Avigail (Israel) (2010/02/19): Along Came a Spider is probably the epitome of what every crime-thriller novel should be. At 500 pages its easy to devour reading, the suspense is well balanced, but the real key to success is Alex Cross himself. Alex is a black, detective with a degree in psychology, who is passionate about his work, volunteers at a food bank and counsels on the side. And he isn't perfect, he loses his head and punches out racists, doesn't spend enough time at home with his kids and is a bit of a sucker for the ladies. The plot of the novel is pretty basic, but flows well, the first half reads like a standard serial killer case, the pace does slow a little in the second half as deeper intrigue is revealed. This book is wonderful! Suspenseful, twisting, and delicious, James Patterson has crafted quite the protagonist in Detective Alex Cross. AMAZING! I loved it. I would read it for hours and hours. I had a hard time putting the book down. It was great! James Patterson is one of my favorite writers.
