Four
Blind Mice
Alex Cross Mystery, No. 4
By James Patterson
Time Warner Audio -
ISBN: 1-58621-404-7 - Audio Book
Mystery / Police Procedural / Suspense
Reviewed
by Carisa Weeaks, MyShelf.Com
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a Copy --- Read
an Excerpt
Alex Cross has had enough. With a new love interest, a flattering (not to mention intriguing) job offer from the FBI, and his loving family, he couldn't think of a better time to resign - that is, until his partner, John Sampson, shows up at the door.
One of Sampson's oldest friends from the military, Sergeant Ellis Cooper, has been convicted of the "Blue Lady Murders" in North Carolina. Three women were killed with a survival knife, a lightweight weapon favored by soldiers in Special Forces - the same knife that Cooper had kept since Vietnam.
Cross decides to make it his last case and sets out with his partner to find out all he could about the situation. What Cross doesn't know, is that, if he's not careful, may be his last case under very "different" circumstances.
This audio book is amazing! Anyone who loves the Alex Cross Series by Patterson will LOVE this next installment. Hearing from both the investigators as well as the murderers themselves has become one of Patterson's signatures and makes for even more suspenseful reading. The plot is imaginative - a real mind twister. You never know what's going to happen until after it's already started to happen. A magnificent listen.
The two actors who read this audio book, Peter Jay Fernandez and Michael Emerson, add just the right amount of emotion to make the novel even more breath taking.
Peter Jay Hernandez reads the heroic aspect of the narration. He read on the Audio book versions of "Roses are Red" By James Patterson and "City of Bones" by Michael Connelly. His voice is perfect for reading as those characters and adds an interesting touch of personality that you could only get from listening to an audio book. He's also made appearances on Broadway in "Jelly's Last Jam" and "The Merchant of Venice", among others.
Michael Emerson narrates the darker side of the novel and does it with an eerie greatness that emulates the most evil of any villain ever created. His acting skills are incredible, and his voice alone sends chills down the listener's spine. He's been in movies including "Unfaithful", "The Laramie Project", and "The Imposters". His television appearances include "The X-Files", "Law & Order", "The Practice", and "The District".
I would recommend this audio book for ANYONE who loves to the amazing work of James Patterson.
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The
Weedless Widow
By Deborah Morgan
Berkley Prime Crime- October 2002
ISBN 042518689X - Paperback
Mystery
Reviewed
by Dennis Collins, MyShelf.Com
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a Copy
Deborah Morgan doesn't miss a beat in The Weedless Widow, the follow-up to her debut novel, Death is a Cabaret. This second book, reminiscent of Ravel's Bolero, a steadily building crescendo from the opening note.
The story begins innocently enough with Jeff Talbot, ex-FBI agent turned antique picker, preparing for a relaxing weekend of fishing in a tranquil Pacific northwest stream with a few of his cronies. Jeff's expectations of a worry-free vacation quickly evaporate when he stops at his favorite bait and tackle shop and finds the proprietor on the floor, brutally murdered.
Jeff does his best to stay out of the investigation and let the local sheriff handle it, but he is drawn back into the case when the lady sheriff enlists his aid in order to pick his brain regarding some stolen antique fishing lures. The more Jeff probes the purloined fishing tackle, the more nervous the perpetrator becomes. Things get really serious for Jeff when his wife is kidnapped.
This novel has just the right mix of characters with very distinct personalities, each drawn vividly enough to make the story easy to follow. Every person plays a significant role keeping the tale quite lively and the plot flows very well at an ever-accelerating pace.
Deborah Morgan has another winner here, a very pleasurable read. I'm sure that Jeff Talbot will be around for a long time.