London Bridges

And now it all makes sense. I started this book out of order in the series and was wondering why all the characters and action seemed dis-jointed. So after reading "Big Bad Wolf" I went back to this volume, skimmed the portion I had read to catch myself back up on the action, and continued merrily on my way. So to speak.

Still a police drama with Alex Cross struggling to adapt to the changes in his life, especially with little Alex across the country, while simultaneously keeping his promises to his family to be there more often. This time, though, the world is turned upside down with new designs by The Big Bad Wolf, a former KGB agent brought to the US at the end of the 1990's who exploits his new country.

Four major cities are in the show more Wolf's sights and he is holding them hostage until his financial demands are met. His seriousness starts with a small Nevada town, evacuated of people, bombed from the sky in a unique fashion. Some days later, a small northern English town is destroyed in the same way, and Cross and his colleagues at the FBI are beside themselves trying to figure out the whys and hows. The timeframe is a matter of days before the Wolf will blow up the major cities.

We are brought into the darkness that is the mind of the Wolf, and he has allied himself with the Weasel from previous Alex Cross novels. They are in dark, dark places, and it takes all of Alex Cross's psychological background to figure out the motive that the Wolf has for targeting the cities he has (London, Paris, New York, and Washington, DC). And the kicker for all of this? No one from these cities can know that a bomb may go off at any moment, so there can be no evacuations. And when a bomb does go off, the devastation is tragic for the country and demoralizing for law enforcement.

I was captivated to the very end, especially when Alex began to recognize some of his allies and motivations for the Wolf and the Weasel. show less

Well that escalated quickly; last book the Wolf was kidnapping women and selling them to perverts, this book he's holding America, France, England & Israel to ransom for 4 billion dollars with nuclear weapons. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something about the plot that seems a little out of proportion to the former book.

That aside, the story whilst clearly absurd, was actually quite entertaining and structured in a manner that did have you guessing at what was going on and who was a good guy versus bad guy. The custody sub plot with Christine still lingers advancing slowly, Alex's love life continues in its car crash like manner with him seeming to flirt with purpose with his nan's doctor whilst still seeing Jam, but show more making no moves to reconcile the long distance relationship into something workable.

It's decent, more so than the last one and does tie up the Weasel & Wolf storylines, I also note Patterson can't work out how to describe Alex's porsche, in the earlier books when it was 8-14 years old it was described as his 'old black porsche' last book when it was presumably 15 years old it became his 'ancient porsche' now it's back to just being an old porsche. Maybe he washed it? show less

You can tell this was written in the aftermath of 9/11. Alex Cross combats former foes and foils their plot to ransom major cities. The villain's network of aliases and doubles adds for effective plot twists. It made for a suspenseful beach read but didn't leaving me thirsting for the next in the series.

Ah, the era when Patterson wrote all of his own books. This book is *so* many steps above the dreck he publishes now, yet still not the greatest. I think my problem with lies in the complexity of the evil plot. I didn’t really buy it in this context, perhaps because the book takes itself seriously. You could have this type of plot in an Ian Fleming or Clive Cussler novel, because it is delivered with a wink and a nod. Here, it’s meant as a 'this could really happen' scenario. There’s just too many pieces and plots for everything to be controlled by one man (or woman). That being said, I was still entertained, and it was nice to visit with Alex Cross again. I may avoid most of Patterson’s newer books, but I expect I won’t be show more able to avoid finishing this series. show less

The world is threatened, and Alex Cross races from New York, London, Monaco in pursuit of the villain. ‘The Wolf’ is a James Bond type villain, having decoys everywhere & always one step ahead. Nothing is known of this Russian defector save that he squeezes a ball (?) & something bad happened to him in Paris. So why isn’t Cross questioning the people who came up with this info and effected the defection? And, no, I don’t believe diplomats arrange this without seeing a face.

So, a silly plot, but fast-paced, and I am a fan of Patterson’s page-long chapters. You think you’ve done reading, see the next chapter is only a few paragraphs away, so find yourself reading just a little bit more...

Alex Cross is back in his tenth and most explosive adventure yet.
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.

And so is the Wolf
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. The Wolf is the deadliest nemesis Cross has ever faced, and the fact that he is still at large is agonizing for him and his new bosses at the FBI.

And so is the Weasel
Major cities around the globe, including show more London, Paris, and New York, are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it - the only question is who can stop him in time. Surveillance film of the blast reveals the presence of another of Alex Cross's most dangerous enemies, the ruthless assassin known as the Weasel. The thought of these two dark geniuses joining forces makes Alex's blood run cold.

Now are you scared?

World leaders have just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm. In a matter of hours, Cross is catapulted into an international chase of astonishing danger. 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 show less

London Bridges sees the return of a previous nemesis, The Weasel, whilst continuing to hunt The Wolf from the previous Alex Cross novel. Cross is drawn in to a cat and mouse chase as the Wolf holds the world to ransom, causing havoc in the biggest cities with destruction and mayhem. It's a bold shift from the localised plots that Patterson usually offers. In fact, if the narrative style wasn't so readily identifiable then one could place the plot at the hands of a different author, one more aligned with global terror then the standard psychopath hunting genre. London Bridges is wildly brave and the pace ensures the brain is never really engaged, although Patterson still develops the personal affairs of the protagonist. Unfortunately the show more final confrontation is abysmally weak and disappointing which is unusual for this series. That aside, London Bridges delivers typical Alex Cross entertainment. show less