Along Came a Spider

By: James Patterson

Narrated by: Taye Diggs

Length: 11 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's Summary

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's nightmare. And now, listener, he's about to become yours.

©1993, 2018 James Patterson (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"Patterson's storytelling talent is in top form in this grisly escapist yarn." (Library Journal)

"Brilliantly terrifying! So exciting that I had to stay up all night to finish it! Packed with white-knuckle twists." (Daily Mail)

"An incredibly suspenseful read with a one-of-a-kind villain who is as terrifying as he is intriguing." (Clive Cussler)

Not who you think

I love this book. The narrator was awesome. I was easy to get into and stay in tune throughout. This book did not waste any time with capturing my attention. The first chapter went directly into jaw dropping thriller.

5 people found this helpful

MC Patterson fan

The story was good but the narrator was terrible. I am a Patterson fan but this was tough to listen to.

4 people found this helpful

Good Story Ruined by Poor Narration

When there is so much voice talent out there in the world, why would you match a great story and award-winning author with such poor narration? I don't know Mr. Diggs' resume for such work, but he is incapable of shifting between characters and his voice is really quite monotone for most of this work. Disappointing!

10 people found this helpful

Good Read

Good book, enjoyed the story. It was suspenseful and easy to follow. The narration left a little to be desired.

4 people found this helpful

The book is good but the reader is not.

This story is complex and enticing. The reader put weird inflections into his interpretation. In many places his pace is pedantic and very off.

5 people found this helpful

Exciting

loved it. Very exciting.
very surprised ending.
sometimes very scarry.
If you like mysteries, you'll love this book.

3 people found this helpful

Excellent storyline

loved this, definitely didn't end as I thought hood surprise, moving along to book 2

Fun and Intense, Not PG

This is my first Alex Cross book and it was fun, intense, dark and sometimes tough to hear (because of the violence), but that made the stakes higher. Narrator was great

narrator

struggled to finish it, narration reminded me of high school reading, pauses between words long

So repetitive, could barely stand to finish it.

Events are constantly recaped the monologues are boring and seemingly pointless at times. Decent narrator.