Kill Alex Cross [Hardcover]

James Patterson (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 14, 2011 | Series: Alex Cross

The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high-up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark.

A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced.

As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes--one that may alter the fate of the entire country. KILL ALEX CROSS is faster, more exciting, and more tightly wound than any Alex Cross thriller James Patterson has ever written!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Patterson's Kill Alex Cross is thriller with family at its heart...It's Patterson at the top of his game...Patterson is presenting three different families--Cross's, the terrorists' and President Coyle's--each with its own darkly parallel definitions of justice, loyalty and love. Underneath the fast-and-furious action, Patterson is exploring what it means to be a father, a man and, ultimately, a human being in an increasingly complex and dangerous world." (Lisa Scottoline, Washington Post )

About the Author

James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977 James Patterson's books have sold more than 240 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; First Edition edition (November 14, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316198730
• ISBN-13: 978-0316198738
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (575 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

It is no surprise that in January, 2010, The New York Times Magazine featured James Patterson on its cover and hailed him as having "transformed book publishing," and that Time magazine hailed him as "The Man Who Can't Miss." Recently, NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams profiled Patterson's prolific career, AARP named him one of the "50 Most Influential People Who Make Our Days a Little Brighter," and Variety featured him in a cover story highlighting his adventures in Hollywood.

In 2011, it was estimated that one-in-four of all hardcover suspense/thriller novels sold was written by James Patterson, he is the first author to achieve five million ebook sales (and is expected to hit ten million in early 2013), and he holds the Guinness record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers of any author. And his success isn't based solely on thrillers like the perennially popular Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club and Michael Bennett series. Patterson is now also the current bestselling author in the young adult and middle grade categories.

He's been called the busiest man in publishing, and that's not just because of his own books. For the past decade, James has been devoting more and more of his time to championing books and reading. From the James Patterson Pageturner Awards, to his website ReadKiddoRead.com, to his College Book Bucks scholarships and his regular donations of hundreds of thousands of books to schools here in the states and troops overseas (see interviews on Fox & Friends, The Dennis Miller Radio Show and CNN.com), Patterson has passed on his passion of books and reading and supported those who do the same. Jim personally funded a major ad campaign re-printing a recent opinion piece on CNN.com about how it is our responsibility to get our kids reading. The ad has run in the New York Times, The New Yorker, and USA Today. Those ads are a call to action to parents to make their kids reading a top priority; and were featured by USA Today here. Patterson believes that we cannot rely on schools, teachers or the government to get our kids reading; only parents can make this crucial change in the reading habits of our kids. Here are links to some interviews on his first-ever dual lay down (two books, one for parents and one for kids, in one day): AOL's You've Got, NBC's "Today Show" with Hoda and Kathie Lee, USA Today and Family Circle, NBC's "Today Show" with Al Roker, as well as an interview with AARP.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#2 Overall (See top 100 authors)

#1 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#1 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#1 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#2 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#2 in Books > Literature & Fiction

#1 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#1 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Mystery

#1 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery

#2 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Thrillers

#2 in Books > Literature & Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

163 of 176 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars The worst one ever November 22, 2011

By David Winograd

Format:Kindle Edition

I have been a constant reader of every Alex Cross book since the beginning and am a major fan.
They are usually exciting and great entertainment for a few hours. I really look forward to them.

But then comes this stinker.
The plot seems like cheap cardboard. I was one step ahead of every twist and I'm usually far from that good.
The character development was nil.
The home backstory that I always enjoy was reduced to tossing in a random girl, a hardly filled out charter school and leaving it at that.

Alex, who is brilliant, bumbled his way through the book and the villain, who doesn't hold a candle to Kyle Craig or even Gary Seneji, is reputed to be really smart and Alex can't get a take on him. I didn't buy it for a minute.

The terrorist villains were even more cardboard.

It seemed to me that this was the sort of outline that Patterson would give to one of his factory workers to turn it into something palatable. The major plot points were there, but the color was sorely missing.

Maybe Patterson is trying out a new marketing strategy of a series of "write your own Alex Cross book" since that what this one seemed to me. It was nothing more than notes for a potentially good book.

Alex seemed weak and nasty.
Nana seemed even too strident for her usual over-the-top portrayal.
The kids got short shrift.
Sampson was there for as place holder.

We deserve better.
Lots better.

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Flat November 17, 2011

By Roberto411

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

The last few books I have read were all missing something. When I picked up my first James Patterson book I could not put it down. The story lines were great. Each chapter begged you to read the next. Now I think that Mr. Patterson is writing too many books too fast. They all start out strong but seem to fizzle in the end. I am not so eager to run out and purchase his next book. I really enjoyed reading his books and now feel very disappointed. So I ask respectfully, please slow down.

107 of 118 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Almost - time for a new direction? September 20, 2011

By J.C.Coles

Format:Kindle Edition

Almost, in that much like THE TRIAL, which I read not long ago, KILL ALEX CROSS threatens to be excellent but only manages to be average at best. As with THE TRIAL the subject matter is engrossing and the storyline potentially epic but somehow just not given the full justice it deserves. I felt that a lot of the story was just skimmed over and the reader was left to make up the detail themselves. The President's children being kidnapped and an impending terrorist attack are dealt with by Alex as if he is taking a walk in the park rather than dealing with two national emergencies at once. Even the violence seems to have been thinned out and lacking in any emotional intensity.

Another reviewer said that they couldn't put their finger on what was missing, I think I can, time and effort. Patterson's chapters seem to have got shorter and shorter to the point of ridiculousness. I think this is more to add page numbers to the novels than a ploy to speed up the pace. It seems that quantity may have replaced quality, which is backed up by the number of co-writers Patterson seems to be working with.

I love the Alex Cross character and series but found this just didn't make the grade I'm afraid. Maybe it's time for a new direction? Either that or add another 100 pages and fill in the blanks!