James Patterson - Violets are Blue

I'm a big fan of crime thriller type books, films, TV etc., and started reading James Patterson a while back. His main series of books revolves around the character Alex Cross, a homicide detective/psychiatrist, hunting down serial killers. The first book in the series, "Along Came A Spider" is brilliant in my opinion, it's one of the most twisty turny books I've read (please please please don't watch the film though - it's absolutely TERRIBLE).

Violets are Blue is the seventh book in the series, and features Alex Cross investigating a series of vampire-style murders taking place in different locations in the USA, and involving everything from tigers to magicians. The book also continues a running storyline from previous books featuring the 'Mastermind', a serial killer with a personal vendetta against Cross, who is also responsible for murdering some of those close to Cross.  

Now, I didn't exactly get bored by this book, but it just didn't have anything to it that I thought was new or exciting. Not after reading the first six in the series anyway - if this had been number one I would probably think differently. But this book again consisted of: the killer having a personal problem with Alex Cross (I'm really intrigued as to how often this actually ever happens in real life); another new relationship that is probably doomed; and Cross doing lovely family things in between visiting gruesome crime scenes. 

I might read some of the more recent ones at some point, to see if they start to go in a different direction, but otherwise after reading a handful of these I don't really feel the need to read any more. 

Not that I don't recommend them: they're good, easy to read thrillers with a mix of an older running storyline involving Alex Cross' personal life and unclosed cases; as well as a new crime investigation. I just feel they're a tad predictable after a while.