Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Book Review: Cross Fire by James Patterson

Cross Fire (Alex Cross)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):

James 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.***

The Alphabet in Crime Fiction: A - A look at author Ginny Aiken


This week's letter is A.  I looked through my  spreadsheet of books I have read from 2004-2010 to find something to go with A, because I haven't read a book that starts with A or an author that starts with A this year.  While perusing I found the author, Ginny Aiken.  I have read 4 of Ginny's books and I loved them.  Full of suspense and some romance, her books are great.  The 4 I read were for the Love Inspired Suspense line that Harlequin puts out.


Here is some more information about Ginny Aiken (from Wikipedia):


Ginny Aiken is an author of inspirational fiction and mystery novels.
Ginny was born in Havana, Cuba, and grew up in Valencia and Caracas, Venezuela.
The former newspaper reporter discovered books early on and wrote her first novel at age fifteen, burning it when she turned a "mature" sixteen. That effort was followed years later by award-winning and best-selling titles in the secular and Christian markets. Ginny holds certification in French literature and culture from the University of Nancy, France, as well as a B. A. from Allegheny College in Pennsylvania. She lives in South-Central Pennsylvania with her husband, four sons, daughter-in-law, two dogs, and a steady stream of her sons' musician-friends. When she's not busy with the duties of a soccer mom or band mom, Ginny enjoys reading, writing, classical music, and assorted needle arts.

The four books I read were:
Married to the Mob
Danger in a Small Town
Suspicion
Mixed Up With the Mob

I especially loved Danger in a Small Town and when checking her booklist out I realized I haven't read the second book in that series.  I will have to remedy that.

Some of her series books that are mysteries:
Deadly Decor Mysteries
1. Design On a Crime (2005)
2. Decorating Schemes (2006)
3. Interior Motives (2006)
Design On a CrimeDecorating SchemesInterior Motives
Mistaken for the MobMixed Up with the MobMarried to the Mob
Carolina Justice
Danger In A Small Town (2008)
Suspicion (2008)
Someone to Trust (2009)

SuspicionDanger In A Small TownSomeone to Trust\

So check her out, I'm off to find some of her books I haven't read :)