Double Cross (Alex Cross, Book 13) by James Patterson
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Book Reviews of Double Cross (Alex Cross, Book 13)
Book Review: Totally unbelievable.
Summary: 1 Stars
Author of Afinidad: A novel of a serial killer
This is the first James Patterson book I have read because I saw that he is twice on the Amazon best seller list and I wanted a piece of the action. I wasn't a quarter of the way into it when I wondered why he was there. As I kept reading, that feeling grew but I persisted because I felt I must be missing something that thousands of other readers were getting. I was utterly unconvinced by his characters and the story line, the latter doing a very poor job, or no job at all, of explaining how the killers ALWAYS got their victims right where they wanted them. And his killers - god. Has he no interest at all in being realistic? Real life serial killers are an extremely unhappy group of people. That is why they kill - to try to relieve that unhappiness. Patterson's killers are portrayed like schoolkids being let loose in a candy store - much delighted chortling and gleeful hand rubbing. And the real ones mostly kill to a pattern, that pattern being part of a ritual that is supposed to bring them relief. Patterson just gets his serial killer, Kyle Craig, coming across a cleaner in his hotel room and deciding on the spot, yeah, ok, I will kill her right here, right now. Same with a girl he picks up in a bar. Utterly unrealistic.
On the law enforcement side, it ain't any better. Detective Bree Stone (Cross's girlfriend) is supposed to be the lead on the murders but Cross just takes over (how does that happen anyway? He's supposed to be off the force) and Bree is only a shadowy figure on the sidelines. No strong female characters in this book.
The ending was ridiculous, and again, utterly unbelievable. One of the characters brags that he is trained in hand to hand combat, then, after a few seconds of just that, is dead! Hello? Another character fakes death, then leaps to his feet and runs off into the night, laughing maniacally. Talk about a plug for the next book which, I, for one, won't be getting.
Book Review: Started off interesting, but went downhill fast
Summary: 1 Stars
I thought the book started off well with an interesting twist of how the main serial killer (DCAK) made up characters which he portrayed during the course of his murders. Now that I've said everything positive I can about this book, lets get to the bad. The book did not need the Kyle Craig character in it at all and every section of the book in which he made an appearance brought the novel to a screaching and awkward halt considering he was completely secluded from the rest of the story's plotline. The revelation that Cross's two counseling patients are the killer duo actually came as no surprise. It also made no sense that if they planned on killing him that they didn't use their covers in this case to their advantage. And I didn't get why they were a duo anyways. The only thing that I can say the killer's sister actually did in the entire book was give her own brother a handjob infront of Cross. Really... WTF? What was the point? The ending was also horrible. Cross, his girlfriend, and his old partner are all tied up while the killer duo both have guns on them from different angles. So basically their stuck in a situation in which escaping is impossible, and of course they not only escape but overpower their captors. Cross even manages to get into a knife fight with the guy and win. Oh yeah then Kyle Craig shows up to threaten Cross's life to his face and then leaves without even attempting to kill him. Come on, give me a break.
The ending made me glad that I had found this book at a b&b instead of paying money for it. This was the first and last James Patterson book I'm going to read. Would have given it 0 stars in I could because of the ending.
Book Review: Bad Beyond Belief
Summary: 1 Stars
There was no greater fan when I began reading Cross' books. About six books ago, I had not only stopped reading his books - I had taken him off my excel list of good authors.
A friend passed this book onto me, so thought I would give it one more try. Big mistake. It consists of incomplete chapters, which merely ring up one victim after another, so they can promptly be dispatched by the primary killer or a friend, while Cross, et al, do essentially nothing.
There is no plot, no suspense, no intelligent thought. In the last "dramatic" (not) scene, they have "killed" the really bad guy, Cross' nemisis forever, only to have him jump up unharmed, wearing a bullet proof vest. Who could have ever guessed? Could he be saved for another book? Throw up!
His book, Cross Creek, has also been given to me. I will dispose of it without opening it. I have 50 mystery authors on my reading list, all of whom have written mostly enjoyable, suspenseful, interesting books. Mr. Cross will never again be part of that list.
Dwight Jundt
Book Review: Just plain awful!
Summary: 1 Stars
JP, where is the brilliant criminologist/psychologist Alex Cross of ALONG CAME A SPIDER, KISS THE GIRLS, and JACK AND JILL? In this outing, Cross is reduced to a hormone raging teen boy in heat, even as he and Bree study crime photos. Give me a break!
And stop with the 2 page chapters already. Your stock in trade writing has become trite and formulaic. It seems as though Patterson can't live up to the standard of mystery and intrigue that Alex Cross used to have, what made Patterson fun to read. Now, everything is predictable. A killer or two, the killing keeps going until he/she/they are caught by the master criminologist himself, 1 dimensional characters, and Cross' love interest is short lived either by death or by break up. And BTW, Client/attorney privacy doesn't mean no videotape, guards watching just outside of hearing range.
The plot could have been good, but JP's execution was dismal to the point that this reader put it down ½ of the way and dumped my last Patterson novel into the recycle bin.
Book Review: Not as good as TV
Summary: 1 Stars
Many of my friends have encouraged me to read James Patterson. Double Cross was my second attempt. (I gave up on "Sail" after about 3 chapters). Never again!
I would describe James Patterson's writing as comparable to a script for a "due for cancellation" TV cop show. There are just too many cliches, coincidences, and plot holes, not to say anything about bringing a villain back from a previous book. There is even an escape by a bad guy using one of the phoniest devices ever used in books and movies. We have seen all this many times before, usually in a more entertaining way.
There are far too many good writers of mystery/crime thrillers (try Robert Crais or Elmore Leonard) around for anyone to waste their time on James Patterson.