Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross, 5)

Patterson, James

4.03

69,033 ratings by Goodreads

9781594836114: Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross, 5)

ISBN 10: 1594836116 ISBN 13: 9781594836114

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company, 2006

Detective Alex Cross is in love. But his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders in Washington, D.C., murders with a pattern so twisted, it leaves investigators reeling. Cross's ingenious pursuit of the killer produces a suspect-a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But proving that Shafer is the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As the diplomat engages in a brilliant series of surprising countermoves, in and out of the courtroom, Alex and his fiancee become hopelessly entangled with the most memorable nemesis Alex Cross has ever faced. Pop Goes the Weasel reveals James Patterson at the peak of his power. Here is a chilling villain no reader will forget, a love story of great tenderness, and a plot of relentless suspense and heart-pounding pace. To read Pop Goes the Weasel is to discover why James Patterson is one of the world's greatest suspense writers.

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Review:

Likened to a "young Muhammad Ali," Alex Cross, the Porsche-driving profiler, doctor, detective, and father of two has seen his fair share of vicious killers. From a bloodthirsty butcher who came after his family (Cat and Mouse) to a devilish duo working cross-country (Kiss the Girls), Cross has managed to outmaneuver all of his enemies. Until he meets the Weasel.

A series of killings in the forgotten, crime-infested ghettos of southeast D.C. has sent Cross and his 6'9" 250-pound partner, John Sampson, in search of the "Jane Doe" killer. However, their racist, tyrannical boss George Pitman orders them to stay out of the southeast and investigate the high-profile murder of a wealthy white man. Cross already has suspicions that the murders are linked, but when Sampson's ex turns up in an abandoned southeast warehouse kicked to death, the two detectives carry on with their original investigation. Meanwhile, Cross's longtime love, Christine (Cat and Mouse), has taken prominence in his life, and it looks as if the two will finally get hitched--with one glitch: Cross puts everything he loves in jeopardy as he obsessively goes after the Weasel.

Akin to a slick Hollywood action flick, Pop Goes the Weasel doesn't have time for meaningful character development or thoughtful moral analysis. And it doesn't need to. Its winning formula is based on short scenes (chapters average about 3 pages), addictive plot progression, and mean dialogue: "Sampson sighed and said, 'I think her tongue is stapled inside the other girl. I'm pretty sure that's it, Alex. The Weasel stapled them together.' I looked at the two girls and shook my head. 'I don't think so. A staple, even a surgical one, would come apart on the tongue's surface.... Crazy glue would work." --Rebekah Warren

From the Inside Flap:

Alex Cross is back, to face his most complex and formidable villain yet, a man known as The Weasel, who threatens to destroy all Alex holds dear.

Things are looking great for Alex Cross. He is in love with a very special woman and even a series of ghastly murders he's investigating can't diminish his happiness. Cross's pursuit of the killer quickly produces a suspect- a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shaffer. However, proving that Shaffer is the murderer is a difficult challenge. The diplomat engages in a brilliant series of surprising counter moves, in court and out, and Cross and his fiancee become the targets of a deadly cabal of killers masterminded by Shaffer.

Pop!Goes the Weasel is James Patterson at the peak of his power. It's his most dynamic and powerful psychological thriller to date. Here is a villain no reader will forget, a love story of great tenderness, and a plot of relentless suspense and heart pounding pace. Booksellers and readers will soon discover why James Patterson is at the very top of his field and one of the finest suspense writers of his time.

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