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Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. HTML:In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Alex Cross is ready to resign-but when his partner shows up with a case he can't refuse, he goes up against the most bone-chilling killers of his entire career.Detective Alex Cross is on his way to resign from the Washington, D.C., Police Force when his partner's oldest friend-a Vietnam veteran-is arrested for murder. He is subject to the iron hand of the United States Army, and the evidence against him is strong enough to send him to the gas chamber. Sampson is certain his friend has been framed, and Alex's investigation turns up evidence overlooked-or concealed-by the military authorities. Drawing on their years of street training and an almost telepathic mutual trust, Cross and Sampson go deep behind military lines to confront the most terrifying-and deadly-killers they have ever encountered. Behind these three highly skilled killing machines there appears to be an even more threatening controller. Discovering the identity of this lethal genius will prove to be Cross's most terrifying challenge ever. On his visits home, Alex must confront another, more harrowing mystery: what's the matter with Nana Mama? As he explores the possibility of a new relationship with a woman who offers him new hope, Alex must also confront the fact that his beloved grandmother is only human.… (more)
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An old army budy of John's from Vietnam, a decorated veteran with a perfect
There are a lot of distractions in this book, and some background. We learn why John feels like he was rasied by Alex's grandmother, Nana. The fact that John servered in Vietnam before going to the police academy. Both John and Alex have new budding relationships. And Nana is sick.
As usual, we know who the killers are toward the begining of the book. And we get to see things from the killers propsective as our hero, Alex Cross tries to catch them. Still, the book is a page turner and I read it in one day.
If you need Spock-like logical characters, this tale is not for you. Patterson's
Read for entertainment, not to escape the ugliness that life brings to some.
And it was nice for Sampson to reveal more of his character as well. I didn't see that coming :)
I liked this one, but not as much as some of the others in the AC series. I always liked the bit of the personal touch--about Nana and his kids--but I'm not really interested in Alex's sneaking off to be with
All in all, a good book. Well written and trying to find out who the head honcho was and not sorting it out until the last chapters.
A Dr. Cross novel. This book is about military assassins who are hired to frame military people for murders that they commit. A general from west Point is the 4th mouse. Everything stems from Vietnam and atrocities that the general was involved with.
Back Cover Blurb:
Alex Cross is preparing to resign from the Washington Police Force. He's enjoying the feeling; not least because the Mastermind is now in prison. Also, Alex has met a woman, Jamilla Hughes, and he
Then John Sampson shows up at the house, desperate for Alex's help. Three young military wives have been savagely killed during a 'girls' night out' and Sampson's friend, a master sergeant at the army base, stands accused.
Uncovering evidence of a series of suspicious murder convictions, Alex and Sampson are determined to infiltrate the closed world of the military. But what is the army trying to hide? And do the mysterious symbols daubed on the homes of the accused mean that there are more sinister forces at work?
Thankfully this novel wasn't so bland as many of his others; a pretty decent story line, somewhat based in reality (there
Like his over novels however the story isn't particularly deep, the characters are all rather like a thin sheet of paper - present but not much to them. So whilst it's entertaining to a point I wouldn't hold an expectation of being thrilled.
I can say with the context of the earlier books the story does have a bit more depth too it, and certainly more than some of the other Patterson books
I also noted that in this book the age of Alex Cross's 'old black porsche' is revealed to be 14 years, which means when it was first referred to as his 'old black porsche' it was a mere 8 years of age if I have the series chronology correct in my memory. An 8 year old car isn't quite what I'd refer to as old, not even a 14 year old car, rather I personally would refer to it as a porsche. An old porsche to me brings mental images of a 1950s, 1960s, even 1970s car.
Overall, another good installment and we see Cross's career development now progress further.
Still, it is a great page-turner. Alex Cross is deciding to resign from his
As the two lifelong friends investigate what appears to be a wrongful conviction they come up against the thick grey wall of the armed forces. Seems that Sampson's buddy was accused of a brutal murder of three women, including painting and posing the bodies, and nothing either Sampson or Cross say will change the verdict.
Along with this conviction are more Army men accused of similarly heinous crimes, all of whom plead innocent and all of whom are put to death by the State. All of them served in the Vietnam War.
And then we begin to see the co-plot of three men, veterans of this same War, who seem to be re-enacting something from their days in Vietnam. They have a horrible blood lust and seem to revel in tracking down and killing their victims.
In the personal side of this book, Nana is beginning to feel her age and it takes Alex everything he can do to get her to a doctor. In fact, the Doctor comes to visit Nana and only then does she agree to go to a hospital. And the possible interest from the previous book, Jamilla, begins a long-distance romance with Alex.
By the end, the resolution was just a bit too pat and complete, and the chance to hear the stories from the bad guys didn't happen. I would have loved a confession of some sort from them.