Cross

When in need of a good "page turner" novel, James Patterson's Alex Cross series is always a safe bet for me. The books may not be "Great Literature," but they are well-crafted and suspenseful, filled with effective plot twists and peopled with interesting, well-drawn, complex characters.

This particular installment of the series finds Alex Cross back in private practice after resigning from the FBI. But just when it seems that his days of crime-fighting are over, he is faced with the possibility of finally catching his wife's killer. And, with the help of his old D.C. police partner, John Sampson, the hunt is on!

Both Cross and his current nemesis are plagued by memories. Cross is lost in memories of Maria, who died in his arms over a show more decade prior. She was the woman who brought out the very best in Alex, and he cannot let go of her memory. His adversary, Michael Sullivan (AKA: the Butcher), is haunted and tormented by memories of his father -- the sadistic monster whose abuse made Michael the twisted, psychopathic killer that he is.

As usual in the Alex Cross series, the story is fast-paced and suspenseful. The characters are believable and multi-dimensional. And there are always surprises in store for the reader. show less

I loved the movie, but I'm glad I read the book because it didn't disappoint. Alex Cross is such a great character. One thing that stuck out is the plot, or circumstances that he was placed him. I kept asking myself how is he going to catch the killer? Will he avenge her or let justice stand? Those are difficult questions to answer when a sadistic serial killer murders your wife.

I really enjoyed this Alex Cross book. Alex resigns from the FBI and starts up his own practice. However he gets called in on a case as its linked to the murder of his wife Maria. What I liked about this book the most was the information provided about Maria. From the 1st book, we've known she was killed but this book gives us the background info. I read this in 12 hours and am about to start Double Cross.

Having been a long-time fan of the Alex Cross series, I was eager to open up my copy of CROSS. A lot of what I love about the series and Patterson's writing were inside the pages of this book: short chapters, straight-to-the-point dialogue, a fast-moving plot. The only problem is that the plot, in general, left me wanting to yell at someone.

I can overlook the fact that Alex Cross's wife apparently didn't die the way he had originally stated. I can even overlook the fact that after fourteen years and several other relationships (one that even ended in producing a son), Alex now seems obsessed with "getting over" his long-dead wife.

What I couldn't overlook was the fact that with this book, besides being a detailed description of his show more wife's murder and Alex's new committment to finding her killer, there's not a whole lot else there. The Alex in this book is moody, melancholy, and totally anti-Alex Cross to the point that I wasn't even sure, halfway through the book, that I was reading about the same character.

He's not the only one, though. His children, his friends, and even dear old Nana Mama are all acting out of character--and not in good ways.

Sure, the "mystery and suspense" part of the story is a pretty good one. Patteron's writing style is always a welcome change to me.

CROSS, though, is one Alex Cross story I could have done without. show less

I really enjoyed this book as I have the rest of his. There were a couple of times I wondered if I did like this book as much but stuck it out through those small sections. This book delves into a side of Alex and John that we haven't seen yet as Alex tries to catch the man who killed his wife 10 years ago. We get the details of her death and how Alex has dealt with it. He is at a point in his life where he truly wants to move on but he feels he needs to solve her case first. Fabulous surprises towards the end that had me commenting out loud and getting my co-worker to ask what I was talking about. A very good read. I am now looking forward to the next book in this series.

Less frantic that most of the Cross novels, this entry has more content and storyline than usual. It's a story piece, following Alex's departure from the FBI, whilst his past comes back to haunt him, offering the potential of closure for a theme that has run across all the novels so far. The narrative is denser than all the previous entries too, with smaller text and a few longer chapters. That said, the usual breakneck speed of chapters is still present in the main, thus Cross still remains both easy to consume or read in small bites, whichever suits the reader. There's a more graphic feel to the sexual and violent sequences too, Patterson is hitting hard with Cross, even though the subdued pace takes the edge off some of the tension. show more A good entry in the series, although his break from the norm actually reduces the impact. show less

Cross is the twelfth book in the Alex Cross series and is just as gripping as the previous books and the development of Cross even further. As well as seeing Cross’ development we see that of his family and Nana Mama being ageless. Cross is still working for the FBI but is thinking a lot about his dead wife Maria and we learn more about her even though she is mentioned in the previous books. It helps the reader to understand Cross more.

Cross is out with his children trying to buy a new car which will meet everyone’s approval when he is paged about something that has happened in Washington DC. He answers the call to arms and attends the crime scene with his familiar disgust. It while out on this call Cross is injured which angers show more Nana Mama. She speaks to him very angrily giving him food for thought. The outcome was that Cross decided to leave the agency.

Cross’ former Metro PD partner and friend John Sampson is chasing a serial rapist in the Georgetown are of DC. Sampson is in desperate need of Cross’ input. The rapist has a very brutal modus operandi where he threatens the victim if they were ever to speak out. He then shows his victims pictures of his various handiwork. Cross and Sampson know they need the testimony of one of the victims to make their case, but the victims are far to scared to say anything.

The case also has a connection to his wife’s murder which may finally give him some sort of closure. The more they investigate the more confused becomes the picture, but they do feel they are getting closer. Cross and Sampson feel that they are finally getting answers, and that closure may actually happen for them both.

This is a rollercoaster of a ride clichéd as it is, it is true! This is a gripping read and you can understand the dilemma in Cross’ life. show less