When I was a kid, I was an avid reader. I read all the time and, get this, I actually ENJOYED reading! How many kids can say that? As i got older however, I began to get more invested in my phone and in social media instead of getting lost in a book. So, this summer I made a goal for myself to start reading regularly again, I started with re-reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but wanted something more…thrilling, something i had not read before. This brought me to Cross Justice by James Patterson, one of my parents’ favorite authors.
Recently, I have developed a love for crime fiction novels through a book I had to read for class, The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith and hoped I could find something as thrilling as that novel at my house in California. So, I looked through the bookshelf in my dad’s office and chose the book most interesting to me, Cross Justice.
This thrilling crime fiction and mystery novel stars on of Patterson’s most well-known characters, Alex Cross. In this story, Alex Cross and his family, who usually live in Washington D.C., are summoned to Starksville, North Carolina to help clear his cousin’s name in a murder he says he did not commit. I have to admit, at first glance, the evidence against Cross’s cousin, Stefan Tate, seem to be damning and legitimate, but I learned throughout this novel, not to underestimate him and his family. Tate, a school teacher, is on trial for the murder of Rashawn Turnbull, a fellow student he mentored. Everybody in town, even all of the police department are convinced that Tate murdered Turnbull, except for Stefan’s family. The citizens of Starksville also do not seem to be welcoming to Detective Cross and his family because they are there to help Stefan. Alex has not been to Starksville in over 35-years, and upon his return, he unearths a family secret that forces him to question everything he has come to know about his life.
I’ve opted to keep key details, plot points, and thrilling moments out of this review, to prevent spoilers in order for you guys to find out what happens for yourselves. You may not like to read, but James Patterson’s Cross Justice is a thrilling tale that will keep you on the edge of your set from beginning to end. Keep your eye out because just when you think the book is getting nowhere, Patterson knows how to keep his readers on his toes and will throw in surprises that you would never expect. I definitely reccommend this book to all bookworms and non-bookworms out there, find it at your local library or book store today! 9/10- A- rating overall
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