January 2023 - ALEX CROSS Series by James Patterson

[Bridget]

This month we feature the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

The series has an average Good Reads rating of 4.33 and came in at #81 on the Great American Read list.

There are A LOT of books in this series, at the time of the PBS special there were 27 books, as of today there are 30.

The first in the series is Along Came a Spider

Here is a link to the website "Mystery Sequels", not only a list of all of the Alex Cross books, but lists of all the James Patterson novels. https://mysterysequels.com/james-patt... .

Please let us know if you have read books in this series and what you thought. Happy Reading.

[Joyce]

I got this book, "Along Came a Spider" on Libby. It was my first James Patterson read, I believe. It was interesting that the main character was a black detective, written by a white author. I am curious what black readers thought then versus now, about 30 years later. I thought it was a pretty good mystery, with a good plot twist that I didn't suspect. I may eventually try to read more in the series.

[Heather L]

I finally finished Along Came a Spider yesterday morning. Fast-paced, easy read, but doubt that I will read more in the series. I think I would have enjoyed this one more had I picked it up twenty years ago.

I did read another book by Patterson a couple years ago, The President Is Missing, and liked that better. Would like to read the sequel to that one.

Joyce — I also wonder what Black readers think of a White man writing a series featuring a Black main character.

[Joyce]

I don't know if I will read more or not. I think I will finish Sue Grafton's ABC Kinsey Milhone detective stories first. I just finished "K is for Killer" which was disappointing. The ending felt rushed. I never understood the why or motivation of the murder. It felt like there was a chapter missing.