The murder of a glamorous DC socialite becomes Alex Cross’s deadliest case since Along Came a Spider. Kay Willingham led a life as glamorous as it was public–she was a gorgeous Georgetown socialite, philanthropist, and the ex-wife of the vice president. So why was she parked in a Bentley convertible idling behind a DC private school, in the middle of the night, with the man who was the head of … night, with the man who was the head of that school? Who shot them both, point blank, and why? The shocking double homicide is blazed across the internet, TV, newspapers–and across Alex Cross’s mind. Kay had been his patient once. And maybe more.
While John Sampson of DC Metro Police investigates the last movements of Christopher Randall, the educator killed along with Kay Willingham, detective Alex Cross and FBI special agent Ned Mahoney find unanswered questions from Willingham’s past, before she arrived in DC and became known in DC society as someone who could make things happen. They travel to Alabama to investigate Kay’s early years. There they find a world of trouble, corruption, and secrets, all of them closed to outsiders like Cross and Mahoney.
Kay had many enemies, but all of them seemed to need her alive. The harder the investigators push, the more resistance they find when they leave behind the polite law offices and doctors’ quarters of the state capital. Alex Cross will need to use all his skills as a doctor, a detective, and a family man to prevent that resistance from turning lethal . . . again.more
Another brilliant read from the masterful James Patterson This book is almost back to the old school Alex Cross and John Sampson that we had in the earlier books in this series Much more emphasis on the police work and the search for he culprit. This intrepid team is called in when there is a high profile killing two people dead shot in the back seat of a car Both of the victims are know to Alex one his the principle of the school is daughter attends and the woman is the ex wife of the vice president. The media will be all over this high profile case just as they are with most of Alex and John’s cases. While he works this case as a consultant for the FBI he is also working a case where young girls are going missing. It will take the combined efforts of all including Bree Alex;s wife to sort out this tangles mess. Can they solve it all before more lives and girls are lost.
What can you say about a James Patterson book that hasn’t already been said? This author is and has always been a favorite of mine, taking crimes and turning the burner up, making them hot as hell. So, as one might expect, I spent two days reading this mind-absorbing book, and it was well worth the time, believe me! However, I must warn anyone who is into this series like I am, you’re going to lose of a great character in this twisted story. Cleverly written, this installment in the Cross collection brings three cases together, resulting in a powerful, unforgettable ending.
Deadly Cross is yet another example of James Patterson’s ability to enthrall readers in his amazing crime thrillers.
In true Patterson style, we have a number of high profile cases that have fallen into the laps of Dr Cross, his partners in both FBI and DC Metro Homicide and his wife, Chief of Detectives, Bree Stone.
Juggling family life, his practice and his commitment to law enforcement continues to be a balancing act with different facets of his life taking precedence over others in rotation. However, Alex Cross and his fans wouldn’t have it any other way!
I love the ‘readability’ of Patterson novels, with short chapters, multi-faceted investigations and his amazing juggling act, is guaranteed to keep the reader turning the pages all the way to the end and the ‘hoped-for’ conclusions.
Alex Cross is one of my favourite sleuths and he has a career as extensive as that of Poirot. This is already the 28th book in this series and I’ve read only a couple of those but could follow everything in this story without any problem.
Alex Cross is a psychotherapist who consults for Metro PD and his wife is chief of detectives. In the past, he has been both an FBI analyst and a homicide detective.
The book starts with two 16-year-olds robbing a couple that has been shot. The man is a local principal, famous for his involvement in the community. The woman is the ex-wife of the vice-president who still loves and respects her and becomes involved in the investigation. It’s a long time unclear if it is the past of either victim is the reason for the murder. There are also 2 other cases going on that need time from Cross. There are several girls from the same area raped and murdered over a long period. On top of that, rich and influential men are being shot at and a few take a shot up their rear end. When this happens to a friend of the commissioner, it’s all hands on deck.
That’s a lot of things to investigate. I’ve got to say that in this story there’s more slowly evolving, hard grafting policework than elaborate psychological theories.
Patterson is famous for his short sharp chapters that turn out to be a real honeytrap for me. When taking a book to bed, it’s far too tempting to read just that one extra chapter and before long it’s hours later. So, yes another all-nighter here. For long-term readers, it should carry a warning that we have to say goodbye to a beloved character in the series. It’s a very clever story that combines 3 different cases, emotional heartache and a satisfying solution.
Cross and many characters are African-Americans. As a European, I always wonder about that strange US term ‘African-American’. I’ve never heard the word ‘African-English’ (other than to describe a language that is, never a person) or ‘African-Belgian’. Those people are merely Belgian or English without any emphasis on their skin colour. We just don’t have this obsession with race. I’ve never heard the term ‘Caucasian-American’ neither if you want to be that politically correct. It gives me bad vibes that make me think about apartheid.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley and Century and this is my honest and unbiased review of it.
I’ve read several of the Alex Cross books, not in order and none in recent years.
At least this one doesn’t end with a cliff hanger (a literary cliffhanger anyway) like the last Michael Bennet novel I read (by the same author). I swore off Patterson after that. I only read this one because it was given to me as a gift. But — speaking of cliffs and hanging/rappelling, would a family who lost a member to Lyme’s disease really be playing in the Shenandoah amid the ticks?
Like another reviewer said, “there were two, or was it three” cases going on simultaneously. …
I like a mystery story better when the author feed the readers clues throughout so that there is a chance of guessing who-dunnit. I like to be challenged while reading. In this novel, a peripheral character tells the investigating detectives background info for hours that the reader is not privy to. We are given a synopsis a few chapters later. Some of the bad guys in the one case were easy to guess. The villain at the very end came out of left field — well played.
You will read about all of these special people working together to solve different crimes. The characters in this book are like one big family.
Awesome book. Love the cross series.
A complicated plot with a lot of characters. The main character, of course, is Alex Cross, but there is also a lot of info about Sampson and Cross’s FBI partner Ned Mahoney. All of the regular characters return and contribute to the action is one way or another. The book did not disappoint but it wasn’t as fast-paced as I have become accustomed to with the Cross books. This one was introspective at times, with some really sad parts. I checked out a copy of this book from the library on the Overdrive App. I was not required to write a positive review.
I enjoyed this family scenes in this story. The food in this story sounded delicious . The action in this story was okay. Some parts of this book’s storyline was sad . This book’s storyline was okay. I really liked the ending.
Another great Alex Cross book! Alex gets called in to help in the murder of a socialite and a high school principal. He is also working on a case of missing girls. It is a page turner as he solves this mystery!
When 2 people are murdered behind a school, Alex is called to investigate. Shockingly, he knows both of the victims. On top of that, there are young girls being raped and murdered in the vicinity of the school. Is there a connection?
Alex’s investigation has him delving into the past of one of the victims and finding a trail of evidence.
Always well written, this latest Alex Cross is suspenseful and tense enough to keep you entertained throughout.
#DeadlyCross #JamesPatterson
Now this is definitely a James Patterson novel that is worth the wait and effort to read. The last few of his novels have been very disappointing, especially any that are co-authored. But the Alex Cross series are and have always been his best series, easy to read and very enjoyable. With multiple sub-plots going on it just makes the suspense more keen and attention grabbing. The short chapters also helps, it makes you think you are just flying thru the novel. The character development from book to book is just like watching a family grow up right in from of you. It very easy to get emotionally attached to all or even just one character in this series. The emotions of this novel run the gamut from sorrow, to humor and every emotion between. That is one reason this series is so enjoyable.
Anything with Alex Cross is a winner! You will not be disappointed!!!
Deadly Cross by James Patterson was a fantastic, intense psychological thriller from the very first page as Alex Cross finds himself immersed into a double homicide in the Nation’s capital while he’s also trying to solve the savage murder and brutal rapes of young women by a serial killer in DC. This book is full of suspense, danger and twists and turns every step of the way. The plot gripped me in a spine tingling, nail biting way and I could not put it down until the crimes were solved. The ending will shock and surprise readers. The author did an outstanding job in writing this thriller and, in my opinion, is one of his best and I rated it a high five.
Fantastic as Mr Patterson always is.