Double Cross (Alex Cross, Book 13)
by James Patterson
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Book Reviews of Double Cross (Alex Cross, Book 13)
Book Review: Double Cross
Summary: 5 Stars
As an award-winner American author, James Patterson went from designing the "Toys R Us Kids" slogan, to writing internationally award-winning thriller novels. Well-known for many of his detective series, Patterson brings suspense and thrill to the extreme. Double Cross, one of James's non-fiction novels, is the 13th of the Cross series and continues the story of a former- FBI profiler who returns to the force to track and deal with a couple of malevolent criminals.
The main character is Alex Cross, a former police profiler who retired and became a psychologist. He lives with three kids and has a police-detective girlfriend named Brianna Stone. Just when Alex feels good about being away from the crimes and excitement, he finds himself being lured back into it. An urgent case of an "audience killer" who started a chain of brutal public murders, as well as Kyle Craig, prisoner, former-murderer, and Cross' former FBI coworker, escaped from a maximum-security prison in order to seek vengeance on Cross for putting him in jail. Throughout the story, Alex rejoins the Washington DC police force and cracks down on the criminals. After investigation, clues left behind by both killers leave the inquiring questioning on the possible connection between the two. Could the murderers have a connection?
The audience killer is quite a scene. Imagine, disguised foreign mechanic knocks on your door about a leaky pipe you never even knew about. As soon as you let them in they attack you, torture you, and throw you off the balcony of a building. Unfortunately, this was the case for one of the poor victims. Many more gruesome, cruel schemes occur with Alex Cross and his crew there to investigate and scope out the killers.
Back and forth the chapters switch from the different characters perspectives. Alex narrates one, then Kyle Craig in another. This book was fascinating. In almost every paragraph, I could picture the scenes and the characters expressions. The author uses such great imagery that paints detailed pictures in my mind, making me feel as if I was almost there.
"Double Cross is a strong, addictive page turner. It is definitely worth the trip to the book store."
(TheMysterySite.com )
I agree with this quote completely and must say that once I started this book, it was hard to put it down. Double Cross being my first James Patterson and Cross Series book, I enjoyed it very much. At first, I thought the book would be too long for me, but surprisingly enough, I read through it faster than I expected. Reading this definitely encourages me to go out and read more of the Cross series.
There weren't really any disappointments with the book. I enjoyed every part of it. At first I was a little lost, since this is the 13th book in a series, and the first of the series I have read... However, I quickly picked it up and figured things our and really couldn't put the book down. James Patterson's use of extreme thrilling edges and nerve-tingling anticipation is what makes it such a wanting more book. I would recommend this book to anyone, and would probably just suggest reading a little background or reading the earlier books in the series first before reading this book.
Book Review: Totally unbelievable.
Summary: 1 Stars
Author of Afinidad: A novel of a serial killer
This is the first James Patterson book I have read because I saw that he is twice on the Amazon best seller list and I wanted a piece of the action. I wasn't a quarter of the way into it when I wondered why he was there. As I kept reading, that feeling grew but I persisted because I felt I must be missing something that thousands of other readers were getting. I was utterly unconvinced by his characters and the story line, the latter doing a very poor job, or no job at all, of explaining how the killers ALWAYS got their victims right where they wanted them. And his killers - god. Has he no interest at all in being realistic? Real life serial killers are an extremely unhappy group of people. That is why they kill - to try to relieve that unhappiness. Patterson's killers are portrayed like schoolkids being let loose in a candy store - much delighted chortling and gleeful hand rubbing. And the real ones mostly kill to a pattern, that pattern being part of a ritual that is supposed to bring them relief. Patterson just gets his serial killer, Kyle Craig, coming across a cleaner in his hotel room and deciding on the spot, yeah, ok, I will kill her right here, right now. Same with a girl he picks up in a bar. Utterly unrealistic.
On the law enforcement side, it ain't any better. Detective Bree Stone (Cross's girlfriend) is supposed to be the lead on the murders but Cross just takes over (how does that happen anyway? He's supposed to be off the force) and Bree is only a shadowy figure on the sidelines. No strong female characters in this book.
The ending was ridiculous, and again, utterly unbelievable. One of the characters brags that he is trained in hand to hand combat, then, after a few seconds of just that, is dead! Hello? Another character fakes death, then leaps to his feet and runs off into the night, laughing maniacally. Talk about a plug for the next book which, I, for one, won't be getting.
Book Review: This wasn't a favorite, but not as bad as some say
Summary: 3 Stars
I've usually enjoyed reading the Alex Cross books, some more than others. This isn't one of the "mores," but as always he gives us a fast romp. In this book Cross is in private practice as a therapist and is dating Bree Stone, DC cop. They are busy jumping in and out of bed when she is called to a grusome crime scene. Lo and behold, he is tied to the killing through clues. Here's where it gets a little shaky.
He's right back in his role as a homicide investigator without even taking time for a deep breath. Real life? No, but remember this is fiction. This killer is hooked on killing people in front of an "audience" and is tagged as the "audience killer." Quite a bit about this latest villain is somewhat improbable, but again this isn't real life crime - it's entertainment.
Enter one of Alex's old nemesis characters: Kyle Craig of Roses are Red. Having escaped from a high security prison (somehow), he's operating in the background with the audience killer in the forefront. One of the interesting things was the references to how Cross' career is affecting his kids, but he's hooked on his status and often can't make the hard choices.
I'm not going into lots of detail because there are hundreds of reviews doing that, good, bad and mediocre. What I will say is that the fast pace makes it a quick read, always remember that fiction is entertainment and sometimes realism goes out the window and the improbable replaces it in the name of entertainment.
Not one of my favorite Alex Cross books, however. I would have liked to give it 2 ½ but since I can't, I'll give it a 3.
ARLISS ADAMS
Author - Twist of Fate Series
Devil's Dance Devil's Dance
The Devil's Due The Devil's Due
Book Review: Double Cross
Summary: 2 Stars
Typical Alex Cross in what we've come to expect - ridiculously overreaching genius unkillable (main) bad guy who can not be touched except by Alex. Here is yet another example of the author not allowing his favorite villains to die and we get a double dose this time around.
!!! Spoiler Alert !!!
I've mentioned in other reviews how unrealistic Patterson's actions scenes are, and this one is no exception. Brianna Stone has the drop on Kyle Craig, who does a summersault/spin flip (from a standing start no less - but after all he was in special forces and we all know how magical people become after special forces training), but despite this Brianna hits him - WOW! first time ever that Patterson has allowed one of his own super villan's to have his "action turn" interrupted. Okay, so that is believable, when a trained police officer has a gun trained on you, you CAN'T move fast enough to dodge bullets as has occurred in other Patterson books. But what is unbelievable is that Craig has on a bullet proof vest and we are supposed to believe that neither Brianna nor Alex notice. These are trained police officers, they (at least Alex) are very familiar with Craig and they examine Craig on the ground (not to mention as he is standing there "monologueing" to Alex). But they don't notice the lack of blood nor the HUGE VAST BULKY - looking like he has a life vest under his clothes - bullet proof vest. Obviously I'm exaggerating about life vest size, but bullet proof vests are very bulky and obvious and either or both should have easily noticed. All this is just another transparent ploy to not loose a super villain and have to start over again - but after all, can you blame him? Patterson has gotten a lot of money millage out of Craig and I could see why he'd be reluctant to loose him.
Book Review: Not his best
Summary: 2 Stars
James Patterson is one of those guys who writes and writes and writes. Sort of Stuart Woods, but with a bit better sense of character, and of course more chapters per book than any other author currently in print. He seems to write these things at a pace that's blinding; it seems he even makes Robert B. Parker look slow, back when Parker was still writing. Patterson does occasionally provide a good plot twist or character, but often he doesn't bother; this would seem to be one of those occasions.
So Alex is in private practice as a shrink, no longer connected with the police or the FBI. He is, however, dating a DC cop, and when she's called to a crime scene and the killing seems to involve him, he steps right back into his role as a homicide investigator, improbably but seamlessly. The bad guy is soon labelled "The Audience Killer" because he improbably manages to kill people and then vanish without anyone catching him or figuring out who he is. This is most improbable because he insists on killing people in front of a large group of spectators, all of whom watch without doing anything, and without observing anything about the killer that can be used to catch him.
Meanwhile, Kyle Craig, Alex's FBI nemesis from Roses are Red etc., escapes from the Supermax prison where he's been incarcerated. The escape's a bit improbable, and his flight after even less believable, and he does essentially nothing for most of the book. When he does appear, it's as cartoonish as most of the rest of the story.
At times I enjoy James Patterson and his main character Alex Cross. This story, however, is more of a formula than a novel. While it's not the worst book I've ever read, it's not that good, either.