Rarely do I read books in a series back-to-back. I prefer to mix things up after reading a book in a series so I don’t get burned out on one style of writing. But, Along Came a Spider was such an easy (and compelling) read that I decided to jump right into Kiss the Girls after it. And I was surprised at how much better Alex Cross book 2 is compared to the first. In this book, James Patterson gives us antagonists that we love to hate.
Kiss the Girls by James Patterson / Buy on Amazon US / Buy on Amazon UK
About Kiss the Girls
Author: James Patterson
Publication Date: 1995
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pages: 464 paperback
Summary
When Alex Cross gets the news that his niece Naomi “Scootchie” Cross is missing, he goes down south to North Carolina to follow up on leads. During this time, the FBI and DEA inform him that eight girls have gone missing from different states. All of them received notes from someone calling himself Casanova.
Alex Cross must then investigate Casanova and his abduction ring, which he later finds out involves another man calling himself The Gentleman Caller. When Kate McTiernan—one of the abducted women—becomes the first to escape from Casanova’s lair, Cross gets his biggest lead yet. Can Alex Cross learn the identities of Casanova and The Gentleman Caller and save his niece Naomi?
My Thoughts
Reading Kiss the Girls taught me something about the first Alex Cross book. It showed me that although I enjoyed Along Came a Spider, and it was full of thrills, mystery, and intrigue…it actually wasn’t paced well. And I know this because the pacing in Kiss the Girls is significantly better. It manages to be a little longer than Along Came a Spider, but there were no real dry spots.
One of the tactics Patterson used to keep me invested in this story is shrouding the identities of The Gentleman Caller and Casanova in mystery. Throughout the book, these perverts prey on young, attractive women and abduct them. They lock them up in a harem and have their way with them. Drugging them to make them co-operate. But one thing that prevents Casanova and his companion from being discovered, even after Kate McTiernan escapes, is that they wear face masks.
These face masks become an interesting quirk for the bad guys, because these masks define their emotions and personalities at the time of wearing them. They wear them only at the harem, and they change these masks up to suit their mood; giving the girls a hint at what they’re in for each time they show up. But it’s these masks that allow the suspense to plausibly carry on all the way through the book. Without them, it would be difficult for Patterson to keep the identities of these men from the reader. And the desire to figure out who these men are, and see Cross finally take them down is what really carries this book.
If you pay close enough attention, it is possible to figure out who Casanova is before the end of the book. But, Patterson does an excellent job of feeding us red herrings to throw us off. Casanova didn’t end up being the person that I thought he was, but I was close.
Kiss the Girls features some returning characters who play an important part in the life of Alex Cross. This includes Nana Mama and Cross’ children. And also, Cross’ partner in Washington D.C, Sampson. But Cross gains an important companion when Kate McTiernan escapes from Casanova’s lair. Not only does she become a big part of the investigation, but she also keeps Cross in check.
Kate McTiernan is a strong-willed woman. She manages to escape after putting her karate skills to use and attacking Casanova. She runs for her life after this, and comes very close to losing it. Cross and Kate get close in this book, because true to Cross’ therapy background, he treats Kate as more than just an asset to the investigation. However, the end result of this companionship might not be what you think. Patterson handles the situation very respectfully.
Kiss the Girls gives us a classic cat and mouse investigation to enjoy. We’re presented some intense scenes where Cross either comes seconds away from blowing the case open, or comes entirely too close to flopping the it completely. And what makes the whole thing more suspenseful is that we never know exactly how much the criminals are privy to. We often get the feeling that they know exactly what’s going on with the investigation and that they’re toying with Cross and the other agents.
Towards the end of the book, Patterson throws in some curve-balls that no-doubt set up future conflict in this series. An old friend of Cross’ escapes from prison. And at the very end of the book, Cross is informed of a new murder, which presumably leads right into book 3 of this series.
Verdict
Kiss the Girls gives reader two slimy antagonists that they’ll want to see fall. Often in these detective stories, the antagonist does such a great job stringing along the detectives that to some degree we don’t want to see their fall. Kiss the Girls instead hooks us by getting us invested in the downfall of the antagonists. It’s a tactic that Patterson dangles in front of our faces all the way through, by making them more unlikable in every scene.
If sexual abuse is a trigger point, then you’ll want to steer clear of this book. But for those who want a dark but well-paced detective novel with a unique protagonist, then Kiss the Girls is ten times more engrossing than the first book in this series. And Along Came a Spider was a solid book in its own right. The ending has me highly anticipating book 3 in this series. My goal is now to read every Alex Cross book.
