Cross Country (Alex Cross, Book 14)

by James Patterson

book data

1,812 ratings, 3.52 average rating, 434 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		21%
4		31%
3		29%
2		12%
1		4%

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published

November 17th 2008 by Little Brown and Company

binding

Hardcover, 406 pages

isbn

0316018724 (isbn13: 9780316018722)

description

When the home of Alex Cross's oldest friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, the destruction leads him to believe...more

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12/28/08

Matt rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

bookshelves: mystery-thriller

I decided while I was reading the latest book in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson that reading Mr. Patterson's work is similar to eating at McDonald's. You know with both that there won't be any grand expectations in the experience you will gain with both, yet somehow there is an unseen force that compels one in either reading another Patterson novel or eating something from Mickey D's. After you finish reading Patterson's book (and eating at Mickey D's), you know the memory of the exper...more

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1 comment

01/22/09

Dana rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in January, 2009

So, this may be blasphemous, but I thought this book was pretty lame. I have to admit, I don't normally read thrillers or mysteries and this is my first Patterson book, but honestly, I don't think it lives up to the hype. Granted, I read the book in two days, but not because the storyline was particularly compelling. It was more because the chapters are so short that I just had to keep going. Patterson does a good job of ending each chapter with a question or cliffhanger, but overall it wasn't ...more

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11/20/08

Glenn rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in November, 2008

The books with Alex Cross are the best of James Patterson's work. Recently I've been disappointed in a lot of the collaborative efforts where Patterson authors books with a second author. I read that a lot of these are just "ghost" books - Patterson provides the outlines and the other authors write most of the novels, and it definitely shows. Stick with the books that don't have a second author's name on them if you want to read the best that Patterson has to offer.

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2 comments

11/24/08

Chris rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in November, 2008

I've always liked the Alex Cross books, but this one was a dud. Alex takes it upon himself to follow a murderer he's after to Africa. While in Africa, he gets beaten up, jailed & threatened countless times. It seemed to me that the plot was a way for Patterson to let us all know about the horrible violence & living conditions in Africa. I thought Alex acted so out of character. I think I just finished reading it for old times sake.

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1 comment

01/12/09

George A/k/a rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in January, 2009

OK, allow me to begin by confessing that I am a devout James Patterson fan and that the Alex Cross storyline is my favorite. That being said, I enjoyed this book a bit more then most of the other reviewers. In fact, it was one of my favorite Alex Cross books. I read it in one day...at the risk of losing my job security. LOL!
"Cross Country" was all about exposure. This riveting story shows the reader a side - a more vulnerable side - of Alex Cross then one is accustomed. It al...more

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02/10/09

Suzanne rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

bookshelves: mysteries

Read in February, 2009

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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02/09/09

Nicole rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in February, 2009

I am a HUGE fan of James Patterson's Alex Cross series. I look forward to each of the new releases with great anticipation. However, I must say, I was completely disappointed by this addition. I wish I had read the reviews before reading this. It was a quick read with the usual Patterson short chapters But, the woven storyline was completely missing.

Some stand out issues for me:
(1) The murders were too gruesome and violent - completely out of character for Patterson's wr...more

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1 comment

12/11/08

Jill rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in November, 2008

This book was worthwhile in the sense that it continued the Alex Cross saga, but other than that, it wasn't very satisfying. More far-fetched than usual, and yet the books have started becoming monotonous. I'm ready to move on to other series.

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12/17/08

Cathy rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in December, 2008

Patterson's books are THE quickest reads. I think it's the short chapters (they're each about 3 pages), something psychological. This one took one day to read from front to cover. It's very fast-paced and violent, which I liked. A large part of the book is set in Africa, and it was interesting to read about another country and the horrible, disgusting things that they are doing to each other. Good story, I can't wait to read the next one.

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01/08/09

Aaron rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Alex Cross returns for another adventure, only to find himself dragged into the political upheavals that are still tearing up post-colonial Africa in countries such as Nigeria and the Sudan. It all begins as Dr. Cross is drawn into an investigation of a family that is butchered in their ransacked home in Georgetown. While doing the initial walk-through, it does not take long for Alex to realize that he knows the mother of the family, Ellie Cox. In fact, she was his college sweetheart.

...more Alex Cross returns for another adventure, only to find himself dragged into the political upheavals that are still tearing up post-colonial Africa in countries such as Nigeria and the Sudan. It all begins as Dr. Cross is drawn into an investigation of a family that is butchered in their ransacked home in Georgetown. While doing the initial walk-through, it does not take long for Alex to realize that he knows the mother of the family, Ellie Cox. In fact, she was his college sweetheart.

After college, Ellie went on to become a writer, and Alex comes across her most recent manuscript, an examination of why Africa's nation's struggle to reach stability when they have access to moneys from natural resources. It is this investigation that gets the attention of Tiger, a terrorist/gun-for-hire who works with his team of boy-soldiers to assassinate and butcher people (and usually their whole families) for money.

The deaths of the Cross family is duplicated in other similar murders, and Alex follows a lead on the Tiger that brings him to Nigeria, where he is confronted with government officials that seem to work hand and hand with the countries underworld leaders and CIA officials who are reluctant to do anything more than protect him from death.

I do have to say this is the first time that I found myself really not liking Alex as a character. He has always been the hero who rises to the occasion to take down the monsters that he seems most able to tackle. This often puts his friends and family in danger, something that has often made a number of them ask him to slow down a bit. These are pleas that he always ignores and finds ways to convince them they are worrying too much. All the while they continue to get hurt.

This time, he becomes an uber-hero who unrealistically seems able to solve international problems while the "stupid" professionals who have been working on resolutions for years are portrayed as evil. Patterson clearly has a political motive behind the theme of the book. I have to say I support what he is trying to promote, particularly as he brings the reader into the darkest corners of refugee camps created to house those who have escaped from Darfur or the horrible corruption that is evident in many of the petro-governments in Africa. With that said, the plot and the character suffers from the forced fit.

I would rather have had a standalone novel written with a character that has the background and the training (more than a police detective and psychologist) to play James Bond or Jack Ryan and save the day.(less)

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01/27/09

Ruth rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in January, 2009

I was reading On Beauty when Emily said that a friend had lent her this book and she wondered if I wanted to read it. I just had to read it right away. So, I decided to give it a try since I usually like Patterson's books. When I first started to read the book and discovered that it was going to involve going to Africa and the horrible crimes that were taking place there, I was not so sure that I wanted to read it. After I got into it, however, I found that I enjoyed it. Cross goes to a horr...more

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01/16/09

Hans rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in January, 2009

Yep. I'm still a completist, so I read this Alex Cross book too.

Much better than many of the Alex Cross series. I'll give Patterson some credit for trying to bring some political issues to a greater light and for dropping most of the detailed product placement that has started to fill so many pages in the last few books.

The story is far fetched especially the deep motivation to put his life (and family's life of the line).

And yes, the chapter lengths still...more

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03/23/09

Kambin Pillay rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in December, 2008

recommended to Kambin by: I've read a few of his other books
recommends it for: Less squeamish fans of the thriller genre

This is pretty much what you'd expect from Patterson, whose scenes of violence have become more graphic of late. In my view he's stepped out of his comfort zone in a few ways with this book, and I eagerly anticipate future instalments in the series to see where his style develops to. Some examples:

1/ He allowed a female character to die, although, in hindsight, it was the best solution so as not to complicate future books in the series. This differs from when he killed off Cross' ...more

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11/18/08

Bettie (Goodreads Reader!) rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

bookshelves: mystery-thriller, room-101, testost-tosh

The Kill Team enter...

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05/10/09

Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in April, 2009

This may sound really dumb, but I just realized I read the most recent book in the Alex Cross series first. I bought this book cheap at a used book store and simply started reading it with out thinking to check that first. As many James Patterson Fans can tell you, his books are not obviously numbered. Well, earlier today I searched it to see what book I needed to read next, and found out that this is actually the 14th book in the series. Now I get to go find all of the other 13 books that prece...more

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12/29/08

Alysha rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in December, 2008

I am a total fan of James Patterson, so my viewpoint is s little buyest!
My English teacher recommended it to me last year and for some reason it's totally addicting. My only problem is that he keeps on repeating the same story line! It’s super frustrating. This book is set in Africa but yet it still has the same storyline as just about every book in the while series. ready here it is: sick puppy psycho killer, Alex knows one of the people affected/it reminds him of his wife, Alex goes...more

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05/02/09

KarenC rated it:

bookshelves: better_than_tv, police

Read in April, 2009

A fast read; if the publisher had reduced the white space and made some chapters longer the size of the book would be significantly reduced. Many short chapters, only a page or two, each ending at a sort of "cliffhanger" spot in the storyline. Kept me reading, but I'm still trying to figure out whether I read because the plot was intriguing, the cliffhangers grabbed my attention, or just to get to the end.

I'm also trying to figure out Patterson's purpose in writing this particular boo

...more

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12/05/08

Brad rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

bookshelves: library

Read in December, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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1 comment

01/21/09

Agustin Quintana rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

bookshelves: currently-reading

I am currently reading Cross Country by James Patterson. In this great story Detective Alex Cross is trying to catch a killer for hire from Africa. This killer has spread chaos and terror from Africa all the way to the US. But when the killer The Tiger kills one of Alex’s close friends, Alex takes it personal.

From all the James Patterson books that I’ve ever read I would have to say this is the best one. James Patterson not only shows you the troubles that Alex has to go through ...more

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12/18/08

Debra rated it:

(review of isbn 0316024643)

Read in December, 2008

Cross Country
James Patterson
Little, Brown and Company, 2008
ISBN: 9780316018722
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com
4 Stars
Not your typical Alex Cross book…
Alex Cross returns in an entertaining read. This is not your typical James Patterson/Alex Cross read. A serial killer is on the loose. When the Tiger murders an old friend and her family, revenge is on Cross’ agenda. He chases the monster around the world into Darfur where he faces a...more