Hope to Die: (Alex Cross 22)

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With a supercharged blend of action, deception, and suspense, Cross Fire is James Patterson's most visceral and exciting Alex Cross novel ever. Only Alex Cross has the skills and the courage to crack the case, but will he discover the truth in time? Always the same story: his poor 90-something year old grandma, his children, and current partner all in the hands of various madmen and it's that same story over and over. Having churned out some drivel in the past, he is now able to rectify this with some down to earth writing. Alex Cross is happy, but his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders—murders with a pattern so twisted, it leaves investigators reeling.

As the prosecution presents its case, and the nation watches, even those closest to Cross begin to doubt his innocence. So as not to reveal anything that might spoil the book for anyone who has not read it, I am going to stick to the flaws in the editing that make this a terrible read.

But even with everything on the line, Cross will do whatever it takes to stop a dangerous criminal . Thierry’s warfare against Cross is a psychological one; a nightmare whose ending will culminate in the torture and murder of each member of the Cross family. Alex soon realizes he may have much to answer for, as "M" lures the detective out of the capital to the sites of multiple homicides, all marked with distressingly familiar details -- details that conjure up decades-old cases. Given Patterson’s usual style, which always seems to include over-emoting characters, Cross is surprisingly unemotional following the events of the first couple of chapters in the second novel.

What should be a time for her to rely on Alex for support and cooperation is instead a moment of crisis in their marriage as well as their city when their investigative instincts clash and their relationship reaches a breaking point. On his visits home, Alex must confront another, more harrowing mystery: what's the matter with Nana Mama?Gary Soneji, a dying prison escapee, is looking for revenge on Cross, while another insane killer is pursued by Thomas Augustine Pierce-a brilliant and relentless detective who may even be better than Cross. A well-constructed conclusion to the fast-paced Alex Cross novel that left readers tearing out their hair.

Simply put, James Patterson seems totally unfazed by the rampant criticism with which Cross My Heart (Alex Cross) was received. C., is in a panic, and when a third body is discovered, rumours of three serial killers send the city into an all-out frenzy. But then circumstances changed – bodies were found – and Cross was forced to play a dangerous game that he felt he had no way of avoiding. Following the cliffhanger that was met with mixed receptions at the end of Cross My Heart Alex Cross’s life is collapsing around him. As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes-one that may alter the fate of the entire country.Cross was on the road to rescue his family from a monstrous individual who was out to commit all manner of atrocities to achieve his twisted end. Alex comes out of the numb shock from the last book and goes into action to find his family before Mulch kills them one by one. Cross's ingenious pursuit of the killer produces a suspect: a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. In Cross My Heart, Cross is investigating a string of murders, but also being stalked and provoked by an elusive other psychopath fixated with him and determined to torment him by getting to his family, which forms the plot for Hope to Die.

Besides the flaws in police procedure, the under-played reaction of Cross to his situation and the total predictability of the story, there are too many facts that are just wrong. But the pictures may have been doctored, so with a few close allies, Alex is going to keep his hopes up, and try to find the madman that is haunting his every step. Cross’s family-his loving wife Bree, the wise and lively Nana Mama, and his precious children-have been ripped away.

The shocking double homicide is blazed across the internet, TV, newspapers—and across Alex Cross's mind. The worst part of bad writing/non-editing is the chapter dealing with Alex Cross having to kill someone at the direction of Marcus Sunday (the antagonist). Atticus Jones is a delightful character and Patterson introduces a new detective in Tessa Aalijah who proves quite resourceful. It's because I was waiting on a book reminiscent of his old writing - you know, before he became the "Rock-Star of Authors".