Double Cross (Alex Cross, #13)

Title: Double Cross (Alex Cross, #13)

Author: James Patterson

Published in: 2007

Date read: 3rd September 2013

Score: 4/5

Genre: Crime, Detective, Thriller

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"Double Cross" by James Patterson sees Alex Cross, now working as a private psychologist but still frequently drawn into the world of crime, facing not one, but two chilling threats.

A new serial killer emerges in Washington D.C., dubbed the "D.C. Audience Killer" (DCAK). This highly theatrical murderer stages elaborate and gruesome killings, making them public spectacles and posting videos online to gain maximum media attention and public fear. Alex, despite his official retirement, is pulled into the investigation by his new girlfriend, Detective Brianna "Bree" Stone, who is leading the task force. The DCAK is a master manipulator, taunting the police and leaving cryptic clues.

Adding to the terror, Alex's most cunning and dangerous nemesis, Kyle Craig, also known as "The Mastermind," orchestrates a brilliant escape from a maximum-security prison. Craig, a former FBI colleague turned psychopathic killer, has a meticulous list of people he blames for his capture, with Alex Cross at the very top. He begins a personal campaign of revenge, targeting those connected to Alex.

As the DCAK's murders escalate, and Kyle Craig's deadly shadow looms closer, Alex and Bree are forced to confront the terrifying possibility that the two seemingly separate evils might be connected. Cross must use all his profiling skills to understand the motives of both killers and stay one step ahead, as the "double cross" threatens to consume not only the city but also his own life and family. The novel is a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game, exploring themes of fame, revenge, and the personal cost of battling pure evil.

Comments:
Lots of key ingredients working well here. Out of the police restraints but still consulting and now Kyle's return...Great story.

Books that we've read by James Patterson (32):
Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross, #1) (1993), Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross, #2) (1995), Jack & Jill (Alex Cross, #3) (1996), Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross, #4) (1997), Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross, #5) (1999), Roses Are Red (Alex Cross, #6) (2000), 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club, #1) (2001), Violets Are Blue (Alex Cross, #7) (2001), 2nd Chance (Women's Murder Club, #2) (2002), Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross, #8) (2002), The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross, #9) (2003), The Jester (2003), 3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club, #3) (2004), London Bridges (Alex Cross, #10) (2004), 4th of July (Women's Murder Club, #4) (2005), Mary, Mary (Alex Cross, #11) (2005), 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club, #5) (2006), Cross (Alex Cross, #12) (2006), The 6th Target (Women's Murder Club, #6) (2007), Double Cross (Alex Cross, #13) (2007), 7th Heaven (Women's Murder Club, #7) (2008), Cross Country (Alex Cross, #14) (2008), 8th Confession (Women's Murder Club, #8) (2009), Alex Cross's Trial (Alex Cross, #15) (2009), I, Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #16) (2009), The 9th Judgment (Women's Murder Club, #9) (2010), Cross Fire (Alex Cross, #17) (2010), 10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club, #10) (2011), Kill Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #18) (2011), 11th Hour (Women's Murder Club, #11) (2012), Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #19) (2012), Alex Cross, Run (Alex Cross, #20) (2013)