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Critic's Corner
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"There was an improbable murder story told about the Wolf that had made its way into police lore and then spread quickly from Washington to New York to London and to Moscow. No one knew if it was actually the Wolf. But it was never officially disproved, and it was consistent with other outrageous incidents in the Russian gangster's life." According to the story, the Wolf bought his way inside the high-security supermax prison in Florence, Colorado with the sole purpose of meeting don Augustino "Little Gus Palumbo" After they talked, the Wolf leaned forward and grabbed Little Gus's head. "The Wolf twisted it powerfully, and the gangster's neck broke with a loud, clear snap." The next morning Little Gus's body was found in his cell. Nearly every bone in his body had been broken. In the Moscow underworld, this symbolic kind of murder was known as . . . Zamochit. This type of killing signified complete and total dominance by the attacker. No one knew how The Wolf managed this feat, but everyone knew The Wolf was boldly stating that he was now the godfather." Patterson's powerful opening to his latest Alex Cross thriller assures readers they are in for yet another story full of plot surprises and a balanced mix of intrigue. Alex Cross's first case since joining the FBI has his new colleagues stymied. Not only do they have a mob boss murdered, but suddenly across the country, men and women are being abducted in broad daylight and disappearing completely. Mrs. Elizabeth Connally, a Claudia Schiffer look-alike and mother of three, was taken from an Atlanta shopping mall parking lot. It seems that Connally had struck some pervert's fancy and she'd been purchased for the sum of $150,000. Alex is taken from his orientation classes at Quantico and flown to Atlanta. The Supervisor wants Alex on this case. Wyatt Walsh, an agent from D.C., boarded Alex's plane carrying two volumes of case notes. "There's been a kidnapping... the wife of a judge, which makes it federal. More important, she isn't the first," Walsh says. Other disappearances have taken place in Texas, Massachusetts, Florida and Arkansas. Only one ransom demand had been made. The other cases provided no contacts, no ransom demands, and no clues. The people just disappeared into thin air for no apparent reason. They were not runners, most were happy, well-adjusted folks, but all were either beautiful or handsome. We learn that currently some 220 women were listed as missing in the United States. At least seven had been linked by the bureau to "white slavery rings." Women in their 20's and 30's were in high demand in certain circles. The sales were to the Middle East or to Japan. The Atlanta Police caught a break in the Connolly case. Two teens saw a man and a woman grab Connolly. No team had been spotted at the other abductions. This clue ultimately assists the FBI in tracking down Slava and Zoya, who turn out to be connected to the Russian Mafiya. Then, another break comes when a 14-year-old computer hacker makes her way into a secured chat room called "The Wolf's Den." Lili Olsen watched the forbidden chat, saw chatters who called themselves: Sterling, Mr. Potter, The Art Director, Sphinx, Marvel, and The Wolf. Were these guys friends, freaks, or sick old men? Lili doesn't know, but she knew she had to report what she'd seen on the screen to the police. She realizes that the men in this hideous encrypted computer chat room are paying fortunes to someone to snatch women who fit their fantasies. Meanwhile, the elusive Wolf hides in plain sight. This modern-day Godfather is believed to be a 47-year-old Russian now living in America. He's rumored to be fearless, hands-on, into everything from weapon sales, extortion, and drugs to legitimate businesses such as banking and venture capital. No one knows his true identity, or his American name, or where he lives. He's clever, invisible, safe from the FBI and anybody else who might be looking for him. Is it possible a child will bring down this diabolical criminal? The story weaves in and out of the victims' minds, the criminals' minds, and Alex Cross's mind. Chapters are short, tense, and each is important, and filled with revelations that push the story forward. Each turn of events presents so many twists, blind alleys, aliases, and vortexes no reader could be faulted if their head feels like a whirling dervish. All of the above and there is domestic drama for Alex Cross, too, as the mother of his young son, Alex, decides that she wants the boy back. Enough angst exists for every character in the book to drive each of them out of their minds. But Alex's personal life takes a hit like no other. As I read the last two chapters my final thought was—what a revolting turn of events. Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Everyone, that's who! Not only afraid, but very afraid and with good reason. Copyright November 22, 2003 Patricia Ann Jones, all rights reserved
Jones is a published writer and book reviewer for Tulsa World newspaper. To comment on this review you may email pattij777@aol.com |
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The Big Bad Wolf:
A Novel
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Disclaimer
The information compiled on this site is Copyright 1999-2012 by Attard Communications, Inc. and by the individual authors. |
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