Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross) (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY for Cumberland County, North Carolina, Marc Sherman, pushed the old wooden captain's chair away from the prosecution table, and it made a..." (more)
Key Phrases: Ellis Cooper, Sergeant Cooper, Thomas Starkey (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In this latest thriller from perennial bestselling author James Patterson, Washington cop Alex Cross gets involved in his partner's effort to save the life of an old Army buddy who's facing execution for a horrendous and inexplicable murder spree in North Carolina. The Army's evidence against Sergeant Ellis Cooper, a decorated Vietnam vet, is overwhelming, which isn't surprising since it's all been planted by a quartet of killers whose reason for framing the erstwhile hero isn't revealed until long after they are. The big secret is who set the murderers loose, and in true cliffhanger fashion, Patterson keeps it under wraps until the very end. Meanwhile, his usual blend of action, violence, fast pacing and uninspired-though-serviceable prose prevail, and will probably do so all the way to the top of the bestseller lists. --Jane Adams

From Publishers Weekly

With Patterson continuing to move in unexpected directions (his next novel, The Jester, due out in March 2003, is a medieval adventure), it's a pleasure to see him touch home base with another Alex Cross thriller this one the best Cross yet. The mice of the title are three homicidal Army Rangers, Vietnam vets, and their mysterious controller; as is usual in the Cross novels, we know this much sooner than does the black Washington, D.C., detective, who gets involved when an army careerist, Sgt. Ellis Cooper, an old pal of Cross's colleague and best friend, John Sampson, is found guilty at military trial for the brutal murder of three women, but claims innocence. Traveling to North Carolina, where Cooper awaits execution, and to Fort Bragg to investigate, Cross and Sampson encounter stonewalling among the military which only intensifies as they uncover a pattern of other military men executed for like crimes they may not have committed. As the duo visits West Point, they confront an even thicker "gray" wall of silence. Meanwhile, the killers strike again, and when Cross and Sampson identify them, the Rangers begin hunting the cops. The action leads, as is Patterson's custom, to a firecracker string of climaxes; the finale finds Cross handcuffed and stripped naked in deep woods, about to be killed. Throughout, Patterson expertly balances the conspiratorial action with intriguing developments in Cross's domestic life, including health problems for his family's anchor, the elderly Nana, and growing romance between him and a California cop. Everything clicks in this novel, from Patterson's patented short chapters (115 here) to the whiplash plotting. This may not be high lit, but it sure is entertainment.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown; 1st edition (November 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316693006
• ISBN-13: 978-0316693004
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (247 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #418,733 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 8 in The Alex Cross Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Believe the Book Jacket Hyperbole but a Good Read, November 25, 2002

By	Tucker Andersen (Wall Street) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a more than adequate prototypical James Patterson assembly line thriller involving another case for fans of DC Detective Alex Cross. The dialog is simple, the action is fast, the murders are brutal, there is a mastermind to catch, and the chapters are shorter than ever (less than four pages on average). However, I found this book much more enjoyable than the last few Cross books. First, we don't get so many mindnumbing gruesome details about the murders. Second, John Sampson's character gets fleshed out and he has a more instrumental role in the story. Third, it was much more a straighforward police procedural and detective story despite a few stupid and unrealistic actions by Cross (including breaking and entering at the home of one of the suspects). Last, I personally was glad that a bestselling author like Patterson addressed the continuing effect of the Vietnam War on many veterans and the ethical dilemmas which they faced, even if this is a very superficial treatment.

As usual, Patterson hooks you through immediate action and the fact you're several chapters in the book almost before you have begun, since it's always easy to read another three or four pages. This is no literary masterpiece and there are no long descriptive sections, just the necessary facts to advance the plot intermixed with more than usual degree of involvement in the personal lives of Cross (and his new girlfriend Jamilla), Sampson, and Nana, Cross' grandmother.

Sampson's Vietnam buddy, Ellis Cooper, is convicted of a brutal triple murder based on compelling physical evidence. He contacts Sampson from Death Row and he and Cross become convinced that he was framed. As they investigate, they uncover several previous murders where Vietnam vets were apparently similarly framed and executed. We are then introduced to the three killers, a professional hit squad that was a covert assasination team in Vietnam. (Thus, in this book the suspense is more about how Cross and Sampson will trap the killers and why the murders have been committed than by whom or how.) Further murders occur and Cross and Sampson confront the killers but run into hostility from the miltary as they attempt to build their case. The action soon moves to the campus of West Point and direct involvement of the Army, and it becomes clear that there is someone directing events behind the scenes. Kyle Craig (known to previous Cross readers as the murderous FBI agent now in a maximum security federal penitentiary) appears briefly as a confidante of Tran Van Luu, also a prisoner, former Army agent in Vietnam, and leader of the NY Vietnamese gang, the Ghost Shadows.

I found the conclusion more satisfying than recent Alex Cross books, and the explanation for the killings and the revenge exacted for long hidden events a sort of rough justice for all involved. Of course, as usual in Patterson novels a lot of questions concerning the details are left unanswered. For just a few examples, we don't know how all the evidence was fabricated, why the innocent victims were chosen, or how Kyle and Tran operated from supposedly solitary confinement. This book is recommended for both Alex Cross devotees and new James Patterson readers who want a quick easy read with a plot with a few intriguing twists.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars What a waste!, January 7, 2003

By	nobizinfla "nobizinfla" (Windermere, Florida USA) - See all my reviews

James Patterson phoned in "Four Blind Mice"---if, in fact, he actually bothered to write any of this uninspired, preposterous, formulaic, cookie-cutter thriller.

The villains in this Alex Cross novel are unrealistic cartoonish parodies---the plot predictable, simplistic, unbelievable and all too pat.

The love interest for Dr. Cross a painfully embarrassing distraction that fails to move the plot along and is nearly unreadable.

Loose ends abounded.

It is hard to believe this is the same author who gave us such absorbing, compelling and rousing fiction as: "The Midnight Club," "Black Market", "Pop Goes the Weasel", "Cat and Mouse" and the Edgar winning "Thomas Berryman Number."

On the plus side, John Sampson is a spectacular supporting character. And, Mr. Patterson's short chapter, fast-paced writing style makes for a fast read.

Too many trees died for this book.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Patterson and Cross are back and in fine thriller form!!, December 7, 2002

By	Nancy R. Katz "NancyK18" (NJ) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

James Patterson these days seems to have a new novel every couple of months. Readers in the last year and a half could choose between a romance novel, Suzannes Diary of Nicholas, a second book from a new series featuring four women, 2nd to Die, an Alex Cross novel Violets are Blue and most recently a thriller co-written with Peter DeJonge, The Beach House. And while these books were for the most part were somewhat satisfying reads, I kept waiting for James Patterson to once again write a book featuring Alex Cross as exciting as Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls and other titles from this series. Four Blind Mice is just this book. A return to old time Patterson known for his thriller plots, endearing characters and a plot filled with wonderful twists and turns.
And when Patterson is good, one cant help but enjoy spending time with out favorite detective/psychologist Alex Cross, his family and good friend John Samson.

Still reeling from a horrendous and violent experience spent tracking down the Mastermind, Alex Cross has finally made up his mind to resign from the Washington DC police force. But before the day is over he finds himself once again embroiled in a baffling situation and one which may cause the death of his good friend John Samsons Viet Nam buddy. Samsons friend is about to be executed for the brutal murder of three military wives. But this decorated military man from the beginning claimed he was framed and is totally innocent although he cant really supply an alibi. Alex promises himself this will be his last case and begins to investigate the murders. As he and Alex move deeper and deeper into the case they suspect that men known as the three blind mice, massacres during the Viet Nam war and higher ups at West Point may be involved in the systematic murder of innocent people and the framing of military personnel who are equally innocent. As Cross and Samson crisscross the country it becomes clear that there is a fourth blind mice. Who this is and why the cover up provides readers with an ending hard to imagine.

In Four Blind Mice, Patterson provides readers with a fast and thrilling read. But if one expects only a thriller read, they may have to think again. For within the plot the reader once again returns to visit with Alexs lovable grandmother Nana Cross, his three children, a new love woman in his life Jamilla and even a love interest for John Samson.

I highly recommend reading this book if youve followed the series up to now. And even if youve never read any of these books you owe it to yourself to become familiar with this author and his Alex Cross characters. As for me, my faith is restored in thisauthor. After a couple of so so Patterson books, I finally read one that I truly enjoyed. And I am happy to say that Four Blind Mice is exactly what I wanted. An old time Patterson book. The kind of read which kept me turning the pages throughout the night wondering whats going to happen next. Once again I can hardly wait for Patterson's next book.