Alex Cross, Run

Alex Cross #20

by James Patterson

If Alex Cross stops running, he will die . . . three serial killers are on the loose, and they want revenge.



Detective Alex Cross arrests renowned plastic surgeon Elijah Creem for sleeping with teenage girls. Now, his life ruined, Creem is out of jail, and he's made sure that no one will recognize him-by giving himself a new face.

A young woman is found hanging from a sixth-floor window, and Alex is called to the scene. The victim recently gave birth, but the baby is nowhere to be found. Before Alex can begin searching for the missing newborn and killer, he's called to investigate a second crime. All of Washington, D.C., is in a panic, and when a third body is discovered, rumours of three serial killers send the city into an all-out frenzy.

Alex's investigations are going nowhere, and he's too focused on the cases to notice that someone has been watching him-and will stop at nothing until he's dead. With white-hot speed, relentless drama, and hairpin turns, Alex Cross, Run is James Patterson's ultimate thrill ride.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Suspense

432 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2013

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
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James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Suzzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

Well that was an upsetting ending. I am hoping the next book in the series picks up with more information on the Ava topic. Overall, this was a really interesting installment with a lot of action and three very interesting plots. I still hope we learn more on the Ava front because I don’t feel like that was a solid ending to her story. The crime plots were ridiculously extreme but entertaining to say the least. This was a very good installment. Tired so don’t want to writing too long of a review since I’m afraid I will give too much away.

My quick and simple overall: interesting installment with fast-paced plots.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another highly readable outing from James Patterson. I really like his Alex Cross series. They are always action packed with short choppy chapters that keep you reading long after it is time to put the book down and go to bed! It's also very nice to see Alex in a good place in his life with a wife who understands and supports him. This is unusual in this genre where the main character is usually a depressed alcoholic loner:) Altogether a nice, stress free, easy and enjoyable read.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went back and forth between 2 and 3 stars on this one. There were three cases going on at the same time....a bit overkill - no pun intended. I really found only one case even remotely interesting and that was the killer who was specifically targeting Alex Cross. There was a shocking conclusion to this particular case (not to reveal anything but I am not totally convinced this person is really gone - especially making a big deal of no dental records for ID.) Although we knew why Ron targeted Alex Cross, we never found out the WHY this person killed the other women. The book didn't fully flesh out his motives and background because it was too focused on simulaneously telling about the other two murderers. I found the Dr. Creem and his sidekick Josh too disturbing - sexual gratification and gore for no reason. No real story with these guys - just two disturbed individuals and I had to be the unfortunate reader of their actions. I am kind of surprised that James Patterson didn't have a co-writer for this book - someone else I could blame for the poor writing and plot development. And, I will add....his books are getting more expensive - not getting the value for the dollar either.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Detective Alex Cross was under pressure; the murders of beautiful young blonde girls, plus handsome young men had Alex and his good friend and colleague Detective John Sampson scrambling from one crime scene to the other. It seemed there was more than one killer out there – but were they serial killers?

Suddenly Alex found himself under fire from a most unexpected source – and he had no idea why. Plus there was trouble on the home front; the family’s foster child Ava who they loved dearly and were close to adopting – what was wrong with her? Would the family survive this crisis? Or would it be torn apart?

With Alex overseeing several investigations at once, the pressure was mounting. The clock was ticking as more bodies were found. Everything seemed to be going wrong – the investigative team just couldn’t get ahead…

Another gripping Alex Cross thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. The twists and turns were there from beginning to end; an engrossing and chilling read. Highly recommended.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Patterson is at is best when he writes the Alex Cross series, is it because he writes these himself?
I wish Patterson would concentrate on this quality rather than the Production line quantity he insists on carrying out.
This was back to the quality of the early novels 'Kiss the girls' etc.

[Brittany McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was both sick and satisfying. Doctors, sex trafficking, plastic surgery, a missing baby, daughter fantasy, snuff porn, etc. All while dealing with regular family problems.

Some serious sickos and a side case of obsession with killing Alex Cross.

This was one of the most exciting of the series since the Big Bad Wolf!!

Solid 4.5 Stars rounded up to 5.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh Alex, I wish I could forget about your series.

It has been a while since I dove into another book from this series but I figured I needed to try it again. Enter Alex Cross, Run. In it, we are still with out crime fighting super agent Alex Cross. He has a ton of freaking cases going on at the same time. Well, maybe 3 isn't that maybe.. but I feel like it might be in his case? Not sure.

For me, yes.. way too many.

Since we had 3 cases to follow, I honestly didn't find any of them interesting. I mean, one had some potential but ugh.. Alex just annoys the crap out of me. Other than that, I'm glad I got another book done from this series. Maybe I'll eventually find one that I like.

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But Cross was special. Alex was the one that Guidice wanted to kill"

NEWSFLASH: Patterson goes back to the aspects that made this series one of my all-time favorites!

Has has finally done it and given his fans the quality they were expecting. This book has all the elements we have come to love from the early and middle books in this series:

*Ruthless, clever and twisted killers, that you quickly come to hate
*Breakneck pace not only in terms of action, but also in story-line
*A nice dose of family plot to round up the book nicely and give the characters depth
*Surprises you truly do not see coming

It all begins when Cross and Sampson lead a raid to bring down two powerful men and end up giving them a reason to consider going on a rampage. But having two killers confusing the police is not enough, add another killer, Guidice, whose goal is to make Alex suffer and then kill him. This actually provides us with the thrills the book "Kill Alex Cross" promised but never delivered on. The combination of cases provides us with non-stop evolution to the action and the investigations that go on. The bad guys, especially Guidice are so infuriating that you pretty much feel like grabbing him through the pages of the book and ripping his heart out.

Luckily, Nana and Bree are back to behaving in a way that is reasonable when considering the characterization of them before "Merry Christmas, Alex Cross". I am not sure what Patterson was thinking in that last book, but he was giving totally unrealistic characters. Anyway, that has been successfully corrected. Also, we get to read a lot more about Ava, the teenagers that the Cross family has been fostering and who they want to adopt. On top of this, we get Sampson back into the thick of things, after he was relegated to minor roles in the last few books.

Finally, be ready to be surprised. I like authors that sometimes throw a punch to the reader without fearing that they will be ripped apart for doing that, and in this book Patterson does not pull the punches. I am truly glad I stuck with this series, because this is one truly rewarding read!

[Paula Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know when you have read a series and there are quite a few books and you start to think that the author must be coming near the end of the series as they are beginning to feel tired ? I have to say that James Patterson's Alex Cross series does not fall into that category as each one still keeps the readers on their toes. I do have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Alex Cross Run as the last couple of books in his Alex Cross series have been a tad blah and a bit confusing with the whole multiple killings scenarios and half a dozen killers at the same time. Alex Cross Run was one of the best ones of the Alex Cross series I have read in a while and felt like his earlier works despite containing more than one murder plot. In this novel we see Alex Cross on the crime scenes of a hanged woman - was it suicide or homicide ? A number of dead blonde females and guys with their hair shaved and stabbed and a missing baby . Are these all connected or is there an odd one out ? . It seems a common thread in the last few Alex Cross books is that someone wants him dead and will try their best to ruin Alex Cross , unlike the previous novels - this Killer will target Alex Cross and set out to hit him where it hurts and we read as someone in the Cross family is murdered ? This part of the book is in the last few chapters and it made me tear up as I was like Noooooooooooooooooooo :(.
For readers, Alex Cross Run was a fantastic book in his series and I can say if he continues to bring back some of his old writing styles and flavour then it seems that we can expect more Alex Cross novels to come :)

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Patterson cannot go wrong when he pens his Alex Cross novels (perhaps proof that it is the co-authoring that makes some of the work attributed to him sub-standard). In this, the 20th installment of the Alex Cross series, the book takes our main character and stretches him out to deal with three main issues: a set of murderers on the loose, a reporter with an axe to grind, and some major issues at home that threaten to tear the family apart. Cross must juggle all these issues with his usual aplomb, and keep the citizens of Washington safe. With his typical class, Cross tackles everything head on and leaves no rock unturned as he fights for his family and his own safety. Patterson has surely saved the best for this installment, which pits Cross into some of his most trying issues to date. A great ending brings the reader to the edge of their seat, left doubtful that the words on the page could be anything but deceitful.

The series, in general, does a good job with presenting the chronological progression of Cross and his family. There are sure to be some inconsistencies and some books are written to take place as follow-ups to their predecessors, although they are written a year later. We have not gone on a 20 year journey with Alex Cross, though some mention of past histories do help the reader fill in gaps not discussed in full-on books. The series does regularly deal with one-off ‘bad guys’, evil-doers who pop up and are caught in the same 100 chapters or so. I have, however, enjoyed Patterson’s use of recurring characters to force the avid Alex Cross reader to remember the threads of past storylines to piece the larger story together for all involved.

I have a love/hate relationship with James Patterson and his books. While he is surely one of the great writers of quick crime fiction (I take creative liberty to make my own sub-genre) these days, his long list of new publications are not always as stellar as the moniker of ‘New York Times bestseller’ would lead one to believe. Those who have read some of my numerous Patterson reviews will know that I have penned the ‘Patterson syndrome’, whereby an author will succeed in selling a vast quantity of their books simply on name alone. Patterson’s Cross, WMC, and Bennett series are the only ones whose regularity is also met with greatness. While some of his earlier one-offs are decent reads, others are best used to prop open a door in a drafty house. That said, Cross is his go-to series and is usually fairly well written. The reader need not worry about sub-par writing or silly storylines. I do wonder how long he will be able to keep the story going, as we are reaching the limits of what I suspect the character can do.

Kudos, Mr. Patterson, for this great piece of work. You’ve done well with your original series and I hope it remains a important staple in you writing career.

[Michael Turashoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say I love Cross and Patterson. Not the best Cross book I have read but very very enjoyable just the same. I would still recommend it to anyone who wants a good mystery.

[Linda Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

When bodies start mounting in D.C., Alex Cross sees a link that can only mean one thing, a serial killer. On closer examination, Cross realizes that there are at least two killers, maybe more. On top of all of this, it seems that children of murder victims have also disappeared. In the midst of a hastening murder spree, Cross is confronted by a blogger who seems to have taken an interest in more than Alex’s professional life.

While this blogger virtually attacks Cross, setting him up as a ‘dirty cop’ and new bodies continue to surface; the Cross’ new ward, Ava slips back into the drug usage from her days on the street.

In the midst of the confusion and frustration, the blogger extraordinaire sets Cross up, injecting him with drugs while slipping the excess in Alex’s pocket, but no before Alex publicly lands a few good punches.

After having been stripped of his badge in the midst of a complex case, having an order of protection placed against him, while knowing, but being unable to prove he has been set-up; Cross wonders if anything else could go wrong; only to learn that his foster daughter, Ava, is being pulled from his custody and placed into a group home.

With all of these twists and turns, will anything ever work out for Alex Cross again? Guess you’ll have to read the book to find out.

[Rob Twinem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I used to love James Patterson and his early fantastic outings..Alone came a spider..Cat and Moust...Roses are Red..etc and their were some great villains, the demented Gary Soneji comes to mind. But like many authors the churning out of formulaic reads means that soon the magic will disappear and we are left with a poor imitation of what was once great. Here we have books for the masses, books for those who don't really read and a story with little substance or value. The plotline is not even worth mentioning and the two stars is because I have a fondness for Alex Cross :)

[Sandra Hoover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. No one could live their live on the edge the way Alex Cross does, but it makes for a highly entertaining read! Wide open from beginning to end with a loss I wish Patterson hadn't written into this story. And still it's good to get both the business and personal side of Cross in each story. Highly recommended!

[Larry Van Bibber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in 2 days. This one of the better Alex Cross books and the best in recent years. It is very fast paced with lots of action as 3 serial killers are tracked down by Cross. You can't skim this book without missing the stories.

[Lois · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fairly decent installment in the Alex Cross series. Standard plot devices but still interesting.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice addition to the series. This was a tough read and I may need to take a break from the Cross family for a bit.

[Monnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

By now, I've pretty much come to expect books by the prolific Patterson to be trite and superficial, but since this one is a solo effort - no co-authors with whom to bounce chapters back and forth - I thought perhaps it might be better. Happily, it is, although those descriptors (and the fact that most of the book is for the most part predictable) still apply, but to a lesser degree.

The impediment I had trouble shrinking from, however, was the vision of Tyler Perry, who landed the role of main character and psychologist Alex Cross in the first motion picture (Alex Cross, 2012) of what I suppose is meant to be a series. It's not that Perry isn't a very talented actor - in fact, I have a great deal of respect for his talent. But Alex Cross he ain't, in my humble opinion; trouble is, now that he's been cast in my mind's eye, I was more than halfway through this book before I no longer "saw" his face whenever the detective was mentioned. And it wasn't a pretty picture.

The story, though, is pretty solid as Cross deals with two seemingly unrelated subplots involving a well-known but gone-wrong plastic surgeon and a serial killer who's lashing out at beautiful blondes (and maybe a third if you count the trials and tribulations of Cross, his wife Bree, and elderly but cantankerous Nana Mama as they deal with a wayward teenage orphan they've taken in and plan to adopt. Meantime, as Cross is intent on tracking down who did what, it appears someone else is trying to track down Cross himself - at the very least discrediting him in the eyes of the police department and public.

For most of the first half, I read as fast as I can just to get the whole thing over with. But somewhere around the middle, things started to get interesting, and I kept reading fast because I wanted to see how it turned out (or more to the point, find out if I'd guessed how it all would go down). Except for one not-so-minor detail, my hunches were spot on - but that didn't stop it from being an enjoyable read overall.

[Jackie Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep saying I am going to give up on the Alex Cross series and I am always drawn back to it. The reason why is because when Patterson writes books like this one, I can't wait for the next one to come out.

This book has a lot going on. There are all different kinds of killings going on and Alex Cross is right there in the middle of it all. He is going in different directions and has been considering adopting Ava into his family. Ava has not adjust well after being with Alex and Bree and Nana Momma, but the Cross family is hoping that will change if they just show her some love.

The different plots in this book make for interesting reading and as always you love to hate the characters. I thought that Ron Judice story was so well played and the shocks that came toward the end of the book were fantastic. I'm hoping the next book will play off of this book. I love Sampson and was glad he had some great moments in this book. The Plastic Surgeon and Bergman also had a very interesting storyline with some twists that were unexpected.

Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

5 stars

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

WEll, this is the latest of the Alex Cross series, and if I had to give Alex any advice it would to do exactly what the title suggests, RUN! I have been a little disappointed in the past couple of books in this series, so was happy to see that a very select group of fruit cakes on Capitol Hill were called forth to give Cross trouble, big time. I have decided to give this a 3.8 mainly because I felt it was more like the earlier Alex Cross books. This is a quick read...although a little creepy.

[Fiona (Titch) Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the next in the Alex Cross installment. Was really good and back to where he started when James Patterson started writing all those years ago.

Alex Cross has 2 murderers on the loose, 1 is killing Barbie type women and the other is killing rent boys, plus a hanging woman who was pregnant and the baby is missing. Will he find the baby in time? Who is killing these Barbie women and who is killing these rent boys? Are they all connected? Alex Cross has another problem closer to home. Can he solve the murders and save his family?

READ this installment of Alex Cross, Run.

[Michael Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Alex Cross series. I hate how individuals who have suffered losses take it out personally on him. I am in tune with the plight of Ava in this novel. She is a foster child and the fact that this is fiction does not take away from the real challenges that foster kids face. Mr. Guidice is a loser who has some demons of his own. Creem and Bergman are sick, twisted individuals that made it hard to put this novel down. I read the series out of sequence in that one tragedy in the book is to be righted.
Psychologists need to talk to mental health professionals too.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Alex Cross thriller. They are getting a bit predictable. Frankly I expected a slightly different ending, a little happier. Someone is killed who I expected to be found alive later, but it wasn't to be. And I fully expected Alex to figure out that his house was bugged. Alex, you are slipping a bit.

[DeAnna Knippling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book...right up to the end. At the end I was like, "What? What? That was the end? Where's the rest of the book?"

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Cross, Run (#20) by James Patterson.

The best of the best. File under my favorites, not to be missed.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

All I’m going to say about this book is that I’m so angry at the ending!!! Aside from that, there were some situations that seemed a little far-fetched and I kept asking myself “How does Alex keep getting himself into these problems???” Overall, the story was decent, but not as good as the previous books.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this story Alex is hunting three psychopaths! Two are sexual deviants and of course well educated and professionals. Elijah Creem is the main antagonist with his friend Bergman. Their lives are ruined because of Alex, he and his friend Joshua Bergman kill girls and homosexual boys.The third psychopath has a grudge against Alex due to his wife accidentally killed in crossfire during an operation run by Alex. There is no explanation of why he killed the women?

Alex seems to lose it often in this story either way serious anger management problems. Although this case does hit close to home but I wonder if the victim might reappear in a future story.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

Καλοκαίρι και δεν γινόταν να μην διαβάσω και ένα βιβλίο μυστηρίου / αστυνομικό.

Όταν πρωτοέπιασα το «Τρέξε, Άλεξ Κρος» στα χέρια μου δεν σκόπευα να γράψω κάποια κριτική για αυτό αλλά μου άφησε δυνατές εντυπώσεις (υπήρξαν σημεία που ανατρίχιασα), οπότε και το δίκαιο θα ήταν να γράψω κάτι για αυτό.

Δεν έχω διαβάσει άλλα βιβλία του Πάτερσον στο παρελθόν, ούτε και τα προηγούμενα βιβλία αυτής της σειράς (που από ό,τι είδα είναι αρκετά). Είναι η πρώτη μου επαφή με βιβλίο αυτού του συγγραφέα.

Το «Τρέξε, Άλεξ Κρος» είδα ότι είναι το 20ο βιβλίο στη σειρά βιβλίων με πρωταγωνιστή τον γνωστό ντεντέκτιβ Άλεξ Κρος.

Ένα αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα / θρίλερ που έχει πολλή δράση, είναι ανατρεπτικό με πολλά πράγματα να συμβαίνουν ταυτόχρονα.

Σε αυτό το βιβλίο, ο ντεντέκτιβ Άλεξ Κρος δεν έχει να κάνει με μία υπόθεση μόνο αλλά με πολλές υποθέσεις ταυτόχρονα και με πολλά θύματα που η κάθε περίπτωση είναι ανατριχιαστική. Οι δολοφόνοι που έχουν τρομοκρατήσει την πόλη είναι τρεις, οπότε τα πράγματα περιπλέκονται. Μάλιστα ο ένας από αυτούς θέλει να εκδικηθεί και να καταστρέψει ολοκληρωτικά τον Κρος. Θα καταφέρει ο Κρος να τους σταματήσει και τους 3 και να προστατέψει παράλληλα και την οικογένειά του;

Ένα μυθιστόρημα που έχει αρκετές povs (του Άλεξ είναι πρωτοπρόσωπη η αφήγηση και των άλλων προσώπων τριτοπρόσωπη), κυλάει γρήγορα λόγω της καταιγιστικής δράσης και των ανατροπών και έχει μικρά κεφάλαια λίγων σελίδων το καθένα, οπότε μη φοβηθείτε τον όγκο του.

Συνοπτικά, το «Τρέξε, Άλεξ Κρος» είναι ένα μυθιστόρημα που κερδίζει και αφήνει δυνατές εντυπώσεις. Άνετα θα το έβλεπα και στο Netflix σαν σειρά αστυνομική ή ταινία. Αν πέσουν στα χέρια μου και τα άλλα βιβλία της σειράς σίγουρα θα τα διαβάσω!

[Agi · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I heard this book was in NY #1 best seller list, and I thought to myself... well, why not? It's the 2nd installment of alex cross' series that I read and it's not like the first one is horrible.... (i read alex cross trial a few months ago, and although it is remotely about alex cross himself, i quite liked it)

Alex cross is a legendary detective and psychologist himself, was trapped between a case of Elijah Creem, a madhead plastic surgeon and a hotshot exposure battle between him and a blogger who apparently has some kind of grudge against him. the book is apparently a continuation from the book which as we know it the Crosses was trying to adopt Ava Williams from the previous installment I guess. The story takes horrifying turn when Alex realizes there's more than just a case in front of him, but also he unveiled some psycho-ass secret deeply hidden....ok lah i'm exaggerating, this story ends with an anticlimax which was predictable because the story starts strong but as the time goes the story started to regressed and it kind of dissapoint me with how James Patterson tries to end things simply by.... ending things. no detail, no epilogue, no feelings at all.

[Randy Tramp · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book opens with a fight against perversion. It doesn't stop with sexual ugliness. It pours out into the suer of filth and must be eradicated. Alex Cross is the enforcer. Does he go too far?

Ron Guidice blogs against Cross, and in the public eye becomes successful. Can Officer Alex Cross stay professional and not let the instigator get under his skin?

Ava Williams, a homeless 5th grader, stays with the Cross family. She has problems with drugs. I identified with the family when they took care of Ava. Personally, we've fostered over a hundred children. It's not easy, as the Cross family finds out.

This book had a few things going on at the same time. Cross must balance home and his police duties. It becomes more difficult when he's set up by someone who seems to have "inside" information on Cross.

With the exception of the rated "R" scenes, I thought this was a great story. I give it 4-stars because of the rating.