Criss Cross (Alex Cross #27) by James Patterson
Genre: Mystery/ Suspense
Published: November 14, 2019 | Century
Swathi’s Rating: 4/5
If you’re a follower of James Patterson’s Alex Cross series, you’d know his character more than I do and this book is the newest addition to the long going series. I’ve been a JP fan ever since I started reading fiction (from age 10 that is!!) and been following several of his series and standalones including Michael Bennett and Women’s Murder Club series. As ever, I loved reading this new book. It’s paced in a rocket speed with short chapters and a climax you’d never guess. It’s a complex plot, but Patterson definitely knows how to ease it up for his readers. You could follow it even if you’re new to the series!
About the Book:
After witnessing the execution of Michael Edgerton, a man he helped convict of several murders, Alex Cross thought he could finally put the case behind him.
But when a body turns up with a note signed by ‘M’, Alex knows that the nightmare is far from over.
Accused by Edgerton’s family of framing him for murder, Cross fights to clear his name as the case against him builds.
And as more notes – and more bodies – start appearing, Cross is determined to put an end to this case once and for all.
Swathi’s Thoughts:
“You messed up big time, but don’t sweat it, Dr.Cross”, it read and signed my M.
Criss Cross features Dr. Alex Cross going through a really tough time as the killer who calls himself ‘M’ pushes Cross very hard into his past. Cross has to witness a gruesome electric chair execution of the killer he had put behind bars and face accusations from the family. Just when he assumes that the killer is gone for good, there occurs a series of murders with letters addressed to Cross, signed by M, the killer!
What follows is a game of hide and seek that’s been haunting Cross for 12 long years apparently and he cannot avoid going through some of the worst and cruel cases of his career. It’s not a pleasant journey as some crime scenes are pretty gruesome and impossible to guess what’s going to happen next or why the killer plays such sick games with Cross. Just when you start to guess the killer, JP proves us wrong and are left in the dark again.
At home, there’s Cross’s new wife Detective Bree of MeT Police and his 2 lovely kids and his Nanamama whose wit and brevity I loved dearly. His daughter Jannie is trying hard on her athletic career while his 11 year old, too-bright son Ali meet a new friend and becomes obsessed with cycling and sending spy messages to his dad! Patterson always has the knack to create the best loving family for all of his tough characters and Alex Cross has been with us for years now to know everything about him.
I totally loved reading this crisp, razor sharp, entertaining book and it has all of James Patterson’s signature elements in it. Plus, there are a lot of murder investigations in the past as well as in the present to mull about. So it’s a definite recommendation for all of us thriller fiction addicts to enjoy over the weekend. Many thanks to Penguin, Century for the gorgeous proof copy.
Meet James Patterson:
James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author and most trusted storyteller. He has created more enduring fictional characters than any other novelist writing today, with his Alex Cross, Michael Bennett, Women’s Murder Club, Private, NYPD Red, Daniel X, Maximum Ride, and Middle School series. He has sold over 380 million books worldwide and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers. In addition to writing the thriller novels for which he is best known, among them The President Is Missing with President Bill Clinton, Patterson also writes fiction for young readers of all ages, including the Max Einstein series, produced in partnership with the Albert Einstein Estate. He is also the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on the New York Times adult and children’s bestseller lists.
In 2001, Morgan Freeman starred as Alex Cross in a film adaptation of Along Came a Spider, and Tyler Perry also played the character in the 2012 film Alex Cross. A film adaptation of Patterson’s middle-grade novel Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life was released in theaters in October 2016.
