Product Description

Alex Cross is drawn into a bitter personal battle against corruption, conspiracy and savage violence in a chase that takes him through a vast and uncompromising landscape. When Cross is called to investigate a massacre-style murder scene, he is shocked to find that the victim is an old friend. Angry, hurt and more determined than ever, Cross begins the hunt for the perpetrators of this cruel crime. He is drawn into a dangerous underworld right in the heart of Washington DC that leads him on a life threatening journey to the Niger Delta where heroin dealing, slave trade and oil and gas theft are rife. At the centre of this terrifying world, Cross finds the Tiger, the psychopathic leader of a fearsome gang of killers who are not what they seem. When the Tiger is on the prowl, he shows no mercy to others. But Alex Cross is hot on his heels in a heart-stopping chase that takes him across Africa and finds him not only hunting for a horrific killer but also fighting for his own survival.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #545164 in Books
• Published on: 2008-11-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 416 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Alex Cross thrillers of James Paterson have become something of an institution. His criminal psychologist protagonist is one of the most vividly etched in the field, and the now-lengthy series of books has set a consistently high standard, even though Paterson's famous reliance on co-writers has become rather controversial. Cross Country involves Alex Cross in a caustic personal war against major-league corruption. It’s a narrative that takes the reader across a massive canvas. Alex is called in after a murder investigation - a crime that has resulted in considerable carnage. He discovers to his horror that the victim is an old friend, and this makes his search for the criminal involved even more determined than usual. His quest takes him into the underworld corners of Washington, DC, and even on to a massively dangerous odyssey to the Niger Delta.

The stakes are customarily high in James Patterson's crime narratives, but the author has ratcheted them up even more than usual here, with heroin traffic and the slave trade mixed into a heady brew. Perhaps the most memorably drawn character here is the psychopathic head of a group of killers, the 'Tiger'. The latter’s battle with Alex Cross has clearly re-energised the author, and Cross Country has all the compelling qualities of the earlier novels. If you haven't sampled an Alex Cross novel recently, this is the one to pick up. --Barry Forshaw

From the Inside Flap
Alex Cross is drawn into a bitter personal battle against corruption, conspiracy and savage violence in a chase that takes him through a vast and uncompromising landscape.

When Cross is called to investigate a massacre-style murder scene, he is shocked to find that the victim is an old friend. Angry, hurt and more determined than ever, Cross begins the hunt for the perpetrators of this cruel crime.
He is drawn into a dangerous underworld right in the heart of Washington DC that leads him on a life threatening journey to the Niger Delta where heroin dealing, slave trade and oil and gas theft are rife.

At the centre of this terrifying world, Cross finds the Tiger, the psychopathic leader of a fearsome gang of killers who are not what they seem.

When the Tiger is on the prowl, he shows no mercy to others. But Alex Cross is hot on his heels in a heart-stopping chase that takes him across Africa and finds him not only hunting for a horrific killer but also fighting for his own survival.

About the Author
James Patterson is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past decade: the Women's Murder Club, the Alex Cross novels and Maximum Ride, and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers. He has won an Edgar award, the mystery world's highest honour. He lives in Florida with his wife and son.

Customer Reviews

Good but not the best

`Cross Country' puts Detective Alex Cross on the most dangerous case of his career. A hitman for hire known as The Tiger has been killing and butchering whole families in Washington DC and this leads Cross to Africa where he is completely out of his territory and he can trust no one.

I've been a huge fan of the Cross series for many years, having read all of the books numerous times and although this is a very gripping and exciting read with not one slow chapter, it isn't up to the usual high standards that I'd expect from the series as they are usually the best of the best when it comes to Patterson novels, this however was just good, nothing special.

The African setting was a welcome change though as it took it away from the usual DC background, giving a chilling a disturbing insight into what life in Lagos, Nigeria and Sierra Leone must be like. There were too many near-deaths for Cross in this book which got to the point where it became ridiculous (literally once every couple of chapters).

His love interest in Africa seemed a little unnecessary too, making it seem like Cross will fall for any woman he works with, and felt like just a bit of a story-filler to bulk up the content of the story. Another thing I didn't like about this book is that it felt like it was going to finish 3 or 4 times before it actually did, making me think that Patterson couldn't make his mind up on how to end it so just dragged it on, as the last 50 or so pages could have been cut down a lot.

Although there are a lot of flaws with this one, it is still a very tense and exciting book that can be read in no time at all (I finished it in 2 sittings). Overall it is a very good thriller but is just not at the high quality level of other books in the series such as Along Came A Spider, Kiss the Girls and even the more recent Double Cross. I'd definitely recommend it to Alex Cross fans as it is a decent addition but just don't except anything spectacular.

Made me Cross
The problem is I hold Patterson and Cross to the quality of Kiss the Girls, and Along Came a Spider. In comparison this is ridiculous. Cross is not an all action hero, he is a cerebal dragon slayer. I also can't see him going to Africa, he had already retired and had inflicted too much danger on himself and family. I really don't think this novel worked. Yes the Africa scenes are dramatic and thought-provoking (I have been to Lagos), but if that is a point Patterson wants to make, he should do it in another novel. I 'cross my fingers', for a decent Cross novel, and perhaps it has to be the finale.

Patterson sinks to new depths
My wife and I have probably read every Patterson book there is, and definitely have read all the Alex Cross novels, when he first came along Cross was a wonder, great plots, fast paced with just the right level of emotion to engage with the characters.
The last few Cross novels have steadily declined but this latest offering I can only describe as puerile tripe. What could have been an interesting subject matter is treated in an infantile manner and is an insult to the reader, in fact the whole book is an insult to the reader and is quite obviously just something churned out by Mr Patterson to make even more money out of his loyal (but not for long if this keeps up) fan base.
My recommendation for this book, don't bother. My recommendation to Mr Patterson, quality over quantity.