Status
Available
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Grand Central Publishing (2004), Edition: Reprint, 432 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. HTML:Alex Cross battles the most ruthless and powerful killer he has ever encountered: a predator known only as the Wolf.Alex Cross's first case since joining the FBI has his new colleagues baffled. Across the country, men and women are being kidnapped in broad daylight and then disappearing completely. These people are not being taken for ransom, Alex realizes. They are being bought and sold. And it looks as if a shadowy figure called the Wolf-a master criminal who has brought a new reign of terror to organized crime-is behind this business. Even as he admires the FBI's vast resources, Alex grows impatient with the Bureau's clumsiness and caution when it's time to move. A lone wolf himself, he has to go out on his own in order to track the Wolf and try to rescue some of the victims while they are still alive. As the case boils over, Alex is in hot water at home too. His ex-fiancee, Christine Johnson, comes back into his life-and not for the reasons he might have hoped..… (more)
Media reviews
It’s lucky that Cross’s reputation precedes him, because his fond creator doesn’t give him much to do here but chase suspects identified by obliging tipsters and worry about his family (Alex Jr.’s mother, alarmed at Cross’s dangerous job, is suing for custody) while the Wolf and his
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cronies—Sterling, Mr. Potter, the Art Director, Sphinx, and the Marvel—kidnap more dishy women (and the occasional gay man) and kill everybody who gets in their way, and quite a few poor souls who don’t. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Another Alex Cross Novel. The Wolf is kidnapping women for money, lots of money. Alex is becomming a member of the FBI. Lots of twists and turns!
LibraryThing member ct.bergeron
Alex Cross's first case since joining the FBI has his new colleagues stymied. Across the country, beautiful women are being kidnapped-to be bought and sold as slaves. Behind this depraved scheme stands a shadowy figure known only as The Wolf, a master criminal who has brought a new reign of terror
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to organized crime. With Alex's personal life in chaos because of his ex-fiancée's return and with the FBI's caution testing his patience, Alex has to go out on his own. For to stalk a ruthless predator without a name or a face, Alex Cross must become a lone wolf himself... Show Less
LibraryThing member theportal2002
This was by far the best Patterson book I have read. Better than Along Came a Spider, so many twists and turns.
LibraryThing member sussabmax
I didn't bring enough books on my long weekend camping trip, so I ended up borrowing this from my friend. It's the only reason I would read a James Patterson book. I can't stand the way he is so cutesy about everything. I hate the "sensitive man" character that he reveres and populates all of his
The 2-3 page chapters. All of them are short. This could create drama, used sparingly. Used for every chapter, it just makes the book seem extremely disjointed.
The constant use of italics and exclamation points. Like the short chapters, these things lose their effect when every page makes use of them. They aren't really emphasizing anything if they are used constantly.
****SPOILERS*****
The endless "climaxes." Okay, we've solved the crime! No wait, it's not the right guy! But there he is! No, still the wrong guy! Hey, here's another really bad guy! Can you believe this guy that seemed like a good guy way back in Chapter 15 (approximately page 42), that we haven't heard from again, actually turns out to be a bad guy?!?!?! And, he's REALLY BAD! Oh, we think we found the bad guy over here! Nope, wrong again!
I could go on, but really, I have used enough energy on this guy. I really don't understand why he has such a successful career.
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novels with. I read one of his romances years ago (Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas, I believe), and it was horrible. I can just barely stand his Alex Cross books because at least they have a gruesome crime to counteract the sickening sweetness. And, the crime puzzles are a bit intriguing. But still, the faults! Some that drive me particularly crazy:The 2-3 page chapters. All of them are short. This could create drama, used sparingly. Used for every chapter, it just makes the book seem extremely disjointed.
The constant use of italics and exclamation points. Like the short chapters, these things lose their effect when every page makes use of them. They aren't really emphasizing anything if they are used constantly.
****SPOILERS*****
The endless "climaxes." Okay, we've solved the crime! No wait, it's not the right guy! But there he is! No, still the wrong guy! Hey, here's another really bad guy! Can you believe this guy that seemed like a good guy way back in Chapter 15 (approximately page 42), that we haven't heard from again, actually turns out to be a bad guy?!?!?! And, he's REALLY BAD! Oh, we think we found the bad guy over here! Nope, wrong again!
I could go on, but really, I have used enough energy on this guy. I really don't understand why he has such a successful career.
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LibraryThing member Djupstrom
Who is the wolf? You think you know, and then you are sure...but you are wrong and wrong and wrong again. This one keeps you guessing.
LibraryThing member miyurose
This was one of the better Patterson books I've read lately. He seemed to be back in old form. I'm hoping the follow-up, London Bridges, is as good.
LibraryThing member edwardsgt
The first Alex Cross I've read where he joins the FBI. He hasn't completed his induction before he's chasing the Wolf, a vicious Russian Mafia figure responsible for the kidnap of a number of women. Good plotting keeps you turning the pages until the end.
LibraryThing member debavp
Big and unbelievable changes for Alex Cross. As usual whenever Patterson introduces a new protagonist for Cross you don't learn who it is until 2 or more books later.
Glad to see Cross move over to the FBI side of things, but so far that aspect has been very unbelievable.
Here's hoping the next
Glad to see Cross move over to the FBI side of things, but so far that aspect has been very unbelievable.
Here's hoping the next
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installment is better. Show Less
LibraryThing member dbhutch
Antoher one of those Alex Cross books that I just love to tear through. Alex Cross has just joined the FBI, having left the DC police force, and is figuring his way around the FBI politics, as well as getting tossed into the middle of a huge national case as the FBI's new rising star. The case?
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People, mostly upscale white women, being kidnapped and nver seen again. Why? As playtoys who get killed off when their buyers get tired of them. The Wolf is an ex-Russian Mafyia/KGB type who is looking to make himself the next major American crime boss. from the kidnapping ans sale of women and gay men, to extortion, smuggling, etc, the Wolf has his fingers inot just about every criminal enterpise he can find. And the FBI wants him. BAD. But can Alex Cross catch him? Show Less
LibraryThing member SonicQuack
The Big Bad Wolf is the ultimate bad guy; Ruthless, anonymous and untouchable. What better a way to start off Alex Cross' FBI career than with the creation of a new arch-nemesis. Readers of the Alex Cross series will know what to expect by now and Patterson follows his usual formula at breakneck
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speed, with enough twists and turns to keep the hunt interesting until the final chapter. Wolf also contains enough coverage of Cross' personal life to ensure the character is rooted in reality, however the enemy is rather two-dimensional and very stereotypical. This one is too formulaic and although it's still easy to read it doesn't represent Patterson at his best. Show Less
LibraryThing member superphoenix
This is the first book that i have read of Patterson and i am impressed. Great style of writing, i found the book engaging, exciting and fast paced.It gets you hooked and the end leaves you frustrated and desperate for a closure just like the protagonist. Would recommend it to those who love a good
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thrille Show Less
LibraryThing member TinyDancer11
My least favorite of the Cross series so far. I was a bit bored!
LibraryThing member RudyJohnson
The Ending a Bit of a Let Down
This was my first James Patterson book. Yes my first, and I did enjoyed this book. I had the feeling that I was out of sequence with Alex Cross's adventures, but this story kept on track and I wasn't lost with the characters. I enjoy being educated when I read a
This was my first James Patterson book. Yes my first, and I did enjoyed this book. I had the feeling that I was out of sequence with Alex Cross's adventures, but this story kept on track and I wasn't lost with the characters. I enjoy being educated when I read a
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novel and Mr. Patterson did an excellent job of the Russian mob or whatever they are called. The Wolf fella was a bit over done. There were lots of plot twists and interweaving of story lines. The only real problem I had was the ending was a bit of let down. I got the feeling that the writer just ran out of steam. Show Less
LibraryThing member ohdani
An easy read, but easily forgettable.
LibraryThing member Carl_Alves
Big Bad Wolf had a sufficient amount of tension and moved along at a nice pace, but what it suffered is that neither the plot, the situation or the characters were remotely believable. The Wolf is an ultra shadowy Russian mafioso who is invisible, omniscient and omnipotent. He can do anything he
Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
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wants, any time he wants, and has no limitation on reach or resources. He's not a credible character. If you look at the history of law enforcement, the law officers know who the bad guys are, but they often can't build up enough evidence to arrest and convict them. The Wolf is built as this hands on character, who gets in the middle of all of this shady business, but nobody knows who he is or what he looks like. The plot disintegrates into ridiculousness by the end, when The Wolf has all of these impersonators and just when it seems like they are going to nail him, guess what, it's not The Wolf. I wasn't buying any of it, and although the story was reasonably entertaining, it wasn't very good.Carl Alves - author of Two For Eternity
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LibraryThing member chive
This book was a vaguely entertaining but not particularly exciting police procedural until about half a dozen chapters from the end where the author clearly got bored and just finished it as quickly as he could.
LibraryThing member HenriMoreaux
This book is a reasonable entertainer with enough mystery & tension to keep you interested, a decent enough plot however I just found it wasn't particularly enthralling.
It past the time, but I didn't really feel drawn into the story at all.
In terms of plot - it's essentially white sex slavery but
I was a little disappointed with the ending and am not really sure whether I'll make any effort to find the next in the series.
It past the time, but I didn't really feel drawn into the story at all.
In terms of plot - it's essentially white sex slavery but
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twisted to be onshore American white sex slavery for disturbed rich folk who meet in an online chat room, all of which is run by a Russian Mafiya figure known as the Wolf.I was a little disappointed with the ending and am not really sure whether I'll make any effort to find the next in the series.
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LibraryThing member br14brgu
The book I finished is called The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson. What The Big Bad Wolf is basically about is about a group of men who pay each other to capture people so that they can make love to them. The Boss of the whole group is named The Wolf. In the plot they capture almost all of the
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suspects who they think are the Wolf since they know there is a lot more than one person who is acting as the Wolf. The main character in The Big Bad Wolf is of course Alex Cross, since this is the eighth or ninth book in in The Alex Cross Series. I really enjoyed reading this book as well as the whole entire series. What I do not recommend is going straight to this book instead of reading all of the books before this one in the series even if it is a very long series. It is still very worth.I would recommend this book as well as the whole series for anyone who is at least thirteen years old because of some of the content within the plot. I really enjoyed this book and I plan to read the whole series and finish it someday. Also I would recommend this book for anyone who is a fan of James Pattersons many other books.The genre of the whole Alex Cross series is Action and also Mystery. Furthermore I really loved this book and I have loved all of the books by James PAtterson but mostly this series in general. Show Less
LibraryThing member AReCafe
Vivien Spooner owns a bakery called Sweet Cakes. She is a bit overweight and out of a very bad marriage. Vivien’s ex husband left her for another woman and damaged her self confidence. She still has a heart of gold but doesn’t have the confidence to go for Rex, who she has longed for for
Rex Samuels is a man that can get a bit hairy once a month. He lost his family years ago and since then has kept to himself and his heart closed off. He also has a big crush on Vivien. He would love to approach her but instead he watches her from afar.
Vivien is on her way to her grandmother’s to bring her food because she is sick even though she had an awful day because there was bad milk at work, a broken oven, her ex called, her car breaks down on the way and now her cell phone has no bars. Could her night get any worse? Apparently it can because she gets attacked by what she think is a feral dog. Rex comes to her rescue and manages to run the dog off, but not before she gets bit trying to save her grandmother. When Rex discovers that Vivien has been bit, he calls his friend who is a doctor. Rex knows the feral wolf, not a dog, will come back for her on the next full moon and if it can’t mate with her, it will kill her instead. Rex needs to make sure Vivien knows what happened to her because pretty soon she will get as hairy as he does. He hopes it won’t ruin what has started between them.
Flesa Black wrote a fantastic book. Big Bad Wolf reminded me of an adult version of Little Red Riding Hood. Of course in this book, the wolf is the good guy and oh what a good guy he is too. Instead of eating grandma, he saves her and little red riding hood. Of course he does nibble on her later but that you will have to read yourself. Rex brought Vivien out of her shell and made her feel beautiful just like she should. Vivien teaches Rex that it is okay to let yourself love and sometimes it does pay to open that heart up to someone.
Bitten by Books for AReCafe
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years.Rex Samuels is a man that can get a bit hairy once a month. He lost his family years ago and since then has kept to himself and his heart closed off. He also has a big crush on Vivien. He would love to approach her but instead he watches her from afar.
Vivien is on her way to her grandmother’s to bring her food because she is sick even though she had an awful day because there was bad milk at work, a broken oven, her ex called, her car breaks down on the way and now her cell phone has no bars. Could her night get any worse? Apparently it can because she gets attacked by what she think is a feral dog. Rex comes to her rescue and manages to run the dog off, but not before she gets bit trying to save her grandmother. When Rex discovers that Vivien has been bit, he calls his friend who is a doctor. Rex knows the feral wolf, not a dog, will come back for her on the next full moon and if it can’t mate with her, it will kill her instead. Rex needs to make sure Vivien knows what happened to her because pretty soon she will get as hairy as he does. He hopes it won’t ruin what has started between them.
Flesa Black wrote a fantastic book. Big Bad Wolf reminded me of an adult version of Little Red Riding Hood. Of course in this book, the wolf is the good guy and oh what a good guy he is too. Instead of eating grandma, he saves her and little red riding hood. Of course he does nibble on her later but that you will have to read yourself. Rex brought Vivien out of her shell and made her feel beautiful just like she should. Vivien teaches Rex that it is okay to let yourself love and sometimes it does pay to open that heart up to someone.
Bitten by Books for AReCafe
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LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Book on CD performed by Peter Jay Fernandez and Denis O’Hare
Alex Cross has left the Washington DC police department to join the FBI. He’s still in training, but his reputation precedes him and so he is tapped to lead a major investigation into a kidnapping ring. The criminal mastermind behind
Speaking of which, Patterson’s plot is full of mistakes, holes, subplots that go nowhere, and an obvious set-up to continue the lucrative franchise. But I have to give the guy credit for being able to craft suspense. He has mastered the genre; short sentences, short paragraphs, short chapters that always end just before the reader is satisfied, all add up to a formula that keeps you turning pages.
Fernandez and O’Hare do a credible job of voicing the many characters. My main complaint about the audio book is the cheesy “suspense” music and deep studio-enhanced voice that announces each chapter as if one’s life depended on this information. Then there’s the even cheesier “soft” music alerting us to a tender scene with Cross and his children. Puh-leeze!
Alex Cross has left the Washington DC police department to join the FBI. He’s still in training, but his reputation precedes him and so he is tapped to lead a major investigation into a kidnapping ring. The criminal mastermind behind
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the kidnapping spree is a Russian Mafia kingpin called The Wolf. Brilliant, ruthless, cunning, and incredibly wealthy, he is always ahead of the FBI who bumble along making mistake after mistake. Only Alex Cross seems to have any brains among his new cohorts. Speaking of which, Patterson’s plot is full of mistakes, holes, subplots that go nowhere, and an obvious set-up to continue the lucrative franchise. But I have to give the guy credit for being able to craft suspense. He has mastered the genre; short sentences, short paragraphs, short chapters that always end just before the reader is satisfied, all add up to a formula that keeps you turning pages.
Fernandez and O’Hare do a credible job of voicing the many characters. My main complaint about the audio book is the cheesy “suspense” music and deep studio-enhanced voice that announces each chapter as if one’s life depended on this information. Then there’s the even cheesier “soft” music alerting us to a tender scene with Cross and his children. Puh-leeze!
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LibraryThing member Nataliec7
This book was another classic JP book. Alex cross returns and this time, hes working for the FBI. He immediately gets put onto a case to catch a man known as 'The Wolf' after some women get kidnapped. He has to face being the new guy and trying to get the case solve. Amidst this, his ex, Christine
Its more slow paced than other Alex Cross books, but does get more interesting and picks up as the book continues. You'll enjoy it if you are an Alex Cross fan.
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is back and she wants to take Little Alex away.Its more slow paced than other Alex Cross books, but does get more interesting and picks up as the book continues. You'll enjoy it if you are an Alex Cross fan.
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LibraryThing member BingeReader87
Another great Alex Cross thrill ride! I am still a big fan of James Patterson and his character Detective Alex Cross. The 9th book in the series following Alex as he begins a new career in the FBI and deals with the sudden arrival of a former girlfriend with suspicious intentions. He is soon thrust
This book is one that won't disappoint and will keep you rooting for Cross and making you love to hate The Wolf.
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into a new case that has him chasing after a mysterious man known as The Wolf. He is abducting and selling whomever his sexually deviant and wealthy clientele desires. This one took me a little bit to read, but that was due to overbooking.....see what I did there, hahahaThis book is one that won't disappoint and will keep you rooting for Cross and making you love to hate The Wolf.
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LibraryThing member Carolee888
I haven't read or listened to a book by James Patterson for a long time. So, the experience was almost like finding a new author.
I liked the way that the author introduced Alex Cross and his family. He seems like a very loving father. In the story, Alex had worked for the Baltimore Police
People were being kidnapped in broad daylight, not for ransom, but to be sold into sexual slaves. The FBI thought the activity was being run by a top guy in the Russian Mob, the Wolf. At the same time, he was brought to court by an ex-girlfriend. She suddenly wanted custody of his son, "Little Alex"
The best part of this book was the suspense and the drama of the unknown, but the writing sometimes was so trite that I had to laugh out loud. Also, there were several times that story was just not believable.
I do recommend it but please understand that it is flawed.
.
I liked the way that the author introduced Alex Cross and his family. He seems like a very loving father. In the story, Alex had worked for the Baltimore Police
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Department when he was recommended for the FBI. He was in training a Quantico, Virginia when he was called out of class for skills of hostage negotiations. Again, when he was in an Abnormal Psychology class, he was needed for a high-profile case.People were being kidnapped in broad daylight, not for ransom, but to be sold into sexual slaves. The FBI thought the activity was being run by a top guy in the Russian Mob, the Wolf. At the same time, he was brought to court by an ex-girlfriend. She suddenly wanted custody of his son, "Little Alex"
The best part of this book was the suspense and the drama of the unknown, but the writing sometimes was so trite that I had to laugh out loud. Also, there were several times that story was just not believable.
I do recommend it but please understand that it is flawed.
.
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LibraryThing member LivelyLady
Not his best. Slow beginning of Alex Cross joining the FBI simultaneous with the multiple abductions. Interspersed are his family problems/situations as the mother of his baby re-enters the scene and wants custody. I only enjoyed the last 20% of the story which finally moved along.
LibraryThing member HenriMoreaux
I previously read this 6 years ago and wasn't too taken with it, and after re-reading it now I'm basically in the same boat with extra criticisms.
For example, Alex Cross's 14 year old porsche in Four Blind Mice was classified as 'his hold black porsche' now in The Big Bad Wolf which is a direct
That aside, towards the latter half of the novel, they finally have who they believe is the criminal overlord of the Russian Mafiya within their grasp at gunpoint, surrounded by agents. A man who has evaded the CIA, the FBI, local police coast to coast, in other words, very much at the top of the wanted list, but guess what? There's a small fire in a cupboard so everyone runs away leaving the guy to run off an successfully escape. What? Then, after making a successful escape, the guy gets himself cornered and just gives up revealing a plot point which rendered all of the above utterly pointless.
The twists and turns in this novel also very much gave deja vu of Roses Are Red where is more or less follows the path of the Mastermind investigation's plot only with different characters and scenes, the net result being the same -the evidence keeps pointing to people who aren't the one they're after.
I previously said that it was a reasonable entertainer with enough mystery & tension to keep you interested, a decent enough plot however I just found it wasn't particularly enthralling and that it past the time, but I didn't really feel drawn into the story at all. That's still how I feel.
I'll probably check out the following novel simply as The Weasel returns, but if that's above the same level of formulaic writing I'll likely abandon the series and move on.
For example, Alex Cross's 14 year old porsche in Four Blind Mice was classified as 'his hold black porsche' now in The Big Bad Wolf which is a direct
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continuation from the same, which would make the car still 14 years old, or perhaps 15, its now suddenly an 'ancient black porsche'. Seems a little exaggerated there, does Patterson not realise not everyone buys a new car every 5 years? (In Along Came A Spider, Kiss The Girls when it was 8 years old it was still being called his 'old black porsche' as opposed to just a porsche).That aside, towards the latter half of the novel, they finally have who they believe is the criminal overlord of the Russian Mafiya within their grasp at gunpoint, surrounded by agents. A man who has evaded the CIA, the FBI, local police coast to coast, in other words, very much at the top of the wanted list, but guess what? There's a small fire in a cupboard so everyone runs away leaving the guy to run off an successfully escape. What? Then, after making a successful escape, the guy gets himself cornered and just gives up revealing a plot point which rendered all of the above utterly pointless.
The twists and turns in this novel also very much gave deja vu of Roses Are Red where is more or less follows the path of the Mastermind investigation's plot only with different characters and scenes, the net result being the same -
I previously said that it was a reasonable entertainer with enough mystery & tension to keep you interested, a decent enough plot however I just found it wasn't particularly enthralling and that it past the time, but I didn't really feel drawn into the story at all. That's still how I feel.
I'll probably check out the following novel simply as The Weasel returns, but if that's above the same level of formulaic writing I'll likely abandon the series and move on.
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Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2003-11-01
Physical description
432 p.; 4.25 inches
ISBN
9780446610223