A Number of Attention Grabbing Murders - Book Report/Review Example

Double Cross: A Book Review Double Cross by James Patterson has the hero, Alex Cross, reuniting with the police force. A number of attention grabbing murders have sought fear on the population of the city. The killer relishes the attention and exerts effort to make certain the public witnesses the murders. The killer goes as far as building his own web site and live video feed to air the executions. Another criminal, Kyle Craig, plots a return to the crime world. From his ultra maximum-security cell he has spent years planning both his escape and revenge on Cross who put him in prison (Patterson 10). When Craig finally succeeds in breaking out of an inescapable prison, the importance of catching the killer, and the hazards posed on Alex Cross and his family escalates. To make sure that the hero faces an appropriately high level of challenge, the author pits Cross against two maniacal criminals who know where he resides. Strengths The most recent Alex Cross mystery series, this book is another fast read that will hold one’s interest throughout, making one excited to turn the page and find out how the story will unfold. James Patterson seems to possess the unique talent of finishing each chapter with suspense that keeps readers continuing to read to the end. Patterson likewise masterfully weaves his story as a murder mystery. Although the author may not be the most sophisticated of plotters, he is skilled in grabbing attention and interest. Clues are little by little mixed into the story and discoveries uncovered periodically, which keep up the interest by coaxing the reader to ponder more and more. Furthermore, because the reader is able to view the story from the different points of view of different characters (for instance, from the point of view of Cross and that of the criminals), readers may be able to foresee what is about to happen. This accords the story a sustained appeal and prevents the plot from turning too plain. Regular mystery readers may find the plot predictable and may have anticipated from the first hundred or less pages the murderer. Nevertheless, the Double Cross captivates with its uncomplicated yet interesting plot. In addition, James Patterson relies on his proven recipe of brief chapters of only three pages. This allows easy reading and adds to the curiosity of the reader to find out how the story will unfold. By purposefully writing short chapters, readers are tempted to go on to the next chapter, since they are only composed of a few pages. Finally, the author’s penchant for finishing a chapter with either a suspenseful scene or a new discovery heightens the interest to continue reading. Weaknesses Readers unfamiliar with past Cross novels should be advised not to begin reading one with this novel. This is because this book predominantly continues from happenings from the past Cross mystery series and assumes that the readers are already familiar with the past events. Hence, for readers who have not read past Cross series, they may have difficulty following some of the progressions in the story. The author presupposes that the readers will mostly be followers of the Cross series and that readers understand references to information taken from the past novels. Understandably, investing more words to describe previous events may drag the story, so the author avoids lengthy explanations. In addition, Alex Cross’ family is taken to the background in this book. This may disappoint many Cross mystery fans because it is his pleasant family relationship along with the tensions created that is often the distinguishing feature of previous novels. Moreover, Alex’s best friend, John, a regular character from the first book in the series has become immaterial in this book. Then there is Detective Stone, the most recent of Cross’ lovers. Stone gradually turns into a more realistic and substantial character in this novel, but this can only be viewed positively if Cross does not leave her for another romantic relationship in a subsequent novel. However, the major letdown of the Double Cross is probably the incredible events surrounding the character Kyle Craig. Additionally, there were situations when the events of the story do not match reality. For example, it appears unbelievable that Cross, after being threatened by maniacal criminals, does not consider hiding or transferring his family to a safer location. Likewise, certain parts of the story are unlikely to occur in real life, such as when Cross returns to working with the police force. Of course, if this were non-fiction, Kyle Craig would probably not again appear in the story. Conclusion Double Cross is not too much focused on the characters. The story revolves more around the plot, the hide-and-seek game of the insane killer and Cross. The story sees Cross hunting down two mass murderers including previous colleague Kyle Craig. The author creates a captivating and suspenseful story, which catches the interest of the reader right from the first page. Although the book is suspenseful and captivating, it does not deserve the applause from the best of previous Cross novels. The setting aside of previous major characters and the author’s relatively huge attention given to the love life of Cross show the inconsistency of Double Cross from previous novels. However, this novel may be the best from the past five of the mystery series. Even if Double Cross still has some of Alex's home life intermingled, the story is focused as it concentrates on the thrilling chase with two serial killers. Another weakness of the story is that the climax of the story occurred more quickly than what readers expect. It may seem like the author felt he had exceeded the target number of pages and so had to hurriedly end the story. However, the book makes an enjoyable read, because of the author’s talent for graphic combinations of mystery and drama. Throughout the novel, Patterson keeps readers fastened to the pages. The brief chapters leave readers with the right amount of curiosity to read on and turn to the next chapter. The book arouses suspense in the reader by giving the protagonist two maniacal criminals to deal with. Although it may be true that some of the things that occur throughout the novel may seem unbelievable, the author has a captivating writing style that makes readers believe in the occurrences nonetheless. Despite the predictable twists and weaknesses in the story that are small enough to be ignored, the story lives up to its title. Double Cross is somewhat similar to an effortlessly entertaining action movie. It promises suspense and action, and does not require a lot of thinking. What is important though is that the story moves in quick suspense, entertaining readers from one scene to the other. Hardly has a dead body cooled, before another is discovered, building up both the suspense levels and the stress on Cross, that gives even readers themselves experience the tension and find out as quickly as possible how the story will end. Works Cited Patterson, James. Double Cross. New York: Little Brown and Company, 2007. Read More