Cross My Heart: (Alex Cross 21)

The story interweaves a couple of different plots nicely and keeps us reading at a very good pace. A psycho is after Alex and his family, a killer that attacks massage parlors is on the loose, someone is kidnapping babies, and there is also the continuing story of Ava, the runaway. Everything was going great, and as the story was rushing to its end I was feeling like Patterson was once again at the top of his game.

But then the author punched me in the face! He ended the book without an ending!

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I am not talking about those novels in which you get a conclusion and then there is a thread left loose so it can be picked up in the next novel in the series. In this case it is as if they just took a novel, split it in part and just gave us one of the parts. This is the most egregious money grab I have seen from this author yet. Luckily I have decided not to ever buy a James Patterson book again, so having borrowed this from the library I feel like my contribution to the author's thieving has been minor.

It is almost getting to the point at which not even borrowing these feel worthwhile though. This author has clearly lay down the blueprint for any other famous author as to how to destroy your name and the faith readers have in your skills. View all 32 comments. Dec 01, Sheilah rated it liked it. This book is hard to write a review on, because reading it I was thoroughly enjoying it, and excitedly turned the page.

The characters were great, the story was great, everything was great, great, great. Then the book ended, or I should say, it didn't end. Seriously, it is like the book is missing the last few chapters, as it just ends with no conclusion. I sat there staring at the book for 5 minutes thinking what idiocy this is?

There is nothing I hate more than authors who so obvi This book is hard to write a review on, because reading it I was thoroughly enjoying it, and excitedly turned the page. There is nothing I hate more than authors who so obviously write books for the purpose to make money, and for no reason split up stories that could be one book over 2 or 3 as it means they can sell more and more.

View all 8 comments. Nov 29, Steve W rated it did not like it. I could not believe the ending. At first I thought my ipad skipped 30 pages Can someone send my rating to Mr Patterson. I cannot believe he did this to his readers. Dec 04, Monnie rated it really liked it. Countless other reviewers already have let the cat out of the bag, so I won't hesitate to carry it forward: This book is a prequel to another one - and a totally unfinished prequel at that. Needless to say, the bulk of the other reviews I've read have not been kind and that's putting it mildly.

And I get it: For what it's worth, here's how Patterson explains it at the end of the book: I ask that you understand that I wrote the ending this way because I am trying to be true to Alex - and to you, and to myself Sure, there are a few spots that are sappy and contrived - true of all the books in the series - but all in all the plot held my interest all the way to the end that isn't an end.

As Cross and his wife Bree work on separate murder scenes and try to locate a one-time foster child who's gone astray, Cross discovers they're all dealing with a madman who's a master of disguises and is out to destroy everything Cross holds dear - most notably Bree, his nonagenarian Nana Mama and his children - to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that there is such a thing as the perfect murder. Truth is, I'm already pretty sure there've been quite a number of near "perfect" murders over the years.

Cross My Heart

And were it not for the fact that I'll have to buy the next book if I really care to know how this one ends and I'm not sure that I do , this book might have ended up near perfect as well. Nov 23, Jim rated it it was ok. This is a somewhat short book. The story was ok but should have been finished in this book. I think the author is getting greedy and wants people to buy the next book to make even more money.

Alex Cross is becoming tedious and predictable. I used to look forward to the next book but after reading this book I look forward to the demise of Cross. Dec 18, Donald Grant rated it did not like it. Anyone who knows anything about writing knows the lesson of never tricking the reader. For example, having a story that ends with the main character waking from a dream that the reader had been tricked into believing was a true event. James Patterson tricks the reader into thinking this is a novel with an ending, when in reality it is only half the story. We do know there will be a second novel finishing this story but did not know that until reading the last page.

These always ended as cliff hangers to be continued, but we knew that going in. Unless one reads one of these reviews, there is no warning this novel is a set up for a continuation. Patterson has committed the unpardonable sin of not only tricking his readership but in my opinion, stealing from them. Sadly, most of us will buy the next Alex Cross when in fact we should be returning our copies of "Cross My Heart", demanding our money back This ending was a ridiculous emotional rollercoaster ride!

This was an amazing installment all around. Incredible crime plots with so much suspense at the end. My quick and simple overall: And for Detective Alex Cross, the current spate of murders across the city had the force run off their feet. With partner Detective John Sampson by his side, Alex was tormented and frustrated by a killer who was bettering them at every turn.

But worse, much worse was to come — and with it, it became personal. And someone was out to bring Alex Cross down in a big way… Wow!! Or should I say non-ending! I thoroughly enjoy the Detective Alex Cross series and this one was no different; closure would work better for me though… Highly recommended. Nov 09, Andrea rated it it was amazing. Receiving an advanced copy of James' book has its advantages. I almost thought for a bit that this was the end of Alex Cross. I had to put the book down with approximately 20 pages until the end.

I really had to mentally prepare myself to accept however the book would end. Alex Cross and his family have become like my family over the years. I have invested a lot of time in Receiving an advanced copy of James' book has its advantages. I have invested a lot of time in getting to know them. I have found myself almost in tears in previous books; this book was no exception.

That is all I am going to say. I can't imagine how Mr. Patterson is ever going to end the Alex Cross series. I can't imagine it ever ending. I have become so immersed in the Cross family that any other ending than a good one would probably kill me and other fans too! Keep up the great work Mr.

I cannot wait until the Cross family comes into my life again. View all 6 comments. Jan 06, Carol rated it did not like it. One star is too much for this. If you, like me, are invested in the family of Alex Cross, Nana Mama, and the kids, you will want to read this book. Well, try to control yourself, because it ends on a ridiculous cliff-hanger and you will have to wait a year or more to get to the next book to see what happens.

I'm done with Patterson's antics. This is seriously not fair to the reader and seems just greedy to me. The only author who could get away with this is a big name like Patterson. Pay One star is too much for this. Pay for another book to see how this one ends? Don't you have any professional integrity, Patterson? Of the two plots in the book, one is actually solved, although by an enormous stretch of the imagination never could really happen that way. The main plot is not only never solved, the reader is dropped off just as Alex is in the worst position imaginable and actually, this plot is also not believable.

This author has lost me and many others who will never pick up his books again. Not one penny of my money will ever go to him again. There are too many good books out there to waste time on this. Aug 27, Julia Ibbotson rated it it was ok. I have loved this series and others by James Patterson but I don't think I will be reading any more. The ending was abrupt and there was no resolution as you should expect in a thriller; it just petered out. I like novels which leave questions at the end food for thought but this was simply badly written.

It also had Cross implying the culprit was someone whom we know did not do it, so it was all very odd. I assume that this is a technique to get readers to buy the nex What a disappointment. I assume that this is a technique to get readers to buy the next in the series where presumably we find out what actually happened.

But sadly, I won't be one of them. I also feel that the Cross family was an excellent narrative creation to provide a counter-point to the horrendous parts of Alex's job: But now there is no such contrast, as Cross's family and background have been written as merging totally with the criminal and insane!

At the same time, Alex and Bree are trying to track down Ava, the troubled teen who has recently run away from their home.

And unbeknownst to Alex and Bree, a ruthless murderer is targeting their family. I find I have been disappointed in these books for quite a while, but I hold out hope because they were so good in the beginning. I hated that this had a non-ending. I like that typically a mystery wraps up in one book and then we move on to something else. However, I also think that things go too easily for Alex Cross, and I find it hard to believe that his entire family would still be alive while all these "brilliant criminals" are trying to hurt him.

Kiss the Girls and Roses are Red were two I find I have been disappointed in these books for quite a while, but I hold out hope because they were so good in the beginning. Kiss the Girls and Roses are Red were two fantastic novels in this series, but the last eight have been mediocre? There are too many damn books in this series. And not enough of them worth it. Does that mean I will stop? No, apparently I am a glutton for punishment and have to know how it ends. I have invested too much time to stop now. Damn you, James Patterson.

View all 3 comments. Nov 22, Sojourner rated it it was amazing Shelves: There is something to the fictional Cross family — you feel deeply attached. James Patterson leaves no stone unturned to pull out all the stops to keep you absorbed throughout the book. Having lost both his parents before he was eleven, Alex Cross cherishes his family above all else: Alex has always been a loving husband and father and a dedicated police detective.

It is also about Marcus Sunday, a man who theorizes the philosophical world-view of a perfect killer in his book The Perfect Criminal. Alex, his wife Bree, and the FBI have been involved in an investigation of a recent spate of murders. As usual, Alex writes about the murders in a publication, drawing the wrath of the killer who decides to tear his family apart and make him suffer. The people who are most dear to him are threatened by a madman obsessed with proving Alex wrong.

His conviction and his love is about to be put to the test. With a madman fanatical with being the perfect criminal on the stalk, can Alex Cross crack the most important case of his career and protect his family? This time, the criminal is in control, bent on making Alex dance to his tunes. Its twists and turns make it difficult to put the book down.

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You may love or hate it but Cross My Heart is unlike anything you have read before. Although I admit that I have bought into the increasingly far-fetched exploits of the story that is Alex Cross's life, this is too much. The series that started with so much promise with Along Came A Spider, has become a farce.

Alex is being stalked by Thierry Mulch, a man who calls himself an existentialist. Mulch is a super-villain psychopath who wants to make Cross suffer just because he can. He plans the abduction and murder of Cross's entire family through the book, while Alex and his wife, Although I admit that I have bought into the increasingly far-fetched exploits of the story that is Alex Cross's life, this is too much. He plans the abduction and murder of Cross's entire family through the book, while Alex and his wife, Bree track down and capture another mass murderer.

The ending of this novel is pathetic, but read it if you must and find out for yourself. I have followed Alex Cross for many years. I have read approximately 1. Dec 16, James Elliot Leighton rated it did not like it. This is NOT a book. It is junk mail advertising an as yet unwritten book. It is frustrating and annoying. I will not look at anything from James Patterson again - he has jumped the shark as they say - he has become a con-man.

The arrogant disregard with which he treats his fan base is unbelievable, and it is going to shoot him in the foot. I will certainly take every opportunity to disparage him if his name comes up - as will many others if these reviews are any indication. Nov 21, Jon Kurtz rated it really liked it.

Cross My Heart (Alex Cross, #21) by James Patterson

James Patterson's machine gun style is exciting and easy to read. Short chapters, cliff hanger endings, and familiar characters succeed in grabbing and holding the reader's interest. Though a strength to a point, the familiarity of the characters has become a weakness in this series. So, to summarize the basis for the four stars, I love Patterson's James Patterson's machine gun style is exciting and easy to read. So, to summarize the basis for the four stars, I love Patterson's writing style, but find the premise tired and unrealistic.

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The novel takes place after Alex Cross, Run , in which Alex tries contemplating a life outside the Metro Police, after the apparent death of Ava, an orphan girl they took in. It was initially not planned by Patterson, but was later confirmed to be in the works. The novel will once again feature Metro Police detective Alex Cross. Alex Cross has been a family man at heart — he loves his children, his grandmother, and his beautiful wife Brianna.

Alex Cross has managed to stop serial killers and survive. But all of that is about to change. When a new enemy targets Cross and his family, Cross finds himself in a whole new game. If he tries to save his family or stop the killer, they die. Can Alex protect his family and capture a criminal at the same time? The novel was scheduled to be released in November 25, in hardcover and audio book, with the paperback to be presumably released in