Roses are Red (Alex Cross) - Softcover

Patterson, James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0755381246 ISBN 13: 9780755381241

Publisher: Headline, 2009

Synopsis

A series of meticulously planned bank robberies ends in murder, and detective Alex Cross must pit his wits against the bizarre and sadistic mastermind behind the crimes.

Although torn between dedication to his job and commitment to his family, Cross cannot ignore the case, despite the risks he knows will come with hunting down a killer - and the heartbreaking cost.

James Patterson's bestseller takes us from deep inside the crazy world of a psychopath's masquerade right to the heart of fiction's most brilliant detective, Alex Cross, in an explosive tale where mind games lead to violence and the slightest mistake will be punished with death.

About this title

Review:

Part of the motive of serial killers is simply to prove that they are better--better than their victims and better than the police investigating them. Mastermind, the villain of James Patterson's new thriller Roses are Red, goes one better--he does not even have to do all his own killings, simply manipulate the bank robbers he gathers for progressively more vicious hostage takings into ever more bloody massacres. Psychologist-investigator Alex is already coping with the aftermath of a previous case--the woman he loves has been so badly traumatised by the killer who abducted her for months that she does not want to be near him or their child; and now he finds himself dealing with a case where completely arbitrary decisions about who lives and who dies are the order of the day. Mastermind is ahead of the game each step of the way--this is a novel about the pain of betrayal as well as the pain of responsibility; Alex is a flawed, clever man driven near to breaking point by the knowledge that, if he guesses things wrong, people will die, and that they may die anyway just to spite him. --Roz Kaveney

Review:

Roses Are Red was no.5 in the Observer and no.9 in the Daily and Sunday Telegraph bestseller lists

'If there really were human superheroes, Alex Cross would be at the head of the class...and, with each instalment in the series, Patterson makes sure his superhero gets bigger and better while at the same time becomming more vulnerable.' (New York Times)

'Patterson knows where our deepest fears are buried... There's no stopping his imagination.' (New York Times Book Review)

`Patterson's simple but effective style and short, punchy chapters keep the action moving nicely' The Mirror

About this edition

• Publisher: Headline
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0755381246
• ISBN 13: 9780755381241
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448