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Roses Are Red cover art

Roses Are Red

Written by: James Patterson
Narrated by: Peter Jay Fernandez
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Publisher's Summary

A brilliant criminal known only as the Mastermind orchestrates a series of bank robberies that are notable for their very precise demands - and their explosive violence when the demands are not met exactly. Detective Alex Cross takes on the case and recognizes that a particular kind of criminal mind is at work. But before he gets near identifying a suspect, the Mastermind pulls off the most outrageous kidnapping scheme in U.S. history - and walks away with the largest ransom ever paid.

But money is not enough. Alex Cross' investigation has gotten under the Mastermind's skin, and he makes it his personal goal to take revenge on Cross' entire team, one person at a time - before coming after Cross himself.

Amid all this, Cross' relationship with his girlfriend Christine is falling apart because of her fears about his work, and his beloved daughter Jannie is hospitalized with unexplained seizures. The pressure rises on every front, until an explosive, shocking climax in which the Mastermind escalates his crimes to an unprecedented level, and Alex Cross risks everything to stop him in time.

©2000 by James Patterson, All Rights Reserved (P)2000 Time Warner AudioBooks, A Division of Time Warner Trade Publishing

What the critics say

"While there's nothing subtle in this novel, every blatant element is packaged for maximum effect: roses may be red, but Patterson's newest is green all the way." ( Publishers Weekly)
"Alex Cross, Patterson's detective hero, is back in a thriller that is guaranteed to hold his many fans spellbound...Patterson keeps the pages turning all the way up to the jaw-dropping conclusion." ( Booklist)
"Patterson knows where our deepest fears are buried... There's no stopping his imagination." ( New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about Roses Are Red

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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performance disappointing

I love these books however they have changed the pronunciation of some names. and there must be voice I overs because the voice changes and the background sound. very disappointed with the consistency

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Clara
  • 2004-02-29

Excellent

This was my first James Patterson book unaware of the order. I found it bonding. I couldn't put it down. Right from the beggining the story was so captivating. I have since read almost all of his books and I am still quite fond of this one among others. Highly recommended.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Eileen Finn
  • 2003-03-25

A different perspective

I am a newer fan of the Alex Cross stories. It's quite possible that this influenced my opinion of this book. I thought it to be a decent suspense story, and I enjoyed the twists. Its companion "Violets are Blue" follows perfectly by picking up where this book leaves off. I happened to listen to them consecutively and thought them to be exciting enough that I'm now going back to listen to some of the other Alex Cross stories. I can't say for sure what the "best" Alex Cross saga is, but I wouldn't count this one out.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Johannes
  • 2014-01-21

Sound quality SUCKS!

At least on my iPhone using the Audible app the sound quality of this one is abysmal!
Sounds like a bootleg made with a tape recorder circa 1985.

Story is a typical Alex Cross Novel, nothing too exciting or surprising but solid enough to listen to while doing something boring.

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9 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Austin
  • 2013-03-10

bad recording

Any additional comments?

I have really enjoyed the Alex Cross series and I just barley started this one but the recording is AWEFUL!! There is a lot of white noise and its quite frustrating! Another issue I have it they keep changing the reader so you get used to hearing a particular voice then its different. At least they haven't added the stupid music to the book thats the worst!. But this is a great series and I would recommend it to anyone. James Patterson is great!!

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5 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • RethaMae
  • 2013-09-17

Roses are RED

What did you love best about Roses Are Red?

In the process of reading all of the James Patterson "Alex Cross" series all of them relate to each other. I'd suggest reading them in order. I like suspense thrillers.

What other book might you compare Roses Are Red to and why?

The other books in the series are related. It's a evolving story of the cases that Alex Cross works.

Have you listened to any of Peter Jay Fernandez’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have & and enjoy his narration.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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  • Dianna
  • 2003-02-26

Not Everything is Rosey in This Book

Having listened to both 1st to Die and 2nd Chance by James Patterson, I purchased this book with great expectations. Those expectations were quickly deflated as I found this book disappointing. I didn't feel a very real conncetion with the characters and the plot seemed contrived. Needless to say, it simply was not worth listening to. I only got 3/4 of the way through and completely lost interest.

This book simply does not have the plot needed to draw one through its length, whether abridged or not. My recommendation, skip it.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Brent Lydic
  • 2020-01-16

multiple voices

storyline is amazing in the twists are fantastic, but throughout the entire story there were sentences and sections where it sounded like the reader had returned to a section and re-recorded it, or someone else had. It was quite distracting.

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2 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Ted
  • 2019-03-10

Tediously Non-Patterson - Boring

Maybe I just don't get Alex Cross. This novel never ignited anything more than a boredom over a plot which is derivative of every middle rated Audible mastery. None of the characters are interesting. The plot is interminably dull. Cross is.a whiner... Who is laughably politically correct in bed. How hard is it to write a romantic scene today without allowing the female character to be so fully in charge? No, I don't long for a "Wham-Bam" borderline raping male lead. But this? Apparently it's become necessary for men to divorce themselves from even a partnership relationship in the dance of romance. Also I'd swear that this book contains word-for-word quotes and entire paragraphs from other Patterson books, there's no denying that there's an echo of deja vu careening around in both the dialogue, introspections, and descriptions of "Roses Are Red".

Perhaps I trusted too much upon the Patterson brand on this book to do due diligence among the reviews before buying. Regardless, this is a mediocrity, not a Paterson... Unless.... unless... this is what Patterson has become in the Alex Cross novels. Dunno, nor will I ever find out by buying another in this imponderable narrative.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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  • Lia
  • 2010-01-26

Dissapointed

I have listened to a few James Patterson books but I didn't like this book, I couldn't get to the point where I saw his characters as real. I kept thinking if I could make it to the end, then it would all come together. Which it didn't. I'm not a fan of so many senseless killings also.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Luis
  • 2003-06-15

Good but unfinished

This is my second novel by Patterson and "First to die" (what I read, not listened) is more complete. I wonder if the original book was split in two, being "Roses are red" just the first part and "Violets are blue" the second one. Unfortunately Audible does not have "Violets" for the moment. It leaves a flavour of incompleteness.

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2 people found this helpful

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