Alex Cross was a rising star in the Washington, DC, Police Department when an unknown shooter gunned down his wife, Maria, in front of him. The killer was never found, and the case turned cold, filed among the unsolved drive-bys in D.C.'s rough neighborhoods. Years later, still haunted by his wife's death, Cross is making a bold move in his life. Now a free agent from the police and the FBI, he's set up practice as a psychologist once again. His life with Nana Mama, Damon, Jannie, and little Alex is finally getting in order. He even has a chance at a new love. Then Cross's former partner, John Sampson, calls in a favor. He is tracking a serial rapist in Georgetown, one whose brutal modus operandi recalls a case Sampson and Cross worked together years earlier. When the case reveals a connection to Maria's death, Cross latches on for the most urgent and terrifying ride of his life. From the man USA Today has called the "master of the genre," Cross is the high-velocity thriller James Patterson and Alex Cross's fans have waited years to read--and the pinnacle of the bestselling detective series of the past two decades.

This book was better than most of the more recent Alex Cross series but not up to the level of the first three. There was no suspense, no thrill. The most disappointing was the ending which seemed like the author had something else to do and just threw in a conclusion.

You have to keep your disbelieve very active for things such as why - did rape victims report the crime if they were going to refuse to describe the assailant - Kayla in serious condition was still in the emergency room when Alex arrived - the villain did not explain to his unknowing wife why his kids and car got shot up in the ballpark that day - Sampson waited more than 10 years to tell Alex about Maria's real killer - Alex Cross was not in trouble when he violated the therapist/patient confidentiality - the villain cut the faces of his victims - did the villain let victims live after showing them pictures of his previous murders - etc. etc.

I gave this product zero stars as it was written in Spanish. It did not indicate that this was a Spanish version of the book. Since I don't speak or write Spanish, this book was useless.

Alex Cross has faced his share of psycho killers and they have all taken their toll on him. Needing a change of pace, he leaves the FBI and starts his own private practice in DC. A series of vicious mob related murders that are connected to a serial rapist soon grab his attention. When Cross discovers the culprit may in fact be the man who murdered his wife, he knows that he can no longer sit by. Cross once again teams up with John Sampson to bring down a ruthless killer. This time it's personal.

James Patterson's Alex Cross Series is his most well known work and the best written. Cross certainly fits into the mold that Patterson set years ago when he embarked on this fast paced and engrossing series. Patterson's deep connection to his beloved character is revealed through the rich detail and emotion found in this novel. As fans would expect, this story is frenetically paced and impossible to put down from line one.

The Butcher might be Patterson's most evil character and the depths of his depravity have no bottom. We spend much of this book in the killer's head, and while this is a darkly disturbing journey, it is also an effective storytelling device that draws you right in. This is classic Alex Cross good vs. evil storytelling and fans of the series won't be disappointed.

I loved this book. I also loved the book itself, the size is easy to hold with my arthritic hands, and easier to read with the larger pages.

Although this book was still enjoyable, and I will still be getting the next Alex Cross book, I can't help but think that Patterson is concentrating too much on quantity and not enough on quality these days. Comparing Along Came a Spider or any earlier books with his recent in this series, the books just don't seem to have the quality of writing that they used to. I used to wait impatiently for the next in the series, but I am now content to occupy my time reading Michael Connolly and others while waiting for the Cross books to go to paperback.