Book info

• Title Along Came a Spider
• Author James Patterson
• Year 1993
• Genre Mystery

Two children have been kidnapped from an elite private school in Washington DC, and Detective Alex Cross is charged with finding them. The kidnapper's identity is quickly determined as one of the children's teachers. But capturing him is the true challenge. As Cross gets pulled deeper into the strange world of the kidnapper, it becomes clear he is far more dangerous than anyone could have anticipated.

Thoughts

Interesting one this. I’m always curious to read the first book in a new series to see if it captures my attention - but I can’t decide if this one did or not. It was a cop thriller style story, following a slightly unorthodox detective as he went about solving whatever crime was put before him. It had some of the cliches that you know - being taken off the case but still investigating, the twist at the end where it turns out someone you least expected was involved, the connection with the hunted that only our protagonist has.

But it was also a bit different. There was a sort of odd, dispassionate, disconnected air to the way the story was told. Facts were unspooled, the people and places of the story plotted, but there was no real heart to the thing. Even with emotional scenes, you sort of feel removed from the events unfolding.

And so I don’t really know where I stand on the whole thing. I’m not sure if I would read another, maybe if I stumble across it, but I won’t seek it out. Curious how the film adaptations turned out though.

Rating: 2 / 5