Cat & Mouse by James Patterson (1997)

"Cat and Mouse", another of thrill writer James Patterson's awesome, nail biting mystery novels, and the one I just finished a few minutes ago.

Cat and Mouse is another in the Alex Cross chronicles. James Patterson has written 5 books using Doctor Detective Alex Cross as the main character.. in order they are 1. Along Came a Spider, 2.Kiss the Girls, 3. Jack and Jill, 4. Cat and Mouse, and 5. Pop Goes the Weasel. I did not read them in order, you don't really have to. Patterson will bring up past villians in each novel, but will also tell you who he is and briefly what he did, never assuming you have read any of his previous books. Actually there was one advantage to reading them out of order. I knew that certain characters though threatened in this book, didn't die, because they were in Pop Goes the Weasel, which was written AFTER Cat and Mouse.

Cat and Mouse features two killers, Gary Soneji, back again. He was in "Along Came a Spider", and a new mass murderer named Mr. Smith.

Alex a psychologist, and a detective in Washington D.C., knows Gary, because he was tracking him before, years ago. Gary has a vendetta against Cross, and his family.
Alex Cross is a widower, lives with his grandmother "Nana Mama", and his two small children Jannie and Damon. Alex is a good father, so catching Gary who has previously threatened his family is a MUST. He MUST catch Gary Soneji, he must stop him from killing people, from harming his family. Alex has to find clues, get into the mind of Gary, delve into what he knows of his past, childhood. Try to anticipate his next move in hopes of catching him.

The same pretty much goes with Mr. Smith, whom has been killing people randomly, or so it seems, for over a year, no witnesses, no fingerprints, nothing to go on.
Kyle Craig, FBI and friend of Alex eventually persuades Alex to work the Smith case. Knowing Alex is an excellent profiler, and detective, hoping he can figure out how to catch Smith before more people are discovered mutilated...autopsy style.

Cat and Mouse is a page turner. I didn't want to put it down, but at the same time I tried to pace myself because I'm not sure if the newest Patterson book "Cradle and All" is one featuring my beloved Alex Cross. There is also a waiting list to check it out of the library. ::sigh::

Reading Cat and Mouse, put me, again, along side Alex Cross, chasing after the bad guys, jumping on a plane off to Cambridge Massachusettes, and Atlantic City. Looking over the clues, racking my brain to help Alex see what he, his friend and partner John Sampson, and the FBI have been overlooking. Feeling the adrenaline, fear, concern, and the good stuff like falling in love with Alex's new girlfriend Christine Johnson, feeling the paternal love for his children.

James Patterson is remarkable! He has written another intelligent, suspenseful, edge of your seat mystery/thriller! Again, as I have commented on, in previous reviews of Patterson's books... it's not Patterson's style to throw around curse words, or to use crude words when describing the few sex scenes.
He is truly a talented, gifted writer.