Alex Cross novels. I feel that (after reading a few Cross mysteries) most of these villains (The Wolf, The Mastermind, The Weasel, etc.) feel the same way. They're cardboard. Colonel Geoffrey Shafer (aka The Weasel) is somewhat developed, although he still (for some reason, in my opinion) moves stiffly. I f...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Stephanie Reiner rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: radical-red

This is the fifth installment of the Alex Cross series. I can say I was not very impressed with the book but it did keep my attention and the last two books were very good and the reason I gave it a 3 star rating.

The book starts out with a series of murders that are sweeping across the southeast most of them Jane Does. We know who the killer is from the get go, the British diplomat, Geoffrey Shafer just can't help himself. He has the perfect family on the surface and full reign of the D.C. nigh...more This is the fifth installment of the Alex Cross series. I can say I was not very impressed with the book but it did keep my attention and the last two books were very good and the reason I gave it a 3 star rating.

The book starts out with a series of murders that are sweeping across the southeast most of them Jane Does. We know who the killer is from the get go, the British diplomat, Geoffrey Shafer just can't help himself. He has the perfect family on the surface and full reign of the D.C. night street scene. He uses two diverse vehicles, an expensive Jag for his private life and a 'flower-child taxi' for his secret life. Telling his family that he has assignments in Britain, actually he gets in gear for one of his murderous rampages at a rented apartment in a poor part of the city., as known as Death for his role playing game he plays on the internet

For seven years a fantasy internet game was played called "The Four Horseman" The four players are from different countries and are conqueror from England, Famine in Australia, War in Jamaica, and Death in Washington, D.C.. For Death any street woman is fair game for him as he acts out his fantasy as Jack the Ripper. The police investigators who find his cast offs have dubbed him the Weasel, as it seems like he is ready to pop. When the other players figured out that his 'fantasies' were actual murders, they could be as dangerous as he was; it was they who had taught him how to kill.

Death thought he was the star player and won nearly all the games he have every played, but now he has gone too far and appears to be suicidal. It is no longer a gamed to him, it is an obsession.

Meanwhile, Alex cross and his girlfriend, Christine, have decided to get married, despite his pursuit of "The Weasel" and Christine's pleases for him to quit the job and become a psychologist. Just before they get married Alex, Christine, Nanna Mamma, and the kids go on vacation where Christine get kidnapped and Alex thinks it one of the four horseman and is presumed dead. Its more than cross can deal with, despite the help of his family and his dear friend John Sampson.

There is no time, however, for normal grieving or even self-pity. The game has heated up to a point of excruciating finesse, all at the hands of one of the most dangerous killers ever. And now that killer, the seemingly mild-mannered Geoffrey Shafer, has focused on Alex as an opponent worthy of being part of the game.
(less)

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Jul 12, 2007 Jaguthin rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I could not get past page 12 before I wanted to hurl this piece of drivel down a well then toss a rock after it to prevent it's accidental discovery.

I didn't know it was possible to create such horrible sterotypes and to write with this level of immaturity.

Maybe I should have read further, but after hearing the young black kid actually say, "Yo, yo, yo" I had to find better things to do with my time.

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Dec 16, 2012 Jim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Alex Cross in a murder investigation uncovers a serial killer but due to the racist attitude of the Chief of Detectives is not allowed to investigate them. He sets up a group of detectives from the Washington PD to help him find the murderer, who incidentally works for the British Embassy as a spy who has set up a game with three other spies who randomly murder people. The action is swift and in some cases one can't see it coming although hints are given. When on vacation in Bermuda Alex's fianc...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Saibal Bose rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detective, mystery

My fifth Alex Cross..and my second one on a trot..But this book too suffered from the same problem I faced while reading all the previous Alex Cross books. The build-up is so pacy, thrilling and the plot is so full of intrigue. However when the story ends I am left wondering "Was that all?"
This particular book especially pissed me off as the "Four Horsemen-game" concept was great and there were some fascinating sub-plots with multiple serial killers, police dept politics, possible workplace sabo...more

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Aug 17, 2011 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

This book was everything I expected it to be: fast-moving, gripping plot, etc. But that was about it, which is exactly why I picked this book up in the first place. I don't read Patterson to be wowed by literary structure or character depth; I read Patterson because I want fluff that I can read in 3 days or less.

I do wish he'd leave out some of the details. They aren't well written, and I found myself skipping entire pages - sometimes chapters - because I didn't feel like they were essential to...more

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Aug 03, 2009 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-literature, bestsellers, suspense-thriller

Book 5 of the Alex Cross series! This time Alex Cross is dealing with a serial killer named Geoffrey Shafer who breaks the law but claims diplomatic immunity. Cross knows Shafer is guilty of greater crimes than speeding, like the murder of one of his colleagues, Patsy Hampton, but when they take it to a court of law, the slimeball gets off. The suspense of the novel is hightened when Cross's fiancee is kidnapped when they are on a vacation with Cross's family in Bermuda. Once Cross uncovers the...more

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Dec 30, 2009 Kristyanna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: mystery/thriller/suspense readers

Detective Alex Cross investigates the murders of "Jane Does" which seem random to most investigators. Geoffry Shafer is a serial killer who picks his victims by playing a role playing game called The Four Horsemen. A simple role of the dice will determine if that person will live or die. Anyone can be a player in the game without realizing it including his own family.

As much as I do love the Alex Cross series so far, I am getting frustrated with how each serial killer that Cross faces has to inv...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle

"Detective Alex Cross is back-and he's in love. But his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders in Washington, D.C., murders with a pattern so twisted they leave investigators reeling. Cross's pursuit of the killer produces a suspect, a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But proving he's the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As Shafer engages in a brilliant series of surprising countermoves, Alex and his fiancee become hopelessly entangled with the most memorable n...more

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Nov 11, 2011 c a t h e y rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-twenty-eleven

Pop Goes The Weasel was okay. Well, it's actually pretty good, but Patterson's plots all start to blur into each other after a while, and there was nothing very exceptional about this book.

I know Patterson's written some novels under the romance genre, but the romance in the Alex Cross series wasn't really handled very well. Plus the fact that the plot spanned about a year, but it didn't feel like there was time between events: (view spoiler)...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Janet Arbuckle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a great read...Patterson's usual excitment. The only thing that annoys me about his Alex Cross books is the space he insists on using to talk about his family and love life. Skip all that and get on with the crime story!!! The old Patterson books are all like this...the newer ones are simply junk...stuff he has put his name on but must be written by his co-authors, cause it's pretty bad in my eyes. Anyhow, it was entertaining to read the "old" Patterson who was a MASTER at this genre. I...more

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May 15, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is a prime example of a good airplane novel. It's long enough to get you through a coast to coast flight, but stupid enough you could probably also listen to music or the in-flight movie without losing much, if any of the plot.

It gets two stars because [spoilers]

Alex and Christine don't stay together after this and in the end of the book there is an implied, brutal murder of a woman and child that literally did nothing for the book other than make me feel bad as a reader.

I'm not real...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Robin Strain rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So I'm making my way thru the Alex Cross series in order and I really enjoyed the first 4 books. Those stories were engaging, full of surprises and all around really good reads. However I really hated this book. The plot was bland, no surprises, and why in this book did the villain seem so much smarter than Cross. And the villain seemed to outsmart everyone while on an enormous amount of drugs. The subplot was predictable and I couldn't wait for the book to be over. Yes I continued to read becau...more

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Oct 02, 2012 . rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 17, 2011 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What isn't there to like about the characters in James Patterson's books? A lot. Everytime I read the stories and get to know the characters, I'm so glad there are detectives like Alex Cross and his friend and co-worker Sampson around to to protect us. Diplomatic immunity - that's what the main character, Geoffry Schafer hides behind, or so we think. The Four Horseman - a stupid game - or is it? When does fantasy cross over into reality? A few unexpected twists and turns made the reading intense...more

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Sep 05, 2008 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries

I actually liked this book better than the other ones I have read by James Patterson.

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May 31, 2013 Scott Rachui rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

James Patterson is quite easy to read. His books are event and dialog-driven, and the chapters are all quite short. The villains are satisfyingly evil, and sometimes the descriptions are tough to get through. I read a few authors who write serial kill fiction. I think I like Patterson's work because of the ease of getting into and through one of his stories. If you ask me for a quality author, I think John Sanford beats him. But if you're going on vacation and want something that's easy to get t...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Victoria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book has really short chapters, literally a page and a half long, it as also an intense crime thriller. With the short chapters and interwoven plot line, as well as the integral relationship between the police and the courts, it's like reading an extended episode of Law & Order. I will admit that in my head I ad a little "dun dun" in between each of the micro chapters and one guy who's dialogue I have taken to reading in the voice of one Ice-T.
But I love that, this book has drawn me in...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-and-westerns

Detective Alex Cross is back-and he's in love. But his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders in Washington, D.C., murders with a pattern so twisted they leave investigators reeling. Cross's pursuit of the killer produces a suspect, a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But proving he's the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As Shafer engages in a brilliant series of surprising countermoves, Alex and his fiancee become hopelessly entangled with the most memorable ne...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Kristine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reading-challenge-new, 2013-reading-challenge-total

Once again my love for this book and this series is completely for the bad guys. Perhaps I'm a weird cookie who likes getting into the mind of a serial killer (actually, that's not news to anyone), but I feel the strongest characters in these books and more importantly all of James Patterson's books that are like the Alex Cross series, is the bad guys.

I still have my usual gripes about Alex's love life. Honestly, pulling Christine in the middle of the "game" to get kidnapped was cheesy. The nigh...more Once again my love for this book and this series is completely for the bad guys. Perhaps I'm a weird cookie who likes getting into the mind of a serial killer (actually, that's not news to anyone), but I feel the strongest characters in these books and more importantly all of James Patterson's books that are like the Alex Cross series, is the bad guys.

I still have my usual gripes about Alex's love life. Honestly, pulling Christine in the middle of the "game" to get kidnapped was cheesy. The night they "made a baby" was cheesy. Their reunion was "cheesy". Honestly, if I had to rewrite one thing, I'd have Death get away after butchering the hell out of this annoying part of the series. That being said, I will shamefully admit that I was confused to hell how she was in the beginning of this book after being kidnapped at the end of the previous one. So once again, not really like the passage of time in these books.

I'd say I have high hopes for the return of Death later in the series, but I've learned with Gary Soneji's return, James' bad guys are only good in the original. Like the majority of movies, sequels are never really as good as the original. But we will see once I get to that point.

I must say, I'm a bit tired of some of the holes in the plot in regards to how Alex "knows" things. It worked well enough in Cat & Mouse because you got dropped in the deep end of Mr. Smith's mind without first knowing who's head you're in. But in the case of this book, it just left me a bit annoyed with all the hand waving.

Also, still not the biggest Nana Mama fan, though as long as she shut up about how perfect Christine is/was, she wasn't half as annoying as she had been in previous books. Though... that could be because every time I read about her or Alex's "super perfect" robot children, I tend to skim to the end of the chapter. Sorry, but hearing how intelligent, bright, gifted and ultra perfect Alex's kids are, EVERY time they appear in the books, leaves me wishing Gary's friend had hit them a little harder when he beat the bejesus out of them. I'd say I'm going to hell for that comment, but let's face it, if you earned a one way ticket to Hell for negative comments about fictional characters, anyone who's read Twilight or 50 Shades of Gray would have a first class ride WITH free booze of course.

Overall, enjoyed the book and I can't wait to meet the "Mastermind" in 'Roses are Red'.(less)

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Nov 03, 2012 Lauri rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

dieser Fall bringt Alex Cross und seine Kollegen beinahe an ihre Grenzen. es lieg offensichtlich auf der Hand, das in dem schon längst abgeschriebenen Stadtteil Washingtons eine Mordserie an jungen Frauen statt findet, doch davor wird bei der Polizei die Augen verschlossen. Dennoch lässt Alex Cross nicht nach und beginnt auf eigene Faust zu ermitteln. Dabei gerärt er selbst in Schwierigkeiten die irgendwann verzweifeln lassen.
mir gefiel dieses Buch von Anfang an sehr gut, da es irgendwie immer n...more

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The subject of a Time magazine feature called, "The Man Who Can't Miss," James Patterson is the bestselling author of the past year, bar none, with more than 16 million books sold in North America alone. In 2007, one of every fifteen hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. In the past three years, James has sold more books than any other author (according...more

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Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross #5)

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