Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * *
James Paterson’s almost near prestigious work involving the Psychiatrist turned Washington D.C. Detective Alex Cross have been as legendary as the amount of books that bear his name, either in the author’s own right or as part of his expanding output involving other writers. In the past books that involved Alex Cross have been near perfect as you wish for a modern day detective story, novels such as Pop Goes the Weasel, Roses are Red, Kiss the Girls and Double X have been a forthright look at the American crime solving.
Unfortunately with his latest book, Merry Christmas, Alex Cross, the story seems to take second place to getting yet another book out in time for the festive season. The latest release by a man of a million letters just doesn’t sit right with the reader; in truth the story is neither here nor there. Whilst it is a great joy to see the Washington D.C. family always at the forefront on the story and its sharp focus on how it affects those in Cross’ life the story makes too much of this whilst also muddling along with two story lines that really should have been expanded and turned into two books.
The books saving grace is that no matter what, it is impossible not to hear the voice of Morgan Freeman, who portrayed the Detective in a couple of very good adaptations, as he tackles the insanity of domestic violence and the world wide problem of international terrorism. The first section deals with the falling from grace of lawyer and his life is spiralling out of control, Alex Cross is there to see the fall out at first-hand view and the terror he inflicts on his ex-wife and children. It is a good novella but in means an outstanding one and its only connection to the second part with the threat of a devastating blow against the American way of life. In every pore and every nuance, Morgan Freeman comes more and more across rather than the voice of the hugely respected author.
It is a crying shame that a man who bought such gripping and enthralling stories to his fans in Violets are Blue, London Bridges and the acclaimed Along Came A Spider should choose to bring out a book that almost in fell stroke tarnishes the otherwise excellent work he has done with a detective who ranks among the best regarded and much loved of all American crime fiction.
There are much finer books in the cannon; some incredible and top notch, Merry Christmas, Alex Cross is not one of them.
Ian D. Hall