2008 Book 35: Pop Goes the Weasel

Book #:	35
Book Title:	Pop Goes the Weasel
Author:	James Patterson
Publisher:	Warner Books
Pub. Date:	October 2000
Pages:	461
Started:	April 27, 2008
Finished:	April 28, 2008
Time to Read:	2 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Detective Alex Cross is back - and he's in love. But his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders in Washington, D.C., murders with a pattern so twisted they leave investigators reeling. Cross's pursuit of the killer produces a suspect, a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But proving he's the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As Shafer engages in a brilliant series of surprising countermoves, Alex and his fiancee become hopelessly entangled with the most memorable nemesis Cross has ever faced."
Stars:	**
Review:	I'll get this out of the way right up front: I'm not a huge James Patterson fan. And I'm even less of a James Patterson fan when he's writing about Alex Cross. I find his writing to be weak - insipid, really - and as such, he's not the first author I head for when I go to the bookstore. Truth be told, I have a total of about 5 James Patterson books - I have two by accident (bought them for a friend who loves JP but she already had them), two that were purchased secondhand when I was desperate for something to read, and one purchased purposefully and that I actually enjoyed. (More later - about 10 reviews from now.) What don't I like about his writing? Well, I do like the story lines. In this particular book, it's intriguing to look at the oh-so-twisted mind of the antihero, a prim and proper diplomat by day turned monster by night. Along the way, I build up a minor interest for Cross's personal life and the next on his list of girlfriends. The pace is iffy at best - slow/fast/slow/fast, but the ending is unsatisfying. All in all, I can see why Patterson's books translate well to the big screen. It's easier to mask weak writing with big stars who can infuse even the most banal of exchanges with strength. But on paper, I'd usually just give him a pass. It's easy reading when I just need to escape for awhile, but not my favorite.

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany