Cross - by James Patterson (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the world's #1 bestselling author: Alex Cross faces the deadliest psychopath of them all--his wife's killer.

Stream Season 2 of the #1-rated Cross in February 2026!

Alex Cross was a rising star homicide detective in Washington, DC's Metro PD when a shooter gunned down his pregnant wife, Maria.

In the years since, Alex has built a career as a forensic psychologist, first at the FBI and then in private practice, all the while nursing his vengeance against the unknown killer who made him a widower and a single father.

Then John Sampson, Alex's best friend and former PD partner, comes to him with a potential break in the cold case. Was Maria's murder connected to contract killer Michael Sullivan, aka "The Butcher of Sligo"--or possibly one of his mafia henchmen?

The clues the detectives piece together lead the investigation far from the nation's capital. But there is no boundary Alex won't cross to get justice for his beloved late wife.

"Cross may be the ultimate in lunatic deadliness...Cross juggles being a single parent and being involved in the dangerous game of tracking serial killers." -Publishers Weekly

Review Quotes

"Successful detective series have two common ingredients. The first is that the protagonists are fully drawn, appealing human beings...Common ingredient No. 2 is that the books are written without artifice...Welcome James Patterson to the club...Dr. Alex Cross is an appealing hero who will be with us for some time."--Detroit News Free Press

About the Author

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.