Cross My Heart (Alex Cross Book 21)

I will read it I like the fact the chapters are shorter.

Very well done, as usual. Suspenseful & not so gory. I like that part a lot. I read to a friend so the 2 of us are enjoying James Patterson’s books.

When you read James Patterson, you don't expect a literary masterpiece, and if you have read a few Alex Cross books, you will know more or less what to expect.I read some of the reviews prior to purchasing the book, and although most of them seemed negative and many people were disappointed, I still decided to give it a try. Boy was I surprised! There are some great villains in this book and the main antagonist, a very interesting weirdo who calls himself Thierry Mulch is so wacky, I cannot wait to read more about his antics! In fact, I think Patterson could have gone even more "over the top" with this character and I hope the second installment of the book showcases just how eccentric, insane and devious this creature can get!I usually skip through all the family intrigues that Patterson includes in his books (I know many love it, but I never really cared much for the grannie and the kids, the new wife and what they have for lunch), but this is the first time where Patterson actually make these usually, dull supporting characters part of the main plot in such a way that I really thought they were all interesting. The way that he incorporated popular culture such as the constant referrals to the TV series "The Walking Dead" also made this book feel more current to me than the last few Alex Cross installments.There are some minor annoyances that you find in all Patterson books, for example the attempt to create empathy for the deranged spree killer by coming up with some absurd background story, and then trying to make Multiple Personality disorder believable. I honestly hope that he does not further explore this storyline in the second installment, as it should have ended when the guy got captured. I was rather surprised that Patterson wrote that the spree killer’s (who was somewhere in his later 20's) mother was a crystal meth addict when he was born, as crystal meth usage and addiction only started to spike from the middle 90's onwards. Heroin addiction would have been more consistent with the timeline.Other than that I found the book extremely gripping!I am really perplexed as to why people complain about this book being the first installment, and complaining about the “abrupt unresolved” ending. Patterson has done this before and it is nothing new to the world of crime writing. For some reason people want instant gratification these days, and we are impatient. Personally I cannot wait for the next installment, and I hope he hurries up. I do agree that the book was a bit shorter than usual and that the price was a bit more than the norm. However, Patterson left me at the edge of my seat with the ending of this book, and for this he really achieved his goal. I am biting my nails until the next installment.

After a long wait for another Alex Cross novel, I am EXTREMELY disappointed. So many things other reviewers have written are correct. This book felt like it was slapped together and more like the author needed to get it out the door rather than give Alex Cross fans a novel they would enjoy. The story is very predictable, and what is even more disappointing is that Mr. Patterson basically did the same things in this book that has been done in previous Alex Cross books. For example, surveillance devices being planted in Alex's home, family members being kidnapped, a split personality killer, Its like the author just took bunch of leftovers from previous Cross novels and had "left over dinner night". Another thing in this that I felt was just so unbelievable is that he took Ava, who is now a young drug addict & homeless on the streets, and somehow she is the one to figure out the photos are edited and not real dead bodies. Yes, Ava, a teenage strung out junkie has told veteran homicide detectives and FBI agents what they have all missed. Her 30 second glance at the pictures and she figured it al out? She is also apparently able to figure out behavior patterns in serial killers due to her simply "hearing Alex & Bree discuss what they do for a living"? that is simply so far fetched it is an insult.You also have to wonder after all the things that killers have done to Alex in past novels why couldn't Alex see what was coming? He is supposed to be the expert, and none of the things that happened was anything that Mr. Patterson hasn't done to Alex in the past. Why isn't he alarmed when he notices the saw dust near his attic office? Why isn't he alarmed when he notices the plastic wall is sliced open? How can a criminal even get in his house to begin with. After all that has happened to Alex, he still doesn't have an alarm, a dog, he doesn't sleep lighter, something, ANYTHING? But no, once again someone is able to place surveillance devices in his home. And why can't he figure out he is being watched, it's not like the killer is even making a real hard attempt to hide, he is just down the street in a van. Alex even notices the vehicles, but he does nothing? And how does DNA in the form of sperm simply transfer from the leg of the suspect to the pants of a victim that are just sitting on a chair in his hotel room? The killer, (according to the expert theory of experienced, veteran detectives that have pursued many, many serial killers), apparently still has uncontaminated DNA (sperm) on his pants that can rub off onto another surface hour later. Why did the DNA wait to rub off until the killer was in the hotel room? And even worse what was the killers motive? AND WHY COULDN'T ANY OF THE DETECTIVES THINK OF THAT????This book is really an insult to both Alex Cross and to the loyal fans that have shelled out money for every Alex Cross book the author has written. Frankly, it insults our intelligence. People are paying to see something new happen, not the same thing that has happened in Alex's past happen again. Also, the ending stinks and is simply a ply to get readers to purchase another novel. I saw another reviewer say, and rightly so, that when the author has to make a plea to the reader to not give up on Alex Cross that Mr. Patterson knew he put out a less than stellar product. And believe me, this book is so far from being worth your money that you could skip this edition of the Alex Cross novels and not lose a step. Do not waste your money, this book is a serious disappointment to die hard Alex Cross Fans!!!

I think the Alex Cross series is certainly one of my guilty reading pleasures. It's one of those series that you just can't help but like, and always ready for the next book.​It's been a while since I read them, as I have had so so many books to read and enjoy that I had to give myself a little talking to and get back to them. I'm glad I did I remembered just how much I really do enjoy this series, in fact I'm the same with JP's other series to. I love the Women's Murder Club, and the Michael Bennett books.​But I have to say this is one of the best I've read for a long time. Towards the end of this book, I started talking to it, getting annoyed getting upset, wanting the Characters to hear what I was saying.​There are certainly a few hold your breath moments, and I think this has to be one of Alex Cross biggest challenges yet.​I've seen quite a lot of one star reviews for this book, where people seem upset or disappointed on the way the book end's. As you need the next book to carry it on. But isn't that the idea with a series of books. That you want and can't wait for the next one, to find out what has happened.

This is typical James Patterson - a totally unbelievable plot but a complete roller coaster with plenty of action and thrills. Alex and the team are exhausted, working constantly as the murder rate soars but then a madman shoots up a brothel killing a high profile former footballer turned pundit and a woman kidnaps a baby. At the same time you get the viewpoint of a thrill killer stalking Alex.I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was very well done. You can feel the exhaustion seeping off the team and it explains why they don't clock Thierry Mulch (or Marcus Sunday) stalking them because he isn't subtle about it. Thierry Mulch is very much a bogeyman straight out a fairy tale - totally OTT - but he makes a great baddy.Much has been made of the ending, or lack of it, but I was prepared for the lack of resolution and although I like resolution in my novels and dislike novels in parts I feel that the ending was appropriate - Alex gearing up to hunt down the baddy.If you want realism from your reading this is not the book for you but if you want pure escapism this will suit you nicely.

Okay, so we have all those disappointed fans who believe the book did not have a cliff ender ending?Well for me it did, I loved the fact that he did not bulk all of the ending into a couple of paragraphs but left this for his next novel. Try what I do and leave both books and then read them together.This is what I have just done, and found myself reading them both within 2 days, the story flowed and I was caught up in poor Alex's family life once again.The synopsis of the story is as follows:Thierry Mulch aka Marcus Sunday has a big massive downer on Alex Cross, having murdered his father as a young boy, he has a thirst for killing, and has managed to find the perfect partner Acadia Le Duc a woman who fed her own father to the alligators. Between them they love to kill.Alex some time ago gave a bitter review of Marcus Sunday's literary book, and as such Marcus has never forgiven him, and decides he is going to suffer as well as other families.He kidnaps Alex's family..............The book does not have a conclusion in that we are left with dreaded anticipation waiting for the next book to find out what happens. I really enjoyed the book and hope you will give it a shot.

I have had this book sitting unfound in my Kindle since 2013, I re-read the reviews and wondered why I had bought it, but decided to read it as I had recently bought Hope To Die and realised I needed to read this first as they are part 1 and part 2 of the same story. I enjoyed it all, and still cannot understand the negative reviews of the book. It moved a long a great pace, there was plenty happening. His family is growing up without him being able to give them much time as he is very busy, but this is the lot of detective families in the USA if you are to believe the writers.If I am to make a small criticism, it is that Nanna Mamma is becoming a bit unbelievable. But this is fiction and we would love to be this active at 90+ Read it and enjoy.It is very dark

i am a big fan of the Alex Cross novels and was thoroughly enjoying the book until about 30 pages before the end. the story of how one after another of his family being kidnapped built steadily then there was a mad rush towards the end, of everyone being kidnapped, Alex wondering round in a daze and suddenly a girl they had previously had living with them comes to help after being estranged from them. the ending was very poor, family not found but wait for the next book. its not the sort of ending one expects from James Patterson Alex Cross novels. I felt let down by it.Having said that I still love the Alex Cross character.