Cross Down is James Patterson’s 31st excursion in the popular Alex Cross series. It is co-written by Brendan DuBois and is an outstanding thriller. For those of you familiar with the Alex Cross series, the books are narrated by Alex Cross. However, this book brings a new perspective to the series: Detective John Sampson is the narrator in this one.
The book opens with a meeting at the White House. Violence has been occurring all over the nation. No one knows if foreign or domestic terrorists are behind the attacks. Maybe it is a combination. It all seems so random. Everyone is afraid that these attacks will escalate in timing and violence until one catastrophic event takes place. The President makes the decision to form a top-secret task force that will meet in protected and private places. There is, however, no way to guarantee that someone on the inside is not involved in the violence.
Leaving the meeting, Cross confides in Sampson that he doesn’t believe the attacks are random. As they are discussing possible patterns, a van makes a U-turn in front of them and a gunfight breaks out. The result: Cross has life-threatening injuries and is rushed to the hospital. Sampson is on his own.
He connects with an old friend, Mel Carr, who helps Sampson focus in on a mission they were on in Afghanistan. Carr insists on meeting in person. He confides that soldiers are being sent on secret missions. He also thinks that everyone who was on the Afghanistan mission is in danger. He thinks all these random acts of violence are somehow connected to what they saw and did. He gives Sampson one key piece of advice: “Trust no one.”
This book gives the reader an opportunity to see John Sampson’s fuller character. You see that he is still broken by the death of his wife; he is a committed father; he is a loyal friend; he is a persistent detective. You are reminded that he is a large man and a patriot. His voice resonates in this novel.
If you enjoy a book that moves at sonic speeds with lots of twists, Cross Down is for you. You will be turning pages as quickly as you can.
