Kiss the Girls

Rating:
Summary: Always a thriller
Review: From first word till last the book propels itself forward at a speed that almost prevents thought. Sometimes I find myself looking back a few pages to let my mind catch up as I am reading at the speed of sound. No doubt one of the best writers of our time,has a lot of street knowledge and feeling and able to communicate it as it is...

Rating:
Summary: And make them Cry
Review: Patterson shows us just what kind of talent he really has. Among the best in terror and Suspense novels I've ever read. I must admit I saw the film before I read this book and I'm sorry I did. As good an actor as Morgan Freeman is he could never make an Alex Cross and they also left out Samson, Cross's partner who is a vital part of the Story line.
Cross is a Washington DC detective, not only that, he is also a qualified psychologist. When his neice goes missing Cross goes in search, and so begins our adventure. We are introduced to not one but two glorious Lunatics as Murderers... The problem is they are on opposite sides of the coast. The Gentleman Caller is working out of LA and Casanova is working out of Carolina. Where is his neice who has her??
...
This is only the start things begin to heat up when Cross discovers that Both the Gentleman Caller and Casnanova are competing against each other... Join Cross, Samson and Kate McTeirnan in Investigating and discovering who Casanova and the Gentleman really are. Hold on though you're in for a rough ride. With graphic images and Pattersons twists and turns you will hold on to this book for dear life and not let go until the last page is turned.

Rating:
Summary: That's Not All They Did.
Review: I am a rather new fan of James Patterson but must admit that I really enjoy his writing. KISS THE GIRLS was a good murder mystery although a little graphic at times. I was pulled into the frustration of both the women who wanted desperately to escape and the majority of police who wanted to catch the "monsters" who were committing these crimes. Although I found the ending lacking the depth I anticipated, I enjoyed the book, nonetheless. I do suggest reading KISS THE GIRLS.

Rating:
Summary: Need a Buddy For This One
Review: After seeing the movie first, I definitely see why some portions were left out. I can honestly say that Patterson scared me. I would not read this book if you live alone, as the scare factor is too high. Even after seeing the movie I was skeptical of my guesses at the killer. I thought that the identification of the killer was dragged out too long and could have been completed shortly after Cross discovers the house. Certainly the history behind the main character's life work is more complete in the book. It makes more sense as to why Casanova chooses Naomi after Cross's involvement in another high profile murder case earlier in his career. The survived victim, Kate McTiernan, is an excellent female character that the reader instantly gains respect and admiration for. Cross and McTiernan are an unlikely pair matched to find the killers. While they complemented each other well in the search efforts, the romantic interludes while they are attempting to capture him were not very appealing. The reader is left hanging at the end as you wonder what happens to both of the main characters and whether they ever find that someone to hang onto. Casanova is a very smart and patient killer who's fantasies are incredibly thought out and equally as horrifying. The most disturbing part of this villain is that he blends in so well with the rest of society and can put on such masks. I loved the short yet poignant chapters and would recommend this read to preempt the movie, as long as your sweetheart is just a yell away in the next room.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Listen to the Negative Reviews - This is FANTASTIC!!!
Review: I first learned about this story when watching the movie 'Kiss the Girls' with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd. It was a very enjoyable movie, and so when I saw 'Along Came a Spider' was coming out as a movie, I thought I'd read the book first. That book was one of the best I've read (see my review of it). Then I saw the movie, and was totally disappointed. The story was completely different, and not nearly as compelling as the book.

This got me to thinking. If 'Along Came a Spider' was so much better than the movie, perhaps 'Kiss the Girls' was better than the movie as well. So I picked up this book, and 48 hours later, I'm happy to say I was right. While the movie 'Kiss the Girls' was much more faithful to this book, there's just something about reading James Patterson's writing that grabs you from the start and won't let go.

Unlike some other reviewers who complained about the short chapters, I find this to be one of the strongest points of the book. He doesn't waste time with long, boring narratives, but just dives into the action and your dragged along with him, unable to put the book down no matter how late it gets or how early you have to be at work the next morning.

This is the 2nd story of Alex Cross, and the more I read about him, the more I like him. It ties in very closely with 'Along Came a Spider', and has an ending that leaves quite a nice cliffhanger for a future story (I won't give it away, but it sent a nice chill down my spine).

As for the graphic nature of the story, I agree that there were some scenes that didn't need to be so graphic (especially one involving warm milk, which was way over the top, in my opinion). The sadistic mindset of Casanova could have been conveyed without as much graphic content, and that's probably my only criticism of this book. It's not enough, however, for me to limit my recommendations of this book. But if you do have a weak stomach, or you're the type of person who get scared at night thinking that someone might be in the house with you, you might want to try something else.

But then, if you're that type of person, you probably don't read books like this anyway.

Get this book, but read 'Along Came a Spider' first. It's a fantastic novel, and is shaping up to be an even better series.

Rating:
Summary: Gritty
Review: Gritty, gory and great. Kiss the Girls is very real and therfore bothersome to some readers who live in a fantasy world and don't want to think about the "icky" reality that cops live in every day.

Wonderful characters, fast paced and twists and turns throughout.

Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: His Pinnacle!!!
Review: For three weeks the boy lived in the walls of the rich family's house. Watching the gorgeous teenage girl, Coty. Waiting. Then one dark night he goes to her. When he finally walks away, the family are all dead -- and he is Casanova . . .

This is one of the very best books you will ever read. It's unputdownable!

Rating:
Summary: I was surprised
Review: I was surprised when I read the reviews of this book. There seemed to be a very dramatic split in terms of reader reaction to what I consider one of the two finest in the Cross series (along Came a Spider being the other). Most people either hated the book or absolutely loved it. Allow me to share the three things I loved about the book.

1) While Patterson's short chapters can be annoying at times, he has a keen eye for what's important in a scene. He knows WHAT the reader is reading for at every given part of the book and thus can manipulate his prose (dangle the carrot, so to speak) so that the reader is compelled forward. In other words, his style allows for a fast read (though not all readers may want to read fast).

2) He knows how to thrill. He places the bad guys perilously close to the potential victims; he places the bad guys close, but just out of reach of the desperately searching hero. One's heart races.

3) You have to admit that while the Gentleman Caller might be your typical cookie cutter slash 'em up psycho, Casanova has a more interesting and engaging psychosis.

Read the book again, people. It's pretty good. And save your serious negative criticism for Cat and Mouse, the mildly disappointing end to the Soneji/Murphy story.

Rating:
Summary: Very disappointing
Review: This is probably one of the worst books I have ever read. I normally like mystery novels and thrillers, but James Patterson's writing style completely turned me off to this book. The language was extremely dumbed down and the plot was very tedious, to the point of being unreadable. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

Rating:
Summary: A very, VERY graphic and disturbing novel
Review: I bought this book expecting something similar to Silence of the Lambs or Citizen X, however, I was not engrossed at all, haha, I was more grossed out.

I think the author tries way to hard to capture his audience, and doesn't spend quite enough time thinking about the characters. It is obvious momst of his time was spent NOT thinking about the story, but more about his writing style.

Eh, a very low grade in my book. Usually I enjoy these types of novels, but this was not to my liking at all.