CROSS COUNTRY ~ Cross It Off Your List

I love Alex Cross, the uber-detective in James Patterson’s novels. I have read nearly all of his books and am always anxious for new ones to come out. Cross Country, a pretty new release was no exception.

Here’s the blurb:
In over a decade of police work, it is the worst murder scene Alex Cross has ever seen. A family has been butchered in their home. And more killings follow. One after the other. Each more gruesome than the last. The only lead is an elusive trail left by a diabolical African warlord know only as The Tiger. It leads Alex Cross into the dark underbelly of Washington DC and beyond, into a true heart of darkness in Africa herself.

Doesn’t that sound awesome? Can you hear Morgan Freeman’s voice? Yhea, me too.

So, I (Rob) drop twenty bucks for the book … hardcover ~ to be donated to the library at a later date.

He goes out of town and I start to read. I read twenty, fifty, eighty, a hundred pages.

I feel like I’m reading news, not a novel. Don’t get me wrong, Cross’s trip to Africa describes horrific and tragic facts about Darfur, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. The truth of the text is practically debilitating, the suffering and corruption are overwhelming. Patterson’s telling of the plight in these African countries is exemplary, but it’s not very novel-y. It’s not really fun at all … I was wondering if there was a quiz on the last page.

I even found myself disliking Cross throughout the novel because he was so imposing while trying to find his target in Africa. Don’t get me wrong, he gets his ass beat down more than once, but his moral superiority in countries where he was so obviously unwelcome, was a put off for me. The mere suggestion that he could “question” or “take someone in” just seemed rather ridiculous. Especially in light of the fact that he knew the specific government/police he would need help from were corrupt.

Finally, on page three-hundred-and-frickin’-eight, Cross’s family gets kidnapped. Finally. How crappy is that … I was glad that Cross’s mother and two young children were kidnapped by an African assassin and his corrupt CIA associates. The next seventy pages are terrific … old skool Patterson. And a happy ending to boot. Kids and mama safe, bad guys busted, killer - dead ... shot right in the damn eye!!!

I guess it has some redeeming qualities, but it is my least favorite … EVAH!

If you still insist on reading it, check it out for free at the library, or let me know … you can have my copy.

Tonight he brings home Janet Evanovich ~ Plum Spooky. I'll let you know!!!