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Alex Cross #10
London Bridges
In broad desert daylight, a mysterious platoon of soldiers evacuates the entire population of Sunrise Valley, Nevada. Minutes later, a huge bomb detonates a hundred feet above the ground and lays waste to homes, cars, and playgrounds: a town annihilated in an instant.Alex Cross is on vacation in San Francisco with his girlfriend, Jamilla Hughes, when he gets the call. The Russian supercriminal known as the Wolf claims responsibility for the blast.
Major cities around the globe are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it; the only question is, can anyone stop him in time? Surveillance film of the blast reveals the presence of another of Alex Cross' most dangerous enemies, the ruthless assassin known as the Weasel.
World leaders have just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm. Joining forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol, Alex fights his way through a torrent of false leads, impersonators, and foreign agents before he gets close to the heart of the crimes. Racing down the hairpin turns of the Riviera in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf's identity, a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive.
Major cities around the globe are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it; the only question is, can anyone stop him in time? Surveillance film of the blast reveals the presence of another of Alex Cross' most dangerous enemies, the ruthless assassin known as the Weasel.
World leaders have just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm. Joining forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol, Alex fights his way through a torrent of false leads, impersonators, and foreign agents before he gets close to the heart of the crimes. Racing down the hairpin turns of the Riviera in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf's identity, a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive.
9 pages, Audiobook
First published November 1, 2004
2369 people are currently reading
18276 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
930 books354k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,479 reviews
April 28, 2018
This was a good addition to the series and there was a lot of action but for some reason I expected more with a book with both the weasel and wolf in one book. Ending got crazy though and really added action to the story. The ending brought it from 3.5* to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Still loving this series. On to Mary, Mary now.
My quick and simple overall: quick and entertaining afternoon read.
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My quick and simple overall: quick and entertaining afternoon read.
🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺
December 5, 2010
As much as I enjoy reading James Patterson, and as much as I am in love with Alex Cross (yes, I admit it), this installment failed to satisfy me. And failed miserably. Perhaps my disappointment was in the novel's grand scale international crime? These baddies seemed to kill for the sake of killing. Not to give spoilers, but even the deaths of some antagonists seemed anticlimactic given the way Cross had pursued them and vice versa, and the extent of the trouble they had caused him and the public in general. Or perhaps it was the lack of truly interesting characters that put me off? The Weasel and the Wolf? Come on now. Antagonists with zero personality and zero redeeming qualities. I couldn’t even hate them.
Even Cross' love life seemed stilted in London Bridges. The passion between Alex and his Jamilla doesn’t ring true, at least for me.
And, there are too many characters to keep up with in this one - on both the good and the dark sides - sometimes it was hard to differentiate. True, London Bridges is written with Patterson's usual flair and has a detail-oriented plot. Still I had trouble staying with the book to its conclusion and found myself skipping passages. Not a good sign. Maybe there was too much “government” in it? And the idea of all these entities working in unison? Yeah, like that would happen in the real world.
London Bridges had me thinking throughout, "enough already with the bombing and killing - and for goodness sake, who is the real Wolf?"
My feelings about London Bridges (this one goes into the donation box), however, will not keep me from reading future Patterson/Cross installments.
Even Cross' love life seemed stilted in London Bridges. The passion between Alex and his Jamilla doesn’t ring true, at least for me.
And, there are too many characters to keep up with in this one - on both the good and the dark sides - sometimes it was hard to differentiate. True, London Bridges is written with Patterson's usual flair and has a detail-oriented plot. Still I had trouble staying with the book to its conclusion and found myself skipping passages. Not a good sign. Maybe there was too much “government” in it? And the idea of all these entities working in unison? Yeah, like that would happen in the real world.
London Bridges had me thinking throughout, "enough already with the bombing and killing - and for goodness sake, who is the real Wolf?"
My feelings about London Bridges (this one goes into the donation box), however, will not keep me from reading future Patterson/Cross installments.
December 23, 2022
This was a scary one to contemplate. Imagining if someone could band together so many powers of destruction. I loved the chase, I had a lot of guesses of people who were playing both sides, and I wasn't 100% correct. My main complaint is that the ending was weak as crap. It better turn out to not REALLY be the end, or else it was such a rush job, even if the circumstances could be realistic in the ending, it just felt flat and emotionless.
I enjoyed the journey and the different agencies working together, and the mass chaos around the world. Very exciting and definitely a thriller. I wonder how much more Alex can take and if Nana will ever die of old age or if James Patterson will use her death as a catalyst. I feel like Patterson won't take her unless the kids are old enough to be on their own or Alex gets remarried, haha.
4 stars for me. I can't wait to move on to book 11
I enjoyed the journey and the different agencies working together, and the mass chaos around the world. Very exciting and definitely a thriller. I wonder how much more Alex can take and if Nana will ever die of old age or if James Patterson will use her death as a catalyst. I feel like Patterson won't take her unless the kids are old enough to be on their own or Alex gets remarried, haha.
4 stars for me. I can't wait to move on to book 11
March 14, 2020
Wow, what suspense and over-the-top mayhem! My heart was racing, my blood pressure was up and I felt I was on the SWAT team after the chaos and confusion broke out behind some cold-blooded murders of innocent people by two notorious killers, The Weasel and The Wolf. In the beginning, The Wolf scopes out the Weasel and they are in a global terroristic conspiracy together. The two are ruthless, but The Wolf takes it a few notches higher. He is pure evil, power-hungry, a total and brutal control freak, and a money hoarder. Complete death and destruction just because? Who are these people?
What kind of hangup or connection did the Wolf have to his obsession with murder, fast sports cars, and bridges? Who was this sinister terrorist who had governmental officials from around the world on lockdown, paranoid alert, and eating out of his hands for some of the most insane demands? The Weasel gets killed, but he was just pawn in this sinister plot, but not quite as diabolical as The Wolf, whoever he or she was. Alex Cross and intelligence officials had theories about the identity of Wolf but nothing concrete. They had a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle in order to take the Wolf down. Somehow this all seems like a crazy nightmare of a game. Wolf was always one step ahead of them.
The Wolf certainly outsmarted his adversaries. He had them scrambling from one place to the next. He was cunning, arrogant, and left many law enforcement and government officials with sleepless nights. This was a heart-racing page-turner, but I had hoped in the end Wolf's demise would have been more dramatic...if this was indeed the real Wolf! Hmmm.....
Good, thrilling read!
What kind of hangup or connection did the Wolf have to his obsession with murder, fast sports cars, and bridges? Who was this sinister terrorist who had governmental officials from around the world on lockdown, paranoid alert, and eating out of his hands for some of the most insane demands? The Weasel gets killed, but he was just pawn in this sinister plot, but not quite as diabolical as The Wolf, whoever he or she was. Alex Cross and intelligence officials had theories about the identity of Wolf but nothing concrete. They had a lot of missing pieces to the puzzle in order to take the Wolf down. Somehow this all seems like a crazy nightmare of a game. Wolf was always one step ahead of them.
The Wolf certainly outsmarted his adversaries. He had them scrambling from one place to the next. He was cunning, arrogant, and left many law enforcement and government officials with sleepless nights. This was a heart-racing page-turner, but I had hoped in the end Wolf's demise would have been more dramatic...if this was indeed the real Wolf! Hmmm.....
Good, thrilling read!
July 6, 2010
Bad villains return, but weak terrorist plot not much fun...
This is the tenth in Patterson's Detective (now FBI special envoy) Alex Cross series, and from the outset, we would surmise that if you are not a faithful follower of the previous nine, you will be lost. First, both central villains are reprised from earlier books (the "Weasel" from "Pop Goes the Weasel"; and the "Wolf" from "Big Bad Wolf"), but it's not so clear how or why they are in cahoots. The Weasel in specific gets bumped off so unceremoniously that we almost wonder why he was even included in this novel. Second, and worse, the brief scenes featuring Alex's little boy and his mother Christine, Alex's current squeeze Jamilla, and his ex-partner Sampson, etc. etc., were so sketchy that the uninformed reader might think these segments irrelevant filler.
Couple that with an incredulous plot wherein the Wolf is leading the presidents of four countries around by their noses, almost a trite post-9/11 recital of terror with Al Quida thrown in every few chapters just for effect; it soon becomes clear this is not one of Patterson's better efforts. The storyline is as usual reeled out in short, three-page chapters, with action galore. But we are given so little meat, so little background, so little motivation to care, that the race toward the end of the book was almost anticlimactic. An overdose of red herrings and gratuitous slayings did little to endear the plot to us either.
While we generally enjoy Patterson's fast-paced thrillers, this one looks too much like a bad screenplay - you know the feeling: it's not that it's horrible, but you wonder later why you spent so much money for so little real entertainment. He can do much better, and so can you.
This is the tenth in Patterson's Detective (now FBI special envoy) Alex Cross series, and from the outset, we would surmise that if you are not a faithful follower of the previous nine, you will be lost. First, both central villains are reprised from earlier books (the "Weasel" from "Pop Goes the Weasel"; and the "Wolf" from "Big Bad Wolf"), but it's not so clear how or why they are in cahoots. The Weasel in specific gets bumped off so unceremoniously that we almost wonder why he was even included in this novel. Second, and worse, the brief scenes featuring Alex's little boy and his mother Christine, Alex's current squeeze Jamilla, and his ex-partner Sampson, etc. etc., were so sketchy that the uninformed reader might think these segments irrelevant filler.
Couple that with an incredulous plot wherein the Wolf is leading the presidents of four countries around by their noses, almost a trite post-9/11 recital of terror with Al Quida thrown in every few chapters just for effect; it soon becomes clear this is not one of Patterson's better efforts. The storyline is as usual reeled out in short, three-page chapters, with action galore. But we are given so little meat, so little background, so little motivation to care, that the race toward the end of the book was almost anticlimactic. An overdose of red herrings and gratuitous slayings did little to endear the plot to us either.
While we generally enjoy Patterson's fast-paced thrillers, this one looks too much like a bad screenplay - you know the feeling: it's not that it's horrible, but you wonder later why you spent so much money for so little real entertainment. He can do much better, and so can you.
February 14, 2019
This one was a roller-coaster ride like no other I´ve "been on" lately!!
Up and down, left and right, until I was just waiting to get off because my mind was just spinning!! What in the ever loving ... was going on? Who really was the Wolf?
But all is good that ends well...or did it end?
I guess we´ll have to wait and see.
Up and down, left and right, until I was just waiting to get off because my mind was just spinning!! What in the ever loving ... was going on? Who really was the Wolf?
But all is good that ends well...or did it end?
I guess we´ll have to wait and see.
September 3, 2025
High literature this ain't! You'll enjoy it anyway!
Pure pace! Pure dialogue! Pure hard-driving action! Pure plot! That's the good news! The bad news? LONDON BRIDGES reads like a high speed jet boat ride in the very shallow end of a very large swimming pool. No depth! No character! No development! No background! No scenery!
Patterson is certainly capable of much, much better! But, for many readers (including myself, I'll confess) LONDON BRIDGES will come up to a passing grade, depending on your mood and what you're after at the time! (I happened to be in exactly the right mood when I picked this one up) Like a rock-em, sock-em made-for-television thriller drama, this novel requires absolutely no attention or effort to follow and the action and the plot is more than enough to absorb you completely and pull you from first page to the last! (Did I hear somebody say "screenplay"?) And the plot? A detailed outline for this type of novel just isn't necessary. You'll get exactly what you'd expect - mass murder, assassination, nuclear weapons, terrorism, Russian mafia, extortion, snipers, assault teams, megalomania, globetrotting, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security and more!
Oops! Silly me! Did I say there was no character development? Strictly speaking, that isn't quite true. In a moment of weakness, Alex acknowledged that he was "smitten" with his newly found lady friend, detective Jamilla Hughes. Like so many other men, he just couldn't seem to find it in himself to use the "L" word! And, he certainly continues to demonstrate that, despite his dedication to the job, he is the consummate family man.
I haven't read BIG BAD WOLF yet and it's been a long time since I read POP GOES THE WEASEL. Despite that, I don't think I missed a thing as references to the Weasel and the Wolf as bad guys in LONDON BRIDGES seemed forcibly shoe-horned into the story to provide some sort of affected continuity to the saga of Alex Cross's life.
High literature, this ain't! But, what the heck! Put your feet up, let yourself relax and turn the pages quickly! It's practically unavoidable. Think of LONDON BRIDGES as a giant vacuum cleaner - it'll pull you along like an irresistible force but, ultimately ... it still just sucks!
Paul Weiss
Pure pace! Pure dialogue! Pure hard-driving action! Pure plot! That's the good news! The bad news? LONDON BRIDGES reads like a high speed jet boat ride in the very shallow end of a very large swimming pool. No depth! No character! No development! No background! No scenery!
Patterson is certainly capable of much, much better! But, for many readers (including myself, I'll confess) LONDON BRIDGES will come up to a passing grade, depending on your mood and what you're after at the time! (I happened to be in exactly the right mood when I picked this one up) Like a rock-em, sock-em made-for-television thriller drama, this novel requires absolutely no attention or effort to follow and the action and the plot is more than enough to absorb you completely and pull you from first page to the last! (Did I hear somebody say "screenplay"?) And the plot? A detailed outline for this type of novel just isn't necessary. You'll get exactly what you'd expect - mass murder, assassination, nuclear weapons, terrorism, Russian mafia, extortion, snipers, assault teams, megalomania, globetrotting, CIA, FBI, Homeland Security and more!
Oops! Silly me! Did I say there was no character development? Strictly speaking, that isn't quite true. In a moment of weakness, Alex acknowledged that he was "smitten" with his newly found lady friend, detective Jamilla Hughes. Like so many other men, he just couldn't seem to find it in himself to use the "L" word! And, he certainly continues to demonstrate that, despite his dedication to the job, he is the consummate family man.
I haven't read BIG BAD WOLF yet and it's been a long time since I read POP GOES THE WEASEL. Despite that, I don't think I missed a thing as references to the Weasel and the Wolf as bad guys in LONDON BRIDGES seemed forcibly shoe-horned into the story to provide some sort of affected continuity to the saga of Alex Cross's life.
High literature, this ain't! But, what the heck! Put your feet up, let yourself relax and turn the pages quickly! It's practically unavoidable. Think of LONDON BRIDGES as a giant vacuum cleaner - it'll pull you along like an irresistible force but, ultimately ... it still just sucks!
Paul Weiss
January 22, 2014
What can I say? Very bad book! I'm a fan of Patterson, but this one it's terrible... No real plot, things just seem to happen out of nowhere, no connection between the caracters, no real investigation, no twist at the end... talking about end, what the hell was that?? One of the worst and poorer endings I've ever read!!
The sentence in the synopsis: "Then, in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf’s identity – a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive." What??? Unforgettable?? Why? Only because it was so bad! The Wolf identity, Cross will be unable to survive... How come???? Nothing interesting there...
Sigh.... at least it was a quick read...
The sentence in the synopsis: "Then, in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf’s identity – a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive." What??? Unforgettable?? Why? Only because it was so bad! The Wolf identity, Cross will be unable to survive... How come???? Nothing interesting there...
Sigh.... at least it was a quick read...
August 24, 2019
Book 10 in the Alex Cross series.
This book really doesn’t have a lot going for it.
For the most part I usually find the Alex Cross books to be, at best, a three star read. But on this occasion two stars will have to suffice.
The plot is outlandish; a mastermind criminal, The Wolf, is destroying some of Europe’s major cities holding the live of its citizens to ransom for a ridiculous amount money. It’s reads more like a James Bond plot but without the tongue in cheek panache generated by Mr. Bond.
The Wolf has the world by the short and curlies and the one person who has any chance of stopping this madman is Alex Cross. Alex spends most of the book running around Europe achieving nothing. What intel is gathered usually ends up leading to dead ends. When good intel happens it seem to happen of its own volitions, there’s was no lead in, it just happens and usually it happens in spite of, and not because of, Alex Cross.
As for the end, it was so contrived it bordered on the asinine.
For me, this reads like James Patterson was writing to a deadline and he was running out of time and he had to do something and this was the best he could come up with.
Not my cup of tea. 2 stars is the best I could do.
This book really doesn’t have a lot going for it.
For the most part I usually find the Alex Cross books to be, at best, a three star read. But on this occasion two stars will have to suffice.
The plot is outlandish; a mastermind criminal, The Wolf, is destroying some of Europe’s major cities holding the live of its citizens to ransom for a ridiculous amount money. It’s reads more like a James Bond plot but without the tongue in cheek panache generated by Mr. Bond.
The Wolf has the world by the short and curlies and the one person who has any chance of stopping this madman is Alex Cross. Alex spends most of the book running around Europe achieving nothing. What intel is gathered usually ends up leading to dead ends. When good intel happens it seem to happen of its own volitions, there’s was no lead in, it just happens and usually it happens in spite of, and not because of, Alex Cross.
As for the end, it was so contrived it bordered on the asinine.
For me, this reads like James Patterson was writing to a deadline and he was running out of time and he had to do something and this was the best he could come up with.
Not my cup of tea. 2 stars is the best I could do.
February 26, 2024
I actually really enjoyed the first 3/4 of this book but the last 1/4 brought it down a whole star, for such formidable baddies the ending went out with a whimper instead of a bang. The action in this book was brilliant it was fast paced and interesting, it kept me reading on page after page and the short chapters really helped that too.
Alex's home life/love life is starting to bug me, it's all the bloody place there doesn't seem any rhyme or reason to it anymore. It's like James Patterson can't decide who Alex should be with and just keeps flip flopping around.
The actual plot flowed really well, it was a little simplistic and seemed a bit too convenient but overall good fun. I will be defiantly be continuing with this series.
Alex's home life/love life is starting to bug me, it's all the bloody place there doesn't seem any rhyme or reason to it anymore. It's like James Patterson can't decide who Alex should be with and just keeps flip flopping around.
The actual plot flowed really well, it was a little simplistic and seemed a bit too convenient but overall good fun. I will be defiantly be continuing with this series.
October 30, 2019
Ugh, always a like-hate relationship with Patterson’s books. This one not much to like- juvenile writing, cartoonish characters, and over the top implausible plot. So am I going to continue reading the series? Yeah, probably the next one will be better. But this wasn’t it.
December 16, 2017
In London Bridges Alex has to face two killers that he has yet to catch: the weasel and the wolf. The weasel, aka Geoffrey Shafer, is a vicious serial killer who has been targeting prostitutes. Then there's the Wolf, who is a mastermind and psychopath, from The Big Bad Wolf.
Of course this book delivers mighty good twists and turns that I honestly had no idea were coming. It was super interesting to see how Alex realized that the Wolf and the Weasel were working together - and that they were really good at it.
Some deaths really shocked me in this book because I kept telling myself - like no, they aren't going to die. Patterson said they were good friends or companions. It's all good. THEN WHAM. Death.
I'm also pretty sure this book gave me lots of tiny heart attacks. I'm glad that I read this super creepy thriller book and I can't wait to dive into the next one. I just hope Alex will learn how to solve some cases earlier into the book - especially since he's been dealing with more than one person or case throughout most of the books.
Of course this book delivers mighty good twists and turns that I honestly had no idea were coming. It was super interesting to see how Alex realized that the Wolf and the Weasel were working together - and that they were really good at it.
Some deaths really shocked me in this book because I kept telling myself - like no, they aren't going to die. Patterson said they were good friends or companions. It's all good. THEN WHAM. Death.
I'm also pretty sure this book gave me lots of tiny heart attacks. I'm glad that I read this super creepy thriller book and I can't wait to dive into the next one. I just hope Alex will learn how to solve some cases earlier into the book - especially since he's been dealing with more than one person or case throughout most of the books.
April 27, 2020
Alex Cross - book No. 10: The big bad 'Wolf' returns, picking up the 'Weasel' from 'Pop Goes The Weasel' on his way to overtly attacking the FBI, CIA and Homeland Security… in addition to the USA, UK, Germany, France and Israel as he appears to form a coalition between the Red Mafyia and Islamic Fundamentalism! Yep... despite always being a bit over the top, the series takes a 'shark jump' with organised crime using international terrorism for revenge and financial gains. Somehow, Patterson still manages to make it a page turner as the readers wants to see how/if they capture the Weasel and unmask the Wolf! 4 out of 12
June 19, 2010
Even when writing his 10th Alex Cross novel, James Patterson didn't shy away from an insanely complicated plot. Perhaps having a little too much on the plate and not enough appetite at the end to finish it nicely, the story has a few loose endings, but with a novel this large I can't even imagine how many pages it would take to wrap each nerve ending up into a plausible conclusion. That said, I liked the book, I had a blast reading it ( as always when it comes to Cross books) and it kept me in suspense while adding more pressure to the all ready huge pile of problems. This is between a 3 and 4 star book, sometimes the half star rating would really be helpful.
In this novel the chase is still on, the nemesis called The Wolf is terrorizing the biggest law enforcements, putting threats on CIA and FBI members, killing of anyone in the way of glory, money and ridiculous demands that if met will be catastrophic, if the demands are not met then major bridges all over New York, London and France are going to be blown up without a warning until there is nothing left. Cross is back in the hot seat not only trying to find out who this supposed Wolf is but also trying to catch the Weasel, whose slippery ways have kept him from repercussions. To top it all off, worries about Nana's aging, not being able to date as much as he'd like to and the separation from his little son have dampened his good mood at home. This novel isn't the best in the bunch because some answers were simply left out, and I was beyond annoyed how many people pretended to be the Wolf, by the time the ending came I wasn't even excited, just tired of that one character. I can't say more, its best reading these without knowing too much, but I'm looking forward to the next installment, titled "Mary Mary" which is supposed to be fantastic.
In this novel the chase is still on, the nemesis called The Wolf is terrorizing the biggest law enforcements, putting threats on CIA and FBI members, killing of anyone in the way of glory, money and ridiculous demands that if met will be catastrophic, if the demands are not met then major bridges all over New York, London and France are going to be blown up without a warning until there is nothing left. Cross is back in the hot seat not only trying to find out who this supposed Wolf is but also trying to catch the Weasel, whose slippery ways have kept him from repercussions. To top it all off, worries about Nana's aging, not being able to date as much as he'd like to and the separation from his little son have dampened his good mood at home. This novel isn't the best in the bunch because some answers were simply left out, and I was beyond annoyed how many people pretended to be the Wolf, by the time the ending came I wasn't even excited, just tired of that one character. I can't say more, its best reading these without knowing too much, but I'm looking forward to the next installment, titled "Mary Mary" which is supposed to be fantastic.
April 23, 2023
Paterson writes short snappy characters. However, this story has so many holes in it that it becomes ridiculous. The Weasel is introduced and tortured by the Wolf and then starts working for him. There is no character development except Weasel bad, Wolf stark raving mad and the redeeming quality of a gnat.
Bridges are blown up, nuclear devices appear, world leaders quiver and pay off the Wolf. The Weasel is killed relatively easily by Alex in London.
Alex’s love life gets more complicated. The ending was confusing who the feck was the Wolf? Who was the guy who had plastic surgery and fell to his death, was Klara the wife of the dead British agent the Wolf? Or was it the bodyguard Alex spotted squeezing a black rubber ball the Wolf. If he is this genius mastermind criminal he got caught in a simple way.
Why does Alex make an 80 year old cook, clean and look after his kids? Is the Wolf really dead? Will Alex stay with his current girlfriend? The ending was so anticlimactic and annoying.
Bridges are blown up, nuclear devices appear, world leaders quiver and pay off the Wolf. The Weasel is killed relatively easily by Alex in London.
Alex’s love life gets more complicated. The ending was confusing who the feck was the Wolf? Who was the guy who had plastic surgery and fell to his death, was Klara the wife of the dead British agent the Wolf? Or was it the bodyguard Alex spotted squeezing a black rubber ball the Wolf. If he is this genius mastermind criminal he got caught in a simple way.
Why does Alex make an 80 year old cook, clean and look after his kids? Is the Wolf really dead? Will Alex stay with his current girlfriend? The ending was so anticlimactic and annoying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2015
I was hoping it wasnt going to get worse after Big Bag Wolf - but it did.
plot even weaker than BBW, plot has more holes than a cheesegrater - and likely more cheese in it. usual "but im so lovable, i have a hapless lovelife but its not my fault - but i know you'll sleep with me" Cross attitude.
All I can say is - James, whichever ghost writer you are using for these books now, shoot them and write about that, it might be more entertaining than your latest offerings.
plot even weaker than BBW, plot has more holes than a cheesegrater - and likely more cheese in it. usual "but im so lovable, i have a hapless lovelife but its not my fault - but i know you'll sleep with me" Cross attitude.
All I can say is - James, whichever ghost writer you are using for these books now, shoot them and write about that, it might be more entertaining than your latest offerings.
January 2, 2019
Τρία χρόνια μετά την τρομοκρατική επίθεση της 11ης Σεπτεμβρίου κυκλοφόρησε αυτό το βιβλίο, το 10ο της σειράς με τον Άλεξ Κρος και φαίνεται ολοκάθαρα η πρόθεση του James Patterson να βάλει κι αυτός το δικό του λιθαράκι στον φόβο και την αγωνία που γεννά στον απλό και αθώο κόσμο ένα τρομοκρατικό χτύπημα. Ο «Λύκος» που γνωρίσαμε στο προηγούμενο βιβλίο, με τίτλο «Στη Φωλιά του Λύκου», διψασμένος για εκδίκηση και προσωπικός πλέον εχθρός του Κρος, ανακαλύπτει στο Σαλβαντόρ της Βραζιλίας τη «Νυφίτσα», επίσης θανάσιμο εχθρό του πρώην ντετέκτιβ και νυν πράκτορα, τον οποίο στρατολογεί εκβιαστικά στα σχέδιά του να κυριεύσει στην κυριολεξία τον κόσμο. Επαφές με οργανώσεις σαν την Αλ Κάιντα και την Αλ-Τζιχάντ, όπλα μεγάλης εμβέλειας, πυρηνικά και εκρηκτικά, ατομικές βόμβες, ένα ιδιοφυές σχέδιο που λειτουργεί ρολόι και στοχοποιεί τη Νέα Υόρκη, την Ουάσιγκτον, το Λονδίνο και τη Φρανκφούρτη κι ένας Άλεξ Κρος που κυνηγάει τα ίχνη των αντιπάλων του χωρίς να τον οδηγούν πουθενά συγκροτούν ένα συναρπαστικό αγωνιώδες ανάγνωσμα.
Δεν αντιλέγω ότι οι «Γέφυρες του Λονδίνου» έχουν σασπένς, εκπλήξεις και αναπάντεχα γεγονότα όμως αν έχεις απολαύσει την αληθοφάνεια του Tom Clancy και του Frederick Forsyth δύσκολα θα νιώσεις κερδισμένος από το νέο μυθιστόρημα του James Patterson. Ένας μεγάλος εχθρός που τρομοκρατεί τους ηγέτες του κόσμου χωρίς να κάνει λάθη, έχει καταστρώσει τα πάντα στην εντέλεια έχοντας προβλέψει τις πιθανές αντιδράσεις των εχθρών του και με όργανά του στις κατάλληλες θέσεις και στιγμές, τα οποία φυσικά δολοφονεί για να μην αφήνει μάρτυρες ενώ ταυτόχρονα καταφέρνει να στέλνει τον Κρος από το ένα αδιέξοδο στο άλλο είναι μια απίθανα αληθοφανής περίπτωση. Παρ’ όλ’ αυτά πέρασα καλά και ξεφύλλιζα το βιβλίο αναρωτώμενος πώς θα τελειώσει όλη αυτή η περιπέτεια, ειδικά όταν τινάζονται στον αέρα η γέφυρα Κουάντικο της Νέας Υόρκης, άλλο ένα τοπόσημο της πόλης εξίσου σημαντικό με τους Δίδυμους Πύργους αλλά και αυτή του Ουεστμίνστερ στο Λονδίνο και ένα μικρό μέρος του Παρισιού! Εντάξει, είχε μια γερή ανατροπή αλλά κι αυτήν την πήρε σχεδόν αμέσως πίσω ο συγγραφέας, παίζοντας για τελευταία φορά με τον αναγνώστη (και τα νεύρα του) πριν τελειώσει το μυθιστόρημα.
Η βομβιστική επίθεση στο Σάνραϊζ Βάλεϊ της Νεβάδα, με το οποίο ξεκινάει το βιβλίο, μια ανεξήγητη και χωρίς προφανή σκοπό ενέργεια, συνασπίζει τα στελέχη του FBI, της CIA και της Υπηρεσίας Εσωτερικής Ασφάλειας ενώ αιματηρές επιθέσεις σε Γερμανία και Σκοτία ξεσηκώνουν τον Βρετανό Πρωθυπουργό, τον Γερμανό Καγκελάριο και τον Αμερικανό Πρόεδρο. Οι εκτελέσεις γίνονται εν ψυχρώ, πράκτορες και αστυνομικοί σε Παρίσι και Λονδίνο έρχονται και φεύγουν από τη ζωή του Κρος εν ριπή οφθαλμού. Χάος, τρόμος, αίμα και βαναυσότητα, ακριβώς ό,τι άφησε πίσω της η επίθεση στους Δίδυμους Πύργους: «Κανείς δεν μπορεί να βάλει στοίχημα για τίποτε στις μέρες μας. Τα πάντα μπορούν να συμβούν και, αργά ή γρήγορα, το πιθανότερο είναι ότι θα συμβούν. Δε δείχνουμε να γινόμαστε ευφυέστεροι ως είδος, απλώς όλο και πιο παλαβοί. Ή, το λιγότερο που μπορεί να πει κανείς, πολύ πιο επικίνδυνοι. Απίστευτα, αφόρητα πιο επικίνδυνοι» (σε. 270). Δολοφονίες, ανατινάξεις, εκτελέσεις, παγίδες, άφθονο ξύλο και ανθρωποκυνηγητό περιέχονται εδώ σε χορταστικό βαθμό! Μάλιστα ο ήρωάς μας ταξιδεύει κυριολεκτικά σε όλη την Ευρώπη (Λονδίνο, Παρίσι, Ζυρίχη, Νίκαια), όχι μόνο στην Αμερική (Σιάτλ, Άινταχο), μέχρι και Γκουαντάναμο!
Η «Νυφίτσα» που γνωρίσαμε στο 5ο βιβλίο της σειράς «Οι τέσσερις Ιππείς» (τρία χρόνια πριν κατά τον συγγραφέα) ή Τζέφρι Σέιφερ είναι πειθήνιο εκτελεστικό όργανο του Λύκου και οδηγεί τον Κρος σε απανωτές γκάφες ενώ συνεχίζει να κάνει αυτό που του αρέσει πάρα πολύ: να σκοτώνει. Φυσικά έχουμε κι εδώ ένα σοβαρό ατόπημα, μιας και ο ύποπτος Σέιφερ καταφέρνει να φτάσει στο Λονδίνο και να μπει ανενόχλητος στο σπίτι της νύφης του, όπου ζουν οι κόρες του. Δεν άλλαξε διεύθυνση η γυναίκα μετά τα αιματηρά γεγονότα; Δεν υπήρξαν μέτρα ασφαλείας όταν άρχισε να εμφανίζεται το πρόσωπο του Σέιφερ στις τρομοκρατικές επιθέσεις; Επίσης, δεν μπόρεσα να πιστέψω το πόσο εύκολα ολοκληρώθηκε η διαμάχη μεταξύ Κρος και Σέιφερ, τη στιγμή που τα πάντα ήταν απόλυτα ενορχηστρωμένα ως σχέδιο μέχρι την παραμικρή λεπτομέρεια, σχεδόν αν όχι τυχαία τουλάχιστον άσκεφτα, για να μην ξαναπώ ρηχά. Πάντως γενικότερα η ανάμιξη της Νυφίτσας δεν κατάφερε να μπλέξει ιδιαίτερα το ήδη φορτωμένο κείμενο ενώ ο Κρος από την αρχή σχεδόν ήξερε πως είχε να κάνει με δύο εχθρούς, άρα αναρωτιέμαι γιατί διάλεξε ο συγγραφέας τον συγκεκριμένο αντίπαλο, ειδικά έτσι όπως τον έβγαλε από τη μέση.
Σε προσωπικό επίπεδο, βλέπουμε τον τρίχρονο Άλεξ Τζούνιορ (τέσσερις μήνες μετά το προηγούμενο βιβλίο) να ζει με τη μαμά του στο Σιάτλ, με τον Άλεξ τον επισκέπτεται κάνα δύο φορές. Η υπόθεση αυτή βάζει σε κίνδυνο και πάλι την οικογένειά του, τη δεκάχρονη πλέον Τζάνι, τον δωδεκάχρονο Ντέιμον και τη θρυλική Νάνα Μάμα ενώ η Τζαμίλα Χιουζ καταλαβαίνει πόσο σοβαρά και ρεαλιστικά είναι τα εμπόδια στη σχέση της μαζί του και δεν αφορούν μόνο τη γεωγραφική απόσταση. Ελπίζω πραγματικά να χειριστεί σωστά ο Patterson αυτό το σοβαρό ηθικό δίλημμα και σε επόμενο βιβλίο να δω έναν άκρως αληθινό, απόλυτα ρεαλιστικό χαρακτήρα, που θα πάρει μιαν απόφαση και θα διαλέξει τι πρέπει να κάνει στην υπόλοιπη ζωή του. Σίγουρα δεν είναι εύκολο για κάποιον της δράσης, τη�� έντασης και των γρίφων να αποσυρθεί, πρέπει να υπάρχει όμως μια χρυσή τομή στην οποία να μπορεί να κινείται όπως θέλει χωρίς να βάζει σε κίνδυνο την οικογένειά του. Ονειροβατώ, ε; Για να δούμε λοιπόν τι άλλο έχει στο μυαλό του ο συγγραφέας.
«Οι γέφυρες του Λονδίνου» είναι η επόμενη περιπέτεια του Άλεξ Κρος στη γνωστή σειρά βιβλίων και μια απόπειρα του συγγραφέα να γράψει πολιτικό θρίλερ με σασπένς και αγωνία, αλλάζοντας επίπεδο αφηγηματικού μοτίβου.
Δεν αντιλέγω ότι οι «Γέφυρες του Λονδίνου» έχουν σασπένς, εκπλήξεις και αναπάντεχα γεγονότα όμως αν έχεις απολαύσει την αληθοφάνεια του Tom Clancy και του Frederick Forsyth δύσκολα θα νιώσεις κερδισμένος από το νέο μυθιστόρημα του James Patterson. Ένας μεγάλος εχθρός που τρομοκρατεί τους ηγέτες του κόσμου χωρίς να κάνει λάθη, έχει καταστρώσει τα πάντα στην εντέλεια έχοντας προβλέψει τις πιθανές αντιδράσεις των εχθρών του και με όργανά του στις κατάλληλες θέσεις και στιγμές, τα οποία φυσικά δολοφονεί για να μην αφήνει μάρτυρες ενώ ταυτόχρονα καταφέρνει να στέλνει τον Κρος από το ένα αδιέξοδο στο άλλο είναι μια απίθανα αληθοφανής περίπτωση. Παρ’ όλ’ αυτά πέρασα καλά και ξεφύλλιζα το βιβλίο αναρωτώμενος πώς θα τελειώσει όλη αυτή η περιπέτεια, ειδικά όταν τινάζονται στον αέρα η γέφυρα Κουάντικο της Νέας Υόρκης, άλλο ένα τοπόσημο της πόλης εξίσου σημαντικό με τους Δίδυμους Πύργους αλλά και αυτή του Ουεστμίνστερ στο Λονδίνο και ένα μικρό μέρος του Παρισιού! Εντάξει, είχε μια γερή ανατροπή αλλά κι αυτήν την πήρε σχεδόν αμέσως πίσω ο συγγραφέας, παίζοντας για τελευταία φορά με τον αναγνώστη (και τα νεύρα του) πριν τελειώσει το μυθιστόρημα.
Η βομβιστική επίθεση στο Σάνραϊζ Βάλεϊ της Νεβάδα, με το οποίο ξεκινάει το βιβλίο, μια ανεξήγητη και χωρίς προφανή σκοπό ενέργεια, συνασπίζει τα στελέχη του FBI, της CIA και της Υπηρεσίας Εσωτερικής Ασφάλειας ενώ αιματηρές επιθέσεις σε Γερμανία και Σκοτία ξεσηκώνουν τον Βρετανό Πρωθυπουργό, τον Γερμανό Καγκελάριο και τον Αμερικανό Πρόεδρο. Οι εκτελέσεις γίνονται εν ψυχρώ, πράκτορες και αστυνομικοί σε Παρίσι και Λονδίνο έρχονται και φεύγουν από τη ζωή του Κρος εν ριπή οφθαλμού. Χάος, τρόμος, αίμα και βαναυσότητα, ακριβώς ό,τι άφησε πίσω της η επίθεση στους Δίδυμους Πύργους: «Κανείς δεν μπορεί να βάλει στοίχημα για τίποτε στις μέρες μας. Τα πάντα μπορούν να συμβούν και, αργά ή γρήγορα, το πιθανότερο είναι ότι θα συμβούν. Δε δείχνουμε να γινόμαστε ευφυέστεροι ως είδος, απλώς όλο και πιο παλαβοί. Ή, το λιγότερο που μπορεί να πει κανείς, πολύ πιο επικίνδυνοι. Απίστευτα, αφόρητα πιο επικίνδυνοι» (σε. 270). Δολοφονίες, ανατινάξεις, εκτελέσεις, παγίδες, άφθονο ξύλο και ανθρωποκυνηγητό περιέχονται εδώ σε χορταστικό βαθμό! Μάλιστα ο ήρωάς μας ταξιδεύει κυριολεκτικά σε όλη την Ευρώπη (Λονδίνο, Παρίσι, Ζυρίχη, Νίκαια), όχι μόνο στην Αμερική (Σιάτλ, Άινταχο), μέχρι και Γκουαντάναμο!
Η «Νυφίτσα» που γνωρίσαμε στο 5ο βιβλίο της σειράς «Οι τέσσερις Ιππείς» (τρία χρόνια πριν κατά τον συγγραφέα) ή Τζέφρι Σέιφερ είναι πειθήνιο εκτελεστικό όργανο του Λύκου και οδηγεί τον Κρος σε απανωτές γκάφες ενώ συνεχίζει να κάνει αυτό που του αρέσει πάρα πολύ: να σκοτώνει. Φυσικά έχουμε κι εδώ ένα σοβαρό ατόπημα, μιας και ο ύποπτος Σέιφερ καταφέρνει να φτάσει στο Λονδίνο και να μπει ανενόχλητος στο σπίτι της νύφης του, όπου ζουν οι κόρες του. Δεν άλλαξε διεύθυνση η γυναίκα μετά τα αιματηρά γεγονότα; Δεν υπήρξαν μέτρα ασφαλείας όταν άρχισε να εμφανίζεται το πρόσωπο του Σέιφερ στις τρομοκρατικές επιθέσεις; Επίσης, δεν μπόρεσα να πιστέψω το πόσο εύκολα ολοκληρώθηκε η διαμάχη μεταξύ Κρος και Σέιφερ, τη στιγμή που τα πάντα ήταν απόλυτα ενορχηστρωμένα ως σχέδιο μέχρι την παραμικρή λεπτομέρεια, σχεδόν αν όχι τυχαία τουλάχιστον άσκεφτα, για να μην ξαναπώ ρηχά. Πάντως γενικότερα η ανάμιξη της Νυφίτσας δεν κατάφερε να μπλέξει ιδιαίτερα το ήδη φορτωμένο κείμενο ενώ ο Κρος από την αρχή σχεδόν ήξερε πως είχε να κάνει με δύο εχθρούς, άρα αναρωτιέμαι γιατί διάλεξε ο συγγραφέας τον συγκεκριμένο αντίπαλο, ειδικά έτσι όπως τον έβγαλε από τη μέση.
Σε προσωπικό επίπεδο, βλέπουμε τον τρίχρονο Άλεξ Τζούνιορ (τέσσερις μήνες μετά το προηγούμενο βιβλίο) να ζει με τη μαμά του στο Σιάτλ, με τον Άλεξ τον επισκέπτεται κάνα δύο φορές. Η υπόθεση αυτή βάζει σε κίνδυνο και πάλι την οικογένειά του, τη δεκάχρονη πλέον Τζάνι, τον δωδεκάχρονο Ντέιμον και τη θρυλική Νάνα Μάμα ενώ η Τζαμίλα Χιουζ καταλαβαίνει πόσο σοβαρά και ρεαλιστικά είναι τα εμπόδια στη σχέση της μαζί του και δεν αφορούν μόνο τη γεωγραφική απόσταση. Ελπίζω πραγματικά να χειριστεί σωστά ο Patterson αυτό το σοβαρό ηθικό δίλημμα και σε επόμενο βιβλίο να δω έναν άκρως αληθινό, απόλυτα ρεαλιστικό χαρακτήρα, που θα πάρει μιαν απόφαση και θα διαλέξει τι πρέπει να κάνει στην υπόλοιπη ζωή του. Σίγουρα δεν είναι εύκολο για κάποιον της δράσης, τη�� έντασης και των γρίφων να αποσυρθεί, πρέπει να υπάρχει όμως μια χρυσή τομή στην οποία να μπορεί να κινείται όπως θέλει χωρίς να βάζει σε κίνδυνο την οικογένειά του. Ονειροβατώ, ε; Για να δούμε λοιπόν τι άλλο έχει στο μυαλό του ο συγγραφέας.
«Οι γέφυρες του Λονδίνου» είναι η επόμενη περιπέτεια του Άλεξ Κρος στη γνωστή σειρά βιβλίων και μια απόπειρα του συγγραφέα να γράψει πολιτικό θρίλερ με σασπένς και αγωνία, αλλάζοντας επίπεδο αφηγηματικού μοτίβου.
November 18, 2014
Alex was more unbelieveable in this book than others. The voice-over guy on the audiobook seemed to only change the inflection of his voice, but didn't seem to be able to convey the characters' emotionally. I'm new to audiobooks so, maybe he wasn't meant to.
The Wolf strikes again. He'll huff and he'll puff and he'll blow the house down. He actually does this at one point. This guys seems to have eyes and ears everywhere. Cross seems to be in the background for the first half of the story, just tagging along.
This read was a little thinner than usual with more holes than a king-sized crocheted blanket.
It's all good though because I like fast-paced reads. For some reason far-fetched-ness is allowed in thriller/mystery at times.
This read was wrapped up way too quick and neatly after all the run-around.
On to the next.
The Wolf strikes again. He'll huff and he'll puff and he'll blow the house down. He actually does this at one point. This guys seems to have eyes and ears everywhere. Cross seems to be in the background for the first half of the story, just tagging along.
This read was a little thinner than usual with more holes than a king-sized crocheted blanket.
It's all good though because I like fast-paced reads. For some reason far-fetched-ness is allowed in thriller/mystery at times.
This read was wrapped up way too quick and neatly after all the run-around.
On to the next.
June 20, 2013
Another great Cross book! Just when I thought I knew who the Wolf was, things got twisted up and I had to guess again. Not to mention I think Patterson is setting us up for something bad to happen with Nana Mama. I figure she's gonna live forever......so I hope not!
August 10, 2016
LOVED the twists and turns!!! One of James finest works!!!!
July 14, 2020
Excerpt: “The Thames was as dark as the early-morning sky. The smell in the air was slightly salty and fishy. Rows of plum-colored tourist buses sat idle near the bridge, waiting for the days first passengers...Isn’t going to happen, though. Not on this day of days.”
James Patterson takes us on an international race against terror in London Bridges, the adventure that concludes the Alex Cross series. Cross must fight against the Wolf, a Russian supercriminal, against his plan to complete a global annihilation. The only word that sufficiently could describe the mood of this book is suspenseful. What provoked him to join forces with the Weasel? What happened to him in Paris? Who can be trusted? These questions plagued me throughout the page-turning span of this story.
It cannot be easy for an author to transport us from Paris, to London, to Washington D.C., to Seattle all within chapters, yet Patterson accomplished this seamlessly. I have seen many negative reviews about this book, and I stand somewhere in the middle- it was certainly a page-turner, but there was just something missing for me. 3 stars.
Some memorable quotes:
“We don’t seem to be getting any smarter as a species, just crazier and crazier. Or at the very least, a whole lot more dangerous. Unbelievably, unbearably more dangerous.”
“Everybody I talked to had possible leads, but no one had anything hot, or even what I would consider lukewarm.”
James Patterson takes us on an international race against terror in London Bridges, the adventure that concludes the Alex Cross series. Cross must fight against the Wolf, a Russian supercriminal, against his plan to complete a global annihilation. The only word that sufficiently could describe the mood of this book is suspenseful. What provoked him to join forces with the Weasel? What happened to him in Paris? Who can be trusted? These questions plagued me throughout the page-turning span of this story.
It cannot be easy for an author to transport us from Paris, to London, to Washington D.C., to Seattle all within chapters, yet Patterson accomplished this seamlessly. I have seen many negative reviews about this book, and I stand somewhere in the middle- it was certainly a page-turner, but there was just something missing for me. 3 stars.
Some memorable quotes:
“We don’t seem to be getting any smarter as a species, just crazier and crazier. Or at the very least, a whole lot more dangerous. Unbelievably, unbearably more dangerous.”
“Everybody I talked to had possible leads, but no one had anything hot, or even what I would consider lukewarm.”
February 28, 2020
Decepcionante. A pesar del carisma que podría tener el protagonista, Alex Cross (al que durante todo el libro le he puesto la cara de Morgan Freeman), y de las posibilidades en la trama de un terrorista a nivel mundial, que actúa por dinero; se ha quedado casi en nada: poca definición de los personajes y poco interés en la trama, ya que se dedica a ir narrando hechos, sin desarrollar una mínima intriga o una investigación interesante.
November 15, 2021
this IS my last Alex Cross book. Just no resemblance to "Along came a Spider" #1
December 8, 2014
London Bridges is another example why I read Patterson's books, but I don't buy them. For the reader, the book has good momentum and for the publisher, the series has good momentum. I'm not clear on how this works. The James Patterson franchise kicks out several books a year featuring various authors and different series. Presumably the Alex Cross series is written thus far by somebody with the actual James Patterson pen name. I think this guy is really busy, a lot of irons in the fire. One in four Cross novels is great, two in four are decent and it appears to me that every couple of years, a loose collection of scraps are gathered up and glued together by some frantic editors and released to publishing.
Patterson's books are compulsively readable. With the average chapter being less than 3 pages long, you don't just read one more page, you read one more chapter. It makes the book go fast. I've considered that this is a gimmick for readers. Unfortunately, I think it is also a gimmick for writing. Sit down, write a short blurb... another chapter down. Sit down another time, write a quickie, we'll clean it up later... at least somebody will.
This book has so much redundancy and inconsistency. The only role the famous and most brilliant Dr. Cross has in this one is to circuit the globe asking, "Who is the Wolf?", "Where is the Wolf?".
I'm not a big fan of Patterson's villains. He tends to dote on them, bringing them back in succeeding episodes. In this one, the reason for bringing the villain back is obvious.
Author: "Hey, remember those three sections we left out of 'Pop Goes the Weasel'? Use that, it will get us part of the way there.
Editor: "If you say so... I'll do what I can"
Publisher: "Yeah Baby! That will bring us in three weeks early, right before the hot season. Just don't hold it up!"
Now after all of my griping, I did not completely hate this book. I was annoyed and frustrated, but I was carried along by the rapid pace.
Patterson's books are compulsively readable. With the average chapter being less than 3 pages long, you don't just read one more page, you read one more chapter. It makes the book go fast. I've considered that this is a gimmick for readers. Unfortunately, I think it is also a gimmick for writing. Sit down, write a short blurb... another chapter down. Sit down another time, write a quickie, we'll clean it up later... at least somebody will.
This book has so much redundancy and inconsistency. The only role the famous and most brilliant Dr. Cross has in this one is to circuit the globe asking, "Who is the Wolf?", "Where is the Wolf?".
I'm not a big fan of Patterson's villains. He tends to dote on them, bringing them back in succeeding episodes. In this one, the reason for bringing the villain back is obvious.
Author: "Hey, remember those three sections we left out of 'Pop Goes the Weasel'? Use that, it will get us part of the way there.
Editor: "If you say so... I'll do what I can"
Publisher: "Yeah Baby! That will bring us in three weeks early, right before the hot season. Just don't hold it up!"
Now after all of my griping, I did not completely hate this book. I was annoyed and frustrated, but I was carried along by the rapid pace.
March 11, 2024
We're going on an international journey with Alex Cross with this one, folks! But it's not going to be a pleasant trip - far from it. The Wolf is making all sorts of crazy demands and, just for kicks, has recruited one of Alex's other foes, The Weasel.
How can you catch someone when they always manage to stay one step ahead? The answer? It's impossible, even when the top law enforcement agencies in the world band together. The clock is literally ticking because if they don't meet deadlines, another major global city will be under terrorist attack. Quite specifically, one of their bridges. What's the significance?
Published back in 2004, this was a stark reminder of a time when the world changed in an instant, never to be the same ever again. Scary stuff. Still.
The action-packed chase had me on the edge of my seat. However, if I were Alex, I'd be pretty burned out by now, jet setting at every beck and call. Not to mention, constantly placed in danger. Give him a chance to relax and sort out his priorities already!
London Bridges is a step up from the previous. The Wolf and The Weasel working together to create mass destruction? Yes, please. But, why, oh why, wasn't there enough of this duo? I expected more.
Also, what's with that ending? I feel like it's a cheap way out. Then again... perhaps we are being played. It's James Patterson, after all, always having something up his sleeve.
4.5 🌟
How can you catch someone when they always manage to stay one step ahead? The answer? It's impossible, even when the top law enforcement agencies in the world band together. The clock is literally ticking because if they don't meet deadlines, another major global city will be under terrorist attack. Quite specifically, one of their bridges. What's the significance?
Published back in 2004, this was a stark reminder of a time when the world changed in an instant, never to be the same ever again. Scary stuff. Still.
The action-packed chase had me on the edge of my seat. However, if I were Alex, I'd be pretty burned out by now, jet setting at every beck and call. Not to mention, constantly placed in danger. Give him a chance to relax and sort out his priorities already!
London Bridges is a step up from the previous. The Wolf and The Weasel working together to create mass destruction? Yes, please. But, why, oh why, wasn't there enough of this duo? I expected more.
Also, what's with that ending? I feel like it's a cheap way out. Then again... perhaps we are being played. It's James Patterson, after all, always having something up his sleeve.
4.5 🌟
June 19, 2008
As if it's not enough that Alex Cross has a plethora of rather vicious bad guys just chomping at the bit to strike back against him, now he has two. In this novel, we see the return of not just the Wolf from the last Alex Cross novel, but also Geoffrey "Weasel" Shafer from Pop Goes the Weasel. And both are gunning to not just take down Cross, but bring the world to its knees via total city destruction. Yes, the Wolf and the Weasel have designs on completely destroying four major cities around the world unless the worlds' leaders bow down to their might and pony up one helluva ransom. And they both show, at several instances, that they're not bluffing. I am so thankful that the Alex Cross books of old seem to be back. A good old fashioned thriller played out against a post-9/11 backdrop.
April 17, 2021
My 10th Alex Cross book - I sprinkle them in once in a while not reading all of them in a row but Patterson pulls me back into the story within 3-4 pages so no worry about that.
In this one The Wolf and The Weasel are back. It was fast paced as usual but there wasn’t as much Nana Mama and Sampson as I like in these books. Not to say they weren’t in the story and not to say I didn’t enjoy the book - I just think part of the appeal of reading about the same detective over and over is that we get to be part of his family life too.
Anyhow / I’m sure you know (since there is a book 11) that Alex gets through this challenge too. It was a worldwide effort this time and you’ll get to travel to London, Paris, Switzerland and more if you read this book.
In this one The Wolf and The Weasel are back. It was fast paced as usual but there wasn’t as much Nana Mama and Sampson as I like in these books. Not to say they weren’t in the story and not to say I didn’t enjoy the book - I just think part of the appeal of reading about the same detective over and over is that we get to be part of his family life too.
Anyhow / I’m sure you know (since there is a book 11) that Alex gets through this challenge too. It was a worldwide effort this time and you’ll get to travel to London, Paris, Switzerland and more if you read this book.
Read
December 23, 2008I read this book because it's in my collection, but do not recall anything whatsoever about it. The description of the book might be why. It sounds awful to me and nothing like any book I would ever enjoy. I doubt I'll read it again since the first time wasn't memorable at all.
August 9, 2016
Awesome!!! Suspenseful, and great ending!!
April 11, 2020
Another great installment of the Alex Cross series. So many women so little time for Mr Cross. Ugh... but the mystery is good. :D
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