Once Upon a Twilight Book Tour -- Review: Kill Alex Cross

From Goodreads:  

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 Cross 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.

**********************************************************************************

James Patterson’s Kill Alex Cross is the 18^th entry to the wildly popular Alex Cross series.  This book finds Alex caught up in two different cases—one involving terrorism, the other involving the kidnapping of the President’s children.  Patterson also includes a third storyline involving a charter school and a runaway. Each of the three story lines could have easily been turned into a full-length book.  Instead, we have a novel where the narration moves from third person to first person and back again and where focus is not given to any one of the stories for more than a few chapters at a time.

The two primary plot lines, the terrorism and kidnapping, were compelling and intertwined nicely to create tension and suspense. Parts of the mystery were a bit predictable, but that may just be because I watch a lot of Criminal Minds. The biggest problem I had with this story was the third plotline involving the school and the runaway; it felt superfluous and distracted from the action of the novel. While I’m sure it was intended to add depth to Cross’s character, the book would have survived beautifully without it.  

Characterization is Patterson’s strong point. Each character is meticulously developed, allowing readers to experience both sides of the mystery. Readers will find themselves empathizing with kidnappers and terrorists, cheering for Nana Mama, and feeling the stress of the FBI, CIA, and Secret Service agents on the case. Bringing life to such a wide cast of characters is no easy feat, but Patterson succeeds in creating believable, relatable characters. Some of the book’s best and most memorable moments are courtesy of Nana Mama, a fiery woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. Beyond that, the interplay between Hala and her husband help to bring readers inside the minds of extremists, adding depth and nuance to the mystery.

Fans of the Alex Cross series will not be disappointed by this entry. People new to the series will also enjoy the fast-paced, deftly crafted mystery, it’s a good book to curl up with on a crisp fall afternoon.

I received a review copy as part of the Once Upon a Twilight ARC tour