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Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross) Hardcover – February 1, 1993
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Alex Cross is a homicide detective with a Ph.D. in psychology. He works and lives in Southeast D.C. and looks like Muhammad Ali in his prime. He's a tough guy from a tough part of town who wears Harris Tweed jackets and likes to relax by banging out Gershwin tunes on his baby grand piano. But he also has two adorable kids of his own, and they are his own special vulnerabilities.
Jezzie Flanagan is the first woman ever to hold the highly sensitive job as supervisor of the Secret Service in Washington. Blond, mysterious, seductive, she's got an outer shell that's as tough as it is beautiful. She rides her black BMW motorcycle at speeds of no less than 100 mph. What is she running from? What is her secret?
Alex Cross and Jezzie Flanagan are about to have a forbidden love affair-at the worst possible time for both of them. Because Gary Soneji, who wants to commit the "crime of the century," is playing at the top of his game. Soneji has outsmarted the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police. Who will be his next victim?
Gary Soneji is every parent's worst nightmare. He has become Alex Cross's nightmare. And now, reader, he's about to become yours.
- Print length448 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLittle Brown
- Publication dateFebruary 1, 1993
- Dimensions6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-100316693642
- ISBN-13978-0316693646
- Lexile measure600L
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From the brand
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From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
- Will Hepfer, SUNY at Buffalo Libs.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From the Back Cover
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Little Brown; First Edition (February 1, 1993)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 448 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0316693642
- ISBN-13 : 978-0316693646
- Lexile measure : 600L
- Item Weight : 1.65 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #79,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,326 in Murder Thrillers
- #2,871 in Police Procedurals (Books)
- #3,624 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. He is the creator of unforgettable characters and series, including Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride, and of breathtaking true stories about the Kennedys, John Lennon, and Tiger Woods, as well as our military heroes, police officers, and ER nurses. Patterson has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, and collaborated most recently with Michael Crichton on the blockbuster “Eruption.” He has told the story of his own life in “James Patterson by James Patterson” and received an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the story captivating and interesting. They describe the book as great reading, with well-written, straightforward sentences. Readers appreciate the great character development and juxtaposition of heroes and villains. They mention the pacing is fast and makes time go by. Overall, customers say the book is worth buying and worth rereading.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the story captivating, with good twists and intrigue. They say it's absorbing to read and truly thrillers. Readers also mention that the author knows how to keep the suspense going. Overall, they describe the book as an exceptional psychological mystery with intricate plots and twists.
"Didn't see the end coming! Fantastic writing! What a mind full of stories! On to the next in the series...Brilliant" Read more
"Action was first rate, but always comes at a cost. This book delivers both. Ready to move to book two in the series." Read more
"What an absolutely mind bending book. Patterson grabs you from the first page to the last...." Read more
"...It is a good read. Patterson knows how to keep the suspense going. Other than the minor flaws I had with the layout of the story it is a good story...." Read more
Customers find the book absorbing and say it keeps them turning the pages. They mention it has many twists and turns and succeeds on many levels.
"...What a mind full of stories! On to the next in the series...Brilliant" Read more
"...This was a long book for a first but a good read, dated now 32 years later, but still a solid mystery and a good start to what has become a sterling..." Read more
"Overall, this was one of the better books I've read recently...." Read more
"...Awesome as always, Go Alex and Sampson." Read more
Customers find the writing quality of the book well-written, with advanced writing skills. They appreciate the short chapters, straightforward sentences, and linear train of thought. Readers also mention the book is easy to follow.
"Didn't see the end coming! Fantastic writing! What a mind full of stories! On to the next in the series...Brilliant" Read more
"Superb writing, riveting from start to finish, even when you have already read it. Awesome as always, Go Alex and Sampson." Read more
"A fast read, keep me on the seat of my pants. Well written and made the characters in this book come a live...." Read more
"I am lousy at writing reviews, but found the premise to be very well written. I will read more. Thanks" Read more
Customers find the character development in the book great. They also appreciate the nice juxtaposition of heroes and villain types. Readers mention the author is a great storyteller who will always keep them guessing.
"...for a first but a good read, dated now 32 years later, but still a solid mystery and a good start to what has become a sterling career...." Read more
"...I find that he’s a very interesting character." Read more
"...He hides character deviousness carefully and well thought out to keep the reader guessing and engaged...." Read more
"...The hero is flawed, human and so relatable you as a reader are not only invested in the criminal aspect of the novel but on his personal journey as..." Read more
Customers find the book fast-paced, gritty, and a quick read. They say it progresses quickly with twists and turns that lead to a surprisingly surprising ending. Readers also mention the book keeps them hooked and makes time go by.
"A fast read, keep me on the seat of my pants. Well written and made the characters in this book come a live...." Read more
"Arrived fast and in good condition, great read" Read more
"...What I Liked: The pacing was a little off in this book but with that in mind I liked how each new element of the book was introduced...." Read more
"...made interesting and revelant to the story, and it progresses quickly with twists and turns that lead to a surprisingly emotional ending...." Read more
Customers find the book well worth buying and rereading. They say it's a wonderful first book of the series. Readers also mention the items are great, the story is suspenseful, and the condition is great for a book over 10 years old.
"...I think it’s worth reading the second book to see if I’m going to read the entire series...." Read more
"...Great readind as all the Alex Cross series." Read more
"Great book and good price." Read more
"...One of my favorite authors. Worth the time if you love crime thrillers." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some mention it's impossible to put down and suspenseful, while others say it's hard to get attached to Alex.
"...This book was impossible to put down!" Read more
"...constantly writing from different perspectives and it's really hard to get attached/relate to Alex...." Read more
"Very addicting. Difficult to put down. Great suspense & turn of events. Patterson is very goid with this book to start series of Alex Cross...." Read more
"Couldn't put the book down. Every James Patterson book that I have read I couldn't put it down. Love his books." Read more
Customers find the book inane, boring, and a waste of time. They say it's hard to enjoy and get into it. Readers also mention the plot line is imaginative but often too tedious.
"...After writing this all down, changing from 3 stars to 2. Waste of time." Read more
"...Is it a really sorry romance novel or a fun house horror. Really inane!!! Waste of time, Usually Patterson is better…." Read more
"...Cross always has a new love interest, that's endangered etc.... Really tedious and I'm sorry I wasted my money on these books." Read more
"The beginning and end is very good but found the middle slow and a bit dull...." Read more
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Pros
1. Very suspenseful and detailed. I thought the primary characters in the book were very good overall. Alex Cross is a great character that seems calm, cool, and collected, but also has a bit of resentment from his younger days.
2. The plot was very good... kidnapping in DC, political figure and movie star kids are kidnapped.
3. The theme was intense and kept me reading chapter after chapter until the early morning hours.
Cons
1. The book was too long and there was some "fluff" in there that could be taken out. Some parts of the trial that was told was boring and could have easily been left out.
2. Some parts of the story didn't seem to really fit. Cross was on the case, then off the case, then on the case again, then off the case.
3. I don't want to give away too much from the book, but there were some parts of the story that seemed a little far fetched. In particular, with about a 75-100 pages left there is a dramatic twist that seems as though where I thought "They let their guard down that much???" (Those that have read the book will hopefully know what I'm referring to.)
4. About half way through the book, I figured out at least one of the people involved with the kidnapping/ransom.
While there are cons, the pros and the overall story makes up for it in my opinion. There were also a few editing mistakes that I caught, but again they were minor. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading Book #2 in the series.
Synopsis: Along Came a Spider begins with the double kidnapping of the daughter of a famous Hollywood actress and the young son of the secretary of the Treasury. And that's only the beginning! Gary Soneji is a murderous serial kidnapper who wants to commit the crime of the century. Alex Cross is the brilliant homicide detective pitted against him. Jezzie Flanagan is the female supervisor of the Secret Service who completes one of the most unusual suspense triangles in any thriller you have ever read.
I know there are a lot of people out there who absolutely love this book. I was not a big fan of it. It could come down to the fact that I did see the movie before I read the book, but that was also when the movie first came out oh-so-many years ago. But, I will try not to hold the movie against the book. The movie was horrible, by the way.
Another problem I had, and it seems that it’s going to keep going for all the books, is the jump back and forth between third person and first person views. I tried that with one of my books and it just turned out really bad. I couldn’t even consider revising that book. Patterson did do it in an okay manner, but I still don’t like the jumps
The story is quite good, though. About the only thing I didn’t like about the story was the way Patterson overindulged in the Cross played up the African American hatred. For someone who is supposed to be extremely smart, Cross acts really dumb when it comes to the way people treat him.
Basically, the story is an extravagant kidnapping. Cross and his partner were put on it because the DC police needed their best detective. Right from the start, Cross was shunned, but he soon made it known that he needed to be kept in the loop. Eventually, it is Cross who figures it out.
It is a good read. Patterson knows how to keep the suspense going. Other than the minor flaws I had with the layout of the story it is a good story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a good suspense thriller read.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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