Violets are Blue is the seventh book in the Alex Cross series and this has to be the most bizarre of investigations. It makes you want to question what really is going on inside Patterson’s mind. This thriller is weird, seriously weird and seriously brilliant.

The book opens where Roses are Red finished (spoiler alert if you have not read it) with the murder of FBI agent Betsy Cavalierre. Whilst in what was Betsy’s house Cross receives a call from the criminal mastermind behind the chaos. He is calling to taunt Cross and the team with catch me if you can, which he continues to do throughout the book, while at the same time threatening the safety of Cross’ family and friends.

Two joggers are found dead in San Fransico bitten by a tiger, then hung by their feet and had been drained of most of their blood. Further murders occur before the killer moves to the east coast. The FBI and Cross are completely baffled to what is actually going on in the investigation.

Cross flies out to San Fransico where he meets up with local SFPD Inspector Jamilia Hughes a homicide detective. They strike up a close bond, especially as Hughes is almost another version of Cross without the doctorate. While the investigation drags Cross to California, he learns more about vampires and vampire clubs than he would prefer. The investigation which takes Cross from Washington to California will take him further south to New Orleans and Georgia.

When Cross works out who the mastermind really is he is finally has the _target in sight, he is well aware of that this could be a ‘fight to the death’. The mastermind continues to taunt Cross saying that he has a need to be loved something that becomes clear in a very complicated life.

Patterson has written a breathtaking thriller that keeps you on edge throughout the book. There is real suspense showing Patterson to be on top of the genre. ( )

Another good, solid read in the Alex Cross series that finally, finally solves the MasterMind mystery! Whew!

This slightly creepy thriller delves into the world of vampires, both of the blood-sucking type and the type known as "psychic vampires" when a series of murders occurs. These murders include bite marks and a young pair of brothers who were raised in a Santa Cruz commune and are now out causing mayhem and murder.

There is also a pair of magicians who use a white tiger (along with several other animals) in their magic acts, and they, too, have a vampire cult following. The question comes up time and again: are the two sets of murderers linked, and if so, how?

Detective Cross is putting back his life after Christine has left, with young Alex joining his family with Nana. And he once again is pulled into investigating this series of murders at the expense of time away from his family and broken promises. It's a chorus only too familiar to this smart, driven family man and his son, daughter, and grandmother Nana.

The ending takes some interesting twists and turns, and wow! is how it resolves in the end. ( )

Enjoyable, light, fluff.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it on our trip for the holidays. Another page turner. Was wondering the whole time when Alex would find out who the Mastermind was. Ready to read the next one. ( )

This was not one of my favorite books in the Alex Cross series. I found it too wordy and drawn out. ( )