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Cross (Alex Cross)
Alex Cross #12

by James Patterson
Read by Peter J. Fernandez and Jay O. Sanders

     Years before joining the FBI, Alex Cross worked for the Washington DC Police Department. He was married with two small children, and during this time his wife, Maria, was shot down and killed. The case went unsolved... until now...

Years later, Alex’s former partner calls asking for help. He’s tracking a killer known as "The Butcher." Alex is familiar with killer; they met face to face a long, long time ago. Michael Sullivan is "The Butcher." His criminal record began at a young age and his butchery has become extreme over the years. Alex and his partner follow Sullivan's deadly path, picking up pieces and pulling together clues. It’s a twisted, bloody trail of pain and violence.

Patterson finally reveals "all" in the Maria Cross’ murder. The tale as a whole is brutal, methodical, and extreme. The voice of Sullivan (The Butcher) dragged me kicking and screaming into his sickening world of death and perversion. It’s not a world I’ll easily forget.

As always there is some sort of child's game or song involved in a Cross novel. In this one, it's Sullivan’s version of the playground game Red light, green light - a game he uses to pick up his female victims.

The audio version is powerful - kudos to narrators Fernandez and Sanders for the tremendous reading. Fair warning: be prepared to stay 'til the end - it’s that powerful. Due to the mature theme headsets are recommend.

Look for "Alex Cross" the Motion Picture starring Tyler Perry

Reviews of other titles in this series

Along Came a Spider #1 [audio]
Kiss the Girls
#2  [audio]
Jack and Jill
#3  [audio]
Pop Goes the Weasel
#5  [book] [audio]
Violets are Blue
#7  [book]
Four Blind Mice
#8  [book] [audio]
Big Bad Wolf
#9  [book]
London Bridges
#10  [audio]
Mary Mary
#11  [audio]
Cross
# 12  [audio]
Double Cross
#13  [book] [audio]
Cross Country
# 14  [book]
Alex Cross Trial
#13  [book] [audio]
I, Alex Cross
#16  [book] [audio]
Cross Fire
#17  [audio]
Kill Alex Cross
#18  [audio]
Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
#19 
Alex Cross, Run
#20  [audio]
Cross My Heart
#21  [audio]
Hope to Die   #22
 [audio]
Cross Justice
#23 [audio]
Cross Kill #23.1 [audio] - short story

The Book

Hachette Audio
November 2006 / Aug 2012 (movie tie-in)
Audio book / 2012 TV tie-in

2012: 9781619694101

2006: 1594836035 (unabridged)

Suspense/Thriller

The Reviewer

Brenda Weeaks
Reviewed 2006; Updated 2012
© 2006 MyShelf.com