Four Blind Mice

By: James Patterson

Narrated by: Peter J. Fernandez, Michael Emerson

Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

Detective Alex Cross is on his way to resign from the Washington, DC police force when his partner shows up at his door with a case he can't refuse. One of John Sampson's oldest friends, from their days together in Vietnam, has been arrested for murder. Worse yet, he is subject to the iron hand of the United States Army. The evidence against him is strong enough to send him to the gas chamber.

Sampson is certain his friend has been framed, and Alex's investigation turns up evidence overlooked - or concealed - by the military authorities. Drawing on their years of street training and an almost telepathic mutual trust, Cross and Sampson go deep behind military lines to confront the most ruthless - and deadliest - killers they have ever encountered. Behind these three highly skilled killing machines there appears to be an even more threatening controller. Discovering the identity of this lethal genius will prove to be Cross' most terrifying challenge ever.

On his visits home, Alex must confront another, more disturbing mystery: what's the matter with Nana Mama? As he explores the possibility of a relationship with a woman who offers him new hope, Alex must also face the fact that his beloved grandmother is only human.

©2002 James Patterson, All Rights Reserved (P)2002 Time Warner AudioBooks, a Division of the AOL Time Warner Book Group

Critic reviews

"Everything clicks in this novel, from Patterson's patented short chapters to the whiplash plotting." (Publishers Weekly)
"Patterson delivers another exciting thriller, with some intriguing new developments for [Alex] Cross." (Booklist)

One of the better stories

first off... the audio effects just took me out of the moment. if your not going to use it throughout the entire story dont pick and choose some scenes where you do.
story was one of the better stories since kiss the girls.
I wonder if Sampson gets his own book... he deserves it.

Vietnam

Very touching story I was young during the war & even though not a true story but could make sense overall

A good listen...

...but I could have done without the sound effects. As for the narrators, much better than the last book. These books were written and published quickly, so expect to detect some formulaic issues between them.

Four Blind Mice moved quickly and mostly from Cross's POV. It dipped a little into the heads of the Three Blind Mice, just enough to show their true character. Some of the violence seemed gratuitous, though. I guess Patterson felt he needed to drive home the depth of their depravity. But I was glad to see the reappearance of Sampson, though that wedding came pretty fast!

It would seem that someone would have connected the dots in the murders, but then The Powers That Be had erased a key part of the history that might have been available to "ordinary" investigators, In view of the history of interagency cooperation in U.S. law enforcement, I can see how unlikely connecting those murders might have been, The likelihood of a single agency /police deportment picking up on the particulars of a crime committed elsewhere would be low. AFIS wasn't started until 1999; and while the FBI's LEEP had been around for decades, unless local law enforcement alerted the FBI, it was unlikely the info would make it into the system. The events of 9/11 brought the need to share information into sharper focus and much has been done since then, but the book likely had already been written since it was published in 2002.

Still, it seemed a bit convenient that the necessary info appeared just in time through the machinations of diplomacy, and the identity of Cross' rescuers was predictable due to the discovery of the shirt with the emblem, But I've suspended my disbelief several times before in these novels and it's something I'm coming to expect.

details

i love the twist and tuurns, yet a stickler for details. how did tran van low get that much money to pay...did he pay.... why didnt alex tell all to samson about what tran van low said about copper.....
things like that drive me a bit crazy.

Excellent!

Just when I don't think JP could get any better... Along Comes ... "Four Blind Mice". This AudioBook is very well produced & read. Maybe my favorite so far in the audio library of Alex Cross books (minus the first 2).

To much sound effects

Was driving and thought I was having engine troubles because of the sound effects. And the sound effects would let me know when a thrilling part was about to happen.

Excellent . One of the Best!

This an excellent Story. Very suspenseful and intriguing. Alex Cross is a very compelling hero. This one kept me guessing all the way through.

Another great thriller, but too many gratuitous sex scenes!

Great story, way to keep the readers on their toes, but unnecessary gratuitous sex scenes in the middle of the novel. It seems like James lost his footing and was trying to figure out where the investigation was going to head. Outside of the filler sexual commentary, great read.

ICK!

James Patterson has been slipping and Alex Cross is wearing thin. But, this book is so bad that by the end I was hoping, no praying that Alex Cross would get killed so Patterson couldn't write yet another dreary Alex Cross novel. The story line in this one is weak and so poorly constructed I was shocked it was published. I kept hoping it would get better but it never did it just kept getting worse and worse as it went on.. The one bright spot was Alex's new love intrest Jamila did not get kidnapped or killed...YET. On top of all this he has turned Kile Craig into a weak, imitation Hannibal Lecter want'ta'be who Cross goes to for advise though it's is never clear why. Then with people being murdered in the same way all over the country and with Cross and Sampson killing others and breaking into houses and bumbling around no one but Cross it seems can get the connection or any connection. PLEASE!!! And any Viet Nam Vet will be as insulted by the final reveal as I was I am sure. Now Cross is in the FBI and I can only imagine what kind of BS cases will come next. Well this is the last James Patterson book for me, they have been getting worse for some time now but this is one too many. Someone please tell Patterson to stop or at least take a break to try to recapture what he had when he started.
If you're smart you'll miss this Alex Cross outing. I sure wish I had.

Top Rate Thriller

Alex Cross fans won't be dissapointed. A top notch page turner from beginning to end.