Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross #5)

[Mary Pat]

This thread is to discuss James Patterson‘s book, Pop Goes the Weasel.


***Please remember to mark spoilers.***

Participants: Angela, Ashley, Kerry

[Mary Pat]

Suggested break down of reading so that you can check in and let us know how you're doing. The following breakdown is purely a suggestion and is therefore not set in stone.

Rather than putting dates for each section I've done it so that it takes into account that not everybody will necessarily have the book at the same time.

Week 1: 115
Week 2: 115
Week 3: 115
Week 4: 115

[Ashley]

I did start this book. As this is a busy month I am reading this during my lunch at work so I probably won't finish it until closer to the end of the month but will join in the conversation up until the point I am at. :) Enjoy.

[Angela Jr.]

I haven't started it yet. I'm rereading them via audiobook and I haven't been in the mood to listen to anything lately, so I'll probably also finish towards the end of the month!

[Angela Jr.]

Nevermind, i just started listening 😂

[Ashley]

That works. I have a day off in a couple of weeks so I might read more then. Have to see what happens. But I will at least read during lunch as long as I can and will have it read by the end of the month. Enjoy :)

[Angela Jr.]

Chapter 21
(view spoiler)[that he's rolling dice to determine how he kills people is basically exactly the same as in jack and jill's story. That makes it feel a bit repetitive, even though shafer is very different from them! (hide spoiler)]

[Angela Jr.]

Finished yesterday, i look forward to hearing your thoughts :)

[Angela Jr.]

Do you want to continue with the next book in september? Asking because we need to request a thread by the 19th this month.

[Ashley]

I will continue. I might not finish this one until the first week of September but I will continue. Sorry for the delay. Work has been crazy.

I just got to the part where (view spoiler)[ Alex proposed to Christine. I was waiting for that to happen. The killer in this book is a psycho, more than some of the others. He has a hard time living out his daily life and I am waiting for him to crack and make a mistake. The guy is actually a creep, but so far he is seeming to get away with it. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Angela Jr.]

(view spoiler)[I don't know, for some reason I haven't been feeling the christine/alex relationship. But it is nice to see him move on from his wife's death and see the children accept christine so readily. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley]

Angela Jr. wrote: "[spoilers removed]"

I agree. (view spoiler)[ There is not much feeling in the writing regarding the relationship. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley]

Work has been very crazy this month so I am still working on this book. I am hoping to finish it this weekend. I am at the part where (view spoiler)[ Alex just found out that someone has Christine. (hide spoiler)]

(view spoiler)[ With everything that has gone on and being in Bermuda, it was stupid of Christine to go off on her own. Also, it is curious at this point at to how Death got to Bermuda, or is there more than one person in on this? It is crazy how he just pops up out of nowhere. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley]

So i just got to the part where (view spoiler)[ they should out Shafer wants to go to trial. The part about the false arrest and defamation kinda pissed me off. One of the defenses to defamation is truth. So with the blood and enough evidence to show that Shafter killed Patsy under the civil standard, usually preponderance of the evidence, there is no cause of action for defamation. Any personal injury lawyer would know this. They didn't even bother really saying there is no defamation cause of action on the phone. And if they can prove he is guilty in a criminal trial, they can use that outcome to defend Alex in the civil case. Criminal outcomes can be brought into the civil case, but civil cannot be brought into the criminal as the standard in a civil case is lower than criminal case. (hide spoiler)]

Law stuff in books sometimes gets me going into a rant, which it did here. I don't know how this will play out but I typically do not read law books unless written by a lawyer and sometimes even then I do not. I tend to pick it apart. Sorry for the rant.

[Ashley]

(view spoiler)[ At the trial, there is exhibit J. I highly doubt the prosecutor would agree to allow the picture of Alex in as evidence. There would have to be witnesses to authentic the picture as accurate before it would be exhibit. The attorney would not be allowed to describe the photo, and the witness would have to give details, explain what it is, and whether it is an accurate picture. This is generally done by the person who took the picture, but it does not have to be. The prosecutor had a few objection she could have made and did not. (hide spoiler)]

[Angela Jr.]

Wow, how do you know so much about law? Do you work in law enforcement?

[Ashley]

(view spoiler)[ The entire trial is so messed up. Witness cannot read grand jury transcripts and are not allowed to be in the courtroom and list to testimony. The only witnesses allowed to do that are expert witnesses and there are very specific rules. There are so many reasons for a mistrial and appeal. The trial is very inaccurate. (hide spoiler)]

[Ashley]

I went to law school. I am an attorney. I am licensed to practice in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The things that I pointed out are the basics that you learn in the law school. That is why they bug me lol. Sorry.

[Angela Jr.]

That's cool! Do you work for a firm or did you start your own practice?

[Angela Jr.]

And what's your specialty?

[Ashley]

Right now I am doing collections work. But ideally I want to do civil litigation - contract, personal injury, and stuff like that.

[Ashley]

I work for a small firm. There are 5 attorneys in the office. I kindly like the small firm. I thought about starting my own firm, but I have only been practicing for a few years and want to get some experience where I am, then some experience in the areas I ideally want to practice in, and then maybe I will open my own firm. See what happens. I like what I do so I don't want to stop for the administrative stuff that comes up.

[Ashley]

I finished this. (view spoiler)[ Shafer is like death, impossible to kill. He is insane. I am glad that Alex found Christine, but it seemed strange. The whole relationship is strange to me though, so I guess it fits that at least. (hide spoiler)]

[Angela Jr.]

Ashley wrote: "I work for a small firm. There are 5 attorneys in the office. I kindly like the small firm. I thought about starting my own firm, but I have only been practicing for a few years and want to get som..."

Sounds like a good plan :)

[Angela Jr.]

Ashley wrote: "I finished this. [spoilers removed]"

I agree. (view spoiler)[maybe the author didn't want to have the children kidnapped, so he introduced a woman who could do the job, so to speak 🤷 (hide spoiler)]