Cradle and All

May 22, 2000
His Alex Cross series (Pop Goes the Weasel, etc.) has made Patterson a top-selling author, but his most interesting work lies elsewhere: in his debut mystery, The Thomas Berryman Number; in last year's SF thriller, When the Wind Blows--and in this exciting and moving religious thriller about two pregnant virgins, one of whom may carry the Son of God and the other the Son of the Devil. If that plot line sounds familiar, it should. The novel is a reworking of Virgin, Patterson's second novel, published in 1980 by McGraw-Hill and long out of print. The narrative features the first-person/third-person narrative mix that's Patterson's trademark. The "I" belongs to ex-nun Anne Fitzgerald, now a PI. Her latest case for the Church involves investigating--and guarding--Newport, R.I. (i.e., rich), teenager Kathleen Beavier, who's eight months pregnant but, by expert medical testimony, a virgin. The Church is particularly anxious about Kathleen's condition because the Third Secret of Fatima (a real-life secret guarded by the Church since the Virgin Mary allegedly revealed it in 1917) prophesied two pregnant virgins: one bearing the Savior, the other the Devil's child. Anne eventually learns that indeed there's a poor girl in Ireland who's also pregnant, yet a virgin. Which girl carries which child? For texture, Patterson throws in some romance between Anne and a priest, but the novel's considerable suspense arises from his treatment of the central question as he speeds the action from America to Ireland to the Vatican, complicates it with a media frenzy over Kathleen, sharpens it as supernatural forces come into play and spins it with a wicked twist. While not subtle, this novel tackles issues of faith with admirable gusto. It could be a massive bestseller, appealing not only to Patterson's fans but also to those of the apocalyptic thrillers of LaHaye and Jenkins. 1 million first printing; $1 million ad/promo; Literary Guild main selection; author tour.

December 5, 2016
This updated YA adaptation of Patterson’s 2000 thriller is built on a powerful premise: two pregnant teens, Kathleen of Newport, R.I., and Colleen of Maam Cross, Ireland, are medically confirmed to be virgins. This and further otherworldly occurrences (plagues, droughts) seem to conform to a prophecy given by the Blessed Mother Mary at her 1917 apparition in Fatima, Portugal, that two virgin births would occur, one the Son of God, the other the son of Satan. The Roman Catholic Church assigns Fathers Rosetti and O’Carroll to authenticate the medical claims, while a Boston cardinal hires private detective Anne Fitzgerald. Anne, the novel’s protagonist, is a former nun who gave up the calling because of feelings she had for Father O’Carroll. Her chapters, first-person accounts, are narrated by Soler, an actress who, though her Boston accent is acceptable, sounds a bit too young and too sweet for a practicing PI, even one who’d formerly carried a rosary instead of a gun. Reader Ballerini handles the objective, third-person chapters, which follow the grueling progress of Father Rosetti, whose Italian accent thickens during his many moments of extreme stress in encounters with a deep-voiced Satanic figure. Age 15–up.

January 1, 2000
Two virgins are pregnant, and prophecy has it that one will give birth to the Messiah and the other to Satan's child.

Copyright 2000 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2000
Famine. Disease. Virgin pregnancies. High priests. Exorcisms. Has the best-selling Patterson gone medieval? No, he's back in contemporary Boston for another one of his nursery-rhyme thrillers ( "Hide & Seek," "Jack & Jill," etc.). This one spins an allegorical tale about good versus evil, but the juxtaposition of modern-day setting against ancient beliefs just doesn't work. Anne Fitzgerald, ex-nun turned detective, and Justin O'Carroll, priest turned detective, are hired by the Archbishop of Boston to help investigate apparent virgin pregnancies of two otherwise normal teenage girls. Could these be true miracles? No one seems to doubt it, which becomes a serious narrative problem. Not only is the public's lack of skepticism hard to buy, it also deprives the story of needed tension: the faith of the true believers versus the doubts of the rest of society. The tale gains a little momentum, though, when the floods, droughts, and waves of disease sweep the hemispheres, forcing even the most unbelieving reader to root for the faithful few. Patterson's legion of fans will queue up for this one, of course, but they may be disappointed. Let's hope Patterson dumps the nursery rhymes next time and brings back his Alex Cross series. ((Reviewed February 15, 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)