In this latest thriller from perennial bestselling author James Patterson, Washington cop Alex Cross gets involved in his partner's effort to save the life of an old Army buddy who's facing execution for a horrendous and inexplicable murder spree in North Carolina. The Army's evidence against Sergeant Ellis Cooper, a decorated Vietnam vet, is overwhelming, which isn't surprising since it's all been planted by a quartet of killers whose reason for framing the erstwhile hero isn't revealed until long after they are. The big secret is who set the murderers loose, and in true cliffhanger fashion, Patterson keeps it under wraps until the very end. Meanwhile, his usual blend of action, violence, fast pacing and uninspired-though-serviceable prose prevail, and will probably do so all the way to the top of the bestseller lists. --Jane Adams


From Publishers Weekly
With Patterson continuing to move in unexpected directions (his next novel, The Jester, due out in March 2003, is a medieval adventure), it's a pleasure to see him touch home base with another Alex Cross thriller this one the best Cross yet. The mice of the title are three homicidal Army Rangers, Vietnam vets, and their mysterious controller; as is usual in the Cross novels, we know this much sooner than does the black Washington, D.C., detective, who gets involved when an army careerist, Sgt. Ellis Cooper, an old pal of Cross's colleague and best friend, John Sampson, is found guilty at military trial for the brutal murder of three women, but claims innocence. Traveling to North Carolina, where Cooper awaits execution, and to Fort Bragg to investigate, Cross and Sampson encounter stonewalling among the military which only intensifies as they uncover a pattern of other military men executed for like crimes they may not have committed. As the duo visits West Point, they confront an even thicker "gray" wall of silence. Meanwhile, the killers strike again, and when Cross and Sampson identify them, the Rangers begin hunting the cops. The action leads, as is Patterson's custom, to a firecracker string of climaxes; the finale finds Cross handcuffed and stripped naked in deep woods, about to be killed. Throughout, Patterson expertly balances the conspiratorial action with intriguing developments in Cross's domestic life, including health problems for his family's anchor, the elderly Nana, and growing romance between him and a California cop. Everything clicks in this novel, from Patterson's patented short chapters (115 here) to the whiplash plotting. This may not be high lit, but it sure is entertainment. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
In the latest Alex Cross thriller, his partner, John Sampson, takes center stage. A friend of John's, U.S. Army Sergeant Cooper, has been convicted of murdering three women. The military higher-ups are convinced that it's an open-and-shut case, but John knows that his friend is innocent. Their investigation is hampered at every turn, as if the army doesn't care to have the truth revealed, even when Cross and Sampson uncover other military men who were possibly framed for murder. Meanwhile, the real killers, who are methodical in covering their tracks and leaving incriminating evidence pointing to their targets, discover the investigation and decide to mark Cross and Sampson for extermination. This time around, Patterson's story is more personal than plot-driven, and there are a lot fewer plot twists than one usually finds in a Patterson novel. Still, Four Blind Mice is a vast improvement over the previous two Alex Cross thrillers (Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue), which were both poorly written and unnecessarily gruesome, with a number of unrealistic passages. Libraries won't be able to keep this new book on the shelves.--Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Detective Alex Cross returns in an outstanding paramilitary thriller. The "mice," highly skilled Vietnam-era Army Rangers and a mysterious boss who controls each murderous scenario, bring inexplicable violence to innocent victims. Caught in the middle are military men wrongly accused, convicted, and executed by a misguided Army. With a Bogart-like no-nonsense persona, Peter J. Fernandez captures the confident character of Cross and reflects the gravity of the story's plot. Michael Emerson brings chills as he delivers an edge to the calculating, emotionless killers as they plan each murder. The background music and sounds enhance the presentation, and the accomplished readers add breadth and realism to the characters and cultures portrayed. F.L.F. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Alex Cross is on the brink of retirement from the Washington Police Force when his best friend, John Sampson, comes to him with an urgent request. Sampson's friend, Sergeant Ellis Cooper, has just been convicted by a military court for the murders of three women. Cooper swears he's innocent, and Sampson believes him. Cross and Sampson head to North Carolina to investigate, but they're discouraged by the military stonewalling. Cross digs deeper and learns that Cooper isn't the first model officer to be convicted of brutal murders--other military men around the country have been accused, convicted, and even executed for crimes that bear a striking similarity to the murders Cooper supposedly committed. E-mails from an anonymous person who calls himself Foot Soldier supply Cross with clues and information, but Cross isn't sure he can trust the mysterious informant. A more pleasant distraction awaits Cross--Jamilla Hughes, a detective he worked with in Violets Are Blue (2001) comes to visit, and sparks fly between the two. Cross isn't the only one who finds love--Sampson is growing close to the widow of one of the executed military men. But when the search for the killers leads back to the army and men who fought in Vietnam, both Cross and Sampson will risk their lives to catch the killers. Patterson delivers another exciting thriller, with some intriguing new developments for Cross. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Alex Cross is on his way to resign from the Washington Police when his partner John Sampson shows up at his door. One of Sampson's oldest friends has been framed for murder and, worse yet, is subject to the insular laws of the U.S. Army. The evidence is strong enough to send him to the gas chamber.Cross and Sampson plunge into a case where military codes of honor conceal dark currents of revenge and ambition, and the men controlling the moves have the best weapons and training the world can offer. Drawing on their years of street training and an almost telepathic mutual trust, Cross and Sampson go deep into military lines to confront the most terrifying-and lethal-killer they have ever encountered.


About the Author
James Patterson's most recent major international bestseller is "2nd Chance." He is the author of several bestsellers featuring Alex Cross, including "Along Came a Spider" and "Violets Are Blue." He lives in Florida.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
New York Times bestselling author James Patterson has long been hailed as a superb storytelling craftsman, and his latest hardcover is no exception. A gripping, action-packed thriller, it also packs an emotional wallop to match the speed and complexity of its plot twists. Detective Alex Cross is planning to resign from the Washington, D.C., police force, and he's got a lot on his mind: he's eager to be a more involved parent, worried that he's asking too much of his ailing grandmother, hoping to see where his relationship with San Francisco homicide cop Jamilla Hughes is headed, and considering a job offer from the FBI. The last thing he needs in his life is another complication. But when his close friend and partner John Sampson asks for help, Alex can't refuse -- even though that means taking on the whole U.S. Army. A friend of Sampson's from his days in Vietnam has been arrested for a brutal multiple murder on a military base, and the evidence against him is overwhelming. Sampson believes his friend was framed -- but if he and Cross can't prove it soon, despite military obstructions, the wrong man will be sent to the gas chamber. Unfortunately, while Cross and Sampson quickly become certain that the frame they're investigating is only the tip of an iceberg of deceit and death, the hard evidence they need proves maddeningly elusive. The danger grows as they begin to draw closer to the real killers (a frighteningly skilled team of military assassins known only as the Three Blind Mice) and the shadowy, deadly mastermind who's been calling the shots. Sue Stone

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"Detective Alex Cross is on his way to resign from the Washington, D.C., 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's 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.

FROM THE CRITICS

The Los Angeles Times

James Patterson's Four Blind Mice is about the pain, the panic and, in due course, the carnage inflicted in a series of bizarre attacks that spill a lot of blood and hand out dire punishment for no apparent reason. To avenge a friend framed in one of these crazy setups, two Washington, D.C., police detectives go hunting for the hellhounds who mount the string of inexplicable crimes. It turns out that the fantastical deceivers have military experience; the torments they inflict and the blood they shed are payoffs for atrocities that have been covered up since Vietnam War days. — Eugen Weber

Publishers Weekly

This audio version of Patterson's latest Alex Cross thriller moves smoothly and with great energy. The story is one of Patterson's best: just as Cross is about to retire from the Washington, D.C., police and head out to California to pursue an attractive romantic possibility, he's pulled into an intriguing case in North Carolina by his partner and best friend, John Sampson, who asks Cross to help him prove that an old Vietnam colleague of Sampson's couldn't have killed three women in a particularly brutal manner. With two excellent readers splitting up the good guys' and bad guys' voices between them, the story never wanes or goes off-track. Broadway veteran Fernandez gives a strong performance of Cross and Sampson and adroitly brings Cross's crotchety grandmother to life. Emerson frighteningly portrays the villains, subtly differentiating the characters with his voice. Simultaneous release with the Little, Brown hardcover (Forecasts, Oct. 7). (Nov.) Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

In the latest Alex Cross thriller, his partner, John Sampson, takes center stage. A friend of John's, U.S. Army Sergeant Cooper, has been convicted of murdering three women. The military higher-ups are convinced that it's an open-and-shut case, but John knows that his friend is innocent. Their investigation is hampered at every turn, as if the army doesn't care to have the truth revealed, even when Cross and Sampson uncover other military men who were possibly framed for murder. Meanwhile, the real killers, who are methodical in covering their tracks and leaving incriminating evidence pointing to their targets, discover the investigation and decide to mark Cross and Sampson for extermination. This time around, Patterson's story is more personal than plot-driven, and there are a lot fewer plot twists than one usually finds in a Patterson novel. Still, Four Blind Mice is a vast improvement over the previous two Alex Cross thrillers (Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue), which were both poorly written and unnecessarily gruesome, with a number of unrealistic passages. Libraries won't be able to keep this new book on the shelves. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/02.]-Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile

Detective Alex Cross returns in an outstanding paramilitary thriller. The "mice," highly skilled Vietnam-era Army Rangers and a mysterious boss who controls each murderous scenario, bring inexplicable violence to innocent victims. Caught in the middle are military men wrongly accused, convicted, and executed by a misguided Army. With a Bogart-like no-nonsense persona, Peter J. Fernandez captures the confident character of Cross and reflects the gravity of the story's plot. Michael Emerson brings chills as he delivers an edge to the calculating, emotionless killers as they plan each murder. The background music and sounds enhance the presentation, and the accomplished readers add breadth and realism to the characters and cultures portrayed. F.L.F. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews