[Review] — Detective Alex Cross Gets Sidelined in "CROSS DOWN"

It's 2023, and I've lost track of how many James Patterson's Alex Cross novels there are. The newest Alex Cross novel, Cross Down, was recently published by Little, Brown, and Company. Everyone knows the drill: James Patterson comes up with a lengthy and detailed outline and hands it over to his co-author to write the story. The collaborator on Cross Down is Brendan DuBois. This novel is a little different than most because the character John Sampson—Detective Alex Cross's partner—takes more of a central role after Cross gets injured.

In Cross Down (available to purchase on hardback and Kindle), Detective Alex Cross sets his own rules, which has been a successful strategy for the crime-solving team of the FBI and Metro PD in Washington, DC. Detective John Sampson enforces these rules.

Sampson is shocked after a military-style raid violently knocks Cross out of commission. Several others have informed Sampson that the patterns are too random, including his buddy, partner, and brother—Alex Cross.

As an unknown force approaches the nation's capital, Sampson must protect the Cross family, his daughter, and every American, including the sitting president.

Cross Down feels more like the start of a spinoff series and less like an Alex Cross thriller. Cross appears in the beginning chapters, gets sidelined, and his buddy John Sampson has to step up and solve the mystery. Die-hard fans might be disappointed that their favorite crime-fighting detective has a small part this time. I, for one, appreciate the change and thought the writing was better this time around. Sure, there are a few predictable moments, but I enjoyed the story. Hopefully, James Patterson isn't going to retire Alex Cross anytime soon. I would love to see the character return to form with this quality of storytelling. ╌★★★★✰