Wednesday, February 4, 2009

BINGO'S BOOKIN' REVIEW


CROSS COUNTRY by James Patterson

Following my giveaway of James Patterson's SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY'S, I thought we'd stay with one of my favorite authors and his newest addition to the wonderful Dr. Alex Cross series. I think Alex Cross is a great character and I know many of us wait eagerly for each of his books. Thank you, Mr. Patterson....and on that note, here is my review:

For all Alex Cross fans, there comes that time of anticipation when a new book is about to be released and you wonder what trials and tribulations Dr. Cross will have to go through to solve the case. And the true fan knows there will most probably be a twist at the very end that you didn’t expect because the “first” ending seemed to have the mystery so neatly tied up. In CROSS COUNTRY, James Patterson does have the same formula for Dr. Cross, but it just seems to lack a few crucial ingredients that make it all come together in a logical, while unexpected, way. Devoted fans can believe anything James Patterson writes about Alex Cross, but CROSS COUNTRY calls upon us to be really loyal and forgiving.


Dr. Cross is called to a home invasion that just happens to be a friend of his from his past. The entire family is brutally murdered and Alex is his typical clever detecting self, picking up clues at the scene that will come to mean something later on in the story. When another brutal murder with the same characteristics of the first takes place, Alex realizes he is looking for a possible serial killer.


Information is found that reveals a killer known as the Tiger seems to be in charge of these murders. He works with a pack of very young boys who grew up surrounded by poverty, war, and killings. Their homeland is in Africa and Cross finds some obscure connection there and so follows after this crowd of killers much to the dismay of his supporters and family. With his trademark short chapters that keep fans reading “just one more”, James Patterson takes Alex Cross to a world we have never seen him in.


Patterson has Cross engulfed in the middle of today’s headlines with the atrocities that are happening now in places like Nigeria, Sudan, and Darfur. The story in Africa is brutal and violent in a way much more than a Patterson novel would normally have Cross in. In some ways, James Patterson was able to bring some attention to the carnage in Africa through the use of a well-loved character like Dr. Cross. I think it may have been part of his intent as even our hero, Alex Cross, would not have survived all that he was put though, nor would he have made some of the bad decisions he did like going there in the first place with little to no information or back up.


Of course, Dr. Cross does finally make it home only to face a more personal attack by the Tiger and one that he may not survive, or even want to. Will this be the end of Alex Cross? I am fairly sure we all know the answer to this. However, in true Patterson style Alex’s arch enemy enters near the end of the story just briefly, but enough for the reader to wonder and hope that Kyle Craig just may be part of the next Alex Cross adventure. Thus, we are left again wanting more of Alex Cross and forgiving James Patterson for taking us a bit astray of our normal Dr. Cross adventure.





6 comments:

Bingo said...

Check Bingo's Big News Puzzle as you may now have a new clue to help you! Also, don't forget to enter the contest for a chance at THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY!

Wrighty said...

Darn! I thought this one had a contest too. I do like the Alex Cross series and you are correct that we seem to be forgiving of some of the unbelievable aspects. Patterson books are always quick reads with lots of twists and turns but he and his co-authors seem to pump them out too quickly now days.

I have The Little Giants... book and have heard very good things about it. I look forward to reading it. Good luck with the contest!

Anonymous said...

Great Review : D I honestly have never read James Patterson but I've seen a number of reviews now on his books and I'm definitely going to check him out.
I also have been looking how to contact you Bingo, I wanted to thank you for all the encouraging words you gave me on your post at Merry Weather. I imagine your counting the days until June now ; )
Congratulations! And I will definitely be watching for your upcoming Giveaways.
Thanks ~ Bev

Bingo said...

Thank you, Bev! I have about 3 new giveaways coming in the next two weeks! Things are busy this month! I wanted to clean up the blog but never get enough time, not enough knowledge to do it but will keep trying! Come back and visit!

Anonymous said...

Great Review. I am a huge Patterson fan too. Its nice to see another fan of Patterson.

Bingo said...

Cindy...don't forget to keep checking back as there will be a big Patterson announcement any day now! Are you following my blog? I hope so! Thanks for the nice comment on my review!

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