Cross is the latest novel by bestselling author, James Patterson. It is the 12th featuring Alex Cross, the series that began with Along Came a Spider in 1993. Cross gives the reader the details of Cross' wife's murder then years before as the former FBI investigator is drawn in to consult on a case that just might bring him face-to-face with his wife's killer.
The Butcher
The villain in this tale is a Brooklyn-born killer-for-hire, Michael Sullivan, nicknamed "The Butcher" for his cruel ways and his mutilation of those that he kills. Sullivan, a former "mob" hit man has run afoul of his old employers and is being stalked, just as he stalks his victims.
Revenge?
In typical Patterson style, Cross switches back and forth, telling the story from both Cross' and Sullivan's perspectives. We learn of Sullivan's horrible childhood and Cross' struggle to put the past behind him and build a new life -- all while the two move closer and closer towards one another.
Cross, unfortunately, doesn't deliver on its promise. After reading other satisfying new fall releases, such as Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale and Stephen King's Lisey's Story, Cross seems like an adult comic book in comparsion. Patterson's two-page chapters and whirlwind one-dimensional plot lack the depth and nuance of a good mystery novel. Could it be that Mr. Patterson is churning these books out just a little too quickly?
