Series: Alex
Cross (#18)
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: November, 14, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: November, 14, 2011
Summary: The President's
son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on
the scene. But someone very high-up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA
to keep him off the case and in the dark.
A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples
half of the capital, and Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash
the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced.
As his window for solving both crimes narrows,
Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes--one
that may alter the fate of the entire country. KILL ALEX CROSS is
faster, more exciting, and more tightly wound than any Alex Cross thriller
James Patterson has ever written!
Review: James Patterson seems to be one of the most polarizing authors working
today. While he is the best selling author of all time, most of his novels are
met with lukewarm responses. It has been argued that because of his prolific
output, the quality of the novels suffers. I agree that many of the standalone
novels that Patterson writes, often with a co-author, are not very good, but he
has always seemed to take a certain pride in his Alex Cross series. Because I
have read all of the other novels in this series, there was no way I would miss
the latest.
The novel begins with the
kidnapping of the U.S. President's children. The junior high school where they
were last seen is locked down, and Alex Cross, who just happens to be in the
area, stops by to lend a hand. Alex has had experience with high profile
kidnappings in the past (read Along Came a Spider) and after the first lady
personally contacts him to get her kids back, Alex is officially put on the
case.
At the same time, a Saudi
Arabian terror cell is infiltrating the country. Nicknamed "The
Family", the cell sends out teams of married couples to come into the
country and wreak havoc. When they release a deadly poison into the Washington
D.C. water supply, Alex also becomes burdened with facing a national security
crisis. Even more, he believes this terrorist organization could be responsible
for the kidnapping of the President's kids.
I have mixed feelings about
this latest Alex Cross novel. Despite the title, I never really felt that Alex
was in any danger of losing his life. Both the kidnapping and terrorist stories
run separate from each other for most of the novel, making the book feel
extremely disjointed. The redeeming factor, as in most of the other novels in
this series, is the emotional depth shown in Alex's interaction with his
family. Patterson understands that readers are connected to the character and
his family, and uses relatable domestic life to entice us. Unfortunately, the
rest of the novel feels like just another thriller with an ending that doesn't
really satisfy. I know Patterson still has some great stories left to tell, but
this novel was pretty middle of the road for me.
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