Cross Country (Alex Cross)

by James Patterson

2009

Status

Available

Publication

Vision (2009), Edition: Reprint, 448 pages

Description

When the home of Alex Cross's oldest friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, the destruction leads him to believe that he's chasing a horrible new breed of killer.

User reviews

LibraryThing member Nitestar
I have been a James Patterson - and more specifically Alex Cross fan from day one. As soon as I finish one Alex Cross and close the book, I am already looking forward (and sighing) to the next one.

Cross Country is a little different from any of the other Alex Cross novels. For one thing, most of
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the action takes place - you guessed it! Across the country, more specifically in Africa. I was a little surprised at this storyline - for me - what works so well with the Cross books is the interaction Cross has with the people in his life and, obviously, this would (and is) limited in this book.

Most of the story does take place in Africa and I have to say that if Patterson's idea was to inform the public about the dangers and horrible goings on in Africa, he has succeeded with me. I had no idea that things were that horrid out there. Parts of this book are actually difficult to read because the description of the brutal murders are so graphic and senseless. It makes me so grateful to life in North America where we have our rights as human beings.

I loved this novel, but I have to say that there is so much going on, that I felt as though Alex was kind of lost in the middle of it all. He spends an inordinate amount of time in jails and when not jailed he is being beaten up. It is also a little hard to follow all the players as they travel from one hot spot to another. It just felt to me as though Cross was more of a bit player behind the bigger story - that of the horrible violence in Africa.
Nonetheless, it is impossible NOT to get involved in the book and the story is as thrilling as any I have read involving Alex.

Eventually Alex will get back to the US and will be faced with a very difficult situation upon his return. This is a bit of a twist that I did not expect - and I had hoped that Patterson would take the "hard" way out of this twist, but in the end - he did not - and this was a bit of a disappointment to me as this would have made for some very interesting future books.

I am still not feeling the love between Cross and Bree and I am not sure why Patterson feels the need to ALWAYS make sure Cross has a girlfriend?????
This book is chock full of action and goes a thousand miles a minute - it is also very graphic and difficult to read - but all of this simply added to the mystery that is Alex Cross and made for a thought provoking, roller coaster of a book.
Now (sigh!) I have to wait another year for the next one (again!).
Run to the bookstore and get this one.
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LibraryThing member jo-jo
This was my first encounter with an Alex Cross novel and it was sure action packed and fast paced. Although there are several novels preceding this one in the series, I feel that Patterson did a good job of bringing the reader up to speed with Alex's current situation.

When Alex arrives at a murder
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scene he is shocked to find the first woman that he fell in love with, along with her entire family, has been brutally killed. He knows the responsible party must be stopped and as he follows leads he stumbles upon eerily similar murder scenes, which eventually take him to all corners of Africa. Cross finds himself experiencing many dangers in Africa from the activities in the diamond mines to the atrocities taking place in Darfur.

Finding himself alone in a crime-ridden country he learns that he needs to put his trust in a few key people. Hopefully he has selected the right people to confide in, but only time will tell. As Alex continues his investigation it is evident that the individual responsible for the brutal murders is a thug that is known as Tiger. He becomes confident with this new lead only to be let down when he learns that many of the most violent criminals from Africa take the name Tiger.

I'm not going to give any more away about this book as it is from the suspense/thriller genre. It was a great book to bring along on our road trip as my husband enjoyed it too. And it was even his second time listening to it! Although I don't think I would enjoy reading this type of book, this is the second audiobook that I have listened to by Patterson and I'm sure I will be listening to more in the future.
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LibraryThing member Bumpersmom
It just keeps getting better and better, the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. In this the 14th book in the series, Alex really takes a beating....literally.

A non-stop page turner, starting with the slaying of an entire family in Washington, DC. Apparently, the wife/mother was once the youthful
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love interest of Alex, and he is stunned by her death, and the manner in which she and her entire family were slaughtered in their own home.

Still reeling from this case, a second family is also brutally slaughtered and it appears the same offenders are responsible.

The reader is allowed to know that there is some type of murder for hire gang operating here, with the leader, known as "Tiger" and his youthful accomplices apparently responsible for deaths not only in Washington, but as far away as Africa..Nigeria, which is where they possibly fled, and Alex has decided to pursue tham . Not only professional, but a personal quest for answers.

Upon his arrival in Africa, things go terribly wrong immediately, Cross is kidnapped, jailed, beaten, and suddenly released, then, no sooner after returning to the safety of his hotel, is again assaulted , this time, hung by his ankles from the window, and physically reemoved from his room and dumped in the hotel hall.

Alex alternates between searching for answers and getting kidnapped, and beaten, running into both allies and betrayers and eventually seeking asylum in the US Embassy, where he is placed in custody and sent back to the USA ..... but, of course, this is far from the end, we're just
getting warmed up here.

The writing is sharp and keeps the reader turning page after page not knowing what is going to happen next. How one man can take so much brutal physical punishment and keep going keeps you rooting for Alex to prevail and capture the bad guys..

Loved the book.
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LibraryThing member she_climber
Another good book from James Patterson in his old standby series with Alex Cross. Not my favorite book. It was obvious that Patterson had another agenda in this book to educate the reader on the genocide and other terrible crimes taking place in Africa, which is a good thing as far as I'm concerned
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but made for just an okay book. I had the feeling that Patterson knew this too as he completely let the reader know that he would be returning to the writing we know and love after this one.
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LibraryThing member 24girl
When Detective Alex Cross is called to investigate the grisly murder of an entire family he discovers that one of the victims was his college girlfriend. She was murdered because of research she was conducting for a book in progress based on corruption in Africa. During the investigation he is
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drawn into the horrible world of The Tiger. A notorious killer fore hire that Alex follows to Nigeria where the trouble heats ups.

Immediately upon his arrival he is thrown into jail for three horrifying days and upon his release he was encouraged to go home and mind his own business. At this point he’s already drawn to far into the investigation and has no choice but to continue following The Tiger’s trail of death and destruction to the final nail-biting climax.

My review is based on the unabridged audio book which is excellently narrated by Peter J. Fernandez and Dion Graham. What I especially love about listening to the book on CD the sound effects and voice characterizations painted a clearer picture in my mind of the action and characters. At one point I was listening while driving and almost jumped out of my skin when a car honked inside the story.

Cross Country is vintage Alex Cross that deals with a “ripped from the headlines” topic. The action starts from the very first chapter with the murders and doesn’t stop until the end. The secondary characters in the book are great. Some are humorous some are open-hearted and the bad guys are really bad. I’ve read a lot of other reviews that bashed the book for being unbelievable or that Cross was acting unreasonable in Nigeria but to me the story was just plain great suspense fiction that kept me hooked throughout the story. I highly recommend this book to all James Patterson and suspense thriller fans.
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LibraryThing member Staceyhy
have been a huge fan of this series for a long time and, like all other James Patterson fans, wait anxiously for the next in the series. This is the only book from this author that I did not have that ravenous hunger to read. I usually cannot put down one of Mr. Patterson's books, but this one was
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hard to pick up. Not only did he spend way too much time with Alex Cross abroad, the situations were ridiculous, even for a "fictional" character. If Mr. Patterson's intention was to use his book as a platform for the injustices being imposed on the people of Africa, he did so at the risk of losing a market share of fans who turn to him for a good read on an already well-developed cast of characters. The Alex Cross in this novel is nothing like the character in all the others. When I reached the end of the novel, I said to myself "that's it?" It was just disappointing. Fortunately I checked this out from the library, and will not have parted with my cash to let this one sit on my library shelf untouched. I will approach all other books in this series with the same intention from now on.
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LibraryThing member dara85
I thought this was one of the better Alex Cross books. Lots of action and suspense.
LibraryThing member Twink
I've read all of the Alex Cross series, but this was the first one I listened to in audio format. It was different in that it was narrated by two readers - Peter J. Fernandez, who has been the voice of Alex on many titles and Dion Graham, who is the voice of the Tiger. I had an idea in my head of
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what Cross should sound like. It's pretty much Morgan Freeman who played Cross in the movie adaptation of Kiss the Girls. And Fernadez's voice fit the image I had. Also interesting was the use of music to underscore tension and action scenes. I thought it added to the audio book.

Cross Country finds Detective Cross called in to a home invasion where the entire family was murdered, butchered really. It is someone from Alex's past. And then the unthinkable - it happens again..... There are rumours of a shadowy figure called the Tiger who is systematically targeting entire families - all who seem to have a connection to Africa. Most frightening is that the Tiger's gang is made up of teenage boys. Alex follows the Tiger to Africa. Cross is completely unprepared for what he finds. Pulling from today's headlines Patterson has detailed atrocities that are all too real.

Cross Country stays true to Patterson's trademark short chapters with cliff hanger endings. They are numerous - I found myself predicting how many the narrator would announce by the end of the book ( 150 something!) I enjoyed listening to this book in audio format and would most likely choose to do it again. It made the drive to work go faster!
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LibraryThing member agathanaylor
Very readable. My first Alex Cross novel.African theme. 3rd book I have read recently about modern Africa. Interesting the brutality as a result of the past.
LibraryThing member NEWMAR
This book did not grab my interest. My head was not in this book.
LibraryThing member readafew
OK, this one was over the top. Don't get me wrong, this was a fast-paced action filled dynamo that kept one wondering what's happening next and when does Cross actually get his man. But we have a Washington DC cop who takes it upon himself to chase a well funded hitman across the globe to Nigeria
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Africa where civil unrest is growing. I got the impression this was really a way to try to showcase the corruption, danger and awful living conditions so many Africans face on a day to day basis. Cross seems to have tunnel vision and can only see the assassin and misses all the clues of something bigger happening.

Alex Cross is called to a murder scene where the whole family has been gruesomely murdered, and the mother was a friend of Cross's in college. A couple days later, he's called to another one. Something big is going down, these appear to be hits, but not your normal professional hit. His friend had been working on a book dealing with violence in Africa and had recently been there. The father in the second family had direct ties to Nigeria. When a third family is murdered and they happen to be the Ambassador's from Nigeria it's too much of a coincidence. Cross sets up a meeting with the CIA and learns that his hit man 'The Tiger' has flown back to Nigeria and against all better judgment and reason decides to follow. His trip is nothing like he expected and most of his decisions leave one wondering about his state of mind. Is he the hunter or the hunted? The pressure never lets up in this brutal tale.
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LibraryThing member Toyi
It absolutely pains me to give James Patterson "3" stars, but I just could not get with this one. Alex Cross is one of my favorite characters and I've read all the books, but this one irritated the heck out of me. It was as if Alex had a labotomy. I didn't understand his motivation and behavior. I
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made it through because I just assumed that he must be getting old...Alex, not Mr. Patterson. This book has the classic Patterson action and it's a graphic novel in huge proportions. I just didn't like the story this time.
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LibraryThing member pattiea
While I enjoyed parts of the story (mainly the background of the struggles in Africa, which most Americans don't know enough about), I found too many plot holes and implausibilities in the story to really enjoy it. I'm not sure if there were more than in the usual James Patterson story or I've just
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read enough of his books that I have become jaded, but I just couldn't put aside my disbelief at the outlandish plot twists in this one.
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LibraryThing member MikeD
One of Patterson's better stories! Fast pace strory that takes Cross to Africa in search of a merciless killer with more political connections than Alex can comprehend. Brutal story of the current political situation in Nigeria and the misery there that most of the world seems to ignore. A good
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part of this book hopes to enlighten the reader about this... but at the same time a very, very good read.
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LibraryThing member Brian55
Good action scenes but, not very believable. Hard to comprehend how a police psychologist traveling in a foreign country without local law enforcement assistance how Cross could escape as many life and death situations with only bruises and a broken nose (twice). Seemed more like a statement about
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the horrific acts in Africa rather than a murder mystery. I bought this one in paperback and gave it to the library when I finished.
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LibraryThing member historybuff1
Cross Country is a good book for those looking for adventure. However, if you are looking for a believable read, this book is not for you. The book is packed full of adventure (no matter that the adventures/events are totally unbelievable) that keeps the reader interested until the end. I will not
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give a synopsis of the book here, as I fear I may spoil the plot. You must read to find out more about Alex Cross and the adventures he faces.
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LibraryThing member CDianeK
For reasons inexplicable to even to myself, I cannot quit the Alex Cross books. It is probably because I enjoyed the earliest ones, and I keep hoping I'll feel that way again.

Alex Goes to Africa in this edition of his tale. It's to investigate a murder in Washington D.C., the victim being one of
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his old girlfriends and her family. Once there, he is subjected again and again to various forms of brutality. It has already left my mind whether he solves the mystery (I don't consider that a spoiler; you KNOW he's going to save the day) while in Africa, or whether he didn't solve it until he gets back home, but I hope he did it in Africa, otherwise there's absolutely no reason for him to have gone through all of that. I agree wholeheartedly with (and love!) the previous comment about the book spanning two continents, but the plot not spanning the book.

As usual, Alex has women falling all over him, and also preternaturally smart children, though through this all, I have developed a fondness for his kids and Nana Mama. At one point, when Alex is subjected to yet more torture, I admit to yelling out loud "Oh come ON." I don't disagree with what Patterson is trying to say, but for crying out loud, a little takes you a long way.

I listened to this as an audio book, and while the readers were all right, it's my first audio book ever with sound effects and dramatic music. It was a little unnerving to be driving down the road and hear gunshots go off, but I did eventually get used to it.

I would normally implore James Patterson to try to develop his plotlines a little better, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter, I'm going to read them anyway.
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LibraryThing member Katymelrose
worst Alex Cross ever. So bad, I've sold all my copies of all Alex Cross novels to a used book store and won't read any more.

I actually wanted Cross to die just to be done with it. Alex's ego has become the main character instead of actually Alex. He is no longer an enjoyable protagonist for me.
LibraryThing member Djupstrom
Another Alex Cross novel. The only different thing about this installment of the popular Cross series was the setting. Nothing new, but still a fun quick read!
LibraryThing member iubookgirl
I've never read a James Patterson book before, but Cross Country can stand on its own. You don't need to be familiar with previous entries in the Alex Cross series to dive into this one. Aside from an irritating overuse of exclamation points, I enjoyed Patterson's novel despite my aversion to what
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I consider mass market authors. Alex Cross, Washington DC detective, is on the trail of the Tiger, a Nigerian killer for hire. The trail leads him to Africa and horrors Americans can only imagine. The plot and characters are well developed. I especially appreciated his politically-conscious injection of some of the awful things that are happening on the African continent right now. Cross is a likable character who has become accustomed to seeing violence and murder. Africa has a major impact on him and cracks the wall required of any detective. He witnesses police brutality, the horrors of genocide, and the lawlessness that has taken over some areas as his search takes him from Nigeria, to Sierra Leone, to Darfur, and back to Nigeria. Patterson clearly depicts the vastly different world Cross encounters while he hunts the Tiger and the emotional and physical toll it takes on him. If you are in the mood for a mystery with social relevance, pick up James Patterson's Cross Country.
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LibraryThing member rdurant1217
How does James Patterson continually get paid to crank out this drivel? James Patterson has taken to lately writing novels with other, lesser known authors, and those novels (in my opinion) are pretty heavily written by the other author. The James Patterson I know and love just does not come
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through and it is the same with this novel. It reads like a novel ghost written by someone else with an axe to grind, a political agenda and no concept nor care for the Alex Cross character or family of characters.

This novel is not only poorly written, by page 25 I'm drowning in exclamation points that do not abate for the entire length of the novel, it is poorly chopped into sometimes half-page long "chapters" that are just a joke. This book seriously reads like a bad entry for a high-school fiction contest.

The only reason why I'm so scathing here is because of the bitter, bitter disappointment I felt after plunking down my $10 only to be stuck on a 6 hour airplane ride with no other reading material. Had I not already finished the Sky Mall catalog, I would have gladly thrown this book in the trash and read that instead.

I will think long and hard before I buy another James Patterson Alex Cross novel, that's for sure, and from now on, I will spend a bit of time in the bookstore reading well into the beginning ofany other James Patterson offerings before I shell out my money.
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LibraryThing member sallyawolf
This book is about Alex Cross who investigates a murder that takes him all over the world. I think that this is a solid book that has a good beginning fair middle and a happy ending.
This audio book was bought from Great Escape
LibraryThing member julyso
A horrific murder of a family sets the stage for Cross Country. Alex Cross is shocked to discover his college girlfriend and her family have been savagely murdered by a killer known as Tiger. This killer for hire has ties to the African underworld and this massacre is just the first in a series.
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Cross journeys to Nigeria to pursue the Tiger and runs into many obstacles...corrupt officials, horrific murders, arrest, etc.

I, like many others, am a huge James Patterson fan. I always enjoy his books, some more than others. I love his short chapters that invaribly leave with you with some tidbit that makes you want to read the next one, and the next... I did not really enjoy the Africa storyline, it just didn't make much sense to me. I just can't see the Alex Cross I know doing so many stupid things and he did many throughout this story. The ending, though, was unexpected, and really had me going.
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LibraryThing member jboxer7
This was my first of the Cross series and actually my first Patterson. This book was great; I especially enjoyed the book's shift from Washington D.C. to Africa. Detective Cross and his girlfriend Bree come upon a brutal murder in Georgetown of an African literary critic. Cross plans to travel to
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Africa to hunt the suspected terrorist organization and its leader, the Tiger. Cross is completely unprepared for Africa, as he is jailed multiple times and blackmailed by CIA agents. Alex becomes conflicted when the Tiger hunts his family and is forced to choose Africa or Washington. This is definitely a different kind of mystery in that the main character detective is actually the victim also. I really feel as though this was Patterson's best attempt at a Jack Bauer on paper, and I thought it was an entertaining read.
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LibraryThing member azroadrunner88
This time Alex goes to Africa chasing a murderer. He is caught, tortured, and beaten several times, but as always, comes out a winner. An easy read, fast moving.

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2008

Physical description

448 p.; 4.25 inches

ISBN

044653630X / 9780446536301

Barcode

1602062
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