This is the 28th book in the Alex Cross series…. 28th! Only a really good series can last this long. The Alex Cross series of books, has lasted so long and stood the test of time due to its originality and excellent writing. You might imagine a police procedural/thriller would be feeling a little stale to read nowadays but this trope is 100% fresh anytime a new AC novel comes out. James Patterson writes with the confidence of longevity and masterful storytelling. 


Deadly Cross is a fabulous entry into this series – it’s gritty, detail oriented and heavy on the police procedural side of things, more so than the immediately previous entries. This is the work I love from JP. It felt like his earlier work, which in my opinion is the best of his work. Comparable to something like ALONG CAME A SPIDER or KISS THE GIRLS.

When Alex’s former patient turns up dead, he sets out to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death. She is an ex-patient of his, and as the blurb speculates – maybe more? She was once a high flyer on the political scene, thanks to her marriage to the vice president and as a socialite and philanthropist, she lived her life in the spotlight. How has she ended up murdered? Alex must find out.

I enjoyed this a lot. It was a great read, kept me hooked, and in fact I read it very quickly. (I don’t read that fast, but this one took me about 3 days). If you are already a fan of JP then definitely check this out. If you aren’t aware of his work, or haven’t got round to reading any of his books yet, then I can 100% recommend this to you.

It’s intelligent plotting and creative storytelling, that keeps you going back each time Patterson releases a new book, and this one has it all. I especially liked the secondary characters in DEADLY CROSS and thought that they definitely made this book more realistic for me. That being said, Alex is always going to be number one in any of these books. He is the usual mix of personally haunted and brilliant at his job. You feel for him and root for him and basically just want to keep reading about his life.

The series is fab when read as a whole, but each book can be read as a standalone, so pick this one up for a thrilling chase and a bit of that old detective/psychologist we know and love.

Happy reading

Becca

Thank you NetGalley for our copy of this one.