MARY, MARY by James Patterson
James Patterson has written ten previous Alex Cross mysteries. MARY, MARY is his eleventh and it is the most personal of the Cross novels to date. In this story Patterson brilliantly combines a shocking story about a serial killer, with insights into Cross' personal life. The reader is shown, with clarity, how Cross' personal life conflicts with his duties as an FBI Agent. The two portions of his life need to be kept separate but they keep overlapping.
The novel starts with Cross on vacation at Disneyland with his grandmother, Nana Momma, and his three kids Damon, Jannie and Little Alex. This peaceful time is interrupted by a call from his boss requesting Alex check out a murder in LA that has political interest.
Alex resents the intrusion but makes the trip into the city. As a result his personal life is once again put to the test when Christine, Little Alex's mother, takes the child back home with her and begins legal proceedings to limit Alex's time with the child.
The murder in LA is only one of a series of similar crimes. A killer, allegedly named Mary White, is targeting successful women who are also mothers. They are then killed, so the killer says in e-mails, because they do not take good care of their children.
The case hits home with Alex because of his own children and because he is so conflicted about how to do a good job for the FBI and at the same time be a good parent. This has been a constant struggle for him in the past and it reaches a critical point in this book.
Patterson writes in a style that embraces short episodes. This brevity of the chapters in the book seems to make the reading of it that much faster. Or maybe it is just that his writing is so good and expedient the reader can't wait for the next page to open and the next plot twist to unfold.
Patterson has several series of stories going on in the literary world. He is prolific and amazingly interesting in all of them. However the Alex Cross series is his masterwork. This is where his talent really shines and his popularity is at its highest. MARY, MARY is vintage Patterson and the best Alex Cross thriller yet.
MARY, MARY is published by Little, Brown and Company. It contains 392 pages and sells for $27.95.