Book Review: Cross Fire by James Patterson

Cross Fire by James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publish Date: November 15, 2010

Hardcover, 384 pages

Suspense/Thriller, Alex Cross #17

My Review:
I look forward each year to a new Alex Cross novel.  I have enjoyed them since I picked up Along Came A Spider back when I was in college.  I still enjoy them.  They give me a chance to see Alex work his magic in another case and a glimpse into his family life again.

Cross Fire did not disappoint me at all.  The suspense plot was great and I liked seeing a little more of Alex's personal life.  The kids aren't in this one much and neither are Bree or Alex's grandmother.  So I guess I would say that truthfully this one is mostly about the case (or cases).  This one also focuses again on Kyle Craig, The Mastermind and he's back and as evil as ever.

Fair warning, these books are not for the faint of heart.  Murder scenes can be described in grisly detail, but I have never found it overwhelming.  The book moves fast and I easily finished it in a day while at home on a snow day.  Easy to read and keep up with, one thing I like about these books is I don't usually get characters confused.  Also I think that if you wanted to start with this book, I don't think  you would be at a loss for not reading the rest of the series.  Sure there is background, but I believe it can be read as a stand-alone. (But I highly recommend the rest of the series, especially the beginning books).

So if you have missed Alex, or want to be introduced to Alex Cross, Cross Fire is a great book.  A quick easy suspenseful read and I never guessed where the ending was going.  I'm now ready for the next installment.

My rating: 4.0/5.0

About the Book:
Wedding bells ring
Detective Alex Cross and Bree's wedding plans are put on hold when Alex is called to the scene of the perfectly executed assassination of two of Washington D.C.'s most corrupt: a dirty congressmen and an underhanded lobbyist. Next, the elusive gunman begins picking off other crooked politicians, sparking a blaze of theories--is the marksman a hero or a vigilante?

A murderer returns

The case explodes, and the FBI assigns agent Max Siegel to the investigation. As Alex and Siegel battle over jurisdiction, the murders continue. It becomes clear that they are the work of a professional who has detailed knowledge of his victims' movements--information that only a Washington insider could possess.

Caught in a lethal cross fire

As Alex contends with the sniper, Siegel, and the wedding, he receives a call from his deadliest adversary, Kyle Craig. The Mastermind is in D.C. and will not relent until he has eliminated Cross and his family for good. With a supercharged blend of action, deception, and suspense, Cross Fire is James Patterson's most visceral and exciting Alex Cross novel ever.

About the Author (from the Goodreads.com):

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure,...moreJames Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977, James Patterson's books have sold more than 180 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

Website


***I received this book from my local library.  I was not compensated in any way.  I do not receive money for my amazon links since I live in NC (something about some law), so they are up purely for my readers to have a place to check out the book.***