Cross

Title: Cross

Author: James Patterson

Type: Suspense/Mystery

Pages: 393

Year Published: 2006

Synopsis: Alex Cross decides to make drastic changes in his life. He quits the FBI and goes into private practice as a psychologist to make his life a little less chaotic (not to mention safer). Things are looking good for Alex ... he gets to spend more time with his three kids and Nana Mama and feels like his life is getting back into a normal rhythm.

But, then his oldest friend, John Sampson, calls in a favour. He is tracking a serial rapist in the area and needs Alex's help. The rapist is targeting women in the D.C area and threatening them with terrifying photos of his former victims. Seeing these photos is all those women need to convince them to not utter a word about the identity of their attacker.

When the case triggers a connection with the decade old murder of Alex's wife, Maria Alex can't help but get totally involved. Will Alex be able to catch his wife's murderer 10 years after the fact? Will catching the murderer finally enable Alex to fully get on with his life?

My Thoughts: As usual, Patterson gives the reader a non-stop suspense novel. Well written, lots of action and I adore Cross as a main character. I love the fact that Patterson is able, after so many Cross books, to bring up the cause of Maria's death (something that readers have wondered about).

Patterson remains one of the few authors whom I can go to when I need a great read (with the exception of "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" which, in my honest opinion, tanked ... badly). The books in the Alex Cross series (there are currently 16 books in the series) are always hard to put down. Patterson's short chapters (2-3 pages) keep me reading "just one more, then I'll put the book down" -- which always leads to me reading much too late at night!

My Rating: 4.5/5 (awesome read)