Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo

Book Details
Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
Paperback, 448 Pages
2010, Vision
ISBN: 0446557781
Series: Book 15 of Alex Cross

Synopsis
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.

Review
I was prepared to hate Alex Cross's Trial. After Alex's out of character actions in Cross Country, I thought yet another divergence from the series norm would be the final straw with this series. I couldn't have been more wrong about this book.

Alex Cross's Trial is completely different from earlier series book. The idea is that this book is written by Alex himself, telling the story of his uncle Abraham's racial struggles. This book is considered the fifteenth in the series, but it's more like a companion novel then the next step in Alex's story line. When looked at separate from the series itself, Alex Cross's Trial is a phenomenal read.

It's a historical novel, a mystery, a legal thriller and a social issues novel all rolled into one. It's written in James Patterson's familiar style of short chapters and basic wording, making a book heavy in theme a very easy read. The story is absolutely gripping and left me unable to put the book down for more than a few minutes at a time.

Alex Cross's Trial doesn't do anything to progress the series itself, which may disappoint long-time fans, but I loved the book more than I ever thought possible. James Patterson needs to write more books like this one!

Rating

Links

James Patterson's website