Product Description

Separated by time

From 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 blood

As 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 bravery

When 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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #235 in Books
• Published on: 2009-08-24
• Released on: 2009-08-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 380 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780316070621
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Framed as a book written by Patterson's iconic detective, Alex Cross, the story centers on the relationship between Cross's great-uncle Abraham and civil rights lawyer Ben Corbett, who teamed up at the turn of the 20th century to fight the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi. Shawn Andrew's turn as Alex in the introduction is unmemorable, but Dylan Baker, the core narrator, captures listeners with keen emphasis and pacing. Even if his voice tends to be a bit caricatured (his Theodore Roosevelt invokes an old-time radio shtick), his overall efforts—coupled with typical Patterson pacing and prose—will keep listeners hooked. A Little, Brown hardcover. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"The Man Who Can't Miss." (TIME )

About the Author
James Patterson is one of the bestselling writers of all time, with more than 160 million copies of his books sold worldwide. He is the author of the two most popular detective series of the past decade, featuring Alex Cross and the Women's Murder Club. He has won an Edgar Award--the mystery world's highest honor--and his novels Kiss the Girls and Along Came aSpider were made into feature films. His lifelong work to promote books and reading is reflected in his new Web site, ReadKiddoRead.com, which helps parents, grandparents, teachers, and librarians find the very best children's books for their kids. He lives in Florida.

Richard DiLallo is a former advertising creative director. He has had numerous articles published in major magazines. He lives in Manhattan with his wife.

Customer Reviews

BEWARE--Not really an Alex Cross book
In typical Patterson style, this book was a very easy and fast read: the chapters are short, the font is large, and the descriptive text is kept to a minimum. That pretty much sums up the good qualities of the book. Patterson should be ashamed of himself titling this book Alex Cross's Trial. This is clearly a marketing ploy to lure in unsuspecting Alex Cross fans. The first two pages are about Alex Cross and he is not mentioned again in the entire 380 pages. The book is really about lynching in the South in the early 1900s. There aren't any twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader riveted and the conclusion is absolutely non-climatic. A real disappointment.

Racism fuels the fires of the deep south in 1906.
It is hard to find authors as popular as James Patterson, and his Alex Cross books are at the epicenter. Let's remove the Patterson name for a moment and take an in-depth look at this newest novel. In 1906, race relations are being threatened; The war has just ended; Equality is still a foreign concept -- especially in the south. Theodore Roosevelt (the President of the USA) has placed an urgent call to Ben Corbett - a prestigious lawyer - summoning him to The White House. The President instructs Corbett to seek the aid of Abraham Cross in his home town of Mississippi, and together, investigate the outbreak of burning and lynching of minorities.

When he does arrive, it doesn't take him long to find Cross whom is being escorted by a beautiful young woman, Moody. Moody is Cross' grand daughter and together they show Corbett the true extent of the hate-filled assaults in a once peaceful town. While it does take Ben Corbett a while to accept the truth, he does finally come to realize just how dire the situation is. I'll stop there so I don't spoil the story for anyone whom has yet to read this brilliant novel. There are so many twists-and turns (the biggest being Abraham Cross - the grandfather of Alex) The racial overtones are done incredibly well, and while it is graphic at times, they do serve a greater purpose and keep the novel on track.

Now let's put the Patterson name back, and this good novel becomes great. Patterson is the master of suspense, intrigue, and lifellike characters that change and evolve the story to a level that only a very few authors can replicate. Do I really need to mention this? I mean seriously, if you don't know how good Patterson is...then that cave you live in must be nice and cozy. I'm joking. This latest novel to grace the Patterson name is an exciting thrill ride, that moves along at breakneck speeds and gives the reader a reason to place Patterson back on top of the genre. Well done. Well done, indeed.

Is James Patterson even writing these books anymore????
This will be my last James Patterson book, if for no other reason that I'm pissed that a book with "Alex Cross" in the title IS NOT AN ALEX CROSS BOOK. If this isn't false advertising, I don't know what is. As someone who has read almost everything James Patterson has ever written, it's hard for me to believe that Patterson even had a hand in this one, or in the last one (Cross Country) for that matter. I think Patterson has sold out, and is letting just about anyone stick his name on their book. There are too many GOOD authors out there to keep wasting your money on this guy.