Along Came a Spider, by James Patterson

So, I've been making an effort lately to read outside my "box", or preferred genres.  I thought a good place to start would be the New York Times Bestsellers list .  And, towards the top of the list is James Patterson's Hope to Die with his detective, Alex Cross. With this being the 22nd book in the series, however, I decided to start at the beginning with Along Came a Spider.

Alex Cross is full of sass, empathy, dogged persistence, and in your face toughness.  He needs to use all of those skills to catch what looks like a serial killer in the slums of Washington D.C.  Six black people from the bad part of town are already dead and the killer shows no signs of stopping.  Unfortunately, Cross' superiors pull him off that case and want him to work a high profile kidnapping case.  Can Alex solve both cases before more bodies start piling up?

This book was a mind bending thrill ride.  I truly liked the character of Alex Cross, Patterson's writing was smooth, the action never-ending, the twists twisty.  So, why do I plan to never read the rest of the series?

I've discovered that James Patterson is too far outside my box.  I can read about angry villains, power tripping villains, greedy villains. However, creepy, stalking psychopathic villains that hide their madness behind a smile disturb my sleep and I jump at shadows too much to want to read about them.

So, for those of you with a stronger stomach than I, please plan to enjoy your evening with the Detective Alex Cross.

Just, check behind the door before you go to bed tonight.  :-)

Shivers,
Amy

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James Patterson's Alex Cross Series (In Order)

Along came a spider (Dec 1993)
Kiss the girls (Jan 1995)
Jack and Jill (Sep 1996)
Cat & mouse (Nov 1997)
Pop goes the weasel (Oct 1999)
Roses are red (Nov 2000)
Violets are blue (Nov 2001)
Four blind mice (Nov 2002)
The big bad wolf (Nov 2003)
London bridges (Nov 2004)
Mary, Mary (Nov 2005)
Cross (Nov 2006)
Double cross (Nov 2007)
Cross country (Nov 2008)
Alex Cross's trial (Aug 2009)
Alex Cross (Nov 2009)
Cross fire (Nov 2010)
Kill Alex Cross (Nov 2011)
Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (Nov 2012)
Alex Cross, run (Feb 2013)
Cross my heart (Nov 2013)
Hope to die (Nov 2014)