Cat & Mouse By James Patterson Pages 1-51

   The novel Cat and Mouse starts out by talking about two killers, one in Washington D.C. and the other in London. The Killer in Washington D.C. has come to kill the protagonist Alex Cross. In the Prologue of the book Gary Soneji, the Murderer in D.C., is inside Alex Cross's house. Also, in the Prologue there is mention of the second killer, "Mr. Smith", and in the prologue he is actually already killing a man named Drew Cabot in London. In the first part of the book called "Train Station Murders" it gives some background on the killer Gary Soneji. In some of the chapters that Gary Soneji is narrating, he talks about how he was only nine years old when he was shooting rifles. As a boy, Gary was obsessed with the "crimes of the century." Also when he was only fifteen he buried his first murder victim and the body still was not found.  Gary was fascinated with cats. He said that he enjoyed the way they stalked their prey. Gary also gave a cat to Alex Cross, almost symbolizing that Gary was stalking Alex. Gary Soneji went into Union Station planning on opening fire on hundreds of travelers. In Union Station Gary set up his browning rifle inside of an anteroom, and shot and killed his first victim within seconds of each other. During this shooting, detective Alex Cross and his partner Sampson were called into Union Station to try and end this conflict. As they got to the scene of the crime, the Browning rifle was still going off and Alex could see about four dead bodies. As Alex and his partner Sampson made their way up to where they believed the shots were coming from,  Gary was already gone. Then the book switches perspectives, and it shows how Gary has already escaped long ago.  He actually runs into Alex Cross, but Alex does not even notice Gary. Gary escapes because he takes a Metroliner from Union station, and he gets caught at a police checkpoint.  He is able to produce a fake identification and walks free.

    I felt a little bit uncomfortable by Gary Soneji's character. In the first chapter when Gary Soneji is in the Cross's house, he was going through all of their clothes and was putting his face close to them and was smelling their clothes to try and figure out their distinct scent. Also, how it was described in the book that as a child Gary called himself the pet assassin because he would shoot and kill neighborhood pets from the woods. I did not completely understand why Alex Cross would take in a cat given to him by Gary Soneji. I thought that that part of the book was weird. Over all I am really enjoying this book, because it is very fast paced and full of suspense. I want to figure out if Gary Soneji kills Alex Cross, or if Alex Cross is successful in catching this Murderer.