Reading a James Patterson novel is akin to eating soggy cereal -- eatable but not necessarily the first choice for breakfast. With that being said, I gave this one four stars. Call me a hypocrite, if you like. But the rating is not so much on Patterson's skills as a writer (which he has few, in my opinion); rather the rating deals with his skills as a storyteller (which he excels at). FOUR BLIND MICE stars Alex Cross, a homicide detective with too much education. (Morgan Freeman played the character in two movies: Kiss the Girls; and, Along Came a Spider...interestingly enough, Freeman also played a big-brained detective in the movie Se7en; Tyler Perry is playing Cross in the upcoming film). Cross is thinking about leaving the game, joining the FBI as a profiler. But strange murders are taking place where the killers are painting their victims red, white, or blue and leaving strange calling cards at the scenes, albeit away from obvious notice.The killers have a strange connection to Vietnam and some of the atrocities committed there by American forces. I enjoyed this thread of the novel. It was fast-paced, filled with action (sometimes implausible), and kept the pages turning. When the novel slowed, it was during the threads of Nana Mama's, Cross's grandmother, health issues, or when Sampson, Cross's best friend, begins dating the widow of one of the murder victims; or when Cross begins his dating of a San Francisco detective. To be honest, my mind barely registered these parts. The writing was flimsy here, at best. (James this part is for you: STOP WRITING SEX SCENES...I have seen more passion between acorns and soil than what you "showed"!!) So the problems with the novel are numerous, but, as I said, Patterson can tell a story. His ability to twist and turn a plot is enviable. However, too many twists and turns just make a mockery of the story. FOUR BLIND MICE borders on having too many twists. Not to mention, unlikely escapes abound in this novel. I have a great ability to suspend belief; but there are limits to my abilities. At one point I actually scoffed aloud at the scene in the forest when Cross and Sampson take on three trained Army Rangers who also happen to be trained assassins...read and you'll understand. Okay, I haven't really said anything positive about this book to warrant my four stars. Here goes. I got caught up in it. I wanted Cross to so desperately catch these killers that I lost sleep convincing myself that the next chapter would shed some light on this case. (Unfortunately, most of the chapters I convinced myself to read were one of the threads I found lacking.) And when the hook was out in the open, I darted through the pages, back and forth, looking for the golden thread of plot order, finding only barely noticeable fragments, but loving every darn second of this very weak novel. But, as I said, I was caught up in the story. I cared about Cross and Sampson and about the murder victims, which there are plenty.Overall, I would say that there is no need to rush out and find this book. I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem anyway since every used bookstore in the country has about five million copies of Patterson's books. But if you find yourself needing a novel that won't take much time or effort, you could do worse than this one. RECOMMENDED (as a great time killer)
This is Patterson's eighth Alex Cross novel, and I have to admit, I've been a lot more impressed. The guy is prolific and popular, and his other books have been pretty good.My biggest complaint is that around page 300, I discovered that Cross, the main character, is African American, not white like I'd assumed. And it was a fair assumption: Patterson is on the back cover of the book, and he sure looks like a white guy to me. My problem isn't with the character's race, it's with having to readjust my mental picture of him ¾ of the way through the book. Seems like something an author would want to mention just a little earlier, perhaps.Cross should have been a familiar character, but I read a LOT of books. Patterson's other Alex Cross novels, in order, are:Along Came a SpiderKiss the GirlsJack & JillCat & MousePop Goes the WeaselRoses are RedViolets are BlueFour Blind MiceThe Big Bad WolfLondon Bridges (due out in November)The main plot was sort of cool. It revolves around a team of ex-Vietnam Ranger villains who are hired assassins with a twist-they frame other soldiers for their kills. The wheels of justice move more quickly in the military than the rest of the civilized world, evidently. Several men have already been executed for crimes they didn't commit. Cross and his partner/sidekick John Sampson, are on the case.Side plots include Cross struggling with a decision centering on accepting an FBI job, worrying about his aging grandmother, and a budding romance with a homicide detective on the other side of the country. Sampson also finds love and the hot dating scenes thrown in about every fourth chapter are painfully icky. It feels like Patterson is trying hard to appeal to female readers-his resource was a stack of Danielle Steele novels and a box of Calgon.The killers, aka Three Blind Mice, have individual personalities and are almost interesting. They videotape their violent activities and paint the victims red, white and/or blue. This must be Patterson appealing to his male readers with lots of testosterone and psycho-manly man stuff, like raping and killing girls in a brothel.The Associated Press said Patterson "writes thrillers as if he were building roller coasters." Maybe so, but this was more like a ride on the Wild Mouse. Lots of twists and turns, but no depth. I'd suggest skipping this one.
What do You think about Four Blind Mice (2003)?
Four Blind Mice is the eighth novel in James Patterson's Alex Cross series, which follows detective and psychologist Alex Cross and his high profile homicide cases. In this book, the same key elements found in each of Patterson's formulaic texts will drive the plot: Cross and his partner Sampson will investigate a complicated case, Cross will be overly qualified for whatever obstacles he faces, he will determine the identity of the murderer (who is typically working at the request of a more intelligent nemesis), he will fall in love with a colleague or mess up his current relationship, he will claim that he is going to quit his job to spend time with his family though he never will, he will praise his grandmother for caring for his children while she ails because she is overworked, he will speak about his children with admiration and love though he consistently chooses his job over his family, and he will utilize several cop cliches during his investigations.Four Blind Mice does not deviate from Patterson's formula and it is this predictability that comforts me. I do not read Patterson for his literary ingenuity or his astute observations on society and human nature. I read his books because I need a break from well developed literature or academic research. Patterson's talent is his ability to maintain complete faithfulnes to his method while requiring minimal intellectual investment from his reader. Perhaps we require so little of him because he requires so little of us.
—Stephen Johnson
Dead man walking, the term applied to one of the unfortunate inmates of death row, would certainly apply to Master Sergeant Ellis Cooper. Cooper was one of those cases that seemed to have fallen through the cracks, as he was innocent. Don’t get me wrong, evidence against him was overwhelming. So overwhelming that the alarm bells that should have gone off in the minds of the investigating authorities are instantly heard by the reader, as sometimes things can be too pat and complete. Ellis Cooper is an old friend of detective John Sampson who, in turn is best friends with Dr. Alex Cross. Both are called in to solve this dilemma but time isn’t on their side. People that know me tend to notice and remark about one of my most endearing traits; I’m a nitpicker. Although this is the expectable readable book that fans of James Patterson have come to love and expect, the premise that Ellis Cooper is already so close to his meeting with a lethal injection is preposterous, ludicrous and ridiculous, almost laughable, as the death-row norm is generally years. Placing this hypothesis far in a dark and obscure corner, the rest of the story places it far above similar tales by other authors. It shows the many facets of one of the most memorable fictitious characters of this century. It is a must for every Patterson fan and a great place to start for all those who aren’t.
—Thom Swennes
I could not put this James Patterson book down when I started reading it! I have never read an Alex Cross book before; But I loved it! James Patterson wastes no time in telling what happens in this book. He immediately shows the murders points of view. He starts this book out with a murder rather than the main character. The story had so many twists and turns. It kept me on my feet the entire time! The main character Alex Cross is the detective in this story. He solves numerous murder cases. He calls the case the 4 blind mice because there were 4 murderers. They were all blind though because the mastermind of the plot had intentions of killing them all. Alex almost dies multiple times throughout the book. Then the book ends on a happy note. Alex's best friend is having a wedding! So Four Blind Mice had many twists and turns and was mostly a mysterious and suspense book. But, it also had its sweet and love moments. Which these moments are in all of James Patterson's books. Great Book!
—Kayla Townsend
