Alex Cross

''Alex Cross'' is a crime, mystery, and thriller novel series written by James Patterson. The protagonist of the series is Alex Cross, an African-American Metropolitan Police Department detective and father who counters threats to his family and to the city of Washington, D.C. Supporting characters include three of Cross's children, Damon, Janelle, Ali (Little Alex), as well as his grandmother Nana Mama. The series is usually narrated in first-person perspective by Alex Cross, and occasionally from the villains' point of view in third-person.

The series began in 1993 and is ongoing. Nearly all the stories have made bestsellers lists and garnered favorable reviews, especially '' Double Cross;'' '' Cross Fire;'' ''I, Alex Cross;'' and ''Alex Cross, Run''.

The series is published worldwide, with Little, Brown currently holding publication rights in the United States, in paperback, hardcover, and audiobook editions. The first book in the series, '' Along Came a Spider'', was released in 1993 to positive reviews, spawning a series of over twenty subsequent novels. The series has resulted in three movies, '' Kiss the Girls'' (1997), '' Along Came a Spider'' (2001), and ''Alex Cross'' (2012).

Plot overview

Alex Cross is a widower, detective, and father who fights against criminals who wish to kill Cross and others. It mainly emphasizes Cross trying to solve difficult cases while attempting to maintain a relationship with his family. One of the antagonists in the earlier books is Gary Soneji, who wants to kill Cross for putting him in prison. Cross sometimes works with (or against) the President and Secret Service in a few books such as '' Along Came a Spider'', ''Jack & Jill'', ''I, Alex Cross'', and ''Kill Alex Cross''. An ongoing theme in the earlier novels is the unsolved murder of his first wife, Maria.

Characters

* Alex Cross, the main character of the series. Born Alexander Isaiah Cross, he has a Ph.D. in Psychology from Johns Hopkins University and has worked for both the Washington, D.C. Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation. His mother died of cancer and he thought his father was dead as well. His wife was murdered by an assassin, which leaves Cross a widower with two children and his grandmother, Nana Mama. In the first few books he is alone until he meets and falls in love with a woman named Christine, with whom he has a third child — a boy — named Alex Jr or Ali. During the books Cross is hunted by a criminal/threat in Washington, D.C., where he lives, which causes Christine to leave him out of fear. He is a detective who tries to be as close to his family as can be. After Christine left him, Alex later started dating again, but some of the women have either died or left him over the course of the novels. By the novel ''Cross'', Alex discovers that an assassin named Jimmy ''Hats'' Galati, murdered his wife and was killed by his best friend, John Sampson, who didn't want Alex to go down the road of revenge. Now having solved the murder of his wife, Alex finds the will to move on with his life, finding peace for the first time. In the newest books, he begins a relationship with Bree Stone, whom he eventually marries. Since '' Roses Are Red'' up to '' Cross Fire'', The Mastermind, Kyle Craig, has been his primary enemy. It is unknown exactly why Craig wants to kill Alex however. Craig is to have supposedly died in ''Cross Fire''. Cross allows the adopted girl, Ava (after Nana Mama finds her in ''Kill Alex Cross''), to live with his family. Alex marries Bree in ''Cross Fire'' and is finally at peace with her. He has had three major love interests throughout the series, Maria Cross (his deceased wife), Christine Johnson (his ex-girlfriend, whom he'd been engaged to), and Bree (his current wife). He has been friends with Sampson since he was 10, meaning they've been friends since he first arrived in Washington, D.C. In ''Alex Cross, Run'', Alex faces several cases and his life becomes severely complicated. When Ava is murdered, he finds her killer and avenges her death along with Bree. However, he still faces several issues: problems with his new wife, Bree; what he will do after Ava's death and whether he will continue being a detective; if he may have children with Bree; and if he will ever stop having to face the recurring problem in his life - endangering himself and his family all the time. Finally, his shrink says she will help him deal with his life for as long as it takes.
* John Sampson, is Cross's best friend since childhood and also his partner. Sampson, in ''Cross'' is known to have killed Jimmy Hats Galati, Alex's deceased wife's killer. John explains that he didn't want to see Jimmy get away with murdering Alex's wife and also didn't want to see Alex go down a road of revenge and had decided to avenge Alex's wife for him. In another book, ''Double Cross'' he is taken hostage while trying to solve the case with Cross's new love interest, Brianna Stone. In earlier books, the first few, he is seen to have had been in love with Nina Childs, who dies in '' Pop Goes the Weasel'' causing him to vow to find the killer and ''get him''. In '' Along Came a Spider'' some background history is told, one being that when Alex moved to Washington, D.C., after his parents' death (and his move with grandmother Nana Mama) he instantly became friends with Alex. They were known for robbing grocery stores when they were teenagers. Sampson got married in Four Blind Mice to a woman, who he fell in love with, named Billie, despite his reluctance since he is afraid of being a father because his parents were so horrible. It is said that Billie is first and only girl that he has ever made love to. In ''Alex Cross, Run'' Sampson informs Alex that Ava has been killed and later assists Bree and Alex in avenging Ava's death.
* Brianna Stone/Cross, who is Cross' girlfriend/now wife, and was also a detective. She first appeared in ''Double Cross'', where she was already in a relationship with at the start of the book. Bree's life is the same as Alex's life. She has no family, friends, children of her own. She works with Alex as well so she has no vocation of her own, Bree is described as a tough Bureau detective, and is put on the case for DCAK, which she works with Alex and Sampson. At the beginning and near the end of the novel, she professes her love for Alex. In ''Cross Country'', Bree and Alex's relationship continues to grow stronger. She helps him investigate ''The Tiger'', especially when his family is kidnapped by the killer also. In ''I, Alex Cross'', Bree is shown living with Alex at the Cross home. She continues to stay at the Cross house to take care of Nana Mama, after Nana nearly dies. In the end of the book, Alex proposes to her and she happily accepts. In ''Cross Fire'', both Bree and Alex look forward to their wedding, while at the same time dealing with Kyle Craig. They get married after facing off against Kyle Craig "the Mastermind" one final time. At the end of the novel, Kyle is killed and Bree and Alex are finally enjoying a life of peace together. In ''Kill Alex Cross'' she discovers a homeless girl trying to steal from the Cross house, and later agrees to adopt her due to Nanna's wishes. In ''Merry Christmas, Alex Cross'' she seems distraught and annoyed that Alex must be away from his family on Christmas. However, at the end of the novel, Alex and her share a dance while on a double date with Sampson and Billie, and they share a kiss. In ''Alex Cross, Run'' she is distraught and wants vengeance when Ava, a young girl she and Nana adopted, is burned alive. She and Sampson assist Alex in capturing Ava's murderer and killing him. At the end of the novel, she and Alex continue to recover from the death of Ava and their love for each other remains strong.
* Nana Mama, the matriarch of the Cross family. She is Cross's grandmother that took him in when he was 10, since both his parents had died. She is currently entering her 90s, having nearly died in ''I, Alex Cross'' and adopting a young girl named Ava in ''Kill Alex Cross.'' She is described as a very "old woman", but tough for her age. She is also described by Alex as "stubborn". She usually argues with Alex over several things thus Alex dumbs her as "old woman" and "stubborn". She approves of Alex's new wife, Bree Stone, and considers her to be a daughter to her. Nana was once married to Alex's grandfather, who she was deeply in love with. Once he died, Nana never married again or dated, as it was mentioned in ''Four Blind Mice''. She is also known for always having ''the last word'' against Alex.
* Damon, Janelle, Ali, Alex's children. Damon and Janelle were the first to be born, born to Maria Cross—Damon is the oldest—while "Ali" Alex Jr.'s mother is Christine Johnson. Alex and Christine were engaged. In fact, Christine was the first real love interest Alex had after Maria died. Alex has known Christine since ''Jack & Jill'', but started dating in ''Cat and Mouse''. In '' Pop Goes the Weasel'', she gives birth to Ali, while being held by Geoffrey Shaffer. She leaves Ali with Alex in ''Roses Are Red''. In ''Double Cross'' Damon goes away to Cushing Academy, a (fictional) prep school in Massachusetts, and doesn't return until '' Cross Country''. Ali, however, is not featured in ''Merry Christmas, Alex Cross'' since he is spending Christmas with his true mother, Christine, who is briefly mentioned in the book. Ava, a girl that Nana Mama finds in ''Kill Alex Cross'' is first seen/mentioned in ''Kill Alex Cross'' where she tries to steal but is caught by Bree and Nana Mama. Ava was never legally adopted by the Cross family but lived with them for a little while. She returns, along with Damon and Jannie in the 19th novel in the series, ''Merry Christmas''. Ava is sent to a housing home for orphans again sometime during the events of ''Alex Cross, Run'', for doing drugs. At the end of the novel, she is burned alive by one of Alex's newest nemesis. Alex's deceased wife, Maria, was once pregnant with his third child, before Ali came along, who died when Maria was killed.
* Christine Johnson with a PhD in Education and Principal at a school where a couple of her school children are murdered, she is Alex's first real love interest since Maria. Alex proposed to her three times and she finally said yes. She was afraid of something happening to him because he worked with such dangerous people. She knew about Sonji and one of those dangerous people killed her husband. They were engaged but never married. She first appears in ''Jack and Jill'' where her husband is killed and she meets Alex. In ''Cat and Mouse'' she begins dating him and the two fall madly in love with each other. In ''Pop Goes the Weasel'' she is kidnapped while the family vacationed in Jamaica and was captive for over a year; during that time she discovers that she is pregnant with Alex's child. Alex is able to find her and their newborn son, ''Ali''. In ''Roses Are Red'' she becomes afraid due to the events in previous novels, and the baby, who she names after Alex, is living with her. She begins to distant herself from Alex, fearing the work he does and believing that her life is ruined after the kidnapping. She suffered a lot having her first child alone; far away from family, friends, coworkers, and her fiancé (the father of her child). She was all alone and this was detrimental to her and Alex's relationship. She had already witnessed Alex being severely beaten so much so that he nearly died. She had to be escorted to the hospital to see him. Having her first husband die in front of here, seeing Alex being severely beaten, and being kidnapped, took its toll on her. She eventually leaves for Seattle and also leaves Alex "Ali" with Alex. She returns in ''Big Bad Wolf'' to claim custody over Ali. In ''Mary, Mary'' she appears in court for custody of Ali and wins, but near the end of the book, she gives Ali to Alex. Realizing he needed to be with his dad. She returns in ''Cross Fire'' to spend time with Alex, after hearing that he is going to marry Bree Stone, but ends up angering him and leaves after her time with Ali. During the novel, it is hinted that she still harbors some love for Alex and at times, Alex appears to harbor love for her as well. He even said once "What might have been" when he spent time with her and Ali in Seattle. She is mentioned again in ''Merry Christmas, Alex Cross'' because Ali spent Christmas with her. She was Damon and Jannie's elementary school principal when her and Alex started dating.
* Maria Simpson/Cross is Alex Cross's deceased wife and first love. Despite only being mentioned in the first eleven books in the series, Maria makes her first appearance in a flashback setting in ''Cross''. She is described as being "too short" and having a "beautiful smile". Before being killed, Maria was working as a social worker in Washington D.C. when she met Alex Cross for the first time. They first met at St. Anthony's Hospital and fell in love soon after. They married and moved into an apartment together. Damon was born later in the marriage and Janelle was born sometime before Maria's death. Maria was revealed to be pregnant with their third child, during the events of ''Cross''. When Alex came to pick up Maria from her work place, Maria was shot by an unknown sniper and died in Alex's arms. Her last words to Alex were that she loved him. It remains unknown if the shooter was aiming for Maria or Alex. After her death, Alex moved out of the apartment and back to his grandma's place. Maria's murderer was never caught, until the novel ''Cross'', where it is revealed that a mob assassin named Jimmy ''Hats'' Galati, was responsible for killing Maria. John Sampson was the one to avenge Maria, to spare Alex from losing what was left of his soul. Maria has been the reason for Alex's motivation of taking on cases from the very beginning of the series. After the events of ''Cross'', Alex has managed to let go of Maria, allowing himself to move on with his life.

Notable antagonists

* Kyle Craig/The Mastermind, the main antagonist

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