I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advance copy of Criss Cross, the twenty-seventh novel to feature psychologist Dr Alex Cross, consultant to the FBI and Washington DC Police Dept.

Hours after watching Mikey Edgerton executed for serial rape and murder Alex Coss is called out to a copycat murder. Has he made a mistake or is there more to it? A note from the mysterious M who has been contacting him for years would suggest so. As M ramps up his campaign it would seem that everything Alex Cross holds dear is under threat.

I thoroughly enjoyed Criss Cross which, as ever, is a high octane thriller with several twists and what seems like action in every chapter. Obviously the reader has to park their scepticism about realism, like how M could know so much and be so flawless in his planning and execution, on page one and go with the flow. It’s worth it as this is an exciting read that seems to fly by. It is told in the first person from Alex Cross’s point of view and is mostly set in the present although there are flashbacks to some of his previous crimes that link to the present. It could be confusing in the hands of a lesser storyteller but it all makes sense within the reality of the novel. I particularly liked the final twist which seems fitting, given the rest of the novel.

This is not a novel that requires much in-depth thought, being more of a series of action scenes with the thread of catching M. It does, however, present a more reflective Alex Cross who has doubts and despair about catching M but who never gives up the effort, to the extent of recklessness, another out of character trait. It all adds up to a compulsive narrative.

Criss Cross is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a fan of James Patterson and have read all of the Alex Cross books. This is the 27th in the series. The earlier books were really excellently constructed but over the years they have become very formulaic.

This is a simple thriller, prefect for the beach (where I read it) or when you want something less taxing. Its still a page turner but everything is so obvious, i felt I was reading to confirm if my suspicions were correct - and they were. But there's a comfort and enjoyment that I get from reading this series that means I will be eagerly waiting for the next instalment and hoping for a return to the Alex cross of old.

Not the best but still worth a read if you like this sort of thing.

After a pretty gruesome start where Cross has to witness the electric chair execution of the man they convicted of a series of killings, another body is found with a message from M. Suddenly we’re back into a very dangerous scenario...
There’s no doubt that this M is involved in some unpleasant stuff. He is managing to manipulate events and it seems to be for one purpose only - to get Cross involved.
As expected, there’s a fair amount of graphic violence and some pretty tense misdirection. We’re never quite sure who to trust, and we get a little further into Cross’s psyche as he battles his demons.
I found myself waiting for this to unravel, and we definitely get placed in a very uncomfortable situation as we wait for things to resolve. Once again, Cross is put in a situation that would have most people running a mile and determined to do whatever is needed to protect their family.
A chilling end that shows this is still far from over.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me review this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

James Patterson at his best. Familiar likeable characters and great storyline. He makes you care what happens to the family and keeps you guessing until the last page . Perfect holiday read, pure escapism.

James Patterson was the catalyst for my interest in crime fiction. It started with the very first in the Alex Cross series, Along Came A Spider. I was hooked and continued to devour every book until around book 13 when I felt they were becoming a little predictable and repetitive. Since that time I have read and lately reviewed many crime fiction authors, good and bad. When I was offered Criss Cross to review, I knew I had to read it. I needed to know how good I would find James Patterson after all this time. It was like discovering an old friend and finding out what they had got up to in the intervening years since we last met. How were the family? His colleagues? His enemies? While it was nice to be reacquainted with his family and colleagues, it was with utmost disappointment that some of the book went over old ground and crimes and even reincarnated one old enemy. I felt the book was churned out in a hurry to appease the publishers and although there were some tense, fearful moments and some clever and evil plots, I found it all rather predictable. I am in two minds whether to read No.28 when it is published. On the one hand it is like a comfort blanket with familiar characters but on the other I feel I know what is coming and the cliffhanger of Criss Cross could well continue into book 29 and beyond. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Michael Edgerton has always maintained that he was innocent, framed by Dectective Alex Cross and the other investigators of his case.  When Cross and his partner attend Edgerton's execution they are hoping that they can finally put the case behind them.  When a body turns up killed in the same way Edgerton killed his victims, and with a note signed by the mysterious M, Cross realises that this nightmare is only just beginning. 

I've been following the Alex Cross novels for a long time, I think I've read all but the one before this, so Cross and his family and friends are characters that are well cemented into my reading life.  Although the books are a series, each one can be read individually, however the character back stories do add an extra level of enjoyment to them so it's worth reading them in order.

As I'd expected this was really easy to get into, and had a fast moving plot in the typical style Patterson writes in.  It doesn't take long to get caught up in the case, and given that I've become so attached to these characters I found I was on edge for them from really early on.  There was one character development for Alex Cross in this book that really took me by surprise. It didn't fit with the character I've had built up in my head for so long and just didn't sit well with me, it makes me wonder where Patterson is going to go with it and whether there is a side to Cross that we have yet to see.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.  The Alex Cross books for me are what I consider comfort reads  - you know what you're getting, they're easy to read, enjoyable and there's a familiarity to them.  They're a series I'll always come back to, and this one fitted in almost perfectly.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK and Cornerstone for an arc in exchange for an honest review

James Patterson is a great storyteller. This may not be prize winning literature but you will turn the pages to find out what happens next. This is the 27th Alex Cross novel and I confess I have not read them all. I dip in and out and I do enjoy the plots and Alex's family interactions, especially nana mama who is still ruling the roost. I think one of my issues with Patterson is that the characters don't always do what you expect - and that isn't a complement. Cross does something in the book and you're thinking "no, he wouldn't do that" but it is necessary to move the plot and create the tension. There are some genuinely great scenes and some rather silly ones but the narrative moves quickly and you're swept along as Alex tries to find "M" and stop any further chilling.

If you've read Patterson - and that is likely given his sales - you will know what to expect. This is good storytelling and a tense ending gives some satisfaction.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

A well-written crime thriller in the latest of Dr Alex Cross' investigations. The death penalty for a killer should be the closing chapter on his crimes but Patterson ensures things are not that simple with 'Criss Cross'. Dr Cross and the readers find themselves in the middle of a confusing web of murders that are further complicated as the killer ensures Cross is personally involved.
Definitely one for fans of Patterson and those readers not yet familiar with his writing but who love Detective thrillers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company (Penguin Random House) for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

have to say i was a bit disappointed with this one...it felt like an overview of his life in his work and his family, every so often we would get a better glimpse but that would be all...skimmed over version

but i like cross the family man and this just wasnt enough time with anyone..even when the crisis happened i would think that all family members would be there and there wasnt...it just touched on base that was about all

but after years of writing about cross, we know enough background information to see it in our minds and he can write a good story, it was just missing the heart that is all...

m the mysterious person who has framed a man to go to jail and now could he be kyle craig who never died...cross has his work cut out for him trying to unmask the man that is m.....

a quick read that brings you into cross world again

I’ve not read an Alex Cross book for a while so I forgot how good a writer James Patterson is. I loved the fact I didn’t feel like I was missing out by reading the first of his books in the series and then stopping for a while and picking up with this new one. 
Fast action thriller as always. Alex seems to have calmed a little now he is getting older but is still a tough and likeable character. His past is back to haunt him in this book and the writing was gripping as ever. .

Cross is up to his eyes in danger - yet again.

Detectives Cross and John Sampson are in Virginia witnessing the execution of Michael Edgerton, a killer they helped convict. Edgerton’s family are there, screaming that he was innocent. Cross is equally convinced he was guilty and deserved to die.

Cross is then called to investigate another murder, and the modus operandi is similar to that of the killer just executed. Has he caused the wrong man to die?

A disgraced FBI agent is in prison following a multiple murder in Florida. He calls Cross to say he was set up for the murders. Texts and notes are received signed “M”. Cross begins to believe that his old nemesis, Kyle Craig, long thought to be dead, is alive and well and still taunting him. 

Cross goes back over his files, both of Edgerton and Craig, a one-time star FBI Agent turned killer, to try to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This is the 27th book in the Alex Cross series, and for me, this series has truly run its course. Dedicated Cross fans will find the action fast and furious. Cross is pursued by deadly enemies, his family is in the line of fire and he has to do everything in his power to protect them and banish his own demons. Nuff said.

Mr Bumblebee

Breakaway Reviewers received the book for review.

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.