Rating: 
Summary: Roses are Red . . . This Book has it ALL
Review: All that is, with respect to characters made up of thin cardboard, plotting that is trite and predictible, and dialogue that can only be described as ludicrous with "perps" showing up seemingly out of thin air. This book is not much more than a quicky movie script that Mr. Patterson no doubt hopes will be picked up by Hollywood. Certainly, Mr. Patterson's tacked on ending literally screams for a sequel --- Hmmmmmmm - How about calling that book (and movie) "Violets are Blue". That would seem to be in line with Mr. Patterson's level of ingenuity.
All in all, this is absolutely one of the worst crime/mystery novels I've ever read. And to top it off, the author is laughing all the way to the bank.
Rating: 
Summary: Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue I loved this and so will you
Review: James Patterson is a writer that gets better with every book, He is going strong with Detective Alex Cross and I cannot believe how good his writing is, I am impressed with all his books, this time Alex is after The Mastermind a ruthless killer/robber, he has planned a series of bank robberies and murders, the book starts off like Pop Goes The Weasel, It introduces you to the killer immediately a person donning a Bill Clinton mask, he kills people in the bank, takes there money and locks the cashiers in the safe, throughout the book Alex tries to stop this killer before he strikes again. Do not miss this and Violets Are Blue
Rating:
Summary: What the hell?
Review: I've been a big fan of books since I was a kid forced to read them when I was in school. Ironic as that statement sounded, i do like books. I also like movies. I watched Kiss the Girls and Along came a Spider. I figured the plot seems out of the ordinary and the protagonist has the intellect of Da Vinci, the books would be great, too. I picked up a copy of Roses are Red and thought, "What the hell?" The storyline was weak and it was poorly written. Nothing was as fanciful as I thought it would have been. When he finds out who the antagonists are, it was nothing like I would have imagined it. It seemed like he found them out by imagining out in his head. Most writers would put description of the clues their heroes found. This one didn't. I was pretty upset by this book. I'm going to try another one later, but for now, one Patterson novel seems enough for me.
Rating: 
Summary: I DIDN'T SEE IT COMING!
Review: Well color me clueless; but I had no idea what surprise twist the very last sentence of this book would reveal! Having read all of the Alex Cross stories, I have grown very fond of Alex, Sampson, Nana, Damon, Janine, Christine and The Boy. Being the Dragon Slayer doesn't come without sacrifice. The question is, just how much is Alex willing to give up? A quick read, I read this book in 3 days and can't wait for Violets Are Blue!
Rating:
Summary: A Terrific Thriller
Review: This is Patterson's best thriller since "Kiss the Girls." It gets you with the first page and doesn't let go until it hits you with a surprise ending that will knock your socks off. Here, Dr. Alex Cross, the Washington, DC, police detective has to put aside the problems in his personal life to face a truly evil criminal. The Mastermind engineers a series of bank robberies that must be carried out with precision. If anything goes wrong, his underlings kill everyone in the bank. He also does not hesitate to kill the underlings for any deviation from his orders. As Detective Cross and FBI agents pursue the Mastermind, they get too close, and he turns on them. You will have a tough time putting this book down until you reach its breathtaking ending.
Rating: 
Summary: Open Letter to James Patterson
Review: Dear Mr. Patterson,Congratulations, your fans really enjoy your Alex Cross series. You've created one of the most interesting and human protagonists in modern crime fiction, and you have a way with creating equally fascinating villains, too. Cross is terrific, and reading about his family life and the warmth, love, and compassion he has makes a wonderful contrast to the depravity of killers like Gary Soneji. But what gives? You seem to be telling the same story over and over--you've done the paired serial killers several times, and now in Roses Are Red you've done little more than rehash Along Came a Spider. Are you out of ideas, that not one, but two quasi-red-herrings are inevitable? And the similarities between the mysteries of these two books--that the outcome is so very similar is discouraging indeed. I hesitate to say more, for fear of giving away the identity of the Mastermind, but anyone who's seen or read Along Came a Spider recently is going to find the situation unpleasantly familiar. Please, Mr. Patterson, stop rehashing the same story. The least obvious person is not always the best choice for the bad guy. I wrote a little poem for you: Roses are red, Violets are blue; As far as who's the killer You've got a lot of explaining to do. It may not scan too well, but the sentiment is there. Characterisations are your strength, and the plot twists are sometimes simply embarrassing. See how many reviews here found this one unbelievable. I thoroughly enjoyed Roses, until the final sentence. Wishing you the best, Chris Coleman
Rating:
Summary: Patterson's *formula* get's fine tuned with Roses...
Review: Patterson has been literally ripped apart by some for using the formula that he has developed and fine tuned in his Alex Cross series...now while I admit some of his stories are more triple plays rather than home-run's, but it's a formula that WORKS. Many authors work for YEARS and are never able to pull off the success that James Patterson has managed to achieve. I am totally at a loss as to why those who enjoy some of the Alex Cross stories hate others...Go figure. I happen to enjoy very much the ENTIRE series featuring one of the greatest characters in modern day crime-fiction: Alex Cross. Now while I enjoyed 'Pop Goes The Weasel', I found 'Roses Are Red' to be a cut above the last couple of Cross adventures. In this tale, Alex is up against the Mastermind, or so he calls himself. A genius at plotting and executing bank robberies, the likes of which haven't been seen successfully pulled off in a very long time. The difficult part about these crimes is that even though they were able to pull off the job, people needlessly died. Was it a tiny mistake on the part of the Mastermind, or were they meant to die? This is just one of the many things weighing heavily upon the mind of Alex Cross in this story. It seems as though NOTHING is working in his favor. Christine is still in shock at her year-long ordeal at the hands of the Weasel, and is becoming distant from Alex...his daughter Jannie faces a potentially life-threatening situation, all while the Mastermind is pulling off crime after crime, but always a step ahead and NEVER ONCE keeping to a specific pattern, which is absolutely maddening to Alex. These criminals if nothing else are predictably insane...but the Mastermind is different. Patterson keeps us guessing all the way through, and even when you THINK you've got it all figured out, you STILL won't. It sure does open up the door for future storylines based upon how this one ended, also leaving the door open for the return of the Weasel, too. I think all in all 'Roses Are Red' was a very satisfying read and well worth the price I paid in hardback. Patterson is a truly gifted author who has found his niche, and call it formula all you want, as long as he keeps it up, he can call me a fan.
Rating:
Summary: Simple but good
Review: I loved this book. Read it and you'll love it too. Trust me. This is the first book by Patterson that I've read. I'm planning on reading all the others.
Rating:
Summary: Wish there was a "0 star" option
Review: Anyone rating this book higher than 1 or 2 stars has NOT read the entire Alex Cross series, or else has no interest in intelligent writing. I have read and loved all of them, until NOW. The Mastermind was mildly amusing thoughout, only because we didn't know who he was. The actual "writing" of him seemed lame, but still.... The end was a total joke. Forget the obvious set-up to a sequel. Hell, he has written them all as sequels. That was bad enough. But who he chose as the one to be the mastermind showed truly that he is deviod any thought. To pick this guy, after all his Cross novels, makes no sense and is so unrealistic that it becomes unbelievable. At least in all the others it COULD have happened. This is just plain stupid. As someone else said, he must have thought "who can I pick that no one would suspect"? This is the guy I thought maybe did it in Kiss the Girls. But in every other novel, he is ok. Now he is the mastermind. PLEASE. This is worse than Turow going from Presumed Innocent to that piece of crap Sins of My Fathers, or whatever the forgetable name of that garbage was. He goes from being one of my favorite suspense writers to a clod who has become uninteresting. Maybe he should go to Hollywood where he can come up with movie ideas...by reading a 1968 TV Guide. Sad, very sad.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT????
Review: When I finished this typically excellent Alex Cross book, my jaw dropped and I thought to myself, "What?" So I went back and read the last chapter again, and still managed to say "What" again! Patterson pulls a real corker on us at the end of this one, and if you think it's far-fetched, just think back to previous books and I think you'll find it makes sense. But, oh what a ride! This is exceptional Patterson, filled with more nasty villains, and an evil genius called The Mastermind. If you have lived through the previous Cross novels, you won't be disappointed in this one; you'll be anxiously awaiting "Violets Are Blue" due out in November to find out what tricks the Mastermind has up his sleeve! Way to go, James!
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