It is a bright, sunny, hot, humid day in North Texas

So, I stayed inside and listed to I, Alex Cross by James Patterson. This was a cd audio from Hachette via Ms. Jen of Jens Book Talk. Lucky me, I won it! If you like reading reviews of books (audio or hard copy), you really should visit Jen's site. She is an awesome reviewer! (But apparently not active on that sites, As soon as I relocate her, I will update this post!)

OK, OK, OK.! I know I was not thrilled with the the last of James Patterson's book I reviewed but, well, I loved the character of Alex Cross (played by the most wonderful Mr. Morgan Freeman) in Kiss the Girls. Also, so many of my trusted reviews really, really liked it!

Audible.com has the abridged and unabridged versions (I checked). This (or I would not have entered) is an unabridged copy (thank you very much). There are are 2 narrators for the unabridged version, Tim Cain, and Michael Cerveris. Both are good but at times I missed the switches as the voices are somewhat similar. This did not distract from the story at all, though I do wonder what it does to the reader. 

The publisher summarized the book this way:

Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.

The hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain--they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.

As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable--a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.

If you haven't read or listened all the books (I hadn't), you won't be familiar with the back story characters but that's alright because by the end of the story, you will be better informed...well, except for the kids but they didn't bother me.  What did bother be is the cliff hanger for the next book in the series. Couldn't it have just end with the kiss or something without the lead for the next book. I know, it is my own pet peeve but if a writer has a good character, readers will want to read another book but not necessarily in the order written (in my opinion).

My only other problem with the book is the villain, I was surprised. Mainly because I didn't hear any clues to the identity. (I don't think I lost consciousness.) 

If you like series books and/or you like the Alex Cross character, go for it! You'll have a lot of fun and probably feel it is above average (but you will probably want to start at the beginning). If you are like me, you will just give a "good" rating. That a good thing if you want to stay in where it's cool or a nice rainy day as you into and out of someone else's life.