I'd not read any of the "Alex Cross" books until this one. Reviewing books is a chancy thing. All I can give is my opinion. As with all art taste differs widely.

In my case this "Alex Cross" book was easy to put down and take a break from. That gives it a three. I think what I missed most was that "difficult to put down" sense. I think Alex's struggle between career and work was presented fairly. What I think was a bit overdone was the way his personal problems almost took over the criminal part of the story. James Truscott was weirdly placed in the book. If the author's intention was to make me wonder if he was the "Storyteller", he failed abysmally.

OK, that's the bad stuff. Now for the good (in my not so humble opinion). I did finish the book. That is always a good sign. I liked the "fights" between the FBI and the LAPD. That added a bit of tension to the book. I know I said that personal problems were a bit overdone. At the same time they made Alex more believable. I like people who are more than two-dimensional. Too many protagonists never achieve three-dimensionality. Alex didn't fall into that trap. The overall story was good and a fun read.

This is a book I recommend. While not a classic it is satisfactory.

I disagree with some of the other reviews, in that I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was great having a brand new case to mull over as I had been irritated by the long drawn out expedition of the Wolf and the Weasel through 'London Bridges'. Mary Mary was an easy book to read and you don't have to have read any of the previous Alex Cross novels to enjoy this one. There are the usual twists and turns that are expected from James Patterson along with Alex's tug-of-war with his private and public life. The book is well written and engaging. I definitely recommend it.

I have always wondered what Alex Cross looked like as he always seemed to have a love interest in every book. But when I watched Along came a spider and saw Mr Freeman my heart sunk.

I love Morgan Freeman but I was expecting it to be the fine and talented Mr Denzel Washington.

Mary Mary was a good read, I kept trying to figure out who the killer was in the end i was stunned.

Great Read!

I absolutely love James Patterson and am getting through his books quite well but i found Mary Mary quite slow and was very disappointed with the ending,i did at one point stop reading his books,especially the Alex Cross ones as in my mind seeing Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross just did not work for me,to me Alex Cross is Strong and Intelligent and Younger,before Morgan Freeman was cast in the films i was imagining someone like Denzil Washington as Alex......BUT......i have started reading again and still get lost in his books,James Patterson is just too good to give up on.

This was a very enjoyable read. I was constantly trying to work out who did it. Another good one from James Patterson.