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| Cross Country | 
 enlarge | Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Century
Category: Book
List Price: £18.99
Buy New: £5.77
You Save: £13.22 (70%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (26 reviews)
Sales Rank: 366
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown)
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6 x 1.6
ISBN: 1846052564
EAN: 9781846052569
ASIN: 1846052564
Publication Date: November 6, 2008
Release Date: October 30, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Alex Cross thrillers of James Paterson have become something of an institution. His criminal psychologist protagonist is one of the most vividly etched in the field, and the now-lengthy series of books has set a consistently high standard, even though Paterson's famous reliance on co-writers has become rather controversial. Cross Country involves Alex Cross in a caustic personal war against major-league corruption. It?s a narrative that takes the reader across a massive canvas. Alex is called in after a murder investigation - a crime that has resulted in considerable carnage. He discovers to his horror that the victim is an old friend, and this makes his search for the criminal involved even more determined than usual. His quest takes him into the underworld corners of Washington, DC, and even on to a massively dangerous odyssey to the Niger Delta. The stakes are customarily high in James Patterson's crime narratives, but the author has ratcheted them up even more than usual here, with heroin traffic and the slave trade mixed into a heady brew. Perhaps the most memorably drawn character here is the psychopathic head of a group of killers, the 'Tiger'. The latter?s battle with Alex Cross has clearly re-energised the author, and Cross Country has all the compelling qualities of the earlier novels. If you haven't sampled an Alex Cross novel recently, this is the one to pick up. --Barry Forshaw
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| Customer Reviews: Read 21 more reviews...
 Back on form! January 7, 2009
I agree with other James Patterson fans, that his recent books have been dull ( especially his partnership with other authors), nothing special with predictable endings. However, I bought Cross Country, wanting to follow Alex Cross into this new territory.
I found this book thrilling, enlightening, and gripping - a return to form, in my opinion. I thought moving Alex into Africa might be a mistake, but it was a page turner, I read the book cover to cover in two days.
James Patterson has hightlighted the problems currently occurring in Darfur and Nigeria , and the issues described give pause for thought. That aside, I really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to the next in the Cross series
 My Final Patterson Book January 5, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have been losing patience with James Patterson for a long time and have finally decided enough is enough.
Having decided to read no more of his books, I wanted to give this Alex Cross a chance because I have enjoyed several of the others (mostly the early ones) - but no more.
This book is so implausible and predictable - to me it's the book version of Pearl Harbour, UTTER RUBBISH.
I read it in a day because there is no substance to it. As a previous reviewer says, there is no quality to this story at all.
At the risk of spoiling it for others who might want to read it, I nearly gave up after the crocodile attack - what was the point of that? I just laughed and not because it was humourous.
I believe James Patterson should be made to give all the profits from this book to the people of Africa because he has used them and their circumstances to make money but, in my opinion, has shown them no compassion.
I am just grateful I borrowed this book from the library and didn't buy it.
Cross Country January 4, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is just a waste of paper. All it is is a self indulgent 'look at me ... I care about other continents'exercise on James Pattersons own behalf. No depth, unbelievable story line and an ending you could see from a mile off. If this is the best he can do, he should stop writing.
Sham!! January 2, 2009
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It seems that many of the reviewers here are of a similar ilk in that they are regular readers of James Patterson's Alex Cross series, and expect some form of standard to be achieved. That this book fails to achieve even basic standards of plausability, readability and connection with past efforts is a fair reflection of its' place in the canon. Also, the device of 1,2 or 3 page chapters is the biggest rip-off I have ever had to endure from any novelist.
Other reviewers have touched on the number of times that Cross is beaten within and inch of his life yet never seems to need medical treatment for the multitude of injuries he receives; others may have touched on the apparent time travel that "The Tiger" and his boys seem to be able to float from place to place with no apparent restriction of time or general logistics; the very tenuous link with the initial victim that starts this whole farce off; the uncharacteristic leniency shown at the conclusion when Cross's family are involved - no surprise there then; the insultingly shallow Q&A session at the end.
All in all, Patterson has caused me to now ignore his books from hereon in. He seems to churn out co-authored junk like he is Barbara Cartland on speed and appears to be only interested in mass product and not any form of quality (other than poor).
All in all, a shoddy, lazy and sometimes plain ignorant effort. And don't even start me on the shallow moralising about the heinous African situation..........
Ridiculous December 31, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
After having read the first few Cross novels I gave up on Patterson when he started collaborating with all and sundry. This book came to me as a gift, so I gave it a go. What a pile of rubbish! We still have the cliche-ridden characters - Big John Sampson, the too-good-to-be-true kids, the ever-philosophical Nana Mama, who seems to spend every waking hour baking things that contain pecan nuts. Cross should have perished the minute he set foot in Africa, but he endures no end of shootings, beatings and torture only to bounce back again and again. The scenes are rendered more ridiculous in the first person ('Oh no, my nose is broken again!').
Avoid at all costs.
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