I won’t lie—I picked this up because of the TV show announcement (which, by the way, is fantastic). The show only made me more excited to dive into Patterson’s work. My intrigue was always there, especially since he’s one of my dad’s favorite authors. However, my previous attempts with his collaborative novels didn’t resonate with me, so I wanted to ensure I read a book solely written by him.

I decided to explore the Alex Cross series, but unfortunately, I feel like I should have started from the beginning since this is, I believe, the 33rd installment. While the story was easy to follow, it was clear that these characters had a lot of history I wasn’t familiar with, which likely made the pacing and momentum feel off to me as a new reader.

For Patterson fans and longtime followers of the Cross family storyline, this will likely be another enjoyable installment. Personally, I found it a bit boring. It reminded me of a Mission Impossible movie—except instead of just following Tom Cruise, you’re also following all the supporting characters. There’s a superhero-like energy to it, with the world on the brink of collapse and a select team of individuals tasked with saving it.

I think this book might translate better as a movie or TV show, which is why I enjoyed the Cross television series so much. I’ll definitely go back and read the first Alex Cross novel, as I suspect that starting at the beginning will help me better appreciate the pace and storylines Patterson has developed.