Alex Cross is on vacation when he gets the call. A city in Nevada has been annihilated and the Russian super-criminal known as the Wolf is claiming responsibility.
Major cities around the globe, including London, Paris and New York, are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it - can anyone stop him in time Surveillance films of the blast reveal the presence of another of Alex Cross's most dangerous enemies: the Weasel. The thought of these two dark geniuses joining forces makes Alex's blood run cold.
In a matter of hours, Cross is catapulted into an international chase of astonishing danger. Arriving in London to join forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol, Alex fights his way through a torrent of false leads, impersonators and foreign agents before he gets close to the heart of the crimes. Then, in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf's identity - a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive.
Ah, the era when Patterson wrote all of his own books. This book is *so* many steps above the dreck he publishes now, yet still not the greatest. I think my problem with lies in the complexity of the evil plot. I didn’t really buy it in this context, perhaps because the book takes itself seriously. You could have this type of plot in an Ian Fleming or Clive Cussler novel, because it is delivered with a wink and a nod. Here, it’s meant as a "this could really happen" scenario. There’s just too many pieces and plots for everything to be controlled by one man (or woman). That being said, I was still entertained, and it was nice to visit with Alex Cross again. I may avoid most of Patterson’s newer books, but I expect I won’t be able to avoid finishing this series.
