kill alex cross

kill alex cross
alex cross series #18
james patterson
thriller/mystery
little, brown & co.
published 2011

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.

There is a marked difference between the Alex Cross series and every other James Patterson book.  My theory is that at this point in his career he writes the Alex Cross books and everything else he leaves up to his co-writer and puts his name on it.  The trademarked three page chapters are always present, but the excessive use of italics and exclamation points and stupid one liners from crazed villains are noticeably absent.  Which makes me extremely happy.  This is the James Patterson I love.

There are two stories going on here.  The kidnapping of the President's children and attack on the water supply, while possibly connected, run parallel to each other.  Shared but separate investigations you could say.  I wasn't a huge fan of the other stuff.  I only wanted to focus on the kidnappings.  Maybe because it was so reminiscent of the Soneji kidnappings back in Along Came a Spider.  Which makes me want to go back and read all the old Alex Cross books.

Really good, really exciting, nail-biter of a book.  My only concern is how long can Nana Mama can last in this series.  She's got to be close to 100 by now.