Alex Cross
Reading Order.
Start with Along Came a Spider (1993). Most books are self-contained cases, but Cross's family life carries through.
This series follows forensic psychologist Dr. Alex Cross as he solves complex murder cases in Washington, D.C.
Where to start
Start with Along Came a Spider (1993). Most books are self-contained cases, but Cross's family life carries through.
- •Alex Cross's Trial is a historical side novel and optional.
Community Consensus
"The provided comments are discussing the reading order for Michael Moorcock's Elric/Eternal Champion multiverse series, not the Alex Cross series. For the series discussed, the general agreement is to start with core books (like 'the big four,' Elric, or the Eternal Champion) before integrating 'weirder stuff.'"
Specific advice for the series being discussed includes: 1) Recommended starting points are the first Elric book or The Eternal Champion. 2) 'Moonbeam Roads' should be read later because it draws heavily from the wider multiverse. 3) 'End of Time' books are often suggested around the halfway mark or after the core foundational books.
At a Glance
- First Book:Along Came a Spider
- Latest Book:Cross Down
- Timeline:1993 - 2024
Complete Series Reading Order
Publication Reading Order32 Titles
Along Came a Spider
Discover the classic thriller that launched the #1 detective series of the past twenty-five year, one of PBS's "100 Great American Reads," and watch the Cross series coming soon to Amazon!Alex Cross is a homicide detective with a Ph.D. in psychology. He works and lives in the ghettos of D. C. and looks like Muhammad Ali in his prime. He's a tough guy from a tough part of town who wears Harris Tweed jackets and likes to relax by banging out Gershwin tunes on his baby grand piano. But he also has two adorable kids of his own, and they are his own special vulnerabilities.Jezzie Flanagan is the first woman ever to hold the highly sensitive job as supervisor of the Secret Service in Washington. Blond, mysterious, seductive, she's got an outer shell that's as tough as it is beautiful. She rides her black BMW motorcycle at speeds of no less than 100 mph. What is she running from? What is her secret?Alex Cross and Jezzie Flanagan are about to have a forbidden love affair-at the worst possible time for both of them. Because Gary Soneji, who wants to commit the "crime of the century," is playing at the top of his game. Soneji has outsmarted the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police. Who will be his next victim?Gary Soneji is every parent's worst nightmare. He has become Alex Cross's nightmare. And now, reader, he's about to become yours.
Kiss the Girls
Plot details hidden until you finish "Along Came a Spider".
In this electrifying thriller from the world’s most popular storyteller, Alex Cross is on his most terrifying murder case yet as a he must take down not one, but two serial killers working together in a twisted cross-country criminal alliance. Inspiration for the heart-pounding Prime Video show, Cross. In Los Angeles, a reporter investigating a series of murders is killed. In Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a beautiful medical intern suddenly disappears. In the sequel to Along Came a Spider, Washington D.C.'s Alex Cross is back to solve the most baffling and terrifying murder case ever. Two clever pattern killers are collaborating, cooperating, competing—and they are working coast to coast.
Jack & Jill
Plot details hidden until you finish "Kiss the Girls".
In the middle of the night, a controversial U.S. senator is found murdered in bed in his Georgetown pied-a-terre. The police turn up only one clue: a mysterious rhyme signed "Jack and Jill" promising that this is just the beginning. Jack and Jill are out to get the rich and famous, and they will stop at nothing until their fiendish plan is carried out.Meanwhile, Washington, D. C., homicide detective Alex Cross is called to a murder scene only blocks from his house, far from the corridors of power where he spends his days. The victim: a beautiful little girl, savagely beaten--and desposited in front of the elementary school Cross's son, Damon, attends.Could there be a connection between the two murders? As Cross tries to put the pieces together, the killer- or killers - strike again. And again. No one in Washington is safe - not children, not politicians, not even the President of the United States. Only Alex Cross has the skills and the courage to crack the case-but will he discover the truth in time?A relentless roller coaster of heart-pounding suspense and jolting plot twists, Jack and Jill proves that no one can write a more compelling thriller than James Patterson-the master of the nonstop nightmare.
Cat & Mouse
Plot details hidden until you finish "Jack & Jill".
Alex Cross is pitted against his greatest nemesis, the Mastermind, in a high-stakes psychological thriller that tests the limits of justice and revenge.
Pop Goes the Weasel
Plot details hidden until you finish "Cat & Mouse".
Detective Alex Cross is in love. But his happiness is threatened by a series of chilling murders in Washington, D.C., murders with a pattern so twisted, it leaves investigators reeling. Cross's ingenious pursuit of the killer produces a suspect-a British diplomat named Geoffrey Shafer. But proving that Shafer is the murderer becomes a potentially deadly task. As the diplomat engages in a brilliant series of surprising countermoves, in and out of the courtroom, Alex and his fiancee become hopelessly entangled with the most memorable nemesis Alex Cross has ever faced. Pop Goes the Weasel reveals James Patterson at the peak of his power. Here is a chilling villain no reader will forget, a love story of great tenderness, and a plot of relentless suspense and heart-pounding pace. To read Pop Goes the Weasel is to discover why James Patterson is one of the world's greatest suspense writers.
Roses Are Red
Plot details hidden until you finish "Pop Goes the Weasel".
In this heart-pounding but touchingly romantic thriller, Detective Alex Cross pursues the most complex and brilliant killer he's ever confronted - mysterious criminal who calls himself the Mastermind.In a series of crimes that has stunned Washington, D.C., bank robbers have been laying out precise demands when they enter the building - and then killing the bank employees and their families if those instructions are not followed to the letter.Detective Alex Cross takes on the case, certain that this is no ordinary bank robber at work - the pathological need for control and perfection is too great. Cross is in the midst of a personal crisis at home, but the case becomes all-consuming as he learns that the Mastermind is plotting one huge, last, perfect crime.
Violets Are Blue
Plot details hidden until you finish "Roses Are Red".
D.C. Detective Alex Cross has seen a lot of crime scenes. But even he is appalled by the gruesome murders of two joggers in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park - killings that look more like the work of savage beasts than humans. Local police are horrified and even the FBI is baffled. Then, as Cross is called in to take on the case, the carnage takes off, leaving a trail of bodies across America and sweeping him to Savannah, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Los Angeles . . as his nemesis, the merciless criminal known as the Mastermind, stalks him, taunts him, and once again, threatens everything he holds dear...
Four Blind Mice
Plot details hidden until you finish "Violets Are Blue".
Alex Cross hunts a serial killer operating within the military, uncovering a long-buried war crime committed by an elite, rogue unit.
The Big Bad Wolf
Plot details hidden until you finish "Four Blind Mice".
Detective Alex Cross returns to Washington, D.C., to track a chilling serial killer who leaves a wolf‑related calling card at each crime scene. As the body count rises, Cross must confront a dark conspiracy that hits close to home, testing his instincts and his resolve.
London Bridges
Plot details hidden until you finish "The Big Bad Wolf".
In broad desert daylight, a mysterious platoon of soldiers evacuates the entire population of Sunrise Valley, Nevada. Minutes later, a huge bomb detonates a hundred feet above the ground and lays waste to homes, cars, and playgrounds: a town annihilated in an instant.Alex Cross is on vacation in San Francisco with his girlfriend, Jamilla Hughes, when he gets the call. The Russian supercriminal known as the Wolf claims responsibility for the blast. The Wolf is the deadliest nemesis Cross has ever faced, and the fact that he is still at large is agonizing for him and his new bosses at the FBI.Major cities around the globe, including London, Paris, and New York, are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it - the only question is who can stop him in time. Surveillance film of the blast reveals the presence of another of Alex Cross's most dangerous enemies, the ruthless assassin known as the Weasel. The thought of these two dark geniuses joining forces makes Alex's blood run cold.Now are you scared?World leaders have just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm. In a matter of hours, Cross is catapulted into an international chase of astonishing danger. Joining forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol, Alex fights his way through a torrent of false leads, impersonators, and foreign agents before he gets close to the heart of the crimes. Racing down the hairpin turns of the Riviera in one of James Patterson's most unforgettable finales, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf's identity - a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive.
Mary, Mary
Plot details hidden until you finish "London Bridges".
FBI Agent Alex Cross is on vacation with his family in Disneyland when he gets a call from the Director. A well-known actress was shot outside her home in Beverly Hills. Shortly afterward, an editor for the Los Angeles Times receives an e-mail describing the murder in vivid details. Alex quickly learns that this is not an isolated incident. The killer, known as Mary Smith, has done this before and plans to kill again.Right from the beginning, this case is like nothing Alex has ever been confronted with before. Is this the plan of an obsessed fan or a spurned actor, or is it part of something much more frightening? Now members of Hollywood's A-list fear they're next on Mary's list, and the case grows by blockbuster proportions as the LAPD and FBI scramble to find a pattern before Mary can send one more chilling update.
Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "Mary, Mary".
Alex Cross was a rising star in the Washington, DC, Police Department when an unknown shooter gunned down his wife, Maria, in front of him. The killer was never found, and the case turned cold, filed among the unsolved drive-bys in D.C.'s rough neighborhoods.Years later, still haunted by his wife's death, Cross is making a bold move in his life. Now a free agent from the police and the FBI, he's set up practice as a psychologist once again. His life with Nana Mama, Damon, Jannie, and little Alex is finally getting in order. He even has a chance at a new love. Then Cross's former partner, John Sampson, calls in a favor. He is tracking a serial rapist in Georgetown, one whose brutal modus operandi recalls a case Sampson and Cross worked together years earlier. When the case reveals a connection to Maria's death, Cross latches on for the most urgent and terrifying ride of his life. From the man USA TODAY has called the "master of the genre," CROSS is the high-velocity thriller James Patterson and Alex Cross's fans have waited years to read - and the pinnacle of the bestselling detective series of the past two decades.
Double Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "Cross".
Alex Cross is forced into a deadly dance with a charismatic killer who murders in front of an audience, leaving him clues that only deepen the mystery.
Cross Country
Plot details hidden until you finish "Double Cross".
Alex Cross travels overseas to Africa, tracking a brilliant and brutal killer responsible for the slaughter of an entire wealthy American family.
I, Alex Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "Cross Country".
You can't runDetective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.You can't hideThe hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain--they will do anything to keep their secrets safe. Alex Cross is your only hope to stay aliveAs Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable--a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.
Alex Cross's Trial
Plot details hidden until you finish "I, Alex Cross".
Separated by timeFrom his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he's written--a novel called Trial.Connected by bloodAs a lawyer in turn-of-the-century Washington D.C., Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his home town to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse. United by braveryWhen he arrives in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful granddaughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town's black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror--but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's Trial is a gripping story of murder, love, and, above all, bravery.
Cross Fire
Plot details hidden until you finish "Alex Cross's Trial".
Detective Alex Cross and Bree s wedding plans are put on hold when Alex is called to the scene of a perfectly executed assassination of two of Washington DC s most hated public figures- a corrupt congressman and a scheming lobbyist. All leads Cross finds reach dead-ends and the prospect of finding the killer seems nearly impossible. As more crooked politicians are picked off with simliar long-range shots, public opinion is divided is the elusive marksman a vigilante or a hero? Media coverage of the case explodes and FBI agent Max Siegel battles Alex for jurisdiction. As Alex struggles with the sniper, Siegel, and the wedding, he receives a call from his deadliest adversary, Kyle Craig. The Mastermind is in DC and will not relent until he has eliminated Cross and his family for good.
Kill Alex Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "Cross Fire".
In this heart-pounding thriller from the world’s most popular storyteller, with relentless danger around every corner, Detective Alex Cross is hunting down a kidnapper . . . but only if someone powerful doesn't kill him first. The inspiration for #1 hit streaming show, Cross. The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high-up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark. A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced. As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes-one that may alter the fate of the entire country. Kill Alex Cross is fast, exciting, and tightly wound, full of "fast-and-furious action" (Washington Post).
Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "Kill Alex Cross".
It's Christmas Eve and Detective Alex Cross is called away from his family to resolve a horrific hostage situation that is spiraling out of control.
Alex Cross, Run
Plot details hidden until you finish "Merry Christmas, Alex Cross".
Kill Alex Cross was "Patterson at the top of his game" (Washington Post). Alex Cross, Run is even better. DON'T LOOK, ALEX CROSS Top plastic surgeon Elijah Creem is renowned for his skills in the operating room, and for his wild, no-expense-spared "industry parties," bringing in underage exotic dancers and models for nights of drugs, champagne, and uninhibited sex. That is, until Detective Alex Cross busts one of Creem's lavish soirees and ruins his fun. Now Creem is willing to do anything to avoid going to jail. DON'T THINK, ALEX CROSS But Alex doesn't have time to dwell on that case. A beautiful woman has been found murdered in her car, a lock of her hair viciously ripped off. Then a second woman is found hanging from a sixth-floor window with a brutal scar slashed across her stomach. When a third mutilated body is discovered, rumors of three serial killers on the loose send Washington D.C. into an all-out frenzy. JUST RUN Alex is under so much pressure to solve these three grim cases that he hasn't noticed that someone else investigating him-someone so obsessed and so twisted that they'll do anything-ANYTHING- to get the vengeance they require. Alex Cross, Run is James Patterson's most unrelenting story yet-a white-hot, sensational thrill ride with the most extreme and gripping characters Patterson has ever brought to life.
Cross My Heart
Plot details hidden until you finish "Alex Cross, Run".
"James Patterson raises the stakes to their highest level, ever-when Alex Cross becomes the obsession of a genius of menace set on proving that he is the greatest mind in the history of crime. Detective Alex Cross is a family man at heart--nothing matters more to him than his children, his grandmother, and his wife Bree. His love of his family is his anchor, and gives him the strength to confront evil in his work. One man knows this deeply, and uses Alex's strength as a weapon against him in the most unsettling and unexpected novel of James Patterson's career. When the ones Cross loves are in danger, he will do anything to protect them. If he does anything to protect them, they will die. CROSS MY HEART is the most powerful Alex Cross novel ever, propelled by the ever-ingenious mind of James Patterson, the world's #1 bestselling writer"--
Hope to Die
Plot details hidden until you finish "Cross My Heart".
Detective Alex Cross is being stalked by a psychotic genius, forced to play the deadliest game of his career. Cross's family -- his loving wife Bree, the wise and lively Nana Mama, and his precious children -- have been ripped away. Terrified and desperate, Cross must give this mad man what he wants if he has any chance of saving the most important people in his life. The stakes have never been higher: What will Cross sacrifice to save the ones he loves?
Cross Justice
Plot details hidden until you finish "Hope to Die".
The 23rd installment of James Patterson's Alex Cross series.
Cross the Line
Plot details hidden until you finish "Cross Justice".
When a prominent Washington D.C. police official is murdered, Alex Cross steps in to investigate but his efforts are impeded by a series of deadly attacks by a vigilante killer who is targeting suspected criminals.
The People vs. Alex Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "Cross the Line".
"The charges: explosive. Alex Cross has never been on the wrong side of the law -- until now. Charged with gunning down followers of his nemesis Gary Soneji in cold blood, Cross is being turned into the poster child for trigger-happy cops who think they're above the law. Cross knows it was self-defense. But will a jury see it that way? The evidence: shocking. As Cross fights for his professional life and his freedom, his former partner John Sampson brings him a gruesome, titillating video tied to the mysterious disappearances of several young girls. Despite his suspension from the department, Cross can't say no to Sampson. The illicit investigation leads them to the darkest corners of the Internet, where murder is just another form of entertainment. The People vs. Alex Cross: the trial of the century. As the prosecution presents its case, and the nation watches, even those closest to Cross begin to doubt his innocence. If he can't convince his own family that he didn't pull the trigger with intent to kill, how can he hope to persuade a jury? But even with everything on the line, Cross will do whatever it takes to stop a dangerous criminal ... even if he can't save himself."--Amazon.com.
Target: Alex Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "The People vs. Alex Cross".
Criss Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "Target: Alex Cross".
"In a Virginia penitentiary, Alex Cross and his partner, John Sampson, witness the execution of a killer they helped convict. Hours later, they are called to the scene of a copycat crime. A note signed 'M' rests on the corpse. 'You messed up big time, Dr. Cross.' Was an innocent man just put to death? Alex soon realizes he may have much to answer for, as 'M' lures the detective out of the capital to the sites of multiple homicides, all marked with distressingly familiar details--details that conjure up decades-old cases. Details that conjure up Cross family secrets. Details that make clear that M is after a prize so dear that--were the killer to attain it--Cross's heart will no longer have reason to beat" -- Front jacket flap.
Deadly Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "Criss Cross".
Fear No Evil
Plot details hidden until you finish "Deadly Cross".
Triple Cross
Plot details hidden until you finish "Fear No Evil".
Alex Cross Must Die
Plot details hidden until you finish "Triple Cross".
Cross Down
Plot details hidden until you finish "Alex Cross Must Die".
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View on Amazon →Frequently Asked Questions
What order should I read Alex Cross in?
Start with Along Came a Spider (1993). Most books are self-contained cases, but Cross's family life carries through.
How many books are in Alex Cross?
31 main books, published 1993–2024, plus 1 side story.
Can I read Alex Cross out of order?
Yes. Each book tells a complete story, so you can start anywhere; reading in order adds the background that builds up between books.
Which books in Alex Cross are prequels, novellas or side stories?
"Alex Cross's Trial" (spin-off). Each is placed in the reading order below.
Has Alex Cross been adapted for TV or film?
Prime Video's Cross (2024), plus the films Kiss the Girls (1997), Along Came a Spider (2001) and Alex Cross (2012).