A Book A Week

"Are you ready to play a game for us?"

James Patterson is no stranger to causing controversy amongst his fans. His prolific output and copious use of co-authors has divided readers for years. The latest snafu came in the form of Patterson's foray into short stories/novellas. On the surface, his BookShots seem like an okay idea. They are short, inexpensive stories that have the potential to satiate his fans between books and potentially serve as easy-to-digest reading material for those less-consistent readers. In his attempt to draw readers to this new venture, Patterson made a critical miscalculation.

In his BookShot Cross Kill, Patterson featured his iconic hero Alex Cross. Much to the chagrin of his longtime readers, the novella had major plot points that altered the course of the character's life and left readers of the next full novel in the series completely confused. The People vs. Alex Cross sees the famed detective on trial for the murder of several Gary Sonjei look-alikes who he shot in the aforementioned BookShot. If you didn't read the BookShot, you'd have no real context for why Alex Cross was in such a strange situation. Fortunately for me, I heard the outrage of the fans. While I didn't agree with the way Patterson used Cross in his other ventures, I begrudgingly read it and was fully prepared to embark on his 25th Alex Cross novel.

Controversy aside, I really enjoyed The People vs. Alex Cross. The novel sees Alex Cross put on trial for the killing of several alleged criminals. Yes, you need to read Cross Kill for context, but it is short and pretty entertaining. I even managed to snag the ebook version from my local library for free! As if having his entire career and judgment called into question isn't enough, Cross also finds himself involved in investigating a string of kidnappings that end in gruesome snuff films. With Cross suspended from police work during his trial, he is forced to take a back seat to his wife Bree as she tries to put a stop to the brutal abductions.

By making Alex Cross answer for all of the bodies he's wracked up over the years, Patterson comments upon the state of the criminal justice system and what actions are appropriate for officers of the law to take. With the Black Lives Matter movement causing debate in our society, this story is more relevant than ever. Patterson smartly avoids taking a stand on things, instead opting to show how both sides of the story are affected in their own ways. I've always been a fan of the Alex Cross series, and I'm happy to report that The People vs. Alex Cross is a solid installment. The book provides everything fans of the series have come to expect and takes the characters into an exciting new direction.

For more information, visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2019, 5)