Author: James Patterson
Title: Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Let's just say when you've written as many books as James Patterson has (apparently, he's set the Guinness World Record for having the most bestsellers ever), it probably wouldn't be all that surprising if there was a dud every once in a while.
But Patterson fans, rejoice, Merry Christmas, Alex Cross is definitely not last year's The Christmas Wish, which stretched all boundaries of believability and anything resembling rational thought.
While it still won't be confused for great literature, Merry Christmas, Alex Cross is still well-paced, escapist reading with some pretty high stakes.
While one might think that Christmas Eve would be a slower night on the job, there's apparently no rest for busy detectives. After being called to help out a church that had its donations for the poor stolen, he's now forced to sacrifice precious time with his family to deal with an escalating hostage situation.
Forced to get creative—really creative—to help set things right, Alex risks his own life to help a family in need. And given the layered, complex nature of the case, having Alex deal with a slew of moral quandaries makes for particularly page-turning reading.
Perhaps, even more important than that, however, is that Alex is a protagonist you can't help getting behind. Never opting for the easy way out, yet not so perfect he essentially seems fake, it's no surprise that Alex Cross was recently given the big-screen treatment with Tyler Perry in the lead. He's a modern-day superhero, minus the cape and complicated backstory.
And whether you're new to the scene or someone who's been following his adventures for a while, Merry Christmas, Alex Cross will definitely satisfy your need for an intriguing, fast-paced thriller that keeps you guessing right up ‘til the end.
*This Review First Published 11/26/2012
