This was February’s book club choice and it’s a classic I have read many (20+) years ago! This is the first time that I have listened to one of James Patterson’s books as an audiobook and I was not disappointed.
Two children go missing, abducted by a member of school staff. Detective Alex Cross is put on the case…
Along Came A Spider is the first book in the prolific Alex Cross series.
Alex is investigating multiple murders when he is called upon to consult on a high profile case. Two children with prominent parents have been abducted from their prestigious school. The pressure is on to find the children safe and sound but Alex and the FBI are up against an exceedingly clever killer.
I first read this book about 20 years ago so was happy to revisit it. I listened to the audiobook this time and found the experience very different. The racial elements still felt strong but the swearing jarred slightly. There is a huge twist which I had completely forgotten. The chapters are short so the plot rattles along speedily, and the audio narration was a good match. Perhaps some aspects are a little dated as it was published in 1993, but the plot and characters were still vividly portrayed.
Along Came a Spider is a gripping thriller and now I want to reread the whole series.
Book blurb
What have we got? A missing little girl named Maggie Rose . . . a family of three brutally murdered in the projects of Washington, D.C. . . . the thrill-killing of a beautiful elementary school teacher . . . a psychopathic serial kidnapper/murderer who is so terrifying that the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police cannot outsmart him – even after he’s been captured.
Gary Soneji wants to commit the crime of the century. Alex Cross is the brilliant homicide detective pitted against him. Jezzie Flanagan is the first female supervisor of the Secret Service. They complete one of the most unusual suspense triangles in any thriller you have ever read.
Alex and Jezzie are about to have a forbidden love affair—at the worst possible time for both of them. Because Gary Soneji is playing at the top of his game. The latest of the unspeakable crimes happens in Alex Cross’s precinct and it happens under the nose of Jezzie and her men.
Alex faces the ultimate test: how do you outmaneuver a brilliant psychopath?
