You can’t run.
Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington’s wildest scenes. And she was not this killer’s only victim.
You can’t hide.
The hunt for her 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. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain–they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.
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I have over the past 6 months become a real fan of James Pattersons’s work. Mainly through the audio books I have received for review from Hachette Audio Group. I have found his stories to be brilliantly expressed and have flown through his reads anticipating what is next.
The only experience I have had with James Patterson’s Alex Cross series was the movie Kiss The Girls which I had seen a long time ago and really enjoyed this spine tingling thriller. I jump ahead now many years to the recent audio I listened to where I once again came in contact with the great Alex Cross.
Let me say – I love Alex Cross. I love the way this character handles himself and love his deep passion for family. That said, the audio was a bit extreme for my taste. The chapters that featured the killer were gruesome and foul. The sexual content of this audio was for lack of a better word – vivid.
So why continue listening? Alex Cross. Alex’s role in this audio was fantastic as I can only be lead to believe he is in all the books that feature him and that is what makes him such a wonderful character that keep people coming back for more. If I had read the book I could have skimmed over the harsh parts but in an audio that is hard to do.
I am not sure if all the Alex Cross books are at this degree of content as I had stated above, I have not read them all. I would not judge all the Alex Cross books by this one experience and I am willing to give him a second try again – because I like Alex.
How do I rate this? It wasn’t a fit for my personal taste but it was well done. I hope that makes sense. It is hard for me to put down a book/audio that wasn’t an exact hit for the genre I enjoy, so I wont.
Have you read or listened to any of the Alex Cross books? I would love to hear some other opinions.
My Amazon Review
I received my review copy from Hachette Audio
Book Journey 
No, I haven’t read any of the Alex Cross books. I’ve never been drawn to them. Too many other books out there to read!
Laura
Alex Cross is a great detective. I am curious if the earlier books are like this….
Thanks Laura. Not sure if Alex and I will cross paths again or not. 🙂
I have read several Alex Cross books and enjoy the movies as well.
I haven’t experienced any audio books, though, nor have I read an Alex Cross book recently.
Patterson’s style of writing is not my favorite, even though the books are filled with action and suspense—and I like the character Alex Cross.
I like a writing style that flows, with vivid descriptions and intriguing dialogue.
Me too Laurel on the writitng style.
I’ve never read any of James Patterson’s books (or listened to them, either, for that matter), although I have one on my TBR shelf at the moment. My only exposure to Patterson’s work was the Women’s Murder Club mini-series on TV a year or so ago. I definitely enjoyed it, and Alex Cross is one of Patterson’s protagonists I’ve been most interested in.
I havent read any of the Murder Club books yet. Are they a series – do I need to start with the first one?
I love Alex too and will continue to read these!!
Staci I am thinking that this is just one story and cant imagine they will all be sex crimes as this one turned out to be. I will read another book as well.
Not sure I really want to subject myself to really gruesome violence, though. My imagination is very vivid!
Two words wordlily: wood chipper
GAH! My imagination is that way too and there were parts of this book that were way too much. WAY too much.
Pattersons other books I have not found to be as harsh and in some cased, like Suzannes Diary for Nicholas, they can be down right sweet.
Yeah, that’s pretty gruesome. Maybe I’ll stay away from Alex Cross if and when I venture into Patterson’s writing.
I’ve only read Patterson’s Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas, which was very different from the Kiss the Girls (I only watched the movie, too) and the thriller/mystery genre. I recently downloaded a sample of his Witch & Wizard, my first ever attempt at an audio book (& as I feared, I’ve fallen asleep every time I listen :-p)
I think with Patterson, he’s everywhere and for some reason that has put me off, though I’ve seen good reviews. I want to try the Alex Cross series but haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe soon…
Thanks for the review.
Jackie I really likes Suzannes Diary for Nicholas. It is true that Patterson writes many different styles and I kind of like that. I have Witch and Wizard at home but have not read it yet.
I hope you will be able to get through the audio 🙂 Listen to it while driving – and then you shouldnt fall asleep! 🙂
I used to be a big James Patterson fan but now I think he’s more focused on quantity rather than quality. He’s become really sensational in his writing, and I don’t like that much. =(
Thats a good observation Lydia…. he really has been cranking them out lately. Sensational in his writing would be a good way to describe this audio.
I’ve never read any of his books. I have friends that have though and they really enjoy his books.
Linda I have enjoyed hos other books – recently The Murder Of King Tut was one I enjoyed and I am looking forward to trying his YA read Witch and Wizard
I have heard great things on books by Patterson as well. I have not picked them up as they don’t seem like my genre, but I have been tempted to just try one to see what everyone loves. But, unfortunately (and fortunately) I have loads of books here to read and an increasingly long list to get through as well.
Thanks for the review!
I hear you there Melissa – its not like I lack for reading material.
🙂
I’ve never tried anything by Patterson before but he’s usually raved about online by book bloggers.
For the most part Ladytink I have been enjoying his books.
I listen to audio books all the time. Some of the readers are excellent. I’ve listened to several of the Alex Cross books and they have been good.
Patterson has had excellent readers in his audios and the sound affects are chilling! I do enjoy that too Pat.
Interesting comments! I had listened to a number of Alex Cross stories and had most of the early books ready to read. Good detective twists and I agree that I like Alex as a character. I think too that the books have became a bit too graphic or sensationalized. I just haven’t been inclined to get back into this series.
I do want to read the latest in The Women’s Murder Club series but I only rated the last one as a 4 and it barely made that. Perhaps he is churning too much in quantity and losing the quality as one other comment said.