Library Reads: James Patterson's Mistress

James Patterson co-writes with David Ellis on what has to be his 100th book now. For hardcore fans of Patterson it's one of his more enjoyable ones, and for those who don't like him, or you're giving his books a first try then you might want to hop over this one. It has some good moments, and some catchy twists, but the writing is very rushed and moments of the story sidetracks you. It's just like someone was in a frantic rush to give the character personality without ever making him seem real.

Summary: Ben is a reporter, but he's not like any other man. He's obsessed with certain thoughts that regard previous presidents, movie trivia, and his childhood tragedies. It doesn't help to put the death of as woman he has strong feelings for on that list of things that he can't stop thinking about. Diana Hotchkiss' has a mysterious death, and Ben can't help but want to invest his reporting skills into investigating her death. What he finds is a tangled secret life he was unaware of, but his feelings for her continue to press him on even with the threat of his life.

Library Reads: Merry Christmas, Alex Cross

So after Kill Alex Cross I was unsure that Merry Christmas, Alex Cross would continue the series any better. Especially since the reviews seem just as lackluster. While it's not return to the better days it still does at least improve. The writing seems to be more Patterson by far. I also do like the return to seeming to more personally explore Alex Cross as a person then just trying to just get us involved by using certain propaganda to make an attachment with the character.

Summary: It's Christmas and Alex Cross' family just wants him home with them. He gets a call though that sends him out on two high profile cases, and he just hopes his family can understand that if he doesn't go he could have innocent lives on his mind that were lost by him refusing to show. One case involves a hostage situation where one man has went off the rails and is threatening his own family's life on Christmas. The other involves one of the FBI's most wanted terrorist who is plotting a disastrous train explosion in Washington D.C. With Alex being the best negotiator and  detective they go he believes it is on him.

Library Reads: James Patterson's Kill Alex Cross

The Alex Cross were fast paced, intense, mystery/thriller, novels when they first made their appearance in 1993 with Along Came a Spider, but it's now 2013 and James Patterson is still writing them. Kill Alex Cross is definitely the weakest so far, and shows that the Alex Cross series is probably only continuing because of the money behind it. Alex Cross didn't even sound like himself in the usual past books like this one, and why is Nana still alive? She was around 70 when the books first appeared in 1993! Even Patterson makes a joke about her age in this one.

Summary: The President's children, Ethan and Zoe are abducted at school, leaving the FBI in a frenzy as they search for clues to find them. This leaves them to call in one of the best detectives there is, Alex Cross. Along with the kidnappings a deadly contagion is leaving a trail of dead bodies and has showed in the D.C. water lines. The two seem to be connected, but Cross thinks someone involved is misleading them for one of the hugest cases that Cross has been on.