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Along Came a Spider: 25th Anniversary Edition
Unavailable
Along Came a Spider: 25th Anniversary Edition
Unavailable
Along Came a Spider: 25th Anniversary Edition
Audiobook11 hours

Along Came a Spider: 25th Anniversary Edition

Written by James Patterson

Narrated by Taye Diggs

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

3.5/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Discover the classic thriller that launched the number-one detective series of the past 25 years, now one of PBS's "100 Great American Reads".

Alex Cross is a homicide detective with a PhD in psychology. He works and lives in the ghettos of D. C. and looks like Muhammad Ali in his prime. He's a tough guy from a tough part of town who wears Harris Tweed jackets and likes to relax by banging out Gershwin tunes on his baby grand piano. But he also has two adorable kids of his own, and they are his own special vulnerabilities.

Jezzie Flanagan is the first woman ever to hold the highly sensitive job as supervisor of the Secret Service in Washington. Blond, mysterious, and seductive, she's got an outer shell that's as tough as it is beautiful. She rides her black BMW motorcycle at speeds of no less than 100 mph. What is she running from? What is her secret?

Alex Cross and Jezzie Flanagan are about to have a forbidden love affair — at the worst possible time for both of them. Because Gary Soneji, who wants to commit the "crime of the century," is playing at the top of his game. Soneji has outsmarted the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police. Who will be his next victim?

Gary Soneji is every parent's worst nightmare. He has become Alex Cross' nightmare. And now, listener, he's about to become yours.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 4, 2018
ISBN9781549168963
Unavailable
Along Came a Spider: 25th Anniversary Edition
Author

James Patterson

James Patterson is the CEO of J. Walter Thompson, an advertising agency in New York. He has written several successful fiction and nonfiction books, including The New York Times best seller The Day America Told the Truth.

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Reviews for Along Came a Spider

Rating: 3.7212240615384613 out of 5 stars
3.5/5

1,781 ratings70 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Thrilling book that gives a sense of wanting to know what happens next, and wanting to know what happens to the characters after the final page. There however are moments when the writing gets a little jumbled leading the reader to get confused as to what is happening as well as some chapters in which it is unclear whose voice is telling the story.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    First book of the Alex Cross (psychologist, detective) series. This book is about the investigation of the kidnapping of 2 children, a movie star's little girl, and a government official's son. Alex gets pulled off of the investigation of a series of murders in the projects to investigate the kidnapping, and the FBI is holding back information. Finally the kidnapper is caught, but can he be convicted, and can they keep him in prison? This was a good book, it starts to develop Alex and his relationships, and it had plenty of twists and turns to keep me reading. I will continue with the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is the first Alex Cross novel and the first one I have read (I always like to start a series at the beginning!) I have always loved the pace of Patterson's novels and this one was no exception. The bad guy was really bad, the good guy was great and the twist was pretty good. I read the last page, closed the cover, then immediately picked up Kiss The Girls...
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    James Patterson can write a thriller. This one had me going and I couldn't put it down. He does a great job of peering into the mind of a nutcase and bringing it to the page. Not for the squeamish, though. It is pretty graphic.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Kept my interest - just about - and helped a weekend pass... Not really my bag, but I can see how this sort of book could appeal to many.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The first of the Alex Cross series that got me hooked on Patterson.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    One of my co-workers is an enthusiastic James Patterson fan, and has been urging me to give his Alex Cross series a try. I have a vague memory of having read one of the later books and enjoying it, but I wanted to go back to the beginning and get the full background on the characters. This is the first book in the series, and does an effective job of drawing the main characters: Detective/psychologist Alex Cross, his partner, and his family. All of them are engaging characters that i felt I'd be happy to spend more time with.The plot, featuring a psychotic child kidnapper and murderer, was less successful. There's little suspense in discovering the bad guy; the twist comes with trying to prove whether he committed the crimes while sane or as a "split" personality. Having just read a handful of well-written legal thrillers, I found Patterson's trial scenes to be less convincing, and I realized I didn't really care about the technicalities of whether the killer was sane or not since he obviously committed the crimes. More interesting was the smattering of political intrigue within the Washington, D.C., police department and its interactions with the FBI and other agencies. I hope that area is more fully developed in future Cross novels.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very good! Really exciting. I suppose I'm going to have to read a lot more of Alex Cross!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An entertaining story that was long on ideas and somewhat short on characters. I read this one in a few hours and while enjoyable seemed to be lacking in plot twists. It was pretty straight forward and the bad guys were mostly identifiable as the story progressed. I will have to read a few more of his stories with Alex Cross to get a better read on him.

    3 stars for an entertaining story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I decided to read the first book in the Alex Cross series because of having had such a great experience with the beginning of the Women's Murder Club series that he also writes. For the majority of this particular book I was underwhelmed by what was happening in it. Then suddenly in the last 50 or so pages I felt like it I was reading something worthwhile. I believe it is simply because I didn't attach as easily to the characters in this particular book like I did with the characters in Women's Murder Club.

    This book introduces Alex Cross and is about a kidnapping. The book is fast-paced and the chapters are short like the other book I read, which is something that makes his book very readable. This helps to keep a reader invested in the time it takes to read the over 400 pages. Some people call him a hack because his writing isn't necessarily up there with literary classics, but some books we have to recognize are not meant to be like that. Some books are supposed to be read during the summer when you are tanning. That is how Patterson's books feel like they should be read, which honestly is great from time to time. We all need a little bit of guilty pleasure in our lives.

    This book is lacking though in the pleasure aspect of the reading experience of a guilty pleasure. It isn't a horrible book by any means, but certain aspects feel like they are forced. Also there are no real hints to the mystery aspect of this particular book, which I felt was a bit of a let down since in Women's Murder Club I was able to predict what was going on and it added greatly to my enjoyment of the book. Here the characters didn't resonate with me as strongly, specifically Jezzie because it never felt like you truly understood that character and her motivation for any of her actions contained within. This could simply be that they couldn't give her more because the chapters are so quick, but I wish there had been more for her than what she was given.

    Will I read the next book in the series called "Kiss The Girls"? I probably will be this will largely be because I watched the movie years ago and think it would be fun to read the book it was based on and also rewatch the movie at the same time. It won't be because I have fallen in love with the Alex Cross series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Not too bad a book. Again, the male detective does not get the girl, but what else is new. The psychology angle makes this book interesting.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    i enjoy the alex cross stories this is a good one.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I actually preferred the book over the movie. The suspense triangle in this book will leave you guessing until the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was expecting good things from this as I had chosen specifically to go back to the beginning of the James Patterson craze. I had struggled (am still struggling) to get through a later James Patterson so this was me trying to kick off a writer I had not enjoyed in past.

    I liked the book. A lot. It was a great summer read - light and quick moving. I am liking the main character which was the point of reading this book so I can get to know an evolving character (much like why I enjoy tv characters who develop over movie heroes who get one shot). Alex Cross is being carefully unveiled which I am enjoying.

    Once I got used to the style which I liken to Stephen King in that the ideas are amazing but the descriptive language can be a bit boring at times. This doesn't make it hard to read it just makes it feel a bit like a teenager writing you a letter that they have just unloaded everything in their head rather than carefully chosen prose. It is however a snappy story and doesn't drag. Not entirely the ending I was expecting but not a disappointment at all. I would recommend this and I am now off to read "Kiss the Girls"
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I have read 8 James Patterson books and many of them had the killers POV somewhere in the book which I am very fond of. This book did it the best thus far. I felt like I was two steps ahead of Alex Cross and I'm trying not to yell at the book "NO YOU'VE GOT IT ALL WRONG, THIS IS ACTUALLY WHAT HE IS DOING." I also liked that Patterson knew exactly where to cut off the killers POV so we could be in the dark and have to wait until the truth was revealed. The characters were well thought out and well written and I can't wait to read more from this series. The thing that I liked most about this book and that I will like about this series is that the main character is a POC.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    As I imagined this was one of those can't stop readings. It was interesting to see where Alex Cross got his start and the original Soneji issues. I liked the twists with Jezzie Flanagan, before we found out the whole story I was starting to wonder why Cross had to get involved with one of his coworkers in every single case.There are still some holes that I don't think are resolved before Kiss the Girls, but we shall see. I really should have read this series in order though.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I wasn't a big fan of the writing style but the story was great. Looking forward to reading more in the series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I'm going to review the whole Alex Cross series, since they are similar in format and almost equal in quality. Overall I liked the series, although I didn't start with the first one, and found out about one of the recurring killers (there are usually more than one in each book, some tend to linger over several books). This gave me a different perspective as I went back to read the books from the beginning.The series does become a little formulaic after a few books, but there are enough twists and turns that I got hooked and plowed through them in short order. If there is one thing I can say about Patterson's Cross books, it is that they are page-turners. Each chapter is on average just a few pages, and at the end of each one I wanted to read just a little farther to see what happened next. And suddenly I was done one and onto the next. I must admit though, that I started skipping the sex scenes after the first few books. I didn't find they added much to the plot.If you like a good quick thriller with a protagonist who will give you familiar action over and over with a multitude of serial killers to challenge and threaten him, then this is the series for you.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Meet Alex Cross, the star of a long series of standalone crime thrillers. Alex is well fleshed in his début, without deviating from the central story of a genius, but psychopathic, killer. The plot is unpredictable and the narrative is easy to read and absorbing from start to finish. This novel deservedly put Patterson on the map, it's a good read, although at times it tries too hard to create the ultimate psycho. Recommended.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Amazing book. Sadly it's all downhill from here. I find this book the best in the series, which isn't to say the others aren't good...this is just the best. A must read.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I thought about giving Patterson a break because this is the first in his Alex Cross series but then changed my mind. Way too many plot twists a few of which were too improbable. Otherwise, it was a basic chase down the deranged killer novel. I'll give him another chance since he gets some decent reviews.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very, very good read. I'd never seen the movie so I didn't really know much about it. However, it's a really good story and captures your attention the entire way.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is an easy and engrossing read, and it is a serious page turner. The craftsmanship, on the other hand, leaves something to be desired, and the character development is lacking. Patterson introduces Alex Cross, his star character in future novels, as a forensic detective with a psychology background. This particular story dealt with the case of Gary Soneji/Murphy a serial killer who had kidnapped 2 famous children to gain exposure and notoriety, his goal being to upstage the "Lindbergh Kidnapper." The plot is an exciting and unpredictable ride and the ending is unexpected. The narrative could have used additional editing, as several sections were irrelevant and/or excessive, in particular, the love story between Alex and Jezzie felt overdone and awkward. Sometimes less is more. Also the constant racial commentary did not seem realistic for the era portrayed. Having said all that, I DID enjoy the book, and I'd recommend it as light plane or vacation reading for someone who enjoys the suspense, crime, and mystery genres, though serious literature fans should probably steer clear.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was the first of many James Patterson books I have read and I could not put it down, nor any of his other books. Thrilling from start to finish.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very enjoyable introduction to Alex Cross.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I decided to read the first book in the Alex Cross series because of having had such a great experience with the beginning of the Women's Murder Club series that he also writes. For the majority of this particular book I was underwhelmed by what was happening in it. Then suddenly in the last 50 or so pages I felt like it I was reading something worthwhile. I believe it is simply because I didn't attach as easily to the characters in this particular book like I did with the characters in Women's Murder Club.

    This book introduces Alex Cross and is about a kidnapping. The book is fast-paced and the chapters are short like the other book I read, which is something that makes his book very readable. This helps to keep a reader invested in the time it takes to read the over 400 pages. Some people call him a hack because his writing isn't necessarily up there with literary classics, but some books we have to recognize are not meant to be like that. Some books are supposed to be read during the summer when you are tanning. That is how Patterson's books feel like they should be read, which honestly is great from time to time. We all need a little bit of guilty pleasure in our lives.

    This book is lacking though in the pleasure aspect of the reading experience of a guilty pleasure. It isn't a horrible book by any means, but certain aspects feel like they are forced. Also there are no real hints to the mystery aspect of this particular book, which I felt was a bit of a let down since in Women's Murder Club I was able to predict what was going on and it added greatly to my enjoyment of the book. Here the characters didn't resonate with me as strongly, specifically Jezzie because it never felt like you truly understood that character and her motivation for any of her actions contained within. This could simply be that they couldn't give her more because the chapters are so quick, but I wish there had been more for her than what she was given.

    Will I read the next book in the series called "Kiss The Girls"? I probably will be this will largely be because I watched the movie years ago and think it would be fun to read the book it was based on and also rewatch the movie at the same time. It won't be because I have fallen in love with the Alex Cross series.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This finely crafted tale was one that held my interest throughout, with strong characterization and a well-woven plot. This is only the third book I've read by James Patterson and he seems to be quite a master at delivering a not-too-heavy, yet not-too-light story line.Along Came A Spider has just the right mix of suspense, romance, humor and "heart" to keep the reader interested and keep turning pages.....
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I found this an excellent book which kept my interest from start to finish. Alex Cross is a homicide detective investigating the kidnapping of two children from hi-profile families. The main character interaction is excellent and the plot superb. Unusual and sad ending.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Patterson's first detective Cross book. And a wonderful thriller/mystery besides. I'm curious on how the movie will be, but the book was great and kept you going back and forth until the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Well. This is my first Patterson, so I suppose you can guess it is my first Alex Cross. I see there are over a hundred reviews, so I won’t waste my time rehashing the plot. I listened to the audible.com version read by Charles Turner. I thought he did a great job. His gravely voice conjured a large, strong man. The kind of police detective I would trust. I wish (spoiler alert) Patterson had killed Gary S. M. off at the end...I hope not to encounter him in a later book!