Alex Cross, the Dragon Slayer of the D.C. police force, FBI agent, and a psychologist, witnesses his wife''s murder.
The case is unsolved and Alex is left to raise his three children with the help of his grandmother. Even the Mafia isn''t safe from contract
killer and his cohort. Fast forward 10 years, Alex has left the DC
police force, retired from the FBI, and taken up private practice. He sees patients, trying to help them through whatever their troubles may be, including a girlfriend beater. No one has been able to solve his wife''s murder. While he has never really been able to let go of his life with his wife and his memories of their life together, Dr. Cross wants closure and seeks it in working as a consultant for the FBI and the Washington DC Police Department. Alex also has a new chance at love, and the nagging suspicion that his consultations with the police and FBI on a serial rapist all lead to the man that killed his wife. With the help of his former partner and lifelong friend, John Sampson, Cross embarks on a multi-state investigation tracking down leads connecting his wife''s killer and the serial rapes in the DC area. None of the rape victims are willing to give a description of the man who raped them, and the ones that do talk to the police, including Alex and John, end up dead. James Patterson weaves another excellent tale, delving deep into the characters including the Mafia contract killer known as the Butcher of Sligo. The psychological and background information on all of the characters, including the minor ones, is superbly done and very believable. This story is action packed with shoot-outs, character profiles and personalities, and even a fist fight in a police station locker room. Another 5-star Alex Cross novel for Mr. Patterson.