Violets Are Blue

Title: Violets Are Blue

Author: James patterson

Publisther: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: October 1, 2002

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars



Alex Cross Series Book #7



When I first started reading Violets Are Blue, I didn't think I was going to lie it as much as I did the others. My first thought was "Vampires? Really?" but Mr. Patterson did not disappoint.

This book had 2 separate storylines:  one is the hunt for the still at large mastermind. The other plots were a tale about a decade's long series of ritual killings involving either vampires or people who think they are vampires.  The idea of introducing supernatural antagonist to this established series was a good idea, except it wasn’t that great of a vampire story either.

Mystery one is The Mastermind, a psychotic genius who has been on a killing spree for many years, but add an unexpected twist to the novel- a second mystery

Mystery two is revealed when two joggers turn up dead in San Francisco and soon after people are turning up in various cities just like the two killed in San Francisco. The victims are found hanging upside down, bitten, and drained of their blood. The second part of the thriller revolves around vampires. The vampire angle is intertwined throughout the book with the Mastermind angle. Cross chases the vampire killers all across the United States. Alex is assisted in the gruesome investigation by SFPD detective Jamilla Hughes and FBI investigator Kyle Craig. As usual Alex Cross is just one step behind the murderers, arriving at one horrific murder scene after another.
As one mystery (the vampire angle) climaxes and is close to being solved, the other angle heats up. The Mastermind stalks and taunts Alex by continuously threatening his life and the lives of the people he loves. He's been taunting him with phone calls for weeks, yet he can't recognize his voice on the phone.

The identity of the Mastermind is revealed and the roles are reversed. The showdown between the two plays out just as expected, a little more tension filled than the rest of the book, however more unbelievable than the vampire story. I find it a little hard to believe you can interrogate a suspect with an icepick buried in your chest!