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Violets are Blue (Alex Cross 7) [Paperback]

James Patterson (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 10 Dec 2009 | Series: Alex Cross 7
The seventh novel in the Alex Cross series

The Mastermind is back - and he's hot on detective Alex Cross's trail. His cold, taunting threats leave Alex angry and deeply concerned for his family's safety while he is away from home.
 
Two joggers have been found dead in San Francisco - bitten and hung by their feet to drain the blood. Further murders in California, and then on the East Coast as well, completely baffle Alex and the FBI. Is this the work of a cult, or role players, or even of modern-day vampires? Desperate to stop the deaths, Alex teams up with Jamilla Hughes, a savvy woman detective, and the FBI's Kyle Craig.

But Alex has never been closer to defeat, or in greater danger. He must survive a deadly confrontation - only to learn at last the awful secret of the Mastermind.

Frequently Bought Together

Violets are Blue (Alex Cross 7) + Roses are Red + Four Blind Mice
Price For All Three: £19.97

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  • Roses are Red by James Patterson Paperback £7.19
  • Four Blind Mice by James Patterson Paperback £7.19

Product details

  • Paperback: 480 pages
  • Publisher: Headline (10 Dec 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0755349350
  • ISBN-13: 978-0755349357
  • Product Dimensions: 13.1 x 3.1 x 19.6 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 10,698 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

Amazon Review

Fans of James Patterson's resourceful black cop Alex Cross will be relieved to find that he's back on familiar territory with Violets Are Blue--and (more importantly) it's one of the best Alex Cross thrillers in many a moon.

The malign criminal genius of Roses Are Red is back and fixing to give Alex a hard time once again. The FBI joins Patterson's dogged cop in a particularly unsettling investigation: two San Francisco joggers have been viciously murdered and are found suspended by their feet, with all the blood drained from their bodies. And when further brutal deaths follow in California and on the east coast, Alex is forced to contemplate the bizarre possibility of modern-day vampires, although his instincts point him to one of the many sinister religious cults that flourish on the West Coast. Aided by Jamilla Hughes, a streetwise young woman detective from San Francisco, Alex finds that he has to crack not one but two impenetrable mysteries to stop further bloodletting.

Readers of Patterson expect the extremely concise, page-turning chapters (116 of them), along with a reluctance to dawdle over details of his hero's personal life, and both characteristics are firmly back in place. If you can resist reading this one in just a few sittings, you deserve some kind of a thriller-reader's medal. --Barry Forshaw --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'If there really were human superheroes, Alex Cross would be at the head of the class...and, with each instalment in the series, Patterson makes sure his superhero gets bigger and better while at the same time becomming more vulnerable.'

(New York Times )

'Patterson knows where our deepest fears are buried... There's no stopping his imagination.'

(New York Times Book Review )
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Cheap, but still a page-turner 12 Nov 2001
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Well, it was probably about time to wrap up the Alex Cross franchise. The man just couldn't take anymore, nor could we. "Violets are blue" definitely keeps the pages turning, but ths is more because you 'll want to find out how the two stories end, rather than being intrigued by some intelligent writing.

Patterson weaves a fairly-researched plot (mmmm...vampires. What would be next? Aliens? Alex Cross the X-filer?), though it gets a little obscure somewhere in the middle. The characters - as with all the other Cross novels - are straight out of TV, but at least the maudling level, much like every chapter, is kept to a minimum, and the author manages to keep the pace going. And yes, it is annoying that Cross falls in love again.

So, it's an average novel, but the whole thing has been turning average after "Kiss the girls". Worth reading if you 're a fan, more like a Sunday afternoon flick. Read, enjoy the ride, and then forget about it.

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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Writing to a tired formula 13 Nov 2001
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
This seems to be so by the numbers. What to expect? Short chapters/ Unstoppable villains/ Torn Alex Cross/ Beautiful female counterpart. But Patterson seems to be at the stage where the books are almost a pastiche. The main plot line here once again concerns killer(s) who are unstoppable, arrogant and killing for no discernable reason. Whereas in the earlier books this would at least be explained, here the villains are cardboard. They're not scary, they're not motivated, it's just let's get through murder one, move onto murder two etc. The final showdown between them and Cross is dreadful; no tension. Yes, it's all building up to the climax with the Mastermind, but I'm sorry- that too I found to be boring by the time I got to the end of this book. By the end it looks as if Patterson is giving some closure to Alex Cross. I don't think that's a bad thing. Hopefully he can return to the character in a few years and have something original to say as he did in Along Came A Spider or Kiss the Girls. This struck me as a lazy book where Patterson knew readers were interested in the conflict between Cross and the Mastermind of Roses are Red, but had no idea how to fill a novel with the conflict, so instead introduces a new light weight adversary to take up three quarters of an already short novel before the final denouement.
Massively disappointing.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
2.0 out of 5 stars Suspense Is Spoiled if You Read Roses Are Red 2 July 2004
By Donald Mitchell HALL OF FAME TOP 500 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
The last two pages of Roses Are Red, the prior Alex Cross novel, reveal the identity of one of the bad guys in Violets Are Blue. Your enjoyment of Violets Are Blue will be vastly reduced if you know who did it in advance. If you decide to read that book, stop at page 398 and cover page 399 with a sheet of paper so you don't accidentally see any material on it. Then read this book. After that, go back and read pages 399 and 400 of Roses Are Red. Also, be careful which reviews you read of both of these books. Some reviews reveal this information as an ultimate spoiler, harming your enjoyment of two books.

"You're next, Dr. Cross." The hunter becomes the hunted in this unusual novel about finding mass murderers. How would you feel if your cell phone caller told you that you were the next person to be mutilated and murdered? That's part of the suspense of this book.

The main story line in Violets Are Blue is locating and stopping a murder spree being conducted by people who kill others so that they die from loss of blood. The way they lose this blood is not for the squeamish. Variations on this grossness are developed to be sure you get the maximum shock value. I found the story contrived, unrealistic, and unappealing. On the other hand, if you like old vampire movies, you may see this as high camp and a lot of fun. Who knows?

What Mr. Patterson does best is write plots, so with a weak plot here, there's not much good I can say about the book. It has the usual hard-to-differentiate characters, uninspiring dialogue, lack of any police procedure worth mentioning, and description of crime in mostly amoral terms.

Now, if Mr. Patterson were to write locked room mysteries, he would really be something. In his concept here of trying to describe being a metropolitan detective dealing with Stephen King figures, his talent just doesn't work.

If you really love Alex Cross books, go ahead and read this one. But remember that I warned you that you probably wouldn't like it! If you have read Roses Are Red, you will probably like this book much less. If you have read the last two pages of Roses Are Red, you may actually find this book annoying. I did. Be forewarned!

Where does providing too much, make something less? Certainly, eating more when you are already overstuffed is one example. Having a gruesome murder or crime occur every few pages may be another.

Seek the right balance in all that you do, so you can have the clear perspective to see the best opportunities for improvement!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars James Patterson
Usual good packaging, Book in very good condition, always enjoy Patterson Books, especially
Alex Cross stories, They are fast moving stories.
Published 6 days ago by Margery Walton
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellant
Another good Alex cross story,story line was good and good to ser Kyle Craig get his com violence.a very easy read.kept me up one night just to finish the book..!
Published 12 days ago by alan bell
5.0 out of 5 stars Alex Cross number 7
Fabulous book as they all are I am rotating these books with Peter James Inspector Grace series with I love equally. Off to order the next in series.
Published 16 days ago by Louise
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book
This book had me gripped from the very start and I went straight on to read the next one, anyone who loves crime books will love this one.
Published 21 days ago by Wyn
5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous
Another fabulous Alex cross novel. I take my hat off to James Patterson. His books keep me on the edge of my seat
Published 1 month ago by brenda Wilson
5.0 out of 5 stars Speedy delivery and as described - many thanks
Speedy delivery and as described - many thanks
Speedy delivery and as described - many thanks
Speedy delivery and as described - many thanks
Published 2 months ago by P J HAND
5.0 out of 5 stars A great page turner
This book was as bit...ok what's happening to start but turned out to bd another great read from patterson. He writes to keep you interested...great book...great author
Published 2 months ago by Odie's Kindle
5.0 out of 5 stars Violets are Blue
As good as all the books in the Alex Cross series couldnt put it down, sold at a good price in good condition
Published 3 months ago by Marsbar
5.0 out of 5 stars J Patterson Violets are Blue
I am a dedicated Patterson fan and must now have all his books, good and solid crime stories which are easy to follow, with interesting twists as well
Published 3 months ago by Pandora34
5.0 out of 5 stars Killer
Once again J.P delivers . Another novel making it hard to wait for the next one . Keep on rocking J . P
Published 3 months ago by Siddly
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