Roses Are Red

By: James Patterson

Narrated by: Peter Jay Fernandez

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

A brilliant criminal known only as the Mastermind orchestrates a series of bank robberies that are notable for their very precise demands - and their explosive violence when the demands are not met exactly. Detective Alex Cross takes on the case and recognizes that a particular kind of criminal mind is at work. But before he gets near identifying a suspect, the Mastermind pulls off the most outrageous kidnapping scheme in U.S. history - and walks away with the largest ransom ever paid.

But money is not enough. Alex Cross' investigation has gotten under the Mastermind's skin, and he makes it his personal goal to take revenge on Cross' entire team, one person at a time - before coming after Cross himself.

Amid all this, Cross' relationship with his girlfriend Christine is falling apart because of her fears about his work, and his beloved daughter Jannie is hospitalized with unexplained seizures. The pressure rises on every front, until an explosive, shocking climax in which the Mastermind escalates his crimes to an unprecedented level, and Alex Cross risks everything to stop him in time.

©2000 by James Patterson, All Rights Reserved (P)2000 Time Warner AudioBooks, A Division of Time Warner Trade Publishing

Critic Reviews

"While there's nothing subtle in this novel, every blatant element is packaged for maximum effect: roses may be red, but Patterson's newest is green all the way." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Alex Cross, Patterson's detective hero, is back in a thriller that is guaranteed to hold his many fans spellbound...Patterson keeps the pages turning all the way up to the jaw-dropping conclusion." ( Booklist)

"Patterson knows where our deepest fears are buried... There's no stopping his imagination." ( New York Times Book Review)

Excellent

This was my first James Patterson book unaware of the order. I found it bonding. I couldn't put it down. Right from the beggining the story was so captivating. I have since read almost all of his books and I am still quite fond of this one among others. Highly recommended.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

A different perspective

I am a newer fan of the Alex Cross stories. It's quite possible that this influenced my opinion of this book. I thought it to be a decent suspense story, and I enjoyed the twists. Its companion "Violets are Blue" follows perfectly by picking up where this book leaves off. I happened to listen to them consecutively and thought them to be exciting enough that I'm now going back to listen to some of the other Alex Cross stories. I can't say for sure what the "best" Alex Cross saga is, but I wouldn't count this one out.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Sound quality SUCKS!

At least on my iPhone using the Audible app the sound quality of this one is abysmal!
Sounds like a bootleg made with a tape recorder circa 1985.

Story is a typical Alex Cross Novel, nothing too exciting or surprising but solid enough to listen to while doing something boring.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

bad recording

Any additional comments?

I have really enjoyed the Alex Cross series and I just barley started this one but the recording is AWEFUL!! There is a lot of white noise and its quite frustrating! Another issue I have it they keep changing the reader so you get used to hearing a particular voice then its different. At least they haven't added the stupid music to the book thats the worst!. But this is a great series and I would recommend it to anyone. James Patterson is great!!

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Roses are RED

What did you love best about Roses Are Red?

In the process of reading all of the James Patterson "Alex Cross" series all of them relate to each other. I'd suggest reading them in order. I like suspense thrillers.

What other book might you compare Roses Are Red to and why?

The other books in the series are related. It's a evolving story of the cases that Alex Cross works.

Have you listened to any of Peter Jay Fernandez’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have & and enjoy his narration.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Suspenceful!

If you could sum up Roses Are Red in three words, what would they be?

A Good Read!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Alex Cross discovers a hint to whom he believes the person they are looking for is; so each time this person is exposed, it is the wrong one. Yet one more bad person is off the street. So now you, hope the evidence shows this next person is the one and it's not but to many are dieing an you are wondering whose next. (can't get to specific)

What does Peter Jay Fernandez bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I enjoyed his reading.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

The story line was good, I was just ready for more Roses Are Red pulls you in one direction, gets you comfortable then spins the chair around before yanking it from under you. It leaves you bloody and wanting more.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

read pop goes the weasel first!

this book is starting to get good (i'm 2 hours in) but I am wishing I had read pop goes the weasel first, so now I am downloading it to listen to first- don't care for the narrator, but books on audio are so handy!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good but unfinished

This is my second novel by Patterson and "First to die" (what I read, not listened) is more complete. I wonder if the original book was split in two, being "Roses are red" just the first part and "Violets are blue" the second one. Unfortunately Audible does not have "Violets" for the moment. It leaves a flavour of incompleteness.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Not My Favorite Alex Cross

I've read lots of James Patterson, and several other Alex Cross, but not in order. So this one was a little older than others I have read/heard and while I enjoyed the background story and getting glimpses of the children at a much younger age, the forensic information was quite dated. (No mention of DNA in a rape case, etc.) I also just wasn't as vested in the antagonistic role of the Mastermind. However, in my opinion, the plot twist reveal at the end that sets up the next book (which I have not yet read) saved it from being just a so-so plot to a pretty good plot.

The performance was terrible, which also didn't help. Every so often, one line or short phrase would be read by someone else and then go back to the original reader for the rest of the passage. It was like a terrible editing job, splicing in re-do's, but that sounded nothing like the rest of the sentence or paragraph. It was SO DISTRACTING and really what prompted me to write this review. It also taught me to read the reviews before purchasing.

entertaining, but not my favorite

I've listened to a few Alex Cross novels now, and while I definitely enjoyed this one, the story wasn't as strong as the others. it felt a bit shallow compared to Jack and Jill or the big bad wolf.

Excellent

However, when I got to the end, due to the cliffhanger,I was eager to hear the next book Violets are Blue, and Audio do not have it, how disapointing.