James Patterson's Portfolio

Second outing for Alex Cross

In James Patterson's second Alex Cross crime novel, the Washington detective investigates a spate of abductions in the southern regions of the US - a killer called Casanova has been kidnapping young women, imprisoning and then murdering them - and Cross' niece is the latest abductee, giving the criminal psychologist a personal investment in the matter. I love these books, despite the assumption by many that the series is hackneyed rubbish. Cross is an excellent central character, and the twists and turns of the narrative are shocking every time. In this second novel, Patterson takes Cross from his comfort zone and creates a tense and disturbing, Silence of the Lambs-style narrative.
Not the best Cross

James Patterson's newest Alex Cross novel sees the intrepid and ruthless cop travel to Africa in search of a murderer - one who is seemingly without reproach, and perhaps backed by the US government. Nevertheless, having murdered one of Alex's old friends, the Tiger has Cross on his tail - this story moving from Washington to Lagos, and Sierra Leone to Darfur. I was actually disappointed with this book; the last few had been quite bad, but this one did start promisingly. Hopefully Patterson will pick up his game with the next book (scheduled for release this year).

Writers: James Patterson