3.5 stars.
This is the 27th book in this very successful series and, although I do admit that I haven't read them all, I have read enough of them that I understood the main background necessary to read this latest offering.
We open with Alex and John Sampson attending the execution of Mikey Edgerton for the crimes that they previously solved. On his deathbed (chair) he still protests his innocence and encourages his family to avenge him, but Cross and Sampson are convinced otherwise. But the dust hasn't finished settling on this episode when Cross and Sampson are called to the scene of a fresh murder. A very familiar scene is in front of them, along with a note addressed to Alex telling him that he messed up, signed by "M". But the obvious suspect is dead. Could this be the work of a copycat, determined to undermine Alex and make him question his past and indeed his idea of Mikey's guilt/innocence.
Meanwhile, the incarcerated Martin Forbes is still protesting his own innocence and pleads with Alex to help him prove it. The waters are further muddied by the apparent reincarnation of one of Alex's past nemeses which causes him to start to question everything. The body, and head count rises as Alex and Sampson chase their tails, beaten to the quick every time. Just how is the elusive M managing to evade their every turn? Things come to a head when the action comes closer to home than Alex would have liked when one of his family members is targeted. Can he hone in on his tormentor and bring them to justice before time runs out?
This is quite a convoluted plot which brings together a number of Alex's past cases, as well as continuing the stories of his family and what they are up to. It's definitely a very busy book. But, having previously invested in the lives of Bree, Nana Mama, Ali and Jannie (with Damon also popping in) I was happy to catch up with them and see how they were going.
What I am not really happy about is the number of unanswered questions and things that have been left unresolved. Having invested quite a bit of time and energy in playing along with the cat-and-mouse guessing game along the way, I was a bit disappointed by the way the final reveal went and then, after that, how the book ultimately ended. I always feel a bit cheated when I don't get the satisfactory ending I feel I deserved. I guess certain things may be carried forward into the next book but I'm not a fan of that stuff either! Alex himself swings between being brilliantly clever and downright dumb, both depending on how fast the plot needs to develop. He's not as consistent as I remember him being at all.
All in all, it was nice reconnecting with some old favourite characters but the story itself, the point of reading the book, just didn't really do it for me. I think maybe my relationship with this series could have run its course. Shame really as I did used to enjoy it.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A fast moving, hard action novel. I wouldn’t expect anything else from James Patterson. Dr Alex Cross shares his warm, friendly family life with his children, wife and Nana Mama and his work as a Police psychologist with his readers. Dr Cross and Detective John Sampson work together to uncover the identity of the mysterious M who is killing and maiming indiscriminately., but is it? Can they stop M before it becomes personal.

Okay, I’ve enjoyed many a James Patterson book and particularly the Alex Cross series. Unfortunately, there’s formulaic and then there’s repetitive formulaic, to the extent any originality is gone.
I fear this to now be the case. Is book 27 a good few too many? I think so.

I continue to enjoy the family and the Dave of Alex Cross, but, this just felt very ‘same old’ and I found myself flicking through some chapters.

I’m sure there are sufficient diehard JP fans who will continue to devour these stories, but, I think I may be sated.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview this book in exchange for my honest review.

A 2* OK read.

James Patterson's long running Alex Cross series is one I have dipped in and out of through the years and enjoyed, this is the 27th in the series, set in Washington DC, which takes Cross back to traumatic cases in his past. It opens with Cross at the Greensville Correction Centre, a high security prison in Virginia, to witness the execution of Michael 'Mikey' Edgerton, a upsetting and unsettling experience as he chooses to die on the electric chair. He continues to claim his innocence, his wealthy family are present, and vow vengeance on Cross. Cross, whilst disturbed by the whole sorry affair, has no doubts of Mikey's guilt, certain he is responsible for many murders. Barely a few hours later, Cross and John Sampson find themselves at a copycat murder scene, with a note on the corpse saying 'You messed up big time, Dr Cross' signed by 'M'.

Could the Edgerton family be behind this? However, it soon becomes clear that Cross is familiar with M, in fact he has been aware of him for twelve years. Cross visits a former FBI agent in prison in his professional role as therapist, Martin Forbes is adamant that he is innocent and has been framed for the murders he is alleged to have been convicted of. Cross and Sampson find themselves at numerous brutally gruesome murder crime scenes, all with echoes of well known killers from the past, including that of the dead FBI agent Kyle Craig. Cross was present at Craig's death, surely there is no way Craig could still be alive? As Cross and Sampson chase the elusive M, who is engaging in unpredictable actions, like a kidnapping and ransom demand, the danger edges ever closer to Cross's family.

In this latest addition to the series, Patterson continues to write a fast paced, intense, compulsive and twisted story. Cross's family play a central part in the book, with his wife, Detective Brianna 'Bree' Stone of the Metro Police Department, Nanamama with her fabulous cooking, his 17 year old daughter, Jannie, and his precociously bright 10 year old son, Ali, who becomes obsessed with cycling. This is an entertaining read, with much that feels familiar about it, but still a thrilling and exciting affair. However, here and there the plotting felt a little on the creaky side and I was a tad disappointed in the characterisation of M at the final reveal, and the ambiguous ending felt a little too predictable. This is probably just me though, as I can see die hard Patterson and Cross fans absolutely loving this to bits. Many thanks to Random House Cornerstone for an ARC.

Although this is part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Patterson gives a brief history of Alex Cross near the beginning. Alex is still being taunted by a criminal M. There are hints of Holmes and Moriarty. I lost count of the dead bodies and how many had been beheaded so it's not for the squeamish. The plot does stretch credibility especially as M, a known mass murderer escapes police custody. Obviously there will be a sequel.

The great thing with Alex Cross books is that you know more or less what you’ll get! It’s a warming feeling picking these books up, the characters are the same and the family is the same loveable family that, if you’ve been lucky enough, you’ve fallen in love with over the years. Criss Cross is number 27 in the series and although with that many books there’s always a possibility that certain storyline begin the feel familiar. For me however it doesn’t take anything away from these books, I tune in more often than not to see what Nana Mamma is cooking for the family! She never disappoints!

The story moves along at a rapid pace, especially towards the conclusion. It’s almost impossible not to turn the pages in quick time, such is the power of the plot and the characters involved. I really enjoyed Ali – Alex’s young son – playing a pivotal role in this episode. What an incredible character he has turned out to be!

Another superb instalment in the Cross household and one that really leaves things wide open for a continuation in the next novel.

Is there anything left to say about James Patterson and Alex Cross. Year after year we have been absorbed in the development of his family, his love life, his friendships and his mental state. Do any of his regular readers not cry when Nana Mama falters, not respect John Samson's loyalty and common sense.
Then there is always the evil genius that we watch Alex try to penetrate his impossible, labyrinthian motives and plots. Brilliant yet again. Long Live Alex Cross, Long Live James Patterson.

I think this one constitutes a must read for fans of Patterson and Dr Cross. Spindling through cases and years past and tying family up with the detective's daily bread and butter, this was an easy ready and seems designed to appeal to fans who will recognise the old along with the new. Well faced and full of action, I'm sure fans of Patterson will swallow it speedily.

A fast paced thriller with an ambiguous ending..All the characters are great,Nana mama is my hero. Twisted,complex plot brought to a satisfactory/unsatisfactory ending.

I've counted James Patterson in the past as one of my fave authors always getting the books when they came out and loving every one. However, too many collaborations which didn't live up and just the books becoming too frequent to keep up I've lapsed and not even kept up with the Detective Cross books in the last few years.
When the preview chance came along I jumped at it and was eager to get back into the Cross world.
As it turns out the format is still very similar and it all felt comfy and familiar. The Cross family characters are all still going strong and the usual mix of family strife interlaced with the latest serial killer cat and mouse chase are present again.
Did I enjoy it - yes for sure.
Do I count these as must reads now - no, not 100% as I once did. But far, far better than many of the collaboration series also still going strong!

4 stars from me with a big thanks for the preview copy.

I do also note that on my early version Kindle it was very badly formatted and almost unreadable in places - presumably to be sorted before wider release.

Firstly thank you to net galley and random house U.K. for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a by the numbers Patterson, enjoyable, fast paced but ultimately quite predictable.

Full of twists, turns and Red Herrings with short punchy chapters it’s classic patterson. That being said I don’t think the characters in this series are as interesting as they once were.

You get what you came for, a good, fast pass story line with the typical twists and turns, high drama to domestic challenges. If you enjoy Patterson you will enjoy this book. Great holiday beach reading

I love all of James Pattersons's early books and the whole Alex Cross series was something new and I'd never read anything like them before. I purchased them as soon as they came out and would often sit up through the night reading them. Then pass them to my husband to read and try not to give spoilers.

But then I've not really enjoyed as many that have been collaborations with other writers (excepting The Women's Murder Club series and some of the Private books). I'm not entirely sure why but the style just doesn't seem the same, in my opinion. I just prefer reading books that are written solely by James Patterson.
Unfortunately there were so many coming out so quickly that I didn't quite keep up.

However, this book didn't need me to have kept up to date with the series as it is more like a standalone book that you can follow. Obviously I was already familiar with the characters, so that was a bonus. So when NetGalley sent me an advanced preview version I was excited to get into it.

The start was quite interesting and I wanted to read more to find out where it was going. But then it really slowed up and started to get a bit repetitive. I found that the character of Alex Cross just isn't as likeable as previous books. So I found myself losing interest in what he was up to and it felt like while he was slogging around questioning people, that I was also doing it.
But I persevered and it picked up and piqued my interest again, bringing in characters previously thought dead. I won't go into detail to spoil the story but it did get better and there were twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and I didn't guess the end before it came, which is always good.

All in all I found it a decent read. Didn't keep me gripped all the way through and, as I already said, not half as good as the earlier Alex Cross books. I think the character has gotten less interesting and quite tired . And it doesn't help that (maybe it's just to me) he's quite unlikeable and arrogant, but mostly disguises it as "educated nice guy".

Read it if you've enjoyed the more up to date Alex Cross novels, but don't expect the brilliance of the earlier books.

I'd give it 3 and a half stars, but there's no half option so I'm rounding down to 3.

Although this book is a part of the Alex Cross universe, I was able to read and enjoy the novel without having read all of the other books that came before this one.

I won't say too much about what happens because there are twists and turns and red
herrrings, and I don't want to spoil any of the book for anyone who reads this review.

This is because the book is so well written that the suspense of not knowing what's going to happen is so captivating, I wouldn't want to ruin that experience for anyone else.

I don't think it's attainable for me to get all of the books before this and read them all tomorrow, but I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for these other novels, because I definitely want to catch up and see the mystery entangled journey that Dr Cross has already has so far.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way the book was formatted too, each significant thing that happened or event that needed to be covered seemingly had its own chapter. As someone who can't bear to pause a book mid chapter this really made the experience better.

I'm giving five stars because I think it's a true reflection of how well written and how explanatory the book is, because I could follow along with both what was happening now and what happened before, without being up to date with previous novels. It was a gripping read and I truly enjoyed every chapter.

Many thanks to NeGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book.

The terrible formatting on this advanced review copy made reading incredibly difficult. So many paragraphs lacked spaces completely, so that all the words ran into one another for line after line, meaning IfirsthadtodecipherwhatthewordswerebeforeIcould read the actual story. (I'm sure my example shows the point!) Annoying, frustrating, and utterly ridiculous. What's the point of sending out advanced review copies if the reviewers can't actually read the book?

Okay, rant over on the lack of formatting. Now onto the book itself ...

This being a James Patterson novel, I had high hopes. Those hopes were to be dashed upon the rocks of let-down and boredom. It was an okay read, but not one that gripped me or pulled me in or entertained. The plot was predictable. The characters are card-board cut outs and replicas of one another. I didn't feel any connection to any of them and, thus, couldn't care less what happened to them. One of the comments in the 'praise' section at the front of the book claims that Mr Patterson is the gold standard by which all others are judged. All I can say is, I hope that bar gets raised again and soon. Otherwise we're all in trouble.

It gets two stars from me.

***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

I followed the Alec Cross series from book 1 un until about book 21 when I felt like they had all started to get too similar. Its been a few years since I have dived into the Cross world so when this came up for request on Net Galley I decided to go for it. I did enjoy this book and fell back into the characters/setting easily despite having missed a few books in-between but it is still a bit ‘samey’ . Alex Cross’s family are at risk again from a mass murderer, what a surprise!

There a quite a few red herrings and twists in the storyline but some of these are obvious and there was anything that made it stand out from any of the others at the later end of this series.

Alex Cross never disappoints!
As a long term fan I am always keen to read the latest Cross book and this one is fantastic!
Thought to have been executed for his crimes, witnessed by Cross, but hours later seeming to rise from the dead and kill again as a murder occurs with a note from M left on the corpse.
Ever elusive but always there, in the background and threatening Cross and his family, M continues to evade detection. Meanwhile old cases, previously solved (or were they?) crop up to haunt Cross as he works his way through the current caseload.
Coupled with the extreme aggression from the family of the executed man this is a tense and thrilling ride through Alex Crosses latest case and demands to be read in one sitting!

I have read all the earlier Cross series then stopped because they had become a bit predictable. I do love the family though so thought I would give this a go. It was fast moving and did keep me interested, but I did get lost a few times. I was wrong with who I thought it was from the beginning but I would recommend this book.

Another amazing Dr Cross book, a modern day Sherlock Holmes and Moriaty action packed thriller. M continues to be one step ahead of Cross and his sidekick Sampson sending cryptic clues and leaving a trail of corpses for Cross and Sampson to deal with. A well written book that should appeal to most people.. Recommended.

Another really good Alex Cross story. I have read and loved them all. Nana Mama is definitely my favourite character. This book has a lot of suspense and great characters along with more about Alex Cross and his family. Each book feels like meeting old friends again.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.