I recently reviewed the third book in James Patterson’s Alex Cross series, Jack & Jill. I mentioned in that review that it wouldn’t be long until I read the next one. And . . . it wasn’t. I dove into Cat & Mouse the very next day.
As I also stated in my review for Jack & Jill, there was a mention of something that had taken place in the earlier books that was dangled at the end for the reader. That detail becomes one of the predominant aspects of the first half of Cat & Mouse. I say this because I would strongly recommend readers consider reading these two books back to back before taking a break to read something else.
I opted to read this book rather than listen to it. Largely, that was because I was confused about a specific aspect of the narrator they chose for this installment. However, after reading the book, it made total sense to me. I’m sure it would have been a fantastic listen.
I know, I know, I’m not being very specific, but if you’ve ever read anything by Mr. Patterson, you know he makes it difficult to talk about his stories in any great detail without spoiling some aspect of them.
What I will say is that while many parts of the book, especially the beginning, are presented to the reader the way they would expect, it then pivots near the halfway point and stays there for a good portion of the story. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the new perspective, especially as it related to the killers. Yes, killers. There never seems to be just one bad guy in these books.
There isn’t too much I can say about the plot without spoiling some critical component of it. All I will say is to expect plenty of the iconic Patterson twists and turns. The story is heart-pounding, intriguing, and takes readers around the United States and beyond.
With every book I read in this series, Cross becomes a more fully developed character. Not only as a person, but also as a detective. You spend more time inside his mind as he profiles suspects, and his emotional depth continues to grow with each story.
I have enjoyed every book in the series, and I thought Jack & Jill was the best installment. Until I read this one. This one is now my favorite. You know . . . until I read the next one!
I really enjoyed not only how each of the cases progressed and was resolved, but also how a specific aspect of Cross’s personal life was left at the end of the book. It was a great ending. And, as I mentioned earlier, this would actually be a great place to take a break before diving into the next installment.
Unless you’re stupid enough to read the blurb for the next book . . . which I did . . . and now I’m itching for my next Patterson fix.
Until next time,
Lisa
Because I believe that a TBR pile can never be too big, feel free to share some of your favorite reads with me here or on social media. You can find me Bluesky and StoryGraph (lisainthetrees).
