kld718's Full Review: James Patterson - Violets Are Blue
No, this is not a romance novel. It was time to take a break from all the romance novels that I had been reading...they were beginning to make me sick. So I headed to my bookcase to find something that I could really get into and ended up picking up Violets Are Blue, a novel by one of my most favorite authors that I had purchased some time ago.
**This review reveals major plot details. Do not read, if you have not already read Roses Are Red.”
The Mastermind strikes again, and right at the beginning of Violets Are Blue. Or should I say continues to strike, since this book is a continuation of Roses Are Red. It begins exactly where the previous book left off. We are thrust into Betsey’s murder scene as Alex arrives and receives a chilling phone call from the Mastermind. The Mastermind just wants to be friendly and inform Alex that he will be next!
Alex Cross is then brought into another case by Kyle Craig, his friend at the FBI. When two joggers are found slain in a ritualistic manner at Golden Gate Park, Alex is called in to investigate. Someone apparently believes in vampires enough to have claimed the lives’ of these two victims, using certain methods that make it seem like a vampire had killed them.
These murders, added to the return of the Mastermind, has Alex seeking answers. Could one have something to do with the other? Will he discover who the Mastermind really is? Or will the elusive character slip through his fingers yet again?
While in California, Alex meets Inspector Jamilla Hughes, an officer with the local police that has been assigned to the case. More bodies are discovered, in different cities, that match the murders in San Francisco.
Throughout the story, Alex continues to receive phone calls from the Mastermind. As Alex and Jamilla work together to track down the murderer and the Mastermind, they become close. Watch out Camilla!! Everyone that Alex gets involved with is kidnapped, threatened, or murdered! I can’t say that I would want to be seeing a lot of this guy!
Jamilla gets a little too involved with her investigating and manages to get herself kidnapped by William and Michael, the two young “vampire” murderers. Of course, Alex and Kyle manage to track her down and save her.
The book continues on with murders of innocent people, and Alex continually flying off to investigate. It seems like just as he would get home there would be another murder, and he would be off flying to somewhere else. He never seems to accomplish anything, and is never able to discover who the Mastermind really is, until the end of the story.
This is when Alex and the FBI order a manhunt to track down the elusive Mastermind. But will they get to him in time? Or will he commit more unspeakable crimes before someone can actually manage to apprehend him and we see him again in the following book?
~*~ My Thoughts ~*~
Alex Cross is back! Upon reading Violets Are Blue, I can’t say that I had any better stimulation than if I was reading another romance novel. Patterson really missed the boat on this one! And I wasn’t looking forward to writing this review because of the fact that I am such a fan of his. I literally teared up when I finished this book, because I thought of the negative review I would be writing about a Patterson book.
The only exciting part of this book is when the Mastermind breaks into Alex’s house with the intentions of killing him. But I was immediately let down when he leaves without doing any harm, because of the fact that Alex was sick. He seems to want his adversary awake, alert, and healthy enough to be a good challenge. Such a sick man!
I also loved the Mastermind character in these two books. No, I didn’t like the way that he ruthlessly killed innocent people, but I liked his brain. Again...not his thinking or rationale, but the brain of the underlying cruel, obsessive psychopath. In my field, I get the chance to deal with mentally hurting individuals everyday and can find some pretty unusual cases. I haven’t come up with anything near this bad though!
The workings of the human mind and the actions of psychotic individuals intrigue me to no end. I guess that is why I like Patterson’s writings so much. Well, except for Violets Are Blue! The plot in this book is totally out of character for Patterson. Vampires! Come on~ How can that be believable?
And what about the Mastermind? Alex had plenty of hints handed to him on a silver platter that would have given him insight as to who the Mastermind really was. It seems that Patterson had Alex so overworked, that he wasn't able to use his brain.
This book just didn’t seem to inspire any rationale or thinking enough to get me interested. I was not at all impressed with the vampire story-line or the way Alex was portrayed. And what of the romance? With all of the running around Alex does, how can he find the time to fall in love with a different character in every book?
I labored over whether or not to recommend this book, finally coming to the conclusion not to. But would also like to say to go ahead and read it only if you have already read Roses Are Red, if for only to discover what happens to the Mastermind character. Violets Are Blue just seems to reiterate everything they say about sequels.
So it is with a great sign that I rate this Patterson novel with two stars out of five. (sniff!)
The Alex Cross Series:
Along Came a Spider
Kiss The Girls
Jack & Jill
Cat & Mouse
Pop Goes The Weasel Roses Are Red Violets Are Blue
Four Blind Mice
The Big Bad Wolf
~ Happy Reading (if you choose)!
Kim
ISBN: 0-316-69323-5
Format Read: Hardcover
Pages: 393
Price: 12.99
When two joggers are found brutally slain in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in a manner that suggests a macabre ritual, Detective Alex Cross is call...More at HotBookSale
From the Publisher: Detective Alex Cross must confront his most terrifying nemesis ever -- and his own deepest fears -- in this electrifying thriller ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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