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Cross is one of the best James Patterson books that I’ve read in a very long time. At last, Patterson decides to help his faithful readers by tying up a few loose ends from previous books.
Once again, we’re thrown into a story with Alex Cross, former D.C. policeman turned FBI agent. Alex lost his wife, Maria, years ago when she was murdered before his eyes, and he was left to raise his children with the help of his grandmother, Nana Mama. Alex has had a third child since Maria’s death—and Nana Mama has nagged Alex for years to choose a different profession for the sake of the children—but he’s never really gotten over the loss of Maria.
In this story, Alex is working on several tough cases. He’s continually being pulled away from his family and his commitments to them for his job. Then Alex takes a surprising turn and resigns from the FBI.
Alex opens a psychology office and begins seeing patients, but he’s soon drawn back into the latest serial murder/rape case involving a man known as The Butcher. Alex’s best friend, John Sampson, is still a D.C. detective, and while working on a serial rape case, Sampson finds out information that may finally help to identify Maria’s killer. Alex is thrown into the case, and he finds many similarities to situations that were going on around the time of Maria’s death.
Though he once worked for the mob, Michael Sullivan, a.k.a. The Butcher, finds himself in a terrible position when the mob boss dies and his son, Mob Boss, Jr., decides to end The Butcher’s dealings.
Alex and Sampson slowly begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together, and the clues begin to lead them to Sullivan. At the same time, the mob also has it out for Sullivan, and things continue to get harried from there.
Cross is a fabulous book. Patterson has a true talent for telling a good story, building his characters, and stringing the reader along from storyline to storyline with a smooth transition. He also has a skill for keeping the reader entranced in the story and finishing with his trademark open ending, giving some conclusion but always leaving some questions unanswered—and leaving his readers wanting more.
If you’re an Alex Cross fan—or you simply love a good mystery—then this is one you can’t resist. Rush out and order it now. You’ll be glad that you did.
