Fear No Evil (Alex Cross, 29)

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The action begins immediately as we witness CIA operative and potential traitor Catherine Hingham being tortured to death by an unknown adversary. This is just the start of CIA personnel and other members of the law enforcement and intelligence fields being targeted. To make matters worse, after the target is eliminated, the killers go after their family and attempt to murder them all --- from grandparents to young children. It is safe to say that FEAR NO EVIL is not for the faint of heart. That being said, who better to meet this violence head on than Alex Cross? Overall, this was one of the better Alex Cross novels, moving the “M” storyline forward to a hopeful conclusion in the next book which will be his 30th outing. I liked the mysterious “M” (or “Maestro”) storyline and the way its unfolded over several books. It feels like with the way this book ended, Patterson is setting up for a big Cross/”M” faceoff in the next one to coincide with it being the 30th Alex Cross and an anniversary book. It could be Patterson’s own version of WrestleMania with some surprises and payoffs. But then, I may just be wishing. We’ll see. Either way, it is time to bring the “M” storyline to come to a boil and culminate. Engrossing as always, this also manages to bind two separate stories nicely together and the breathtaking climax well justifies the long wait for the new Alex Cross. The chemistry and camaraderie between Alex and John, that between Alex and Bree, and in fact, between all members of the extended Alex Cross family is nuanced and warm. it makes you want to be a part of such a family. Nana Mama is the smart twenty-first century grandmother, much like Seamus from the Michael Bennett series. Ali is also becoming quite a detective, on his own time and has a small little subplot of his own here. Deep in the Montana wilderness, Dr. Alex Cross and Det. John Sampson are pursuing the bloodthirsty bad guy who has been stalking Alex's family for years when they find themselves targeted by two rival teams of assassins. And both teams are working for Alex's nemesis. Will our heroes get out alive? Look for special promotions throughout 2021 as the publisher launches the Year of Cross to celebrate 40 years' worth of adventure. With a 760,000-copy first printing. Library Journal

I feel disloyal writing this review because I’ve always loved James Patterson’s writing style, and his Alex Cross series was among my favorites. But here goes: I didn’t feel the magic with Fear No Evil, #29 in the Alex Cross series.Cross’ case is temporarily derailed when he learns of a terrorist incident in Paris with which Bree has been mixed up. Having no idea whether or not she’s alive, he jumps on a flight to Paris to find her. Thankfully, she is okay, and it turns out that the frightening episode was the responsibility of M and his group, bringing Cross’ and Bree’s cases full circle with each other. No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades. The Alex Cross series proves it ' Lee Child When a series reaches Book 29, you know the author is doing something right! I’ve always loved a dose of Alex Cross, the tall detective whose family sustains him, from his current wife, Bree Stone– now in an elite private practice as an investigator, to his children, Damon, Jannie, and Ali and the mainstay of his home hub, Regina, known as Nana Mama, getting so much older, but still cooking delicious meals for the family that make your mouth water as you read about them. In Fear No Evil Cross is once again working with his long term friend and partner at Metro PD, John Sampson, and FBI agent Ned Mahoney. They have had their fair share of fiendish antagonists over the years but the most puzzling surely has to be M or Maestro whose interventions have sometimes been helpful and sometimes deadly.

There are things that didn’t work for me, as well, in Fear No Evil. About twenty years after he first appeared, M is as elusive as ever, and that is just not done. And there are a few questions—questions I can’t mention here for fear of spoiling it—that are left unanswered, perhaps to hook the reader onto the next episode; but someone of Patterson’s stature doesn’t have to do that, does he? Come the end of the year, come Alex Cross, the much-loved protagonist created by James Patterson and the only series he still writes solo. Throughout the rest of the year, James Patterson‘s releases are all about collaborations, where the co-writers touch or style contributes to the eventual outcome. Similarly, this series is completely James Patterson and the series reflects that as well. Alex Cross and his lovable family comprising of Nana Mama (Alex’s 90-year-old grandmother and the matriarch of the family), his wife Bree, sons Damon and Ali, and daughter Jannie. Each with their colorful shares in the progress of the series. Speaking of Cross’ family, his wife Bree --- an ex-cop herself --- takes on an assignment for the Bluestone organization, which will send her to Paris, France, in pursuit of a serial rapist and alleged killer. Not only does the novel jump between Cross and Bree, it offers us glimpses into the Maestro organization with occasional bits on M. It seems there is no one who can be trusted as every level of law enforcement attempts to unmask them before they can kill more people or follow through on any terrorist threats.The main part of the plot is set in the beautiful wilderness of Montana with a sub plot involving Bree taking place in Paris. Alex and a still grieving Sampson are about to leave on a much needed trip into the wilderness when they’re called to a murder scene in the middle of Washington, DC. It soon becomes clear that someone is targeting Federal Agents. Now, that I complimented the “M” storyline, I need to explain that I also had problems with it too. One if the challenges with reading Patterson is that you have to suspend your disbelief at times because the action scenes and storylines are a bit unrealistic. Some novels require more disbelief than others. This was one where the level of disbelief needed was extremely high. There was a lot of shooting, stabbing, and killing in this one. The body count and torturing were higher than normal, and that is saying a lot for a Patterson novel. The focus was also on Alex’s best friend, John Sampson, and his daughter, which deserved some stage time too. I enjoyed his time on the stage a lot. He’s more than Alex’s best friend; he’s really Alex’s brother and is a key influence and balance to Alex, and I appreciated his moments to shine.