Kill Alex Cross

*This review also appears on Amazon.co.uk*

After I read the last Alex Cross book I was indifferent to reading any more to be honest. In my opinion the quality of Patterson's books has dropped in recent years, particularly since he seems to be churning out so many of them. Quality, not quantity- Mr P. So, it's safe to say that when a friend offered to lend me this, I didn't really have a burning desire to read it. However, for a bit of quick escapist reading, he's usually a pretty solid thriller writer to turn to- and turn to this one I eventually did, sucked into the Patterson machine once more.

Ridiculously short chapters? Check. Fast-paced plot? Check (probably to do with the short chapters, that one). Terrorism plots, kidnap and /or show more murder in a big city area? Check. Alex Cross strolling in to save the day with elevated risk/mortal peril towards his own life and family situation? Check. There we have it folks, a James Patterson book in a nutshell.

Forgive me for being so cynical, and I genuinely do love his earlier books- honest. Some of them are undoubtedly some of the best thrillers I have ever read, actually. I just take a Patterson book nowadays with a pinch of salt, which I did with this one. And it's not too bad overall- a terrorism threat hits Washington DC, the President's kids are kidnapped and Cross is called in to save the day. That's about it.

The writing is decent, but not brilliant, not like his earlier books. Character development is only so-so (Patterson seems to take it for granted that the reader will know who is who with the established characters in the series and forgets to elaborate on the newer ones) and I did feel a sense of place about this novel having visited DC in the past. The novel is wrapped up pretty neatly and that is that.

It's interesting that in this novel the infamous `Gary Soneji' case is referenced quite so much. For me, the earlier Cross novels, including those featuring Soneji, far outstrip all of his newer ones (including the ones he co-writes with less famous authors) and though I enjoyed this one enough, this was no exception. Will the newer Patterson novels *ever* have the prestige, infinite readability and brilliance that his earlier ones did? Only time will tell.

All in all, not a bad effort and a good bit of `switch your brain off' reading, but nothing to get too excited about. I only hope that Patterson gets his finger out and puts more effort into making this series better, or at least making it go out with a bang. It pains me to say it, but like the author, Alex Cross just ain't what he used to be. If you are a first time Patterson reader then please head towards his earlier stuff instead (`Along Came a Spider' for example) and you won't be disappointed: trust me. show less

Typical James Patterson, typical Alex Cross.
I'd actually been away from the Cross series for a bit and this was a nice return. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with Ava, although taking her in was very Nana Mama. I think I've missed a book though or I forgot Damon was at boarding school
I liked that the First Lady trusted and requested Alex -- slightly unrealistic, but it worked to get him in where the Bureau wasn't letting him. I like the continuity with Mahoney and reference to Soneji --I found the Family tie in to be a little too complicated, but it works in the end and I wonder where the woman will show next.

Better than average Patterson beach read. Alex Cross, detective in Washington DC police force once again outsmarts the entire US Government and all the three letter agencies. Nice vignette highlighting the plight of a homeless kid.

I really liked this book in the Alex Cross series. It actually had me a bit scared. I thought the plot was realistic for today's social climate and political events and every time I heard about some failed terrorist plot it seemed to make this book's plot all the more possible. Short chapters made it a very swift read.

Okay, Alex Cross, you're getting too good at your own game, that your same issues tend to spread throughout all of the books. That is, the case gets settled all at once and is so overwhelming, after feeling like it's his prerogative to be involved with the case. He should know by now that he is always the lead in one way or another despite others' will to keep him out. At least this time he was after a bad guy who must have spent years dreaming up a plan to kidnap the 1st kids, then, it seems, to spend an afternoon coming up with a plan to kill AC. Of course, both fail, but that's par for the course in this series. A series that needs a new edge.

What can I say about this book other than it's pure mind candy! I just love the Alex Cross novels and this one was as good as some of his earlier Cross novels. Eighteen books strong and this series is still one of my favourites!

This is the first James Patterson book I've read (or actually listened to). I was very disappointed. Patterson tells two stories in this book and I kept expecting the two to be tied together at some point, but they are not. One story deals with the kidnapping of the President's children, which Alex Cross works to solve. The other story deals with Islamic terrorists attacking the US, which Alex Cross does not really get involved in. Nothing ever really happens with the terrorist story as far as solving the case. The terrorists eventually kill each other off--end of story--although one of them survives to possibly reappear in a sequel.

The crime that Cross does solve is never completely explained. The motivation for the kidnapper is only show more hinted at. When the book came to its end, my wife and I simultaneously said, "What? Is that it? That's terrible." show less