Roses Are Red (Alex Cross, 6)

This book should carry a warning for potential readers - that in order to get anything out of it all you really need to have read all the previous Alex Cross novels and also purchase the sequel - for the ending is clearly not the 'real' ending - more a 'to be continued'. As I was at a bit of a disadvantage here since this is my first (and frankly probably last) Alex Cross book so all the stuff from previous books like the relationship with Christine was a bit lost on me. Frankly I was a bit annoyed at the way she was shunted out of the book to make way for a new love interest before I'd even worked out why she was so special to Alex!

I'm going to give JP the benefit of the doubt since he is a best selling author and assume that his earlier books have been of a higher standard than this thrown-together, formulaic effort. He seems also to be suffering from Patricia Cornwall syndrome - ie carrying over plots from previous books, leaving trailing relationships, unresolved storylines (minor things of course such as dangerous serial killers still on the loose!). When I buy a book, as many others have said, I expect it to be complete in itself - sure people who have read the whole series will probably get more out of it - but I still expect it to stand on its own for the casual reader.

The book started out well but ended as a mess, with a RIDICULOUS last minute twist, no explanation of the Mastermind's motive (probably to be disclosed 6 books later :)). The writing was quite sharp though I could have done with less digressions concerning Cross's perfect family (who were so storybook unbelievably perfect they stretched credibility to breaking point). A subplot involving his daughter having a brain tumour (which she recovered from faster than most people recover from having a tooth removed) seemed particularly pointless.

However I WOULD have given the book at least 2 points, were it not for the ending which was a pure insult to anyone who had paid money for this (thankfully I picked it up free from the bookswap bin at work). It's an absolute disgrace that a writer can get off with building up to an exciting denoument and then leaving the reader dangling in midair with a last sentence which overturns entirely everything that has gone before.

While not the worst I've ever read, "Roses Are Red" (the sixth Alex Cross novel) is indeed a huge disappointment. Not only does it waste everything from the last five books, but it also wastes the potential that this novel by itself could have done so wonderfully.

The story is a mess, it doesn't continue anything from the previous novels. And when it does, it only ruins it. I freaking love the romance between Alex and Christine in the past. I was hoping that Patterson would have their love for each other become more stronger, due to the previous events of the last installment. But nope! He throws it away and doesn't even try to put any emotion into it. He took the only relationship that I've ever cared for (with the exception of Kate from "Kiss the Girls") and ruins it. The action and the mystery are disappointing. I was shocked when the Mastermind's identity was revealed, but I felt like it was underwhelmed by how depressing and disappointing this novel is. The new romance between Alex and Betsy feels forced (although I will admit I do like Betsy as a character). But even when I started to actually kinda get more invested into the relationship between them, Patterson ruins any chance of that by killing off Betsy (spoiler alert). There are just tons of sub-plots that I feel either don't need to be in this story or aren't given enough attention to.

Trust me when I say it, "save your money" and "skip this novel". I still stand by word when I say that this isn't the worst Alex Cross novel in the series (and trust me, that's reserved for "Cross Country"). But this novel ruins everything that I come to love about Alex Cross. It ruins Alex and Christine's relationship. It ruins Christine herself as a character (seriously, she felt like a completely didn't character in this novel). It ruins any chance of me getting into Alex's new relationship with Betsy (who I actually like as a character), and it ruins the chance of perhaps the "biggest" reveal at the end of this novel. Patterson really messed up on this one!

There is a vicious killer loose on the East Coast who calls himself the Mastermind. He is behind several bank robberies that turned into multiple murders. Once again, Alex Cross is called upon to help solve this high-profile case.
While I have enjoyed several James Patterson novels in the past, I have noticed that his more recent stories have been very sloppy. This one is no exception. There were several events that took place that did not flow very well with the rest of the story. It was almost like Patterson was trying to make the book longer by adding nonsensical events. Also, unlike in most thriller novels, there does not seem to be a clear killer. I thought the story looked completely resolved, then there was a surprise twist at the end of the book that did not seem to make any sense whatsoever. It is hard to explain exactly how sloppy the story was without giving away too much, so I will just leave it at that and say that I was pretty disappointed.
Although I find Patterson's writing quite easy to read--he uses quick short chapters that encourage you to keep reading because you do not have to tackle 20 pages all at once--the stories are really starting to get repetitive. Alex Cross appears to be this superhuman hero who can work 12-hour days, raise his perfect kids, and be involved in intense romantic relationships. Patterson needs to go back to his earlier novels like "Along Came A Spider" and "Kiss the Girls" so he can remember how to write good stories that actually make sense.

I think Patterson should simply stop writing books and save us the time..I read this book and I was soo angry with my self for reading such a idiotic story it ruined my whole day...Here there is a guy called Mastermind who can be anyone ... with a very weak reasoning surely patterson could ve find a better mastermind than what was mentioned in the last page..actually I thought i was NANA MAMA..it would ve made more sense..if u wanna read some murder mysteries which makes any sense read some hercule poirot stories like "Murder of the roger ackroyd"..this novel deserves to be taken out of the shops..I wonder how come they advertise this as a no.1 bestseller.

Roses are Red is a fast paced tale of serial murder and a personal vendetta. Alex Cross is called upon during his son's christening to help track down a family's murderer that occurs in connection with a bank robbery. Alex Cross feels a need to assist with the investigation. This in effect destroys his relationship with the mother of his son, Christine(who was kidnapped for a year in a previous novle).
As Alex follows the trail of the criminal who calls himself the Mastermind, the action is non-stop and clues seem to be revealed, yet nothing seems to be leading in the right direction. With each new discovery, Alex seems to be getting closer and yet, in the very end, there is a distinctly flat feel to the inconclusive end. Patterson does a remarkable job in creating this "bad guy", but when the identity is revealed it feels manipulated. James Patterson has written many terrific books, this one however is not one of his best.

Granted, my sensibilities may be on the genteel side, but surely NO ONE enjoys reading a first person account of a killer molesting his victim's corpse. I tossed it aside a week ago and I still feel ill thinking about it. Keep on searching, folks; there are literally a million more worthy choices here.

Wow was this book a genuine stinker. I can't believe it's written by the same author and features the same character as "Kiss the Girls"!!??? Alex Cross has been a decent character to follow for a few years, but if "Roses.." is any indication of how the series will be handled I'm dropping out now.

"Roses are Red" follows the same basic premise as set forth by earlier Alex Cross novels, a serial killer is on the loose, and Cross is called in to assist in his apprehension. This time the killer dubbed with the "original" nickname the Mastermind, creates chaos by pulling off some stunning, and often bloody bank robberies, often with the help of various criminals he's recruited because of their killer instinct.

Sounds decent enough right? And while there is a decent story buried in here somewhere, it all gets lost in the telling. Patterson hits the reader with 1 or 2 page chapters in rapid succession, the audience for the novel is obviously one that is already familiar with Alex Cross and company as there is almost no character development done here. If this is your first Alex Cross novel, you'll be scratching your head as one character after another is briefly introduced, then relegated to a supporting role. The side story of a medical emergency that hits the Cross family carries no weight, the break up of Alex's previous relationship is nothing more than a page filler as you are given no reason to care about either Cross or his ex-girlfriend. To be honest this novel seems like a complete mess, thrown together simply to cash in on Patterson's name, and the character of Alex Cross.

The romantic sub-plot between Cross and a female FBI agent just feels forced, and simply included due to the "twist" ending which is revealed on the final page of the novel. And sorry, maybe it's because Morgan Freeman played Alex Cross in "Kiss the Girls" that its his face I picture when reading a Cross novel, so when Alex and his girl of the month began bumping nasties it's a bit on the gross side. I have no desire to visualize Morgan Freeman getting it on with anyone!

I will probably pick up "Violets are Blue" to see how the overall story comes out, maybe if both novels are read together the tale would be more engaging, but if "Violets..." is a letdown, then I'm jumpin off the Alex Cross bandwagon right away.

I didn't like this book at all, very slow moving, could hardly finish it. I have read several of Patterson's books and even some with Cross starring, but this was just not up to par. Why read the next one in the series since we already know who the Mastermind is? Just to see more blood and guts described.

James Patterson, I think you have run out of steam. It took me forever to read this book, because there was not much suspense for me since it was all in pretty much the usual pattern. This time we are dealing with bank robbers of the most brutal kind and a mastermind behind this robberies. Also, Janie falls ill in this installment and Alex Cross finds a new romantic interest. Unfortunately, the book gives us not much closure at all but sets us up for the sequel. I guess either Mr. Patterson is getting very greedy or he had a deadline to meet.

Alex Cross is back, and this time he's after the Mastermind, a mysterious serial killer who robs banks with grisly results. The Mastermind seems to be toying with Cross and his colleagues in the FBI from the very start, and seems more obsessed with causing confusion and panic than in any rational motivation, even for serial killers.
As if trailing the Mastermind weren't bad enough, Cross finds problems at home. The departure of his significant other and health problems with one of his children are tugging on his mind, even as the Mastermind does his cruel and heartless work. Add to this Cross' growing affection for an ambitious FBI agent, and you have a lot going on in the story.
Although this is the first Cross book I've read, and the first Patterson novel for that matter, I quite liked it. Despite the assertions of other reviewers, I found the Cross character to be one of the best-written characters in modern thriller novels. Sure, he's not as fully-dimentional as the great literary characters of our time, but compare him to the likes of James Bond or Jack Ryan, and he measures up as a complex character worthy of the reader's attention.
Patterson moves things along as well. The book is more than 120 two- or three-page chapters, which I found kept me reading longer than I expected to. I finished this one in much less time than I usually spend with a book this size, which I suppose is the highest praise I can give to a thriller writer.
A did have a problem with the ending of this book. Without giving it away, it did seem contrived and somewhat ridiculous, creating more questions than it answered. The best ending for me is one in which I am surprised, but feel as if I should have seen it coming since it fits the story so well. This one falls far short of the mark.
Still, for a well-paced, well-charactered, creative thriller, this one is well worth the time. I'm looking forward to returning to Patterson soon.