Product Description
Features - Gladiator: Reggie Bush's stunning off-season workout regimen. Rough Draft: Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart sports fall fashions. Football Preview: Predictions for the upcoming pro and college seasons. Tailgating 101: From food to fields to fanatics - we've got you covered. Nipped. Tucked. You? Find out if surgery is the answer to fixing your flaws. Sneak Attack: MF-approved kicks help you put your best foot forward. ... Read more

Product Description
Detective Lindsay Boxer and Assistant District Attorney Jill Bernhardt are enjoying a quiet afternoon in San Francisco when a townhouse across the street explodes in flames. A sinister note signed 'August Spies' is found at the scene of the disaster, and the body of an infant who was asleep in the house at the time of the explosion cannot be found. Soon a wave of violent incidents, all with links to political terrorism and involving 'August Spies,' sweeps through the city.An upcoming economic summit of the world's most powerful nations will surely be a target. And it's up to the Women's Murder Club to get to the bottom of the violence before it's too late. Delivering the breakneck pace and never-saw-it-coming plot twists that have made James Patterson the most addictive writer at work today, 3rd DEGREE is another searing and unforgettable thriller from the nation's #1 bestselling suspense writer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (199)

was not the best JP
This was not the best james patterson i have read. was a bit confusing at times.i am looking forwaard to 4th of july.

3rd Degree
I have finally pinpointed what I find disconcerting about these books. It's the split narration! There are some chapters in a third-person omniscient style, where the author follows the killer, or one of Lindsay's friends, and then other chapters are narrated in first person by Lindsay herself. After reading the first book, I half expected the second to have one of the other ladies as the first-person narrator. Unfortunately, all these books follow Lindsay.
This third book was a bit different in that up until the fourth killing, I was partially rooting for the bad guys---going to war with corrupt CEOs and unethical leaders of health care organizations. I don't actually think those people should be killed, but I do think they may need to shape up.
The ending was mildly surprising, although one can expect that the person responsible for the deaths will always be someone slightly different than expected when reading a novel by Patterson.
Overall, a compelling read and worth the day and a half it took me to read it. (Not that all I did was read this book for the past day and a half, I did other stuff too...like go to work.)

Book 3 of Women's Murder Club
This book took a little longer to arrive than the others - but it did get here in the allotted time.Book was in the condition stated and the overall book was really good.Highly recommend this series by James Patterson.

My favorite of the series!
I'm reading the entire series and to date, 3rd Degree was the most shocking and also my favorite of the series to this point. I was sad when it ended and within hours had my nose in 4th of July to continue the story. This is for the series of books as a whole, I'm so very glad I picked up that first book. They are all good and there has been no disappointment.

The Woman's Murder Club is to Die For
I picked up "3rd Degree" and I was off. First off you have to know about the Woman's Murder Club. The members are San Francisco Police Detective Lindsay Boxer, Assistant DA Jill Bernhardt, Medical Examiner Claire Washburn, and crime reporter Cindy Thomas and "3rd Degree", is the best book in the series by far. These women first got together in "1st to Die" and started getting together more often, going over what they knew about a murder and thus the Woman's Murder Club was born and it continued on to the next book "2nd Chance" and then to "3rd Degree". I don't know how James Patterson just turning out such excellent thrillers. You can't go wrong with anything of them. ... Read more

Product Description
In this savagely audacious novel, James Ellroy plants a pipe bomb under the America in the 1960s, lights the fuse, and watches the shrapnel fly. On November 22, 1963 three men converge in Dallas. Their job: to clean up the JFK hit’s loose ends and inconvenient witnesses. They are Wayne Tedrow, Jr., a Las Vegas cop with family ties to the lunatic right; Ward J. Littell, a defrocked FBI man turned underworld mouthpiece; and Pete Bondurant, a dope-runner and hit-man who serves as the mob’s emissary to the anti-Castro underground.

It goes bad from there.For the next five years these night-riders run a whirlwind of plots and counter-plots: Howard Hughes’s takeover of Vegas, J. Edgar Hoover’s war against the civil rights movement, the heroin trade in Vietnam, and the murders of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy. Wilder than L. A. Confidential, more devastating than American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand establishes Ellroy as one of our most fearless novelists.Amazon.com Review
With its hypnotic, staccato rhythms, and words jostling, bumping, marching forward with edgy intensity (like lemmings heading toward a cliff of their own devising), The Cold Six Thousand feels as if it's being narrated by a hopped-up Dr. Seuss who's hungrier for violence than for green eggs and ham. In spinning the threads of post-JFK-assassination cultural chaos, James Ellroy's whirlwind riff on the 1960s takes nothing for granted, except that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Hurtling from Las Vegas to Vietnam to Cuba to Memphis and back again (and all points in between), from Dealey Plaza to opium fields to smoke-filled back rooms where the mob holds sway, the novel traces the strands of complicity, greed, and fear that connect three men to a legion of supporting characters: Ward Littell, a former Feeb whose current allegiance to the mob and to Howard Hughes can't mask his admiration for the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King; Pete Bondurant, a hit man and fervent anti-Communist who splits his time between Vegas casinos and CIA-sponsored heroin labs in Saigon; and Wayne Tedrow Jr., a young Vegas cop who's sent to Dallas in late November 1963 to snuff a black pimp, and who is fighting a losing battle against his predilection for violence: "Junior was a hider. Junior was a watcher. Junior lit flames. Junior torched. Junior lived in his head."

And behind these three, J. Edgar Hoover is the master puppeteer, pulling strings with visionary zeal and resolute pragmatism, the still point around whom the novel roils and tumbles. At once evil and comic, Hoover predicts that LBJ "will deplete his prestige on the home front and recoup it in Vietnam. History will judge him as a tall man with big ears who needed wretched people to love him," and feels that Cuba "appeals to hotheads and the morally impaired. It's the cuisine and the sex. Plantains and women who have intercourse with donkeys."

The Seussian comparison isn't that far-fetched: Ellroy's novel, like the children's books (and like the very decade it limns), is flexible, spontaneous, and unabashedly off-kilter. Weighing in at a hefty 700 pages, The Cold Six Thousand is a trifle bloated by the excesses of its narrative form. But what glorious excess it is, as Ellroy continues to illuminate the twin impulses toward idealism and corruption that frame American popular and political culture. He deftly puts unforgettable faces and voices to the murkiest of conspiracy theories, and simultaneously mocks our eager assumption that such knowledge will make a difference. --Kelly Flynn ... Read more

Customer Reviews (111)

The Cold Six Thousand
It is difficult to review this book in isolation as it is the middle volume of the "Underworld USA" trilogy.Ifyou haven't read the first volume, "American Tabloid," a lot of "Cold Six" isn't going to make a lot of sense.I'm looking forward to reading this one and the final volume, "Blood's A Rover."

Reads like a Dick and Jane book
American Tabloid was one of the best books I have ever read, I was so looking forward to the next 2 in the trilogy, but I just had to stop reading after 100 pages. The so-called "noir" style to me reads more like one of those old kindergarten Dick and Jane books. See Dick. Dick has a gun. Dick shoots Jane. Jane's head explodes. Dick has a cigarette.

The only parts that were not painful to read were the transcripts, at least there was some narrative.

I don't know what the attraction is to this style but it takes long paragraphs to describe what can be done in a normal well constructed sentence - see American Tabloid for an example of how a book like can be written wonderfully I might add. It got so all I was really reading was the action and my brain was starting to cut parts out because it is just tedious to read.

I might have to try it again because the story is so good I really want to see how it progresses but for right now I have to give it break.

Book on Tape Cassette
Quick delivery; have no comment on tape quality because I have yet to listen to the book.

Pretty Good, Not Ellroy's Best
The Cold Six Thousand is James Ellroy's hardboiled account of the seamy side of the 1960s. In Ellroy's fictional account, the murders of JFK, Martin Luther King, and RFK were all the work of underworld figures and the FBI. This is a good book, but the implausible plot keeps me from rating it higher than three stars.

Readers who are familiar with Ellroy's work will not be surprised by the book's strengths. Ellroy has the ability to write a novel with a twisted plot that comes together in the end. Another strong aspect of The Cold Six Thousand is Ellroy's sense of pacing; the novel moves throughout all of its 670+ pages.

Unfortunately, The Cold Six Thousands has some weaknesses. The violence is unremitting and very nasty. Ellroy spares the reader no details and the gore overflows at times. I also thought that Ellroy's tendency tend to use historical figures as characters was unsatisfying; none of the people in Ellroy's books are alive to defend themselves against Ellroy's vicious attacks on their good names.

Ellroy's fans will not want to miss this one. But he has written much better books.

Addictive once started.
I wasn't prepared for the style of writing here, short two and three word sentences, lots of short statements about what was going on, without a lot of extra description or extended dialogue.I almost put it down for good after the first few pages, but I was pleasantly surprised with how good and entertaining it turned out to be.

This was the first by this author, so I guess I should have started elsewhere, but I felt the work stood alone without a problem.

There is plenty of violence and rough language in this book, but it shows a side of the sixties that probably existed for many just as depicted.It is interesting to juxtapose race relations and mob activity in the sixties with how it is today.

I definitely recommend this to those that like historically set crime fiction, with lots of action, violence and depravity.I'll be looking for more by this author myself. ... Read more

Product Description

Astronomy has never been a more popular pastime than it is today. The increased availability of less expensive, more powerful, and more sophisticated telescopes has given rise to a new generation of stargazers. And for these beginning astronomers here is the comprehensive book covering everything from the difficult task of selecting an instrument to the equally daunting choices that arise when a telescope is turned to the heavens.

Renowned British astronomer and author James Muirden takes the fledgling astronomer by the hand in his new book, offering tips on:

* the purchase, assembly, and orientation of your new telescope
* how to observe and chart the Sun, Moon, planets, stars and comets
* how to investigate the deep-sky objects -- clusters, nebulae, and other galaxies beyond the Milky Way

The final chapter, "Windows into Space," explores ten carefully selected regions featuring noteworthy examples of double stars, galaxies, and nebulae, as well as more obscure objects seldom examined by astronomers.

How to Use an Astronomical Telescope offers completely revised and updated location charts with detailed coordinates, tables, appendixes, and numerous illustrations and photographs, making it the essential volume for one's first exploration of the cosmos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A True Classic!
The previous reviewers got it right when they wrote that this book is more than a beginner's introduction into the hobby of astronomy.I don't think that I've ever come across another that contained such a wealth of information about what to observe and written in a manner which has me eager to go out observing the sky (both day and night).

One reviewer detailed the section on double stars, and that chapter truly is worth the price by itself.Beginners may feel overwhelmed at the amount of information here, but by first reading the written chapter before tackling the list of double/multiple stars everything will be much easier to understand and use.

The chapter on white light solar observing (this book was written before hobbyist H-alpha telescopes became available) is a must for beginners, and even those a bit more seasoned will find something to use here.I still find that this part of the book is indispensible.

It's difficult to find a good reference on how to observe the planets, even though they are among the easiest objects to see through a telescope, because rarely does an author go beyond the more prominent bands and Great Spot of Jupiter or the rings of Saturn.This author goes beyond the obvious and provides a reason to keep going back to them after you've been there numerous times before.

Of course, every book on astronomy will detail observing the moon with maps at the quarters, and the names of so many craters pointed out.Usually that would be the extent of the observing advice, but not so in this volume.Just as in all the other chapters, you will find that what you see through your first look is only the initial step to a wealth of observing highlights.

Mr. Muirden's love for observing the skies is evident in every sentence he has written, and his wonderful, truly "British" style of writing makes this book a delight to read even when you're not going to be going out and observing.In fact, I bought this book almost ten years and read it literally a hundred times before I could afford my first telescope!Naturally, I was well prepared to use it by then.

Good telescope book for all - -
Basic stuff - telescopes haven't changed in decades (but for Dobsons). Good book for returning novices or neophytes to the greatness that is astronomy. Worth the money.

More than I bargained for
As a beginner in astronomy I hoped for a book to hold my hand each step ofthe way, but I got more than I bargained for. This is not a true beginner'sbook, however the more I read the book the more I liked it. The fundamentalinformation is there, you just have to read some paragraphs over a time ortwo to absorb the knowledge, and then it begins to make more sense. Maybegood astronomy is like that anyway - not easy at first, but the more youlearn the more it draws you deeper into the study. The author is not afraidto be complete and provides an easy reading of the subject. Greatinformation on different types of telescopes.Excellent information for abeginner on major objects in the sky, cataloged nicely. I found some of theobjects my first night out with my new telescope - knew then I was hookedon this hobby! Highly recommend this book to someone who wants more thanjust a beginner's book, but is willing to take the time to absorb theexcellent information found within. If you are serious about astronomy as ahobby this is a great book to own.

Plenty of information for the money.
The subtitle "A Beginner's Guide to Observing the Cosmos" could have omitted the word "beginner's."This book packs a lot of information for the experienced amateur.The text goes much deeper than the littletechniques we have seen in other observing guides, like averted vision andproper dark adaptation.It provides specific recommendations for mosttypes of celestial targets suitable for amateur telescopes.

The bookreveals its age and could stand an updated edition. Technology movesquickly, and many of today's computer capabilities and newer telescope andeyepiece designs are not covered in the chapter on Astronomical Telescopes.Also, the Appendix lists the planet locations starting in Jan 1988 andending in Dec 2000.This is forgivable, since the main thrust is not onthe equipment, but how best to use it.

The author stresses training theeye and a systematic thoroughness when at the eyepiece, and one starts tofeel that the concept of "fun observing" would seem an oxymoron in thisvolume.Pardon my saying, but this does not seem inconsistent with hisbeing English.On the other hand, he reveals his own romantic enthusiasmwhen describing celestial objects such as certain double stars.

"A mostbeautiful double, clear white and pale blue, in a low-power field thatincludes several faint pairs.The whole effect is superb."

Speaking ofdouble stars, the book is worth the price if these are your only interest. At 59 pages, Observing Double and Multiple Stars is the book's longestchapter, and provides an excellent list with descriptions. The list anddescriptions in the chapter on Clusters, Nebulae, and Galaxies is also wellsuited for amateurs, most visible with scopes of 200mm aperture or less andmany with higher quality scopes of 75mm or less.There is also a chaptercalled Windows into space, which includes ten sample star charts to the 7thmagnitude and lists of double stars, Clusters, and Nebulae (heavy on thedouble stars).

In the end I must admit that the often-wearisome trainingto becoming proficient with observing techniques does allow one to seebeauty where others only see "faint fuzzies." ... Read more

Product Description
Imagine a killer who thinks "What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?" and then does something far worse! Now imagine four womena police detective, an assistant D.A., a reporter, and a medical examinerwho pursue this killer by sidestepping their bosses and giving each other a hand. The combination adds up to the most exciting thriller series debut since A Is for Alibi. The four women, who call themselves the Womens Murder Club, develop lifelong bonds as they pursue a killer whose twisted imagination has stunned an entire city. Working together, they track down the most terrifying and unexpected killer everbefore a shocking resolution that turns everything about the case upside down. A major new series from James Patterson that will rival the popularity and sales of his Alex Cross novels. Huge TV miniseries tie in: NBC will air a major two-part miniseries based on 1st To Die during sweeps week, May 2001. A movie version of Along Came a Spider will reach theaters early in 2001.Amazon.com Review
The Women's Murder Club pits four San Francisco women professionals against a serial killer who's stalking and murdering newlyweds in bestselling author James Patterson's newest thriller. Lindsay Boxer is a homicide inspector who's just gotten some very bad news. She deals with it by immersing herself in her newest case and soliciting the personal as well as professional support of her closest friend, who happens to be the city's medical examiner. The two women, along with an ambitious and sympathetic reporter and an assistant DA, form an unlikely alliance, pooling their information and bypassing the chain of command in an engaging, suspenseful story whose gruesome setup is vintage Patterson.

"What is the worst thing anyone has ever done?" the killer muses to himself early in the narrative. "Am I capable of doing it? Do I have what it takes?" Answering his own question, he embarks on a murderous spree that takes him from the bridal suite in a Nob Hill hotel to a honeymoon destination in the Napa Valley and thence to a wedding reception at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Dispatching his victims on the happiest day of their lives, he purposefully leaves enough clues for his distaff trackers to discover his identity and put him behind bars. But just when the women think they've got the case all wrapped up, the killer turns the tables on them in a bloody denouement that even the most discerning reader won't see coming. Patterson, author of the popular Alex Cross mysteries, promises future adventures for the Women's Murder Club, which may give him an opportunity to develop his heroines' characters more completely and win new fans among those who prefer their detectives in high heels and lipstick. --Jane Adams ... Read more

Customer Reviews (580)

"1st to Die"
Some of you may be familiar with James Patterson's Alex Cross series; there is currently a film-adaptation of one of Patterson's novels, Along Came a Spider starring Morgan Freeman.1st to Die is Patterson's latest achievement and it marks the first installment of a series he will develop further in the future.

The setting: there is a killer going round the Bay Area, taking the lives of newly-weds on the night of their honeymoon or the day of their wedding.The SFPD is pretty much stumped, slowly piecing the evidence together, but not actually getting very far - leads leading to cul-de-sacs.

The characters: four woman who unite, all from different walks of life, to solve the case and catch the serial killer.The main character, Lindsay Boxer, is an investigator for the homicide division for the homicide division for the SFPD; she wants most to succeed, but she is concurrently battling a devastating illness that saps more of her energy each day she sets about solving this bloody investigation.Claire Washburn is a medical examiner, friend to Lindsay, she provides important details that help the case.Jill Bernardt is the Assistant D.A. who wants to catch just this person just as much as the others, hoping to try him and put him away fro a long time.Cindy Thomas is a small-time reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, but she has been recently promoted to the crime desk at the newspaper: her research provides valuable evidence for the case, while she keeps the country up-to-date on the circumstances of the case, that is when Lindsay agrees to the press release.Together they are the Women's Murder Club.

The novel:Patterson has managed to create a whole new world in the familiar territory of the Bay Area.He dives beneath the ordinary, everyday façade of San Francisco and reveals an invisible underlining that is witnessed by few.The reader is taken on a joyride of shocking and exciting proportions, as the quartet meet and bring the clues together, steadily catching up to the killer, until the climactic finish, with Patterson's inevitable twists surprising the reader in a tour-de-force conclusion.

Originally published on May 14th 2001 ©Alex C. Telander.

Originally published in the Long Beach Union.

For over 500 book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to [...]

really bad book
I am glad I didn't pay money to receive this book.I got it at the library's free table.I started to read it and found that it was full of violence.I stopped reading it and threw it away.Our society is violent enough w/o books having violence in them.So I threw it away and hurled it way back in the trash bin so nobody could reach it, it was just so bad.I would give no stars if I could.

1st to Die
Too much time spent with sex that did not contribute to the story.I'd don't personally know any women who sit around and discuss all the funny places that they have had sex. ( I believe this is a guy thing.)Mr. Patterson seems to have confused sex with love.
When the forensic pathologist identified the culpret as a woman from the urine, she did not take into account that a woman who is menstrating would be wearing a pad or tampon.If a pad the urine would not have been on the floor, or not in that amount; if a tampon, there would not have been blood in the urine!

Will never buy again
Ordered a "like new" copy and the book was a mess!Will never buy here again.

Patterson should read up on dogs...
I agree with what a lot of the 1 and 2 start reviewers have said and have one thing to add: the author has obviously not done any research on dogs. Or, possibly, border collies in America are very different from the breed we have here in Scotland. Border collies are fairly large dogs and I would really like to see one perch on somebody's lap looking out to the bay... makes for a very, very funny picture! Next, does Mr Patterson know that border collies are working dogs and keeping one in a flat is absolutely ridiculous and amounts to animal cruelty? And if the heroine of the books indeed keeps her collie in a flat, then it is highly likely that when she returns from work, the collie will have taken the flat apart from sheer boredom. ... Read more

Product Description
By the #1 bestselling author of Lifeguard, a gleaming new summer thriller set in the luxurious Hamptons.

Montauk lawyer Tom Dunleavy's client list is woefully small--occasional real estate closings barely keep him in paper clips. When he is hired to defend a local man accused in a triple murder that has the East Hampton world in an uproar, he knows that he has found the case of his lifetime.

The crime turns the glittering playground of the super-rich into a blazing inferno. Dunleavy's client is a local hero, but Dunleavy knows the case rests atop a volcano of money, deception, and forbidden desires. His client is the perfect fall guy--unless he can find the key that unlocks the secret rooms of the gilt-shrouded set.

When Dunleavy is joined by his former flame, the savvy and well-connected attorney Kate Costello, he believes he has a chance. But payback is a bitch--especially from the rich. The violent retaliations of billionaires threatened by his investigation exceed anything Dunleavy has ever seen. With the entire nation's eyes on him in a new Trial of the Century, Dunleavy orchestrates a series of revelations that lead to a stunning outcome--only to find afterward that the truth is wilder than anything he ever imagined. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (281)

Surprise!You just wasted your time!
The other negative reviews basically said it all. I can take absurd surprise endings IF there is SOME attempt made to explain or justify it.None with this ending.It just dumps you there.And I wasn't about to spend any more time on it going back to reread sections and see if I had missed something along the way, especially with the initial disclaimer that some narrators might 'lie'.This was the first Patterson book I've read, and it'll be the last.

don't bother
I have to admit that I didn't finish this book. I needed a couple of books for a long car ride and picked this.Having read Patterson before it seemed like a good choice.If I had read the Amazon reviews prior to purchase, it would have been a more enjoyable trip. Don't waste your money or time.

Simply awful....
I purchased this book a while ago and for some reason, never read it.My Kindle seems to be on the fritz, so I've been scrounging around for some reading material.I picked this up and wondered why I never pursued it when I bought it.I guess I read the jacket and wasn't impressed or just had too many other books I wanted to read first.

At any rate, it was simply awful.The "twist" was so bad - and the whole concept of the novel just SO poor, SO unremarkably predictable - it was hard to get through.I was bound and determined to read it though, and I did. I hated the short chapters, the writing style and the whole name-dropping, "star studded", pretentious dialogue.

Do yourself a favor and take a pass on this - I'm sending my copy off to the Goodwill. No more of these for me.There are FAR, FAR better writers out there and publishers just keep churning out this drivel and taking away from a writer who DESERVES to have works published!

Beach Road
I have never reviewed a book before but I just had to send a review on this book (Beach Road).I have read several of James Patterson's books and have always enjoyed them until now.I was so disappointed by the ending that I almost threw the book in the trash.When the killer and his accomplice was revealed, I didn't want to finish the book, but I did and it left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

Save your money/time
I am sorry to report this is the last Patterson I will buy. This book tries an unusual technique of telling the story in a series of first person chapters. I find it annoying and disruptive to the narrative. I felt grossly manipulated at the wrap up at the end.
... Read more

Product Description
The honeymoon is over--now the murders can begin. America's #1thriller writer returns with his sexiest, scariest novel ever.Hotterthan The Beach House and scarier than Kiss the Girls, JamesPatterson's explosive new thriller introduces a bride who isbeautiful, talented, devoted--and deadly.When a young investmentbanker dies of baffling causes, FBI agent John O'Hara immediatelysuspects the only witness, the banker's alluring and mysteriousfianc'e. Nora Sinclair is a beautiful decorator who expects the best,and will do anything to get it.Agent O'Hara keeps closing in, butthe stronger his case, the less he knows whether he's pursuing justiceor his own fatal obsession. In a novel so compelling it reads like acollaboration with Alfred Hitchcock, James Patterson unveils surpriseafter surprise that will keep readers guessing until the last deadlykiss. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (285)

Black Widow Gonna Eat You Up
Imagine you're a rich guy. You got the house, the car, the big bank account and even a secret bank account in the Caymens, or Zurich. You've got it all. Well, not quite. You need the trophy wife. And it doesn't hurt if she's good in bed too. In fact, for you, that's a requirement.

Enter Nora Sinclair. She's great on the eyes, better in the sack and smart to boot. And what's more, she can wipe up a delicious meal. Why eat out when you can eat in, fall in bed right after dinner and make love the night away.

You fall in love, how could you not? You can't wait to get married, buy the the biggest rock you can find, give it to the girl of your dreams.

But what you don't know, is that the love of your life has been rooting around in your secret things. She's found out about your bank account, found your passwords and bank account numbers too. You also don't know about the special meal she's planning for you. Of course you eat it, then you feel the pain. Is it a heart attack? Nora gets you some medicine. You take it. More pain. You grab your chest. Your world goes black. You're dead.

The FBI, in it's ongoing war against terrorism, has been checking into the movement of money between off shore bank accounts. They stumble onto Nora and assign Agent John O'Hara to investigate. He knows she's killing off fiance's and husbands, just can't figure out how. He falls in love, crosses the line and falls into her bed. He can't help himself. She figures out about him, makes him one of her special meals. Now it's his turn to grab his chest.

And you'll be grabbing for the light switch as the sun goes down, because you won't be able to sleep till you finish this thriller. I read it in one sitting. Nora is truly a black widow, not much to like about her. Truth be told, I didn't like Agent O'Hara that much either, but I loved the book.

Patterson's lost a lot off his fastball
At one time, James Patterson was one of the most popular writers around and his Alex Cross novels were big sellers because people liked Dr. Cross and Patterson had a gift for character development and story lines that hooked readers from the first page and didn't let go. However, Patterson's last several books have been very disappointing and this tale of a gold-digging black widow who poisons her men, then cleans out their bank accounts by wiring the funds to her offshore accounts is just plain ludicrous. The hero is a compromised FBI agent, the murderess is a psychopath with no conscience, and Patterson makes his novel more complicated than it needs to be. This book began well but Patterson got a little too cute for his own good and spoiled what could have been a diverting work of fiction. He should take a break from writing and reassess a career that seems mired in mediocrity.

Best $2 I ever spent!
I bought this book on a whim, being that it was only $2. I was skeptical about it, as the cover made it look like it was some cheesy romance novel. However, I really enjoyed this book! I read it in less than a day...I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the various points of view on the story. The only thing I didn't "get" was the Tourist parts, although it tied together at the end, in a weird way.

Fast Moving with Many Twists and Turns
I read this book in 3 days.I could not put it down.Nora was the type of character you wanted to hate, but didn't due to her traumatic childhood.

As far as John...I wasn't that impressed with him until the end, when he owned up to all of his infidelities in the past and became whole again.

James Patterson
i love all of james pattersons books, this book was in great shape...very pleased. got it fast too ... Read more

Product Description
After losing one of its own, Lindsay Boxer and the Women's Murder Club make a courageous return for their fourth and most chilling case ever-one that could easily be their last. A young girl is killed in crossfire after a routine arrest goes terribly wrong, and Lt. Lindsay Boxer has to defend herself against a charge of police brutality. In a landmark trial that transfixes the nation, Lindsay fights to save her career and her sanity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (217)

excellent purchase
excellent chance to learn and to develop the understanding of the language for people who, as we in Brazil, do not have the English language as native.

A good read, worth the (short) time.
Another Women's Murder Club story, introducing our new friend Yuki to the club...although I thought the outcome of the trial was a little unbelievable, it's really the only way it could have ended.
The eventual killer(s) were a huge surprise to me.

I LOVE JAMES PATTERSON!!!!
This was one of the best series I have ever read. I fell in love with all of the characters! I would suggest this book to any and everyone!

4th of July
4th of July is an action packed book by James Patterson! You would never be able to put this book down.

Good Summer Read
I enjoyed this book very much, as I did the other Women's Murder Club books.They are a good fast read! ... Read more

Product Description
When a little girl is shot on the steps of a San Francisco church, Detective Lindsay Boxer knows its time to reconvene the Womens Murder Club. Working with Chronicle reporter Cindy Thomas, assistant D.A. Jill Bernhardt, and medical examiner Claire Washburn, Lindsay tracks a mystifying killer who soon turns his pursuers into his victims. The unorthodox allegiances of the Womens Murder Club lead them to suspect the unexpectedthe killer may be an ex-cop. But nothing could prepare them for the demented logic behind his choice of victims. 2nd Chance is full of unexpected turns that could only have been created by the mind of James Patterson. This pageturning drama will enthrall his longtime readers and attract new ones to his latest bestselling series, the Womens Murder Club. 1st To Die, the first book in this series which was published in March 2001, became an immediate #1 bestseller with over 866,000 copies in print. A major feature film of Along Came a Spider recently reached theaters. The ABC miniseries of 1st To Die will air in Fall 2001.Amazon.com Review
2nd Chance reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (a detective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner) who used their networking skills, feminine intuition, and professional wiles to solve a baffling series of murders in 1st to Die. This time, the murders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all the signs of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of San Francisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even more disturbing: both victims were related to city cops. A symbol glimpsed at both murder scenes leads to a racist hate group, but the taunting killer strikes again and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever more cleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk--and the killer knows who they are.

2nd Chance speeds along at a Formula One pace through many tight curves, but unlike recent entries in the Alex Cross series, it doesn't sacrifice good characters to a twisted plot. Lindsay's the star, but there's a fine esprit de corps among the four women, who are even better developed here than in the first book. What makes them both convincing and interesting as a criminal-justice juggernaut is their willingness to stick their necks out, even if they suffer for it. If you haven't picked up a James Patterson novel in a while, this is a great time to start anew. --Barrie Trinkle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (282)

Money, money, money
This is a huge effort to capitalize on the Patterson name.I think he should be a bit more particular about what product will have his name stamped on it.This is a truly simplistic novel with little "meat" for the readers to sink their teeth into.Although this is fiction, I wish there was a bit more attention to the believeability factor.This is a very easy read and only moderately entertaining.

A 2nd Chance to make a first impression.
2nd Chance is a passable, fluff thriller; you'll never confuse James Patterson's writing with the skillfull writing of a Thomas H. Cook. Our protagonist, Lindsay Boxer, is back in this second installment to find someone who is killing seemingly random people. Everyone believes the killings are hate crimes due to all the victims being black, but the killer's motive runs deeper than skin color, and deals more with a certain profession. Patterson paints Lindsay as an emotionalist who allows the scummy characters in the book to constantly get under her skin. She's so indignant and outraged about everything instead of being smart and objective while doing her job.

Also returning for the second installment are Lindsay's gal pals who assist her in crime-solving: the prosecutor, the coroner, and the reporter. I'd list their names if I cared enough, but I don't.

The four professional, thirty-something women all act like they're in high school. Patterson's attempts to make the coroner sound black are ridiculous. We get plenty of "hey girls" and "my girls." Too bad we didn't get a "fo shizzle my nizzle." There is also a minister in the story named Aaron. He is another perfect black specimen similar to Alex Cross. The thing is, Patterson totally disrespects the character's role as a pastor by having him have sex with the floozy reporter. I missed the memo that says it's okay for ministers to have sex before marriage. In fact, the issue of the restrictions of a minister due to his profession and faith isn't even discussed by any character in the story. Patterson attempts to paint this guy as a sincere man of the cloth who practices what he preaches, yet contradicts his character by having him behave like a regular guy who isn't tied by any Christian or moral doctrine. He never does or says anything that would show us he's a server of the Lord. Even his speeches in church have nothing to do with God. Like Jesse Jackson, this man must have gotten his divinity license from a label off a cereal box.

Bottom Line: 2nd Chance isn't as good as 1st to Die even though its twists are more plausible. I'm hesitant about delving any deeper in the series, though I do own the third installment, 3rd Degree.

Go to beach. Read book
This second book in the Women's Murder Club reads just as quickly as the first. A reader gets sucked in, but not bogged down. Chapters are short, proofreading was not a priority, but the plot is cohesive. If you're not looking for more than that, this will wet your whistle.

I LOVE JAMES PATTERSON!!!!
Every book in this single is great!A great addition to anyones growing library!

Hooray for The Women's Murder Club
Another riveting,mindbending thriller from the women's murder club,by way of Mr. Patterson.
An unusually calculated serial killer is on the loose and he's clever.His targets seem to have nothing in common, but the heroine, Detective Lt.Boxer, thinks differently.The F.B.I. becomes involved but they're on the wrong track.You'll never guess whodunit until maybe the very end.
Mr. Patterson's book has many characters,yet the plot is not too convoluted. It's easy to follow but you never know what's coming next. His descriptive text and narratives place you deep into the mind's and the feelings of all the characters. I absolutely could not put it down. If you read 1ST to Die, then you'll love 2ND Chance. I did!

Jennifer Dunagan,author of Auntie Jennie's
Puppy:The Adventures of Santana and
Santana's Harrowing Halloween ... Read more

Product Description
The Women's Murder Club faces an unspeakable horror in an irresistible hospital and courtroom thriller by #1 bestselling author James Patterson.
SOMEBODY DIES.
A young mother is recuperating in a San Francisco hospital when she is suddenly gasping for breath. The call button fails to bring help in time. The hospital's doctors, some of the best in the nation, are completely mystified by her death. How did this happen?
APOCALYPSE NEARS.
This is not the first such case at the hospital. Just as patients are about to be released with a clean bill of health, their conditions take a devastating turn for the worse.
Accompanied by the newest member of the Women's Murder Club, Yuki Castellano, Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer probes deeper into the incidents. Could these cases just be appalling coincidences? Or is a maniac playing God with people's lives? When someone close to the Women's Murder Club begins to exhibit the same frightening symptoms, Lindsay fears no one is safe.
THE 5TH HORSEMAN RIDES.
It is a wild race against time as Lindsay's investigation reveals a hospital administration determined to shield its reputation at all costs. And while the hospital wages an explosive court battle that grips the entire nation, Lindsay and the Women's Murder Club hunt for a merciless killer among its esteemed medical staff.
The newest addition to the top-selling new mystery series takes the Women's Murder Club to the most terrifying heights of suspense they have yet to encounter. The 5th Horseman proves once again that James Patterson is "the page-turningest author in the game right now" (San Francisco Chronicle) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (219)

Patterson's ghostwriter needs to step it up
I found this volume of the Women's Murder Club. The story contained two completely unrelated mysteries, the first of which was solved with little circumstance or explanation about 3/4 of the way through. The second mystery was solved in the last chapter with very little explanation. I was quite disappointed with the whole thing.

I can't get enough!
I loved every book in these series....from the first to the last. I hope there are more to come

The 5th Horseman

If you have read books 1 through 4, then you'll love The 5th Horseman. It's filled with suspense. It was definitely an excellent book to read. The ADA, Yuki, you definitely see a lot out of her in this book. So if you liked 1st to Die, 2nd Chance, 3rd Degree, and 4th of July then you'll definitely would love The 5th Horseman!

Great Continuation of Series
5th Horseman was a great continuation in the Women's Murder Club series.Definately kept my interest the whole way through!

The 5th Horseman (The Women's Murder Club)
Exceollent read.But, you expect no less from James Patterson.Any book with his name on it is always excellent. ... Read more

Product Description
Alex Cross was a rising star in the Washington, DC, Police Department when an unknown shooter gunned down his wife, Maria, in front of him. The killer was never found, and the case turned cold, filed among the unsolved drive-bys in D.C.'s rough neighborhoods.

Years later, still haunted by his wife's death, Cross is making a bold move in his life. Now a free agent from the police and the FBI, he's set up practice as a psychologist once again. His life with Nana Mama, Damon, Jannie, and little Alex is finally getting in order. He even has a chance at a new love.

Then Cross's former partner, John Sampson, calls in a favor. He is tracking a serial rapist in Georgetown, one whose brutal modus operandi recalls a case Sampson and Cross worked together years earlier. When the case reveals a connection to Maria's death, Cross latches on for the most urgent and terrifying ride of his life.

From the man USA TODAY has called the "master of the genre," CROSS is the high-velocity thriller James Patterson and Alex Cross's fans have waited years to read--and the pinnacle of the bestselling detective series of the past two decades. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (264)

Not a waste of time but..........
I've been reading Patterson/Cross novels for years now. You know a book is good when you can't put it down. Let's just say that I started this book last summer. I had to bribe myself, with another book, just to make it to the end. I'm disappointed and reluctant to continue the series.

I'm sorry I can't suggest this book.

Am I Crazy?
I didn't finished yet (English version) but I have read all the Alex Cross Series so far. I always remember him driving an old black sports car. Never mentioned it was his wife's car or that it was white. Also in previous books it said she was killed in a drive by while Alex was working in the soup kitchen. He ran out when he heard shots. How come this whole storyline has changed? Was I reading a different book or did the author forget his previous books?
The characters all seem like new people to me.If this was the first book I could understand.

Great
Great action filled book.Hard to put down once you start. Would love to see a movie made off of it.

superb James Patterson
This book, like the many Alex Cross books before it, was excellent. Can't wait to continue reading the Alex Cross saga.

Ho HUM
I have been a long time reader of all of James Patterson's books, and though they all vary from "excellent" to "okay," Cross may be the worst in the Alex Cross series yet.Thoughts:
1.Michael Sullivan just isn't interesting or engaging.I was not intrigued.The red light/ green light game is just stupid and an obvious attempt at a unique gimmick.
2.Where are the TWISTS and jaw-dropping reveals that make me read hurriedly to the end??Where is the plot?They are NOT here.
3.What is up with the Mercedes product tie-in???I was just embarrassed by this obvious "thank you" to Mercedes.What ... did the company buy a new one for Mr. Paterson and ALL his friends?
Advice to the Reader:
If you've read Patterson's Cross series, read this one.This will give you information about Maria Cross' death but little else.DON'T BUY this book, it is barely worth reading once.
Advice to James Patterson:
What is happening with your books?They are less and less interesting.Are YOU writing them?Please get back on track and put out fewer, and hopefully BETTER, books each year.How much money do you need for God's sake?? ... Read more

Product Description
The danger isn't in the water. As a lifeguard in Florida resort, Ned Kelly meets the woman of his dreams. It feels perfect except that she prefers caviar and Manolo Blahniks, and he is used to burgers and flip flops.

So when Ned's cousin offers him a rich deal, Ned can't turn him down. It is just a fast break and enter. The risk is high, and the reward even greater - $5 million. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (171)

WELL, THIS WAS BETTER THAN.....COME TO THINK OF IT, I CANNOT THINK OF A COMPAIRSON HERE.
Well, I certainly have mixed emotions about this work.First, I must tell you that this is a review of the audio CD version of this book which is read by Billy Campbell who does a very nice job.This set of 7 discs runs for 7 hours and 20 minutes.This folks, is the primary redeeming feature of this entire book.My wife and I listened to it while traveling, usually at night, to various football games our grandsons participated in.It helped break the boredom and it was the type of book that we could hold a decent conversation while listening to the reading and not miss all that much.

Now don't get me wrong.Many of the James Patterson books I have read over the years have been quite pleasing. He is certainly not my favorite author by a long shot, but he has provided me with good entertainment now and again.Alas though, I fear that Patterson has more or less dropped the ball with this one.

This is a story of an extremely whiney guy, who is apparently well education (and a hunk...by his own description) who is a lifeguard.Through a series of very improbably circumstances he is blamed for murdering his four best friends during a art robbery gone terribly wrong, the murder of the perfect 10 ½ girl he made love to in the first chapter, his brother...sort of, and his brother's killer.He hooks up with this hot FBI chick, which he kidnaps, falls in love with and between the two of them they set out to prove his innocence.Big time yawn.

The protagonist, named Ned Kelly, if you can believe that, is one of the most annoying characters I have ever encountered.This is an almost nonstop whine fest from cover to cover.The bad guy is so stereotyped that the author must have pulled him from the pages of a DC Comic.Ned, our main guy, is at times so stupid that he is almost rendered non functional.The FBI hot chick girl, who is a very well educated art expert, is completely unbelievable in the off the cuff decisions she makes.As a matter of fact, it would have been a blessing if both main characters had been "taken out" during the first chapter so I would have not had to listen to them for the next 100 plus chapters.

On the up side, one of the characters, an Australian motor cycle racer has-been, is an absolute delight.Why oh why did not Patterson write the entire book about him and leave most of the characters out? Go figure.

There were some decent action sequences throughout the book.There were some unanticipated twists throughout the plot which were sort of fun, but they were not crafty enough to save the overall story.

Also on the plus side was the fact that I checked this thing out from the library and did not have to spend a dime on it.

I would recommend this one of late night travel, or an endless airline flight, or if you were stranded on a deserted island with nothing else available to read.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

A Lifeguard in a Whole Lot of Trouble
Palm Beach lifeguard Ned Kelly has the perfect life. Then he meets seductive and very beautiful Tess McAuliffe. They go out and she's the one as far as he's concerned, however she's tres classy and lives way above his lifestyle. So he decides to throw in with four childhood friends, Mickey, Bobby, Dee and Barney, who have come up with a nice little score that will set them up for life.

For five million dollars they're going to heist three paintings. That's a cool million each and all Ned has to do for his share is to create a diversion by setting off the alarms at some of the other wealthy homes in the area. However when his pals break into the house where the paintings are, they discover them gone. Has somebody beat them to that art? Are they being set up?

While his friends are puzzling this out, Ned hears sirens and panics. He hotfoots it to where Tess was staying, only to see her body being taken out on a stretcher. He goes back to where his friends are staying, only to find cops and four body bags being taken out. Ned doesn't have to be a genius to realize he's in a spot of trouble.

And there you have the beginning of a non-stop thriller that will have reading like you've never read before. If you're not a speed reader, you will be by the time you're finished with this. Ned is in trouble deep. They FBI is after him. He has to find out what's going on before they catch him, lock him up and throw away the key. I just loved this book and I know you will too. Oh yes, I should point out, you'll never ever, not in a million years, figure out the surprise ending.

A good beach book
Ned Kelly is a lifeguard who wants to make a quick million by helping his buddies steal some paintings by setting off some house alarms as a diversionary tactic. But the robbery goes wrong, and his buddies get killed. Ned runs for his life, and discovers some terrible truths along the way, as well as some faithful friends.

It's a page turner, and the ending will bring closure, reality, and satisfaction.

Another Patterson page turner
I love James Patterson's books....even the ones he co-authors.I actually bought this for my mom, but read it when she was done.It was good and a really quick read.

The Story Is Such A Bore I Can't Even Remember Much About It!
I picked up this book in 2006 at the airport. I was hoping it would entertain me during my 13 hours flight. The book was so boring and uninteresting that I can't even remember much about it except it was a story about a life gaurd taking part in a robbery scheme of some valuable paintings (or was it painting?)that was kind of a setup for insurance claim by the owner.... something like that. I don't really remember.It was not a page turner cause during the 13 hours' flight, I couldn't read it continuously like I did with other books, I had to put it down after a few chapters cause the story was so unbearably boring and dead...

It was such a bad book and a boring reading experience for me that I can't even remember much about it but the fact that it bored me to death on my 13 hours flight! ... Read more

Product Description
Bestselling author James Patterson returns with the #1 blockbuster thriller of the summer, an unstoppable novel of law and revenge.

Senior FBI agent Nick Pellisante is closing in on the notorious mob boss "The Electrician," when the scheduled sting goes spectacularly awry. Two FBI agents are dead, the boss is wounded, and Pellisante vows the Electrician's next move will be from a jail cell.

Andie Echeverra, a part-time actress and a single, full-time mom, is assigned her next role as Juror #11 in the landmark trial against Mafia Don Dominic Cavello. Everybody is on edge. No one has ever crossed the man whose orders have made entire families disappear.

Though Cavello's influence extends across blue uniforms and black robes, the case should be open-and-shut. But the legal system fails with devastating results, and Nick and Andie are the only ones left to seek justice. To stop the Electrician, they must take matters into their own hands. They are the judge and jury now.

James Patterson spins an all-out heart-pounding legal thriller that pits two people against the most vicious and powerful mobster since John Gotti. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (148)

Didn't like the audio book...
however I'm not sure if it was the reader or the actual story. But I was really bored with this story...definitely wouldn't recommend.

False advertising
This book seems like a courtroom thriller/action book. It does have a bit of both, but not enough to qualify really being within either genre. It's no great book, and makes for a nice, light read (definitely better than Maximum Ride)

I understand that everyone has their own writing style, but I found Mr. Patterson's own to be rather irritating. He often forgoes a lot of detail and some of his scenes simply feel thrown together. if Mr. Patterson would work on fleshing out scenes and thinking more about his characters and their actions, he'd be a better author. Quality over quantity, after all.

Loved this book-Judge & Jury
I heard about this book from a gal walking the treadmill next to me in my gym.She raved and said she could not put the book down.
So I ordered it and found the same feeling.Could not wait to see what was going to happen next. In the beginning of the book the main character is chasing the villan. The man is caught and now there is so much that happens with a Juror at the trial.
I do not want to give away anything.It really, really is a page turner.
I have now sent the book on to a friend in another state and she called to say that she could not wait to see
what will happen in each chapter.Great fun read.

Judge & Jury
What a book. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Highly Recommended.

Neither an interesting courtroom drama nor an action packet mystery thriller
*** This review contains spoilers ***

With Patterson it's either hit or miss. This one is a miss.
The story revolves around an FBI agent, a juror, a mafia don on trial and a whole lot of bad writing. I tried to get into the story, but it was neither an interesting courtroom drama (like Grisham's) nor an action packet mystery thriller like some of Harlan Coben's stories.
While the FBI agent is desperately trying to see a convicted don, he indirectly becomes the reason for the death of juror number 9's young son. Time moves forward and as expected, the FBI agent falls in love with the juror, the mobster escapes bail and we are left with a grueling read (chapter 40 through 110) to find out where he's hiding and how the agent and the mother will get their vengeance.

Do yourself a favor and skip this one. Instead, read some of Grisham's books...ANY of Ghrisham's books. ... Read more

Product Description
Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : James Keach, Charles Coburn, Miriam Hopkins, John Charles Frémont, Hal Kanter, Stacy Keach, Mike Curb, Desiree Cousteau, Diana Scarwid, L. Blaine Hammond, Reginald Kernan. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : James Keach est un acteur, réalisateur, producteur et occasionnellement scénariste américain. Né à Savannah en Géorgie, aux États-Unis, le 7 décembre 1947. Fils de l'acteur Stacy Keach Sr. et jeune frère de l'acteur Stacy Keach (alias Mike Hammer). Marié trois fois, sa dernière femme est l'actrice Jane Seymour avec qui il eut deux enfants (des jumeaux). Les fils ont pour parrain Johnny Cash pour l'un et Christopher Reeve pour l'autre. Sa seconde femme était l'actrice Mimi Maynard, divorcé en 1993. ...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

Product Description
Alex Cross is back--and so is the Big Bad Wolf.

Terrorists have seized the worlds largest cities. London, Washington, DC, New York, and Frankfurt will be destroyed, unless their demands are met--and their demands are impossible. After a city in the western United States is fire bombed--a practice run--Alex Cross knows that it is only a matter of time before the bombers threats to the other cities are brutally executed.

Heading up the investigation by the FBI, CIA, and Interpol, Alex Cross is stunned when surveillance photos show Geoffrey Shafer, the Weasel, near one of the bombing sites. He senses the presence of the Wolf as well, the most vicious predator he has ever battled. With millions of lives in the balance, Cross has to see if the most powerful law enforcement agencies in the world can stay ahead of these two mens cunning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (320)

Worst ending EVER!!
I love this mans books but I was totally bummed with the almost predictable ending.

London boring bridge
I do like James Paterson and the Alex Cross series.However this book left me flat.So many screwy plot lines, people dying and and falling off the story line without any explanation at all.It was way too much of a 'miracle happens here' and the story continues.

I feel like I want my money back!HA HA

By far the worst Alex Cross novel yet...
I am an avid reader and I was sucked in by Patterson'sfirst two novels in the Alex Cross series (Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls). London Bridges is, by far, the worst Alex Cross novel so far.What I have come to love about the series is the in depth interaction between Alex and his family and Alex and John Sampson. This novel glosses over this dynamic leaving a great deal to be desired.I found myself skimming pages and just hoping I could make it to the end. I have just begun Mary, Mary and I hope it is the Alex Cross of old!

Very Good Read
It's been about a year since Alex Cross has tangled with the Wolf and to his chagrin, the man is still on the loose. Now Alex is kind of a troubleshooter for the Director of the FBI and he's called out on an incredible case. Someone has obliterated a small town in Nevada. Luckily for the residents some military transports rolled into town and cleared out the people just before a plane flew over and dropped a bomb. Unluckily for the bad guys, a couple mountain climbers got a picture of one of Alex's old nemisises videotaping the blast, a crazed killer, name of Geofrey Shafer, AKA the Weasel and Cross has to wonder why he'd be involved in something like this.

It happens again, another town wiped out, only this time no one got the residents out, then the government gets a communication from the Wolf. What has happened to these small towns is going to happen again in the major capitols of the world unless he's not paid a handsome ransom and certain political prisoners are not set free. And if there is any attempt at evacuating the cities he's named, he'll set off his bombs straightaway. So the Weasel is working for the Wolf and they are now considered to be the world's two deadliest criminals and as you would expect, it's up to Alex Cross to find them before they can do anymore harm.

Patterson has not only upped the anti in the card game between Alex Cross and an evil villain, but he's painted a picture of the way the world has changed since September 11, 2001. However, even though sometimes it seems he's painting with a broad brush, he has deftly inked in some detail, letting us in on even more of Alex's personal life and how he deals with his family, even as he races time to save the planet. This is one terrific read. Maybe not as good as the earlier Cross novels, but one not to be missed.

Eh
In the Alex Cross series, this enstallment stalled. It wasn't his typical page turner, but rather a formulaic novel. The entire story was built around this character, The Wolf, bombing four major cities. Patterson spent 250+ pages setting the scene for huge destruction, but then spent two pages on it actually happening. At the climax of the story, when the identity of "The Wolf" is to be revealed,he jumps between 4 different characters being the wolf and then tries to end the novel with none of the four suspects being "The Wolf." Fairly disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
Jack Mullen is in law school in New York City when the shocking news comes that his brother Peter has drowned in the ocean off East Hampton. Jack knows his brother and knows this couldnt be an accident. Someone must have wanted his brother dead. But the powers that be say otherwise. As Jack tries to uncover details of his brothers last night, he confronts a barricade of lawyers, police, and paid protectors who separate the multibillionaire summer residents from local workers like Peter. And he learns that his brother wasnt just parking cars at the summer parties of the rich. He was making serious money satisfying the sexual needs of the richest women and men in town. THE BEACH HOUSE reveals the secret lives of celebrities in a breathtaking drama of revengewith a finale so shocking it could only have come from the mind of James Patterson.Amazon.com Review
James Patterson and Peter de Jonge's The Beach House opens withthe death of a handsome townie on Memorial Day weekend in theHamptons, where being a single-digit millionaire is laughable andbeing poor is unthinkable.Peter Mullen is a high school dropout whoparks cars at the private bashes of the superwealthy Barry and CampionNeubauer. When Peter is found dead on the beach, the Neubauers andtheir friends insist that he drowned, but his brother Jack, a lawstudent who saw Peter's body, knows he was beaten to death.As Jack uncovers evidence of his brother's secret life, he begins torealize that the very rich are indeed different from the rest ofus. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and Jack's patiently plottedpayback for Peter's death is one that the Hamptons will not soonforget.

There are no big surprises in The Beach House, but it's vintage Patterson, with plenty of action, villains with hearts blacker than obsidian, and a working-class hero who pulls himself up by the bootstraps. Patterson and de Jonge previously coauthored the inspirational golf romance Miracle on the 17th Green, but this new game of money, mayhem, and murder clearly suits them to a tee. --Barrie Trinkle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (389)

Good Book to Take to the Beach
Jack Mullen is a lawyer in training. He is devastated by the death of his brother, reportedly a suicide, but apparently a murder. But the more Jack and his friends look into it, the more people around him end up dead. It comes out eventually that even those appointed to protect and serve are not always very good about protecting and serving, and this leads to a pulse pounding climax and a rather unbelievable ending televised from the tip of the Hamptons on Community Access Cable television. If you're looking for a page turning story filled with murder, mystery and mayhem, this is a good book.

What a waste--don't bother
This was one of the worst books I have ever read.It was the most corny and predictable plot I have encountered since middle school.I had never read Patterson before, but having heard such great things and seeing that he is always on the best sellers list, I decided to give this a try.What a complete waste of time.I thought it stunk a few chapters in. but continued because I thought it would get better.It never did, and in fact, it got worse and more unrealistic as the plot went on.The latter parts of the book are cheesier than a soap opera.I don't want to give anything away in case someone out there is crazy enough to want to waste their life away, but the ending is absolutely ridiculous.Please don't buy this book.Do something productive with your life and read something that you won't have figured out in the first 10 pages.

God awful, but you can't not finish it, unfortunately
The basic storyline is good and the characters are interesting, but this book very quickly diverges into the realm of "Oh come on!" and doesn't look back, but rather drags you down deeper into the quagmire of "I can't believe I'm still reading this."Its one of those books that you have to finish, but unlike a great book, you are quite happy when this one is over.

Solid thriller, good read
Like most Patterson books, "The Beach House" is a solid thriller that provides an entertaining read.What more can a person ask for?

Jack and Peter Mullen grew up in the Hamptons with their parents and grandfather.Now Jack has finished his 2nd year of law school and is spending the summer working for a prestigious law firm in New York, while Peter (who dropped out of high school at 15) does what he normally does - which is pander to the rich and famous, doing odd jobs to help out at parties, etc.However, everything starts to go wrong for Jack when he gets a call that Peter's body has been found washed up on shore.Although it is frighteningly obvious to anyone with eyes that Peter was beaten to death, money equals power in the Hamptons and the official cause of death, despite autopsy results to the contrary, is ruled drowning, and all the bruises and broken bones are written off as being caused by damage in the water.Jack vows to get justice for his brother.

I can't tell much more than that - this much was more or less outlined in the information provided with the book, but if I tell you more, I'll spoil it for you.Suffice it to say that Jack and his grandfather - Macklin Mullen, known as Mack - do everything in their power to try to get justice for Peter.They learn some very disturbing things along the way, and discover that not everyone they thought were their friends really were so.

If you're looking for a solid thriller to while away a plane trip, or something to read on the beach or something like that, this is the perfect book.It is a good read and highly entertaining.Then again, I'm sort of twisted.Give it a try!

horrible!!!
i dont like this book at all and i think from what ihave said already is enough to tell you not toget this book only one thing im going to tell you is that it is boring. ... Read more

Product Description
renowned motivational coach of world-class athletes turns his attention to those in the corporate world. In Stress for Success, business people get a practical, performance-based program to strengthen their physical, mental and emotional resilience. Loehr's 30-day program shows readers how to gradually make the kind of personal lifestyle changes that bring about the kind of high-level performance demanded of people at every level of the corporation.Amazon.com Review
Stress for Success: Jim Loehr's Program for TransformingStress into Positive Energy at Work, by James E. Loehr, expandsupon the author's 20 years of experience in preparing high-levelexecutives and world-class athletes for the "stress ofcompetition." It is built upon his contrarian contention thatstress does not necessarily inhibit productivity and effectiveness; infact, he argues, it can actually prove to be a "powerfulstimulus" for personal and professional growth. The secret, hesays, is learning how to respond, and he presents a 30-day program(similar to an elite athlete's training regimen) intended to do justthat. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Book Made The List
I have a list of about 20 books that are required reading for my sons; this book made the list.Here's why:

He makes a very good point in the book that everyone needs to hear:though I don't have any particular disrespect for professional ball players, the idea that their work involves great amounts of stres is a little far fetched to me.You strike out in the world series and next week you can open a car dealership if you haven't snorted your salary in cocaine.You make the wrong mistake in the ER (as nurse, technician, book keeper, or telephone operator...not just as physician) and somebody dies; you don't get to go open a car dealership the next week.

In spite of this fact, the model he used and the lessons he learned coaching professional skaters and ball players to a better performance works very well for nurses, and salesmen, and stay-at-home fathers and mothers, and policeman, fireman, and whatever it is you do.

I worked for 12 years in the ER and this book helped me reach the point where I could move through a very busy day and stay calm and focused with energy in reserve when I left the hospital.

I also recommend the book to my patients (now, I practice endocrinology and bariatrics).Nothing keeps you moving towards your goals better than keeping yourself honest with yourself about what you're actually doing (For example:good research shows that people greatly underestimate the amount they eat and overestimate the amount of exercise they do).I've used an adaptation of his record keeping system to help my patients drop the pounds and continue to use the record system myself even though I don't do ER medicine any more. ... Read more

Product Description
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, the most brilliant and original "what if"suspense novel to come along in a decade, has somehow surpasses thepage-turning chills of James Patterson's megabestsellers CAT & MOUSE andKISS THE GIRLS.

Frannie O'Neill, a young and talented veterinarian whose husband wasrecently murdered, comes across an astonishing discovery in the woods nearher animal hospital. Soon after, Kit Harrison, a troubled and unconventionalFBI agent, arrives on Frannie's doorstep. And then there is eleven-year-oldMax -Frannie's amazing discovery - and one of the most unforgettablecreations in thriller fiction.

WHEN THE WIND BLOWS will not just thrill readers. It will make theirimaginations soar.Amazon.com Review
Taking a break from his phenomenally successful Alex Crossseries, JamesPatterson's When the Wind Blows is as much child's fantasy as it isan adult nightmare. The novel moves away from the gritty Washington, D.C.,setting of the Cross books and follows the daily life of Frannie O'Neill, aColorado veterinarian. After the mysterious death of her husband severalyears before, Frannie retreated to an isolated life in her Coloradopractice. But a series of bizarre events suddenly disrupts her lonelyroutine. On a personal level, she is shaken by her new tenant--KitHarrison. Kit's too handsome and too friendly and he's a hunter (or soFrannie thinks). He's also recovering from a devastating personal tragedy,and, as Frannie eventually learns, he's really an FBI agent using hisvacation to follow a crucial lead. But Kit isn't the one that's got Frannieconcerned. As she says after stopping her Suburban one night to check outsomething on the side of the road: "What I saw was way beyond my abilitiesto imagine, beyond my comprehension, my system of belief, and maybe beyondmy ability to communicate right now. The little girl's arms were foldedback in a peculiar way, but when she lifted them--feathers fanned out." Thegirl is Max, and the mystery of her wings leads Frannie and Kit into amassive conspiracy involving secret genetic research and the scientificmanipulation of the human species.

Patterson, a former advertising executive who coined such catchy phrases as"Nupe it!," knows how to entertain. His chapters are always short (someonly two pages), and his writing is clear and unobtrusive; the readingexperience is brisk--akin to watching a summer blockbuster. The book is notas dark or as weighty as the tales of detective-psychologist Alex Cross,but while some fans may be disappointed by Patterson's migration from puresuspense fiction, his first-person narrator Frannie, has a quirky realismthat keeps this flight of fancy mostly on stable ground. --PatrickO'Kelley ... Read more

Customer Reviews (664)

Well written page turner!
Most of the time when I read the back of a cover and it seems sci-fi, I'm anxious if the author will make the book believable enough to "care" about the characters - Patterson has done this quite well.

The book is a page turner with characters you care about and a while a bit sci-fi, the story is well written where you believe that something like the story in the book can actually happen.Overall, I'd rate the book a solid 8/10.

Wonderful and unexpected great story
This book was so good I didn't want it to end. It has a storyline that is very relevant to events of our time.
It will make you stop and think, could this happen to us?

a good read
I enjoyed this James Patterson book. Some of his books are uneven but for me this one was a very enjoyable read. His talent is evident in this one.

J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natual Man, and the 'Isms'"

Now I know what happened...
I have read both When the wind blows and Lake house... I really liked the books. Yes it IS science fiction.... I don't know why some of you are SOOO discusted with these books... you didnt HAVE to read them... go back to the same old thing you're used to reading, god forbid you use your imagination. I was wondering what happened to these books as I thought there would be at least one more after Lakehouse... I just wanted to keep reading!!! I remember thinking oh geez ... kids with wings... come on. But by the end I was hooked and really fell in love with the characters. So if you are reading this review wondering if you should read these books they are well worth the read. They are different from the serial killers and tricky motive killers you are accustomed to. I wonder if there was ever a 3rd book but all these haters' reviews ruined it for MANY of us who enjoyed these books.... so I am actually going to start the Max ride books... I was hesitant because I would be disappointed if it was a totally different character base. But GEE these books about winged kids SURE flew off the shelves!!! James just has a great imagination.... love all his books!!!!

Good Read
It was definitely different but it was a good read.I thoroughly enjoyed it.I already have The Lake House that I will start on to see what happens next. ... Read more