Cross the Line

by Jack Patterson

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Cross the Line by Jack Patterson is a fairly decent and enjoyable thriller, set in the world of the NFL. It is the author's second Cal Murphy thriller, but I didn't have to read the first one to understand this one. Having said that, though, I think I would like to read the earlier one now as well.

The book starts at the beginning of Super Bowl week and centres around a kidnapping involving a family member of the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, who are due to play against the Miami Dolphins in the NFL Championship game. If he doesn't lose the game he is told that he will never see his loved one again.

The book takes us through the world of Mexican drug cartels and shows the lengths that people will go because of their greed for wealth and power. Cal Murphy, the main character in the book, is a reporter who gets caught up in what is going on, because of his relationship with the Seahawks' quarterback. Without getting too much into the plot, he gets in way deeper than he should have or would have liked to have.

There are some great characters in this book, some are likable, whereas some are mean and nasty, as you would expect from someone involved in the business of a drug cartel. The plot moves well and at no time did I feel bored of what was going on. In fact near the end I had to stay up late and finish it, because I didn't want to go to bed before knowing how it all turned out.

Another good thing about the book is that the end didn't turn out as predictable as I thought it would. There were some twists and turns, as well as a big surprise, which kept me intrigued right to the end.

This is a great read. You don't have to be a football fan to enjoy it, but that added to the enjoyment I had of this book. I think that there could be few more Cal Murphy books, which is not a bad thing. I'm intrigued to see where his life goes next, and there is also a relationship developing that could be interesting.

This book is a fairly short, but enjoyable read. If you are a football fan, the next time your favourite player has a bad game, cut him some slack. You never know what pressures he may be facing, but hopefully not the kind that the character in this book was placed under. I'd recommend this book for any fan of detective thrillers, whether or not you like football or not. The football part is a bonus and added another dimension to my enjoyment of it.

(Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.)