Cross Fire

By: James Patterson

Narrated by: Andre Braugher, Jay O. Sanders

Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Detective Alex Cross and Bree's wedding plans are put on hold when Alex is called to the scene of the perfectly executed assassination of two of Washington D.C.'s most corrupt: a dirty congressmen and a scheming lobbyist. Next, the elusive marksman begins picking off other crooked politicians, sparking a blaze of theories - is the marksman a hero or a vigilante?

The case explodes and FBI agent Max Siegel battles Alex for jurisdiction. As Alex struggles with the sniper, Siegel, and the wedding, he receives a call from his deadliest adversary, Kyle Craig. The Mastermind is in D.C. and will not relent until he has eliminated Cross--and his family - for good. With a supercharged blend of suspense, action, and deception, Cross Fire is James Patterson's most exciting Alex Cross novel ever.

Solve another case with Alex Cross.

©2010 James Patterson (P)2010 Hachette Audio

Great book! Frustratingly suspenseful.

Was a really good book. I would highly recommend. For a Cross lover you will love the suspense of this book.

Alex Cross is Amazing

The Kyle Craig storyline was intriguing and of course Alex cross is a awesome character

Cross Fire by James Patterson

Found James Patterson in my archives. Love my dependable, they're still a reliable, enjoyable read!

Great story, great narration

I enjoyed this as much as previous installments in this series, and don't agree with the comments below panning the narration. Maybe the issue was fixed?

Spoiler Alert - Christine, I have to vent LOL

I’m rereading the Cross series. I’ve determined that, this time around, Alex’s personal life is grabbing much more of my attention than the murders and mayhem. The first time, I was more interested in the murder cases. Pretty sure that’s why I missed a lot of his personal life details the first time around. Anyway, here goes my thoughts. If you read it all, you’re awesome LOL!

Though I’m happy-glad they didn’t give her the Black woman on drugs trope, I absolutely hate the way they’ve written Christine. She is my favorite. Christine gets a very bad rep. Alex and Christine had a nice slow-burn relationship. The giddiness and crush Alex had on her, while she was married, was too adorable. It took them a while to get together, and the build up felt very real and special. Christine and Alex were perfect together. His family adored her as well. She’s an intelligent woman (Ali likely got most of his intelligence from her). She’s a Principal, teacher and educator. In most states, in order to be a Principal, you need a doctorate in education. She’s no slouch at all. She was soft-hearted, selfless, determined, a hard-worker, kind, friendly, and interpersonal.

The absolute audacity for Alex to say he wanted Christine out of his life. I was LIVID! I had to stop reading and take a breather for a couple of days before I continued. Why couldn’t Alex see all these years that all Christine wanted was for her family to be together. She loved them both, Ali and Alex. She was torn between being with them, and dealing with the stalkers and crazies. Alex dealt with that situation in a selfish, totally wrong way.

First she saw her husband murdered in her home. Your home is supposed to be your safe place, your sanctuary. Then she was abducted and kept away from family and friends for just about a year. During which time, she found out she was pregnant. She had to carry her baby and birth her baby in the absence of Alex and any friends or family members. She couldn’t go to a hospital or get prenatal care. She had to rely on a stranger, a midwife to help her deliver her baby. She had no access to an epidural or any kind of painkillers, even if she wanted them. Just being away that long, giving birth to your first child and away from family was bad enough. However, there’s no telling what else she suffered. They could have beaten her and raped her, during pregnancy, and after she had her baby. She was imprisoned so we know she was threatened. Both experiences were extremely traumatic and not something you just get over.

Alex was very much in love with her, they were engaged, he gave her his mother’s ring. Alex should have been more understanding and sympathetic; giving her space and trying to help her heal. Yes, she was really going through it to the point she said she needed to get away. But that wasn’t a reason to jump around from relationship to relationship. It’s like he has a problem being alone (like most men). Instead of dealing with the situation fully and trying to get help together, he jumps in the sack with every woman he meets. He was literally infatuated with all his female partners, and one was even a victim of one of his cases. Ugh! If he wasn’t attracted to them at first, they threw themselves at him and he jumped all-in. It was horrible. He was way too loose, and bringing all those women around his children and Nana was awful (the primary reason I’m glad he finally got married).

Alex and Bree’s relationship seems forced, and thrown together. They used this book to try and make us feel a genuine love between them but it didn’t feel that way at all. It fell flat, and was too much. They tried way too hard. Bree is supposed to be some angel, yea okay. Everything she does is just perfect, yea okay. The fact of the matter is, every woman Alex bought to the family, he felt the exact same way about, except Christine (that was real). Bree could have been any one of those women tbh. The only reason Jam and Alex didn’t work out was because of the distance. Alex was literally ready to hop in bed with the African woman when he was there. There’s no doubt in my mind he would have, had she been more aggressive. You can’t talk about having emotional issues without starting with him!

Christine likely showed up because she wanted to meet Bree. Instead of Alex doing things the right way and making sure Christine met her himself, he hates on Christine. Yes, she could have called and didn’t have to lie; however, because of the unnecessary, appalling way Alex treats her, I can’t much blame her. Ali is Christine’s son, and she should meet the woman that plans to spend a great deal of time with him; helping to raise him. That entire scene pissed me off. They (Nana, Jani, Alex) treated her like a pariah and it was awful. The irony of Christine having to step around and go through security/FBI for permission to get into the house because a crazy was after the family AGAIN is not lost on me at all. Their lives are constantly in danger, something Christine dreaded. Then when Alex said he wanted her out of his life, I thought Kyle Craig was going to threaten to kill her so Alex could take that mess back. Christine is the mother of his child, like it or not, and she deserves more respect than she gets. Especially after what she’s been through. I’m holding out for a rehabilitation arc for Christine at some point, as she deserves that. Alex is all up Brees nose the rest of the series so there’s no getting back with Christine. However, she deserves to have a husband and a nice life of her own, with her son, Ali, being a part of it. I would love to see her move closer to him, and spend more time with him. It’s disgusting the way they just pushed her out of the picture, and we never hear from her. She adores her son. Most women have a special bond with their sons, she should be no different. I believe she selflessly gave Alex custody because he was a boy and realize he needed his father in his life. It doesn’t make sense for Alex to totally turn on her like this. He shouldn’t hate her like this. Not sure what Patterson was thinking with this arc for Christine and Alex but I just don’t like it. They could/should have had a much better relationship. They still can.

The narrator wasn’t the worst but he wasn’t the best. I’m just glad that they have Black men narrating the character for a Black man. It was cringey getting through a few earlier books with those white men trying to be Alex. My favorite Alex narrators are Blake and Fernandez. I’m delighted every time I see their names.

Three different murder stories at once may have been a bit too much. I had to pay careful attention as to which plot they were switching back and forth with (while being upset with Alex). I thought Alex should have been more alert to Kyle’s behavior as Agent Hernandez. He literally acted the same way as Kyle but with a different face. Plus he kept bringing up KC. There were a few red flags that Alex missed. I was a little disappointed that Alex didn’t figure that out. Or at least felt more suspicious of his behavior being like Kyles.

I love the Alex Cross series and would definitely recommend reading it in its entirety. It reads like a TV show series when reading back to back. As you can see, it’s easy to get heavily involved with the storylines LOL! Thanks for coming to my TED Talk you awesome person LOL!

Loved It!

Always enjoy James Patterson's Alex Cross books. Enjoyed hearing the voice of Andre Braugher as Alex. Can't wait for the next book!!

Cross.....

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would. Only for those who would enjoy follow the James Patterson series. If you are into crime, mystery, and suspense you will like the book.

Which character – as performed by Andre Braugher and Jay O. Sanders – was your favorite?

The Butcher, was not a favorite but complex.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Alex continues to take way too many chances, but I enjoy the entertainment that the book offers.

Excellent

excellent, I love this series. James Patterson has a great mind. I would like to know if he is planning any more books in the series.

Cross Fire

I enjoyed this suspenseful novel. Alex Cross is one of my favorite characters! James Patterson is one of my favorite authors.

Suspenseful, and action packed

I always enjoy the Cross novels, this one had me sitting up on my bed.