Cross My Heart
James Patterson
Vision, 2013
ISBN: 978-14555-1580-6
Mass Market Paperback
407 pages
Thriller
Blurb
Alex Cross, James Patterson’s famed detective whose storied life has entertained millions of people for decades, has unintentionally wounded the ego of a supreme egoist, someone with no conscience, only a black and white philosophy that life just is. As such, this man has developed the belief that he can do anything he wants—and he does. A mass murderer, rapist, troublemaker and attacker of the “norm,” this criminal genius has turned the full force of his intellect and beliefs on Alex cross and his family. His plan? To kidnap Cross’s entire family and kill them one by one while Cross watches helplessly. Will he succeed? Will this be the case that crushes Cross once and for all? Read on my friends.
The review
No one tells a story like Patterson. His words literally race across the page. His chapters are small, usually limited to one scene, so this 400 page book has 112 chapters. His prose is sparse but perfect, and his plotting quite intricate. For example, this story devotes many scenes to how the master criminal, and his equally twisted lover, operate. In fact, most of the book is devoted to the criminal and helping us understand him, his motivations and his actions. Thus, when the full force of his anger is finally thrust upon Cross and we see the tormented man begin to deteriorate, we are more than ready for our superhero detective to emerge. But he doesn’t. Instead it’s those around him that rally, and as the denouement comes and passes, one is absolutely ready for the Cross we know and love to emerge victorious.
What we get is nothing of the kind. What we get is one of Hollywood’s current tricks. We get an abrupt end to the novel and the promise to return to the story in November of 2014 in a book called Hope to Die. What a total disappointment. In fact, I was so angry that it has taken me weeks to write this review. Great book, stupid ending. That’s all I have to say.
Copyright © 2014 Clayton Clifford Bye