Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross)

by James Patterson

2000

Status

Available

Publication

Grand Central Publishing (2000), 480 pages

Description

Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: In this heart-stopping thriller, Detective Alex Cross and his beloved fiancé find themselves tangled in a complex murder investigation, threatening not only public safety, but their chance at happiness together. Alex Cross is happy, but his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders�??murders with a pattern so twisted, it leaves investigators reeling. Cross's ingenious pursuit of the killer produces a suspect: a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But proving that Shafer is the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As the diplomat engages in a brilliant series of surprising countermoves, in and out of the courtroom, Alex and his fiancée become hopelessly entangled with the most memorable nemesis Alex Cross has ever faced. Pop Goes the Weasel reveals James Patterson at the peak of his power. Here is a chilling villain no reader will forget, a love story of great tenderness, and a plot of relentless suspense and heart-pounding pace. To read Pop Goes the Weasel is to discover why James Patterson is one of the world's greatest suspense writer… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member ct.bergeron

Detective Alex Cross is back - and he's in love. But his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders in Washington , DC., Murders with a pattern so twisted they leave invesigators reeling. Cross's pursuit of the killer procduces a suspect, a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But

proving he's the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As Shafer engages in a brilliant series of surprising counter moves. Alex and his fiancée become hopelessly entagled with the most memorable nemesis Cross has ever faced

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LibraryThing member readafew

Pop goes the Weasel is the 5th book in the Alex Cross series. Southeast Washington has a large number of homicides that go unsolved, and Detective Cross has linked a few of them together. He believes that there is a serial killer who is taking advantage of the police department's lack of enthusiasm

in SE to get away with murder. Cross's main problem is the Chief of police who doesn't want to believe there is any serial killer in SE since it is politically expedient to ignore much of what goes on in that section of town.

This books starts out as a police procedural and slowly evolves into a poor James Bond international mystery. Overall the book is pretty good, and fast paced and has very few boring parts. However, the closer you look at it the more outrageous it seems and the last 1/4 of the book is rather ridiculous in hindsight. The biggest problem I see is Cross and Sampson always seem to know which murders are committed by our serial killer, even when he uses a new M.O. Overall, a decent book and well worth the entertainment value, however the plot does leave some holes that are quietly glossed over.

The book was read by Michael Kramer. I happen to like his reading and I think he does a good job. The only negative I would say, is his Jamaican accent sounded more like New Delhi.

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LibraryThing member theportal2002

This was a really good book. The more I read through the book the more I was drawn into the story.

LibraryThing member Ecfrawg

Not only do I love this author, but I love his style. The story is told from two points of view, the killer's and the detective's. I really like this book because it's almost like a cat chasing a mouse, always about to get it, but then doesn't. It's a real cliffhanger.

LibraryThing member meags222

I really enjoyed this Alex Cross book. I hadn't really enjoyed the last 2 books as much but this book just flowed really well. The book kept me interested from beginning to end and it didn't feel like two separate plot lines were going on like the last novel did. I couldn't put this book down and I

can't wait to read the next one.

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LibraryThing member debavp

I'm still getting into the series, and still haven't gotten the image of Morgan Freeman as Cross out of my mind yet so I'm still guilty of going that wouldn't happen. The ending was definitely a hanger and had me scambling to get the next book ASAP to see what happened.

LibraryThing member SonicQuack

Alex Cross, senior homicide detective, pits his wits against a ruthless serial killer in this oddly titled thriller. The action is fast paced with multiple perspectives being played out. One from Cross himself in first person and a more traditional narrative for that of the killer. There is a good

reason for this style and it makes the twists land with more impact. No previous Alex Cross novels need to have been read, for Weasel is a standalone read. At times the plausibility is stretched somewhat, especially the finale, but at no point will readers want to put this one down. It's a short and entertaining crime fiction read from cover to cover.

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LibraryThing member skinglist

Journal entry 2 by SKingList from New York, New York USA on Saturday, April 23, 2005

This was interesting, different in the sense that you're left open-ended, but not necessarily a bad thing. Not my favourite of the AC series though.

LibraryThing member riverwillow

This is the literary equivalent of pop corn and I am not sure why I am still reading James Patterson, except that I have a few of his books lying around and I have a rule that if a book comes into my house it has to be read before it leaves.

LibraryThing member ZachMontana

Well read book on tape that kept my interest on a long drive with all the twists and turns, though some seemed a little implausable.

LibraryThing member Connor16

Great book for more mature readers. Gives a dark look into the mind of a killer though so if you don't like the dark aspect don't read it. Still overall a great book.

LibraryThing member mazda502001

Patterson's books are fast-paced and page-turners. I really like the characters of Alex Cross and his partner, John Sampson.

Back Cover Blurb:
Geoffrey Shafer: a man who never loses, he is prepared to play the game of games for the highest stakes of all.
Alex Cross: senior homicide detective, he is

determined, whatever the consequences, to unmask the man he has nicknamed the weasel, the prime suspect for a spate of killings Cross has been forbidden to investigate.

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LibraryThing member diananagy

As always this was another great book by James Patterson. I am not sure there have been too many that I didn't like so far. This one kept me reading til I finished and I can't wait to read the next one. Or maybe I have read it...Hmmm!

LibraryThing member mramos

Once again we watch Alex Cross investigate a diabolical killer. A serial killer that seems to not fit into a profile. And the reason is, the killer was basing his actions on the role of a die; in a game called the Four Horsemen.

In this book Cross finds out who the killer is. His name is Geoffrey

Shafer and he has diplomatic immunity. He has been playing this game with three others for years on a world wide basis. Cross is forced into the game by the horseman Death.

The thing I enjoyed the most about this book is that Cross finds out who the killer is and arrest him. The problem is their is no apparent proof. I could not put this book down. It is a page turner.

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LibraryThing member SSbooks

One of my favs in this series. Patterson will run you through a wide list of emotions in this book and will keep you interested until the end.

LibraryThing member Nataliec7

I love the Alex Cross series. Currently reading them in order and this book doesn't disappoint.

LibraryThing member Nataliec7

I love the Alex Cross series. Currently reading them in order and this book doesn't disappoint.

LibraryThing member bushard

quick and fun

LibraryThing member BingeReader87

Pretty great plot. These books are getting better and better.

LibraryThing member ElizabethCromb

Very gruesome murder psycho storyline.

LibraryThing member HenriMoreaux

Pop Goes The Weasel is a reasonably entertaining book, I wouldn't go as far as some folks who call it a masterpiece, but I will say it is fairly enthralling. This is the second time I've read it, the first being 6.5 years ago and I did remember it positively, yet perhaps some of that is

nostalgia.

My main quibble is the fact that 'the killer' makes some rather rudimentary mistakes, is spotted, and despite such, no one puts everything together and he just keeps getting away with it, he's never even questioned as to why he was hanging out in the street late at night for hours outside of a flat where two underage girls were brutalised and murdered.

It was frankly a little frustrating to read and take seriously especially with the rather over the top plot point of four ex-intelligence agents playing a bizarre is-it-fantasy-or-is-it-reality game. I did find it a bit puzzling a one point how it's mentioned that the radio of a car that's a crime scene has been tampered with, but never again is that mentioned - I kept waiting for it to come back up as a 'gotcha' piece of evidence that corners the killer but it was never mentioned again.

That being said, it's a pretty fast paced an intriguing story, albeit a little frustrating a times.

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LibraryThing member bah195

I wish I could have given this book 5 stars but I was more interested in the Alex/Christine story line instead of the murder story line. I found myself skipping paragraphs to get back to Alex. I felt the story was a bit like the last book I read (Cat and Mouse).

LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC

This was super engrossing for the most part. I wasn't as crazy about the ending. It was too much like you would expect it to go.

LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC

This was super engrossing for the most part. I wasn't as crazy about the ending. It was too much like you would expect it to go.

LibraryThing member soosthemoose

Nice and fast-paced. Not as gory as some of Patterson's. Nice build on characters.

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