Alex Cross Series

This series follows a brilliant psychologist and investigator as he delves into the darkest corners of the human mind to catch elusive criminals. With each new case, he confronts complex puzzles and personal demons that test his resolve and intellect. The suspense escalates as he closes in on the truth, often at the peril of his own safety. Fans of gripping, psychologically driven thrillers will appreciate this series for its clever plots and compelling protagonist.

Recommended Reading Order

1
Along came a spider
James Patterson
528 pages
19 hours of reading
4.2(445028)Add rating
Discover the classic thriller that launched the #1 detective series of the past twenty-five years, now one of PBS's "100 Great American Reads" Alex Cross is a homicide detective with a Ph.D. in psychology. He works and lives in the ghettos of D. C. and looks like Muhammad Ali in his prime. He's a tough guy from a tough part of town who wears Harris Tweed jackets and likes to relax by banging out Gershwin tunes on his baby grand piano. But he also has two adorable kids of his own, and they are his own special vulnerabilities. Jezzie Flanagan is the first woman ever to hold the highly sensitive job as supervisor of the Secret Service in Washington. Blond, mysterious, seductive, she's got an outer shell that's as tough as it is beautiful. She rides her black BMW motorcycle at speeds of no less than 100 mph. What is she running from? What is her secret? Alex Cross and Jezzie Flanagan are about to have a forbidden love affair-at the worst possible time for both of them. Because Gary Soneji, who wants to commit the "crime of the century," is playing at the top of his game. Soneji has outsmarted the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police. Who will be his next victim? Gary Soneji is every parent's worst nightmare. He has become Alex Cross's nightmare. And now, reader, he's about to become yours.
2
Kiss the Girls
James Patterson
4.0(329329)Add rating
Two killers compete with each other for who can commit the most murders. One lives in Los Angeles and specializes in dismembering his victims, the other operates in the Carolinas, his specialty being college girls. By the author of Along Came a Spider.
3
Jack & Jill
James Patterson
4.0(1153)Add rating
Join Alex Cross in a heart-stopping thrill ride as he pieces together the clues of two gruesome murders. Will he find the killers in time? In the middle of the night, a controversial U.S. senator is found murdered in bed in his Georgetown pied-a-terre. The police turn up only one clue: a mysterious rhyme signed "Jack and Jill" promising that this is just the beginning. Jack and Jill are out to get the rich and famous, and they will stop at nothing until their fiendish plan is carried out. Meanwhile, Washington, D. C. homicide detective Alex Cross is called to a murder scene only blocks from his house, far from the corridors of power where he spends his days. The victim: a beautiful little girl, savagely beaten and deposited in front of the elementary school Cross's son attends. No one in Washington is safe-not children, not politicians, not even the President of the United States. Only Alex Cross has the skills and the courage to crack the case, but will he discover the truth in time? A relentless roller coaster of heart-pounding suspense and jolting plot twists, Jack and Jill proves that no one can write a more compelling thriller than James Patterson, the master of the nonstop nightmare.
4
Cat and mouse
James Patterson
512 pages
18 hours of reading
3.8(1734)Add rating
Just as Alex Cross is beginning to feel that life is good and he is finally coming out of the depression he's been in since the death of his wife, he is called to Union Station train terminal - a man is on the loose, firing at random into the swarming crowds of travellers. Psychopath Gary Soneji seems determined to go down in a blaze of glory, and he wants Alex Cross to be there. Will this be the final showdown
5
Pop goes the weasel
James Patterson
4.0(62686)Add rating
Just as Alex Cross is beginning to feel that life is good and he is finally coming out of the depression he's been in since the death of his wife, he is called to Union Station train terminal - a man is on the loose, firing at random into the swarming crowds of travellers. Psychopath Gary Soneji seems determined to go down in a blaze of glory, and he wants Alex Cross to be there. Will this be the final showdown?
6
Roses Are Red
James Patterson
400 pages
14 hours of reading
4.1(61097)Add rating
In this heart-pounding but touchingly romantic thriller, Detective Alex Cross pursues the most complex and brilliant killer he's ever confronted - mysterious criminal who calls himself the Mastermind. In a series of crimes that has stunned Washington, D.C., bank robbers have been laying out precise demands when they enter the building - and then killing the bank employees and their families if those instructions are not followed to the letter.Detective Alex Cross takes on the case, certain that this is no ordinary bank robber at work - the pathological need for control and perfection is too great. Cross is in the midst of a personal crisis at home, but the case becomes all-consuming as he learns that the Mastermind is plotting one huge, last, perfect crime.
7
Alex Cross: Violets Are Blue
James Patterson
480 pages
17 hours of reading
4.0(57368)Add rating
Detective Alex Cross must confront his most terrifying nemesis ever-and his own deepest fears-in this electrifying new thriller from the master of suspense, James Patterson. Alex Cross has never believed in vampires. But when two joggers are found slain in a manner that suggests a macabre ritual, he has to reconsider. Someone believes in vampires enough to have committed a series of bizarre murders that appear to be the work of one. Local police are horrified, and even the FBI is baffled.Cross takes on the case and plunges into a netherworld of secret clubs and role-players, a world full of poseurs and playactors-and someone demented enough to have crossed the line from dark ritual to real blood. At the same time, a lethal super-criminal from Cross's past known as the Mastermind is stalking him, taunting him, and threatening everything he holds dear. Cross has never been closer to defeat, or in greater danger. In a shocking conclusion, Alex Cross must survive a deadly confrontation-only to discover at last the awful secret of the Mastermind.
8
Four blind mice
James Patterson
4.0(45312)Add rating
With his resignation from the Washington Police interrupted by a case involving a friend who has been framed for murder, Alex Cross and partner John Sampson journey across military lines to confront the most brutal killer of their careers. Alex Cross is plunged into a case where military codes of honor conceal dark currents of revenge and ambition, and the men controlling the moves have the best weapons and training the world can offer
9
The Big Bad Wolf
James Patterson
4.0(50605)Add rating
Alex Cross battles the most ruthless and powerful killer he has ever encountered - a predator known only as "the Wolf. "Alex Cross's first case since joining the FBI has his new colleagues stymied. Across the country, men and women are being kidnapped in broad daylight and then disappearing completely. These people are not being taken for ransom, Alex realizes. They are being bought and sold. And it looks as if a shadowy figure called the Wolf - a master criminal who has brought a new reign of terror to organize crime - is behind this business in which ordinary men and women are sold as slaves. Even as he admires the FBI's vast resources, Alex grows impatient with the Bureau's clumsiness and caution when it is time to move. A lone wolf himself, he has to go out on his own in order to track the Wolf and try to rescue some of the victims while they are still alive. As the case boils over, Alex is in hot water at home too. His ex-fiancee, Christine Johnson, comes back into his life - and not for the reasons Alex might have hoped.
10
London Bridges
James Patterson
4.0(43988)Add rating
TWO OF THE GREATEST VILLAINS JAMES PATTERSON HAS EVER CREATED IN ONE BOOK! Minutes after soldiers evacuate a Nevada town, a bomb completely destroys it. On vacation, FBI agent Alex Cross gets the call: the blast was perpetrated by the Wolf. A supercriminal and Cross's deadliest nemesis, the Wolf threatens to obliterate major cities, including London, Paris, and New York. Then evidence reveals the involvement of a ruthless assassin known as the Weasel. Could these two dark geniuses be working together? Now with just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm, Cross is catapulted into an international chase of astonishing danger --- and toward the explosive truth about the Wolf's identity, a revelation that Cross may not survive.
11
Mary, Mary
James Patterson
392 pages
14 hours of reading
4.0(49382)Add rating
FBI agent Alex Cross is on vacation when he gets a call from the Director. An actress has been shot outside her home in Beverly Hills. Afterward, an editor for the Los Angeles Times receives an e-mail recounting the murder in shocking detail, signed Mary Smith. Her calling card - The authorities fear this is only the beginning. Mary Smith is targeting Hollywood stars and power brokers, and she is getting better every time. This case is like nothing Alex has ever confronted before. Could this be the plan of an obsessed fan or a spurned actor, or is it part of something much more terrifying? And how could a woman be capable of these vicious crimes?
12
Cross
James Patterson
4.0(58754)Add rating
As edge-of-the-seat gripping as every one of James Patterson's bestselling Alex Cross thrillers, this is the one where Cross finally gets the answer to the mystery of his first wife's murder.
13
Double Cross
A Novel
James Patterson
4.0(46102)Add rating
Psychiater Alex Cross is zijn leven niet zeker als een wegens moord veroordeelde oud-collega ontsnapt uit de gevangenis.
14
Cross Country
James Patterson
3.7(986)Add rating
When Detective Alex Cross is called to investigate a massacre-style murder scene, he is shocked to find that one of the victims is an old friend. Angry, grieving, and more determined than ever, Cross begins the hunt for the perpetrators of this vicious crime. He is drawn into a dangerous underworld right in the heart of Washington DC that leads him on a life-threatening journey to the Niger Delta, where heroin dealing, slave trading and corruption are rife. At the centre of this terrifying world, Cross finds the Tiger - the psychopathic leader of a fearsome gang of killers who are not what they seem. As Cross tracks the elusive Tiger through Africa, he must battle against conspiracy and untold violence. Alex Cross is in a heart-stopping chase that takes him across a vast and uncompromising landscape and finds him not only hunting for a horrific killer, but also fighting for his own survival.
15
Alex Cross's trial
James Patterson
3.9(345)Add rating
From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great-uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he's written - a novel called Trial. As a lawyer in early-twentieth-century Washington DC, Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Theodore Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his hometown to investigate rumours of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse. Arriving in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful daughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town's black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror - but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's Trial is a gripping story of murder, love, and, above all, bravery.
16
I, Alex Cross
Various authors
468 pages
17 hours of reading
3.6(126)Add rating
A Cross family member is murdered, and the case catapults Alex into a world where power masks unfathomable evil. Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the devastating news that his niece, Caroline, has been found brutally murdered. Cross vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that Caroline was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim. The search leads Cross to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex is soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain - they will do anything to keep their secrets safe. As Cross closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable - a revelation that could rock the entire world. 'Sharp, sassy and guaranteed to send shivers down your spine, this is a tense thriller' Woman [Alex Cross logo]
16
I, Alex Cross
James Patterson
468 pages
17 hours of reading
4.0(37914)Add rating
Alex Cross's niece is found brutally murdered and on investigation he discovers she was mixed up with some very dangerous people. Alex and his girlfriend Brianna Stone find leads to Washington's most infamous club where every fantasy is possible and the patrons, the elite of Washington, will do anything to keep their secrets buried.
17
Cross Fire
James Patterson
372 pages
14 hours of reading
4.1(28258)Add rating
Wedding bells ring Detective Alex Cross and Bree's wedding plans are put on hold when Alex is called to the scene of the perfectly executed assassination of two of Washington D.C.'s most corrupt: a dirty congressmen and an underhanded lobbyist. Next, the elusive gunman begins picking off other crooked politicians, sparking a blaze of theories--is the marksman a hero or a vigilante? A murderer returns The case explodes, and the FBI assigns agent Max Siegel to the investigation. As Alex and Siegel battle over jurisdiction, the murders continue. It becomes clear that they are the work of a professional who has detailed knowledge of his victims' movements--information that only a Washington insider could possess. Caught in a lethal cross fire As Alex contends with the sniper, Siegel, and the wedding, he receives a call from his deadliest adversary, Kyle Craig. The Mastermind is in D.C. and will not relent until he has eliminated Cross and his family for good. With a supercharged blend of action, deception, and suspense, Cross Fire is James Patterson's most visceral and exciting Alex Cross novel ever.
18
Kill Alex Cross
James Patterson
3.9(1079)Add rating
The 18th novel in the bestselling Alex Cross seriesThe President's children have been kidnapped.Tasked by the desperate First Lady with finding her children, Cross is racing against the clock - and to have any chance of saving them, he must make a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes in...
19
Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
James Patterson
417 pages
15 hours of reading
3.8(236)Add rating
The 19th novel in the bestselling Alex Cross seriesDetective Alex Cross is called into action on Christmas Eve - and he'll be lucky to see the New Year...Celebrating Christmas with his family, Alex Cross knows that his phone ringing means this won't be a Merry Christmas.
20
Alex Cross, Run
James Patterson
505 pages
18 hours of reading
4.0(869)Add rating
Three killers are on the rampage in the capital and dead bodies are piling up. Alex Cross is in charge of all three investigations and has never been under more pressure. But with a crisis at home that threatens to tear his family apart, Alex's attention is divided. While Cross tracks the killers, he doesn't notice that someone is tracking him. Can Alex unravel the cases and find the killers in time? Or will he be the next dead body on the list?
21
Cross My Heart
James Patterson
432 pages
16 hours of reading
4.1(202)Add rating
The stakes are higher than ever for Alex Cross as he faces his most personal enemy yet: a criminal who threatens his family. Detective Alex Cross is a family man at heart: nothing matters more to him than his children, his grandmother, and his wife Bree. His love of his family is his anchor, and gives him the strength to confront evil in his work. One man knows this deeply, and uses Alex's strength as a weapon against him in the most unsettling and unexpected novel of James Patterson's career. When the ones Cross loves are in danger, he will do anything to protect them. But if he does anything to protect them, they will die. Cross My Heart is the most powerful Alex Cross novel ever, propelled by the ever-ingenious mind of James Patterson, the world's #1 bestselling writer.
22
Hope to Die
James Patterson
4.2(1107)Add rating
Detective Alex Cross is being stalked by a psychotic genius, forced to play the deadliest game of his career. Cross' family - his loving wife Bree, the wise and lively Nana Mama, and his precious children - have been ripped away. Terrified and desperate, Cross must give this mad man what he wants if he has any chance of saving the most important people in his life. The stakes have never been higher: What will Cross sacrifice to save the ones he loves? Widely praised by the greatest crime and thriller writers of our time, Cross My Heart set a jaw-dropping story in motion. Hope to Die propels Alex Cross' greatest challenge to its astonishing finish, proving why Jeffery Deaver says nobody does it better than James Patterson.
23
Cross Justice
James Patterson
4.2(240)Add rating
The toughest cases are the ones that hit close to home. When his cousin is accused of a heinous crime, Alex Cross returns to his North Carolina hometown for the first time in over three decades. As he tries to prove his cousin's innocence in a town where everyone seems to be on the take, Cross unearths a family secret that forces him to question everything he's ever known. Chasing a ghost he believed was long dead, Cross gets pulled into a case that has local cops scratching their heads and needing his help: a grisly string of socialite murders. Now he's hot on the trail of both a brutal killer, and the truth about his own past - and the answers he finds might be fatal.
24
Cross the Line
James Patterson
4.1(159)Add rating
Alex Cross chases a cold-blooded killer...with a conscience. Shots ring out in the early morning hours in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. When the smoke clears, a prominent police official lies dead, leaving the city's police force scrambling for answers. Under pressure from the mayor, Alex Cross steps into the leadership vacuum to investigate the case. But before Cross can make any headway, a brutal crime wave sweeps across the region. The deadly scenes share only one common thread - the victims are all criminals. And the only thing more dangerous than a murderer without a conscience, is a killer who thinks he has justice on his side. As Cross pursues an adversary who has appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner, he must take the law back into his own hands before the city he's sworn to protect descends into utter chaos.
25
The People VS Alex Cross
James Patterson
4.1(968)Add rating
Detective Alex Cross has never been on the wrong side of the law. Charged with murdering followers of his old nemesis Gary Soneji, Alex Cross becomes the poster child for trigger-happy cops. He's the only one who knows that there's a real murderer watching from the shadows, one Cross must stop - even if it means he can't save himself
26
Target: Alex Cross
James Patterson
448 pages
16 hours of reading
3.9(433)Add rating
Alex Cross and his family join men and women from across the nation lining the streets of Washington, DC to mourn the unexpected death of the President. With the country still in shock, the assassination of a prominent Senator strikes another devastating blow to the heart of the nation's capital. The new President calls on Cross to lead an unparalleled FBI investigation to help capture America's most wanted criminal. But what follows will plunge the country into chaos, and draw Cross into the most important case of his life.
27
Criss Cross
James Patterson
400 pages
14 hours of reading
4.2(184)Add rating
"Could a ghost from his past take everything away from Alex Cross? Mere hours after witnessing the execution of a killer he helped put behind bars, Alex Cross is called to the scene of a copycat murder. A note signed 'M' rests on the corpse- 'You messed up big time, Dr. Cross.' Was an innocent man just put to death? As the executed convict's family launch a vicious campaign against Cross, his abilities as a detective are called into question. The enigmatic 'M' lures Cross out of Washington, DC to the sites of multiple homicides, all marked with distressingly familiar details that conjure up decades-old cases and Cross family secrets. Details that make it clear M is after a prize so dear that - were the killer to attain it - Cross's life would be destroyed."--Publisher description
28
Deadly Cross
James Patterson
448 pages
16 hours of reading
4.2(2072)Add rating
A scandalous double homicide in the nation's capital opens the psychological case files on Detective Alex Cross. Until Kay Willingham's shocking murder inside a luxury limousine, the Georgetown socialite, philanthropist, and ex-wife of the sitting vice-president led a public life. Yet few, including her onetime psychologist, had any inkling of Kay's troubled past in the Deep South. Murdered alongside her is Randall Christopher, a respected educator whose political ambitions may have endangered both their lives. While John Sampson of DC Metro Police tracks Randall's final movements, Alex Cross and FBI Special Agent Ned Mahoney travel to Alabama to investigate Kay's early years. They discover that although Kay had many enemies, all of them needed her alive. Alex is left without a viable suspect, even as he faces a desperate choice between breaking a trust and losing his way, as a detective, and as the protector of his family
Cross Kill
James Patterson
3.7(179)Add rating
BookShots are short, high-impact stories by James Patterson and other writers that can be read in one sitting.§Each and every one is fast-paced, 100% story- driven; a shot of pure and satisfying entertainment.§Available as compact paperbacks, ebooks and audio.§
Detective Cross
James Patterson
160 pages
6 hours of reading
4.0(648)Add rating
BookShots are short, high-impact stories by James Patterson and other writers that can be read in one sitting. Each and every one is fast-paced, 100% story- driven; a shot of pure and satisfying entertainment. Available as compact paperbacks, ebooks and audio.