Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson

Synopsis:

It's Christmas Eve and Detective Alex Cross has been called out to catch someone who's robbing his church's poor box. That mission behind him, Alex returns home to celebrate with Bree, Nana, and his children. The tree decorating is barely underway before his phone rings again--a horrific hostage situation is quickly spiraling out of control. Away from his own family on the most precious of days, Alex calls upon every ounce of his training, creativity, and daring to save another family. Alex risks everything--and he may not make it back alive on this most sacred of family days. Alex Cross is a hero for our time, and never more so than in this story of family, action, and the deepest moral choices. MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALEX CROSS will be a holiday classic for years to come.

How fitting that I began this book during a snowstorm.

I loved the first half of this book. It was intriguing, horrifying, and sad all at the same time. Christmas is supposed to be a time of happiness but when a father holds his children and ex wife hostage it is anything but happy for them and Alex.

It kept me turning the page at a rapid pace and was a great read.

Once that was solved was when it went downhill and I had to force myself to keep reading. This is because it continued off of the story of The Family from the previous novel, and I wasn’t a fan of that whole story line or the characters involved. It started to drag for me even though the action was still at top speed.

If this book would have ended at the first half, it would have a perfect 5/5.

3/5 stars

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Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson

Synopsis:

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!

I notice that this book did not get many favorable reviews, but I am not sure why.  It certainly isn’t the best book that I have ever read, but it was not the worst either. I thought that it was entertaining and it kept me turning the page.

I didn’t care a whole lot about the villains, but I liked that they kept the identity of the kidnapper from us until Alex found out as well.

I also really like Bree as a character. That may be why I am enjoying these later installments more than other readers are.

I feel like the kidnapper’s storyline did end a bit abruptly. He wanted to kill Alex, and the book is even titled after that, but he didn’t even attempt to kill him. I found that a bit weird.

It was a pretty average book with a terrorism element, but I still found it entertaining. I found it hard to stop reading.

3.5/5 stars

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Cross Fire by James Patterson

Synopsis:

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.

I didn’t know what to think of this book for the longest time while reading it. It wasn’t the best and it wasn’t the worst. It was just somewhere in the middle.

It was more of a suspense novel that kept you guessing. It kept you guessing the backstories of the killers and also when a big reveal would eventually take place.

I spent most of my time reading just waiting for the bomb to drop.

Max Siegel is one of the most important characters in this book and not in a good way. It was almost frustrating knowing the truth before Alex did because you wanted him to just guess what was going on.

That being said, it was still very entertaining. There was a lot of action and a lot of character growth with Bree’s character. We got to see more of her and her interactions with the Cross family which was nice.

Once I got to the end, I was beyond excited. I wont post spoilers here, but I will put them under the cut. I cannot wait to read the next one now.

4/5 stars

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Read ahead for Spoilers

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson

Synopsis:

Can Alex Cross survive his most chilling - and personal - case ever? Pulled out of a family celebration, Detective Alex Cross gets awful news: A beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Vowing to catch the killer, he quickly learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington, D.C.'s wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim . . .

The hunt for the murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Soon they confront some very important, very protected, and very dangerous people who will do anything to keep their secrets safe. As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable - a revelation that could rock the entire world.

This book was refreshing after the last Cross book that I wasn’t a huge fan of. I was hooked from the first page.

The story was really interesting and it kept me guessing until the very end. I didn’t even guess who the murderer was until it was revealed. I loved that it kept me guessing and didn’t give it away early in the book. It kept the suspense up and kept me turning the page.

It was also nice to see a bit more of Alex and Bree’s relationship dynamic. I hope that Bree is around longer than Alex’s past love interests. I really enjoy her character and think she complements the other main character very well.

This was a very family-centric book. Most of the Cross books have some sort of family story-line. But this one had more than usual. It began with one of Alex’s relatives dying and carried on into other occurrences. It is always nice to read about how close his family is. It is refreshing.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It has been a positive in the series.

4/5 Stars

Memorable Quote: “Will I ever learn? Probably not in this lifetime.”

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