I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advance copy of Triple Cross, the thirtieth novel to feature psychologist and consultant to Metro PD and the FBI.

A serial killer known as family man is targeting entire families in Washington DC and Alex is assisting the investigation. They have no clues and can find no connection between the victims, but true crime author Thomas Tull is mounting his own investigation and may have a new angle. It’s up to Alex to work out what he’s thinking.

I thoroughly enjoyed Triple Cross, which is an entertaining read with plenty of twists and turns. It is told from various points of view in the third person and from Alex’s in the first. I guess that makes him special, which we already know, but it gives the reader a closer insight into his thoughts and feelings.

The plot is told at a fast pace, whether it’s the hunt for family man or Alex’s wife, Bree Stone’s separate New York based investigation and then there’s the mysterious vigilante M hovering in the background. I felt as if I hardly had time to breath with all the action and developments, and yet it is not difficult to understand or keep up with. The author has a gift for clear, concise storytelling and always saves the best for last with so many twists it made my head spin and a potential cliffhanger as a final hurrah. Overall it puts the thrill in thriller and realism be d****d.

Triple Cross is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Like serious happy dance over here when I seen I got to receive the ARC of this incredible book!!!

What is there to say that has never been said before.. not much James Patterson is a true legend! This is the longest ever series I have read and book 30 Triple Cross did not fail my expectations.

You can totally read each book as a stand alone but honestly just read from book 1 you get such a better picture of each of the characters and their families. You literally just feel like one of Nana Mamas kids. Talking of Nana Mama... she's like 90 something... and I was kinda on edge in this book wondering if this was gonna be the one that ya know we said goodbye to her but no way she is still going strong!!!!

As always.. Mr Patterson kept me thoroughly entertained, knee deep in mystery and flipping the pages with his fabulous writing. He always manages to keep things fresh and new and like you're joining the family all over again.

I bloody loved it... now will sit and eagerly await 31 xo

A massive thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK and Mr Patterson himself for making my day with this ARC. [Yes I read it in a day... actually scrap that.. a few hours!!]

JAMES PATTERSON – TRIPLE CROSS*****

I read this novel in advance of publication through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

James Patterson is said to be the world’s most popular author with sales in excess of 400 million. I can understand why. He is a master of his craft. Using simple words and phrases that anyone can understand, and hooks at the end of every chapter, the pace rattles along so no sooner have you started to read than you find yourself at the end.

This Alex Cross story concerns a serial killer who targets not individuals but whole families, children included. Hence his ironic nickname The Family man. On his track is Alex, and, in a parallel, sometimes overlapping story, his wife Bree, and famous author of non-fiction books about serial killers, Thomas Tull.

This main story is successfully interwoven with a subplot involving the world of haute couture and murder and the incredibly wealthy and dominant females who run the fashion houses, but who are not quite what they seem.

To write much more about the plot would be to spoil it. Suffice to say its twists and turns and red herrings and clues keep you guessing throughout. For me the abrupt ending was a let-down, unless it is designed to start a craving for a sequel. But even with that criticism, I couldn’t not give it five stars. No one expects literary fiction with the name James Patterson on the cover, just a belting read. And this is what you get.

Great premise but I find myself distracted by Alex's interactions with his wife and family. Their conversations don't seem believable to me and it distracts me from the storyline.

An enjoyable if flawed book. This is the first Alex Cross book I have read though not the first by him. I did find it annoying that it flip flopped between Alex's case and his wife Bree's without always making it clear at the beginning who was speaking. The end seemed very rushed. The motivation behind the crimes was at best sketchy and at worst unbelievable. Totally unrealistic was a 9 month+ pregnant cop even working let alone chasing assassins down the street and firing at them.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

I have always been convinced that Alex Cross series is the best of James Patterson’s numerous creations—not the least because it is his own and not collaborated with anyone else—and Triple Cross, the thirtieth outing of the Psychologist crime-solver, reinforces my conviction yet again!

Dr. Alex Cross is no stranger to the handiworks of sick serial killers, whom he has been hunting throughout his long, illustrious career both inside and outside of law enforcement, but his latest case is unlike anything he has seen. The killer has committed three perfect crimes in little over a year so far, entering rich households in the DC area with utmost stealth, executing entire families—from the youngest of kids to the eldest of grandparents—in their sleep with cold, dispassionate precision, and making a clean exit as if into thin air. Alex and his friends from the Metro Police Department and the FBI can find nothing to connect the slaughters apart from the otherworldly skill of the perpetrator—whom the media has named ‘the Family Man’—and are almost praying for a miraculous slip-up from the killer. Adding to their frustration are Suzanne Liu and Thomas Tull—the former an editor with a big publishing house until recently and the latter a renowned true-crime author—hurling allegations against each other that they insist are connected to the case. Tull has previously written three bestselling books on serial killings—all lauded for their authentic insider information about the investigations—and wants to be involved in the investigation of the Family Man case, which is going to be the subject of his next. Liu has been Tull’s editor since beginning, and his lover for some time, but has been fired from her job for losing his upcoming book to a rival publisher.

Meanwhile, Bree Stone—Alex’s wife and former Chief of Detectives with the Metro PD, presently working for a private security firm—gets retained by a secretive client to investigate a fashion magnate whose wrongdoings might have resulted in more than one death. As she makes headway in her assignment, people connected to the case start to die violent deaths and Bree begins to feel like a mere tool in the hands of someone powerful, with a much deeper agenda. Never willing to be anybody’s tool, Bree decides to probe the matter on her own and unearths startling things, the most incredible of which is her case’s connection with that of Alex’s.

While husband and wife are fighting to solve their confounding mysteries, Alex’s long-time adversary, known only as ‘M’, makes his presence felt in his own disconcerting manner and his connection, if there is one, to their cases could make it all much more complicated.

Patterson has, over almost three decades, built a stellar cast of characters in this series and all he needs to do is concoct plots and situations to challenge those, which he does supremely well in Triple Cross. It is always a pleasure to reconnect with Alex and his friends and family, including the dream grandmother—Nana mama. The new characters, especially NYPD detective Rosella Salazar and fashion designer Phillip Henry Luster—both part of Bree’s story—are well-crafted too and deserve another appearance or two. As usual, Patterson seasons the thrilling tale with the delightful happenings in Alex’s family, from Nana mama’s delectable dinners to the exploits of Alex’s kids—this time the athletic prowess of his daughter Jannie.

The plot of Triple Cross has the right amount of suspense, mystery and action, but the ending—while entirely satisfactory—feels somewhat tame compared to the previous volume’s high-adrenaline clash set in the wilderness of Montana. In a welcome move, Patterson gives Bree a large share of the action that gets her close to death more than once, and I wish he keeps the trend going. It seems that Patterson has heeded the request of his fans, including me, to resolve the longstanding mystery of ‘M’, and Triple Cross has Alex getting close to the elusive, seemingly omniscient opponent.

Inevitably, there are a few points where the reader needs to suspend disbelief, particularly where the lead couple’s cases intersect. And, probably due to having two cases running simultaneously, the final reveal of the Family Man’s identity and the motive behind the chilling murders was not as impactful as I had expected. However, Patterson makes up for the shortcomings by closing Triple Cross on a nail-biting note with the exciting possibility of a face-off between M and Alex in the oncoming episode. Simple language, short chapters, crisp dialogues and vivid descriptions make Triple Cross a rapid, riveting read, and it is not to be missed by the fans of this splendid series and any other reader looking for all-round entertainment.

I am thankful to Random House UK, Cornerstone, for the e-ARC of Triple Cross, made available to me through NetGalley, in exchange for my unbiased review.

Dropped everything to read this-you know exactly what you’re getting and where you are with an Alex Cross and this is no different.

The plot is fast paced and not too complicated, the interwoven narratives work well and I just wanted to know what was happening!

Read if you like easy to read crime thrillers.

James Patterson does it again! He never fails to tell the best stories and with a new Alex Cross story, what’s not to love? This is a great holiday gift idea and perfect for fans of thrillers in general not just James Patterson. Sit down to read it and you wont stop until you get to the end - a real unputdownable book.

I know I’m in the minority here but I just don’t ‘absolutely love’ James Patterson books. I loved the early Alex Cross novels - gritty, dark, scary- and Cross was a great character. But Patterson now churns out books at such a rate that I don’t think he gives many of them the attention they deserve.. This book fell a bit flat, particularly towards the end. The overlap between his case, Bree’s and ‘Maestro’ were unlikely coincidences. The murders should have been appalling but the writing failed to move me. I guessed the killer fairly early on, something I seldom do, and the final chapter wrapping everything up felt rushed.
It’s a decent read - and loyal fans will no doubt disagree with my review- but I stopped waiting avidly for ‘the next Alex Cross’ , to be published, and this has done nothing to change my mind.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say James Patterson always delivers. He is a prolific author who knws how to entertain the reader. Recommended.

My first Alex Cross book. But not my last. Great crime thriller, lots of red herrings and quite an intricate plot.
Loved it and ready for another Alex Cross book
Five stars for an immersive, crime thriller.

Another great book by James Patterson, luring you in from page one. I couldn’t put the book down and loved the twists and turns. Did I like the ending. No, because I have to wait for the next book to come out to take me on another journey. He is a brilliant writer and this book fully deserves five stars for great characters and the fast pace.

A typical James Patterson book, with fast action, interesting turns and a good twist at the end leading the reader to the next book! A good personal story running through the case which made me engage with the characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend the book.

The Family Man, a ruthless serial killer has come to DC and Cross and Sampson are on his trail.

What is the connection to Thomas Tull,the best selling author and his previous books about serial killers?

Fast paced and many twists, Patterson is back to doing what he does best,writing on his own and keeping us on the edge of our seats!


Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Cornerstone Publishing for the chance to review this book

but I’m afraid this one was disappointing for me.

It lacked the suspense of many of his other books and the big reveal was a bit obvious.

I couldn’t get into Bree’s storyline at all which didn’t help.

If you are thinking of reading a JP book, choose one of his earlier ones.

First of all the last page will likely also have you screaming nooooooo!

The rest of the book will have you on the edge of your seat, suspecting all bar Cross and anxious for clarity. Complex, twisted and unpredictable the investigation is full of frustrations for both the fictional detectives and the armchair reader detectives!
James Patterson never fails to deliver and this is no exception.

Please take notice of the title, Triple Cross by James Patterson, sought of gives the game away! Whilst very thankful for the ARC it did come with a few issues, maybe 'M' or the Maestro got to my copy first? Any word with a double 'ff' and or 'ffl'or 'ffi' had those letters disappear. So off would be o. officer would be ocer, trafficking would be tracking, you get the picture? However, it was worth battling with the text because the story was fast paced and intriguing. With more red herrings than a former Soviet trawler, sometimes you doubted your own sanity. I would love to ask James Patterson if the inspiration for the novel came from a game playing brainstorming session, because one of the principle characters is a best selling crime writer. From recollection it isn't the first novel I've read where the main suspect, a crime writer, turns out to be the one who engineers his own story. In terms of entertainment value its a five star review and I am tempted to drop a mark as the concept isn't wholly original. However, that all depends if a new reader has that knowledge, so I'll stick with a five.

I am generally not a fan of the more recent James Patterson novels, finding them formulaic and poorly written. His habit of employing co-writers has weakened the impact of the earlier novels. However, I did enjoy the latest Alex Cross where the writing and plotting came closer to the earlier books. Whilst Alex's wife, Bree Stone heads to New York to investigate a famous fashion designer, Alex is investigating the latest in a series of murders by the 'Family Man', a ruthless killer of families. When a famous author, Thomas Tull, whose method is to insinuate himself into investigations to prove his detection skills superior to the police, asks to be involved, Alex must decide whether to let him in. and the question arises: 'How far would the author go to create his latest best seller?' As both investigations move to their conclusions, killers are unmasked, and Bree makes a link to someone whom Alex and Bree have had cause to fear during previous investigations. This is vintage Patterson and vintage Alex Cross. I would recommend it to all lovers of fast-paced crime fiction.

If you are a fan of Alex Cross with his sidekick John Sampson then this book will not disappoint. Following the normal format and usual characters it is a bit predictable but still very readable and will hold your attention throughout although not exactly a page turner.

It’s unbelievable that this is book 30 in the Alex Cross series and yet the author manages to make it as crisp and fresh as the first. There’s all the usual characters and a cracking storyline that maintains pace throughout. The subject of the storyline is that of a cold killer who wipes out entire families; this is obviously a difficult thing to read about, but, it’s not overly played and this element is interwoven with Alex’s wife, Bree, who is involved in a high fashion investigation that includes high risk.

As you’d expect from this prolific author, there’s twists and turns with characters you care for, Another excellent read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the opportunity to preview.