Fear No Evil (Alex Cross, 29)

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Alex Cross enters the final battle with the all-knowing genius who has stalked him and his family for years. I picked this one up and realized how much I enjoy this series and will go back to read the ones I have missed. Dr Alex Cross and his long-time best friend Detective John Sampson were preparing for their long-awaited break, a camp-out and hike, riding the rapids, entering on horseback, in the Montana wilderness, well known for the bear that lived there. In the twenty-seven years following, there have been some good (and excellent) adventures and some less-than-stellar outings along the way, but I generally looked forward to the end of each year when another Alex Cross adventure was published.

That being said, thirty novels may be a sign that Cross should enjoy time with the family and let the likes of Bennett and Boxer, other stalwart Patterson detectives, take the reins and keep things going. He’s not on the job, but on a personal mission—until he’s attacked by two rival teams of assassins, controlled by the same mastermind who has stalked Alex and his family for years. Really it is all delightful nonsense but the baddies are bad, the main characters face terrible odds but always win in the end, and reading the book is one of the better ways to pass a few hours of the day.

All the while Patterson teases with the elusive identity of his main antagonist and why they would be targeting Cross. Others may disagree, and I welcome it, but I am left wondering if it’s time to stop and let others fight crime. One of the better (and more reliable) series by JP, and if, like me, you've read the other 28, there is no way you will be giving up anytime soon on the series, despite the odd stumble in the Cross series. The last few Alex Cross books I’ve really enjoyed because they felt like ones from earlier in the series. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers.

They are told that they are being watched and before then can get a grip on what to do or where to turn, bodies begin to pile up. An old enemy of Alex and Sampson, ‘M’ starts to send them texts letting them know he’s watching them. The ending is great, all questions answered but it left off at a part that made me really want to read the next one. One if the challenges with reading Patterson is that you have to suspend your disbelief at times because the action scenes and storylines are a bit unrealistic. Instead, Patterson went with a reveal after the fact approach which I felt like was a missed opportunity to develop Ali directly.He has written many other number one bestsellers including collaborations with President Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, stand-alone thrillers and non-fiction. While some authors can use their name to sell a book, I cringe at that, as the reader is left wondering if the quality is there. James Patterson puts his hero Alex Cross through the wringer once again in his 29th book, and as always it is a breathtaking rollercoaster. Then, a nemesis from times past reaches out to them, teasing and taunting, leading them to believe that he’s behind it all….

I am somewhat intrigued by the ending and even if this one isn’t high up on my series favorites, I’ll still be eagerly awaiting the next. I adore the Patterson books but haven't read one for quite some time so I was excited to see Alex Cross and John Sampson again! The interesting thing for me is that this overload of activity and storylines was a good thing and also a bad thing. Cross and his best friend John Sampson are barely hours away from embarking on an adventure trip into the wilderness of Montana, away from the city in all senses. The action begins immediately as we witness CIA operative and potential traitor Catherine Hingham being tortured to death by an unknown adversary.Caught in a web of assassins, Alex Cross enters the final battle with the all-knowing genius who has stalked him and his family for years. And to top it all off, Cross is receiving more texts from his personal adversary, the elusive “M”, who taunts him and has set his sights on taking him out for good. Amidst all this, Cross starts to receive some text messages from an old nemesis of his—known only as M—who seems to know a lot about the present case, as well as the intimate details of Cross’s family and friends. She is sent off to Paris to gather evidence about a hedge fund manager's alleged theft of funds and sexual predation of his assistants. I have really enjoyed Alex Cross, and finding him developing within his family and who are his best friends within the FBI and the Police.

The sub-plots involving the exploits of Bree Stone—Cross’s wife and former Metro PD detective—on her mission to Paris to nab a rotten, embezzling billionaire, and Ali Cross’s skills of detection, are engaging, too. Running simultaneously with the breakneck action is the theme of family, friendship, love and loyalty that lends a nice human touch to the novel.She's headed to Paris to gather evidence against a hedge fund manager who is raping women and embezzling funds. The print is almost 400 pages (8:22 Hr for audio) of cat and mouse action-packed style crime thriller. This book was good and had quite a bit of action; however, it did not keep me on the edge of my seat.