Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson

Kill Alex Cross is the sequel to Alex Cross.

It was a quick read for a few hours; in fact, I read it one day and I traded it for some other books the next .

Kill Alex Cross is the 18th in the series.

Someone has kidnapped the President's children from an elite school in Washington. A Muslim couple has traveled to the US to join Al Ayla (The Family), a terrorist group using couples as suicide units to carry out the acts. They plan on poisoning the water supply and releasing sarin gas in the subways. The wife is especially rabid for US destruction, even having a little marital bliss while CNN reports on the bombings. Alex must figure out who kidnapped the kids and how to stop the terrorists.

There should have been lots of intrigue; all the elements are there, but it all comes off pretty dull.

Alex's grandmother, Nana Mama, has her purse snatched, and after tracking down the culprit, she invites the teen into the Cross home. She has some great speeches in this book, and while it's not in the same tone as the rest of the book, the diversions were entertaining.

Kill Alex Cross received very negative reviews when it came out. It has a lack of character development and no substance. If only, somewhere in the whole book, someone said the line "Kill Alex Cross" Alas, there is no active plan to Kill Alex Cross.

This is a pretty weak entry and not the one to start the series with.

Another reviewer mentioned: "I used to go after anything with James Patterson’s name on it. But his output exceeded his ability to maintain quality. To have Patterson tell it he was still the driving creative force behind the franchise efforts. He seemed to care not a whit about the final product. The finishes his subcontractors delivered were shoddy…"

2011 / Hardcover / 384 pages