''Cross My Heart'' is the 21st novel in the ''Alex Cross'' series written by author

James Patterson James Brendan Patterson (born March 22, 1947) is an American author. Among his works are the ''Alex Cross'', '' Michael Bennett'', '' Women's Murder Club'', ''Maximum Ride'', '' Daniel X'', '' NYPD Red'', '' Witch & Wizard'', and ''Private'' se ...

. The novel takes place after ''

Alex Cross, Run ''Alex Cross, Run'' is the 20th novel in the ''Alex Cross'' series written by American author James Patterson. The novel focuses on the protagonist, detective Alex Cross, who must solve three cases at once with the whole city in a frenzy. Plot ...

'', in which Alex tries contemplating a life outside the Metro Police after the apparent death of Ava, an orphan girl they took in. It was initially not planned by Patterson, but was later confirmed to be in the works. The novel once again features Metro Police detective

Alex Cross ''Alex Cross'' is a crime, mystery, and thriller novel series written by James Patterson. The series focuses on Metropolitan Police Department detective and father Alex Cross as he faces threats to his family and the city of Washington, D.C. ...

. ''Cross My Heart'' was released 20 years after the original novel, '' Along Came a Spider''. The novel's events, having ended on a cliffhanger, were continued in the next novel, ''

Hope to Die ''Alex Cross'' is a crime, mystery, and thriller novel series written by James Patterson. The series focuses on Metropolitan Police Department detective and father Alex Cross as he faces threats to his family and the city of Washington, D.C. ...

''.

Premise

Alex Cross has been a family man at heart—he loves his children, his grandmother, and his beautiful wife Brianna. Alex Cross has managed to stop serial killers and survive. But all of that is about to change. When a new enemy targets Cross and his family, Cross finds himself in a whole new game. If he tries to save his family or stop the killer, they die. Can Alex protect his family and capture a criminal at the same time?

Character list

, the series'

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

who often deals with extreme murder cases, and has an overwhelming reputation to solve crimes. Cross is described as a family man, but also dedicated to his job and struggles keeping them balanced. * John Sampson, Cross' best friend and fellow Metro cop. Sampson and Cross have been friends since they were children and is married to his wife Billie, and is extremely tall, at six foot seven and a half. *Brianna Stone-Cross, Cross' wife and Metro-police cop, she also takes care of Cross' grandma and kids as if they were her own family. She is described as caring and gentle, but also a "stone" when it comes to police duty. *Nana Mama, who is still grieving over the death of Ava Williams, a girl whom they adopted in

Kill Alex Cross ''Kill Alex Cross'' is the 18th novel in the ''Alex Cross'' series by James Patterson, following fictional detective Alex Cross as he tries to solve two crimes – one involving the president's kidnapped children and the other a case of someone po ...

, and died in

. She is Alex's grandmother, who took care of him after his parents' death. *Damon, Janelle, and Ali Cross, Alex's children. *Ava *Marcus Sunday/Thierry Mulch, the villain of the novel

Release

The novel was scheduled to be released on November 25, 2013 in hardcover and audio book, with the paperback to be presumably released in 2014. The release coincides with the 20th anniversary of the original novel.

Critical reception

The novel has received mostly positive reviews. Author of the

Jack Reacher Jack Reacher is the protagonist of a series of crime thriller novels by British author Lee Child. In the stories, Jack Reacher was a major in the US Army's military police. Having left the Army at age 36, Reacher roams the United States, t ...

series,

Lee Child James Dover Grant (born 29 October 1954), primarily known by his pen name Lee Child, is a British author who writes thriller novels, and is best known for his ''Jack Reacher'' novel series. The books follow the adventures of a former American ...

, has given the novel a positive review, stating that "Behind all the noise and numbers, we shouldn't forget that no one gets this big without natural storytelling talent—which is what James Patterson has, in spades. The Alex Cross series proves that."

References

{{James Patterson Alex Cross (novel series) Novels set in Washington, D.C. 2013 American novels Little, Brown and Company books