Audiobook Reviews: I, Alex Cross || The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

Series: Alex Cross #16

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Pages: 400 (4hr, 56min audiobook)

Publication date: November 2009

Content warning: Murder, torture, violence, prostitution, illness, government corruption
Available at: Amazon | Book Depository
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Can Alex Cross survive his most chilling—and personal—case ever? Pulled out of a family celebration, Detective Alex Cross gets awful news: A beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Vowing to catch the killer, he quickly learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington, D.C.'s wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim . . .

The hunt for the murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Soon they confront some very important, very protected, and very dangerous people who will do anything to keep their secrets safe. As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable—a revelation that could rock the entire world.

Likes: Can you believe I’d never read a James Patterson book before? They’re not my usual kind of read, but my library had this one, and it was on the Great American Read list, so I thought, Why not? Also, yes, I started with book #16 in a series. I’m a rebel. Goodreads said this book can work as a standalone, and it does. I never felt confused about the characters or their backstories.

This is a perfect novel to listen to while you’re distracted because it’s a fairly straightforward serial killer mystery. Someone is torturing and murdering prostitutes in Washington DC. It’s up to Detective Alex Cross to find the killer and bring him to justice. The mystery kept me interested enough that I sat in the dark and listened to this book instead of going to sleep at night.

The audiobook is read by Tim Cain and Michael Cerveris. For the most part, they do a great job. Their voices didn’t get on my nerves after hours of listening to them.

“It was called Operation Coitus Interruptus, which only goes to prove that there are some people in the FBI with a sense of humor.” – I, Alex Cross

Dislikes: Both of the audiobook narrators have manly voices. That’s fine for the majority of the book, but hearing them do “lady” voices made me laugh. That kind of ruined the seriousness of the prostitute-murdering.

I don’t think thrillers will ever be my thing. This book is exactly like every other thriller I’ve read: Bland writing, all plot, no character development. Everything about this book is average. The detective doesn’t even do much detecting! He just interviews people who give him the answers right away. I wanted him to work harder.

The Bottom Line: I’m glad I finally read a James Patterson book, but I was mostly disappointed.

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The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

Series: Sherlock Holmes #3

Genre: Mystery short stories

Pages: 339 (9hr, 7min audiobook)

Publication date: October 1892

Content warning: Murder, crime, drug use, dated language/ideas about gender and race
Available at: Amazon | Book Depository

Since Doyle created the immortal Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson, no other mystery writer has come close to eclipsing him as the standard bearer in crime fiction. A brilliant London-based "consulting detective," Holmes is famous for his intellectual prowess and renowned for his skillful use of astute observation, deductive reasoning, and inference to solve difficult cases.

Likes: When I was a teenager, my parents played a Sherlock Holmes audiobook in the car while we were on a road trip. I remember precisely nothing about the book. I have a feeling it was a short story collection? It might have even been the one I’m reviewing right now. Who knows? The point is, I paid attention to the Sherlock Holmes stories this time, and I enjoyed them!

This story collection is a lot more readable than most classics, so if you’re scared of old books, check this one out. The stories are fast-paced, plot-driven, and fairly short.

I can see why Sherlock Holmes has captured the imaginations of so many readers. He’s coldly analytical and doesn’t make personal connections with other humans, but he’s also a good listener who values mercy. I found that combination of personality traits fascinating. Holmes isn’t as obsessed with justice as other fictional detectives I’ve read about. He tries to minimize the harm that crime causes. For example, the criminal in one story is near death from a disease. Holmes doesn’t traumatize the criminal’s children by arresting their dying father and locking him in jail. He makes the man write a confession and gives it to the cops after the man’s death. I like that Holmes thinks about every person involved in a case, not the just the criminal and the victim.

“Violence does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls into the pit which he digs for another.” – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Dislikes: I listened to this audiobook in huge chunks, and I got bored with the structure of the stories. They’re pretty much all the same. Someone shows up at Sherlock’s house and tells him a mystery. He investigates for about 2 minutes and solves the mystery long before I could. The end. I wish there was more variety in the structure of the stories.

The Bottom Line: I mostly liked it! Holmes is an intriguing character, and the stories are faster paced than most classics.

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