Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross, #5) in Crazy Challenge Connection

Jun 25, 2017 Charlotte (Buried in Books) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The early Alex Cross books were so good. Now, I'm struggling to keep with them. The good thing is that they are very quick reads - once you get going.

This follows slightly similar lines of a previous book in the series - a number of killers keeping in contact via the internet. This is a "fantasy" game called the four horsemen - except it's not a game - they are killing for real. But one of the horseman "death" is getting out of control and earns himself the name "the weasel" by the police. Right The early Alex Cross books were so good. Now, I'm struggling to keep with them. The good thing is that they are very quick reads - once you get going.

This follows slightly similar lines of a previous book in the series - a number of killers keeping in contact via the internet. This is a "fantasy" game called the four horsemen - except it's not a game - they are killing for real. But one of the horseman "death" is getting out of control and earns himself the name "the weasel" by the police. Right from the start you know who the weasel is - Geoffrey Shafer, member of the British secret service - he has diplomatic immunity, a scary mistress and dependency on prescription drugs. He also like to kill - a lot.

He mainly sticks to the poor areas of Washington and is behind a string of killings call the Jane Doe murders.. But he doesn't just restrict himself - he's an equal opportunity killer. When the mood takes him he'll kill - if the game dice allow it.

Alex Cross is investigating all kinds of things - he also get engaged along the way. But shortly after this his fiancé Christine goes missing in Bermuda. He knows the weasel is behind it (he'd warned him off beforehand). So he joins forces with another detective (who'd been ordered to look into the Jane Doe killings and try to keep Cross out of them), but the weasel kills her as well - which pushes Cross into the realms of illegal searches. So although the weasel goes to trial (waiving his right to immunity), he gets off and believes even more so that he is untouchable.

The conclusion of the book allows the weasel to escape, but Cross does find Christine - after a year - on Jamaica - complete with baby in tow.

I have one huge problem with this book. When Alex assesses Patsy's body in the car - he notices that the radio had been partly dislodged, but he doesn't think anything more about it at the time. He never goes back to that point - did he not think that maybe the weasel had tampered with her car and placed a bug in it? And the radio had been dislodged when he removed it? He could have left prints in the car when he took it out - because the murder took place in such a short timeframe.

That irritated the hell out of me and is the reason it gets such a low rating. ...more

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May 02, 2011 Melissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2015, mystery-suspense-thriller, series, police-procedural, i-would-read-again-and-again, kindle-books, mbl-hardback

This is the reason why I love James Patterson. He's writing his own book,telling a fast-paced exciting story. Alex Cross series is one of my favorite go-tos when I need a quick, well written mystery. ...more

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