Misfire

If you haven’t read any Alex Cross novels by James Patterson, but would like to don’t read this review!  It will contain spoilers for the series, but not for this book in particular.  Now go read the books!!

Can you believe it?  Alex Cross has been around for 17 novels.  Well, 16 because Alex Cross as we know him wasn’t really in I, Alex Cross.

So in Cross Fire Alex and Bree are finally going to tie the knot, but of course, bad things start happening around D.C. and the only man for the job is Alex.  Throw in a little Kyle Craig and we have a James Patterson book.

Of course, the Kyle Craig must return to finish what he began way back in pretty much the first novel, Kiss the Girls.  A former FBI agent, the Kyle Craig/Mastermind story line ran through several novels with the Mastermind making his appearance in Roses are Red.  It is by far one of my favorite twists in fiction.  Who knew this man who Alex thought was his friend would be the one who would make his life miserable through the next 15 novels.

Normally, Alex Cross is supremely intelligent, but there is something about Craig that makes him dumb.  He overlooks details even when they are literally staring him right in the face.

In the end, Cross Fire is a decent read, but like every James Patterson novel in the past 5 years it feels very rushed.  The short chapters leave you on a cliff every few pages, but then suddenly you’re at the conclusion and everything seems like it was just too easy.

Eh.  I give it three out of five stars.