Alex Cross's Trial

by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo

Book Overview

Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's Trial is a #1 New York Times bestseller of murder, love, and above all, bravery.

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.As a lawyer in...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316070629
• ISBN13: 9780316070621
• Release Date: August 2009
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A must read.

Alex Cross's Trial Is a must read. It is really great.

My husband loves Alex cross

I had to reorder Alex cross trial. Pages were torn and detached from book.

Great read.

Some people may not have an open mind, therefore they are under rating this book due to subject matter as oppose to a well written book. Maybe we should educate ourselves to learn how life really was. I thought I was buying a book about Alex Cross. I was surprised but couldn't put it down. Thank you James Patterson for enlightening us!

Alex Cross's Trial

Excellent.Different from his other Alex Cross Books because it takes place in Mississippi during the time early 20th century when lynchings were commonplace.It's a lesson in Cross family history.

Still trying to recover from the brutality of this one...

This is my first James Patterson novel and... ummmmm... good lord! I didn't read this book because of the legendary Alex Cross or the best-selling James Patterson. I read it because the synopsis inside the dust jacket made it impossible NOT to read. I knew it wasn't going to be a nice read because of the subject matter but I didn't know it was going to be so "emotionally graphic". Anytime you write about lynching, murder, segregation, Southern Whites attitudes vs. Southern Black attitudes, rape, and describe it in unflinching graphic detail; it's bound to illicit some really strong emotion. This book does it. And it doesn't bat an eye nor does it apologize for doing so. Ben, the unfortunate pawn, has been appointed by Roosevelt to investigate the lynching going on in Eudora, Mississippi. He's from there, grew up there, he's moderately successful, his dad is a respected judge, and more importantly... he's white. What could go wrong, right? Well, if you're above the age of five you already know the answer to that. Ben comes across some of the most horrifying, brutal, meaningless, yet extremely public lynching he has ever seen. Patterson does not hold back on the descriptions either. Physically flinching while reading this book should be expected. If you don't, go see a doctor. Scratch that, go see a priest. This book is not for the meek. It's not for the PC crowd. It's not for those who want a light story to read before bedtime. It's not for those who think justice is blind. `Trial' tells a bloody story about a barbaric way of thinking from people that would sell you a .10 cent Coke at 3 PM, throw on a Klan hood at 8 PM, and have two murders under their belt by 11 PM. `Trial' also takes us from the murderous raid on the Black part of town, to the trial of three white men accused of that raid, to the reading of the verdict, and to the actions after the verdict. There is just so MUCH to this book. I loved the feisty nature of Moody. I loved the slight sexual tension between Ben and Elizabeth. I loved reading how ordinary people could say "I love Jesus" in one breath and then let the "n" word like water off their tongue the next. (I will NEVER understand the logic with that one). I WAS a little miffed at Judge Corbett and what a complete charlatan this fool was. I laughed when W.E.B. Du Bois took a dig a Black leader (that was funny). I said "yep" as I read about Moody. Along with everything I've said here, there are more than enough twists and turns that drag you from page to page to page. When I told my friends that this is my first book by Patterson they seemed shocked. Not sure why since reading has no time frame but... I'm glad I "ran across" Patterson and I'm glad this one was my first.

Racism fuels the fires of the deep south in 1906.

It is hard to find authors as popular as James Patterson, and his Alex Cross books are at the epicenter. Let's remove the Patterson name for a moment and take an in-depth look at this newest novel. In 1906, race relations are being threatened; The war has just ended; Equality is still a foreign concept -- especially in the south. Theodore Roosevelt (the President of the USA) has placed an urgent call to Ben Corbett - a prestigious lawyer - summoning him to The White House. The President instructs Corbett to seek the aid of Abraham Cross in his home town of Mississippi, and together, investigate the outbreak of burning and lynching of minorities. When he does arrive, it doesn't take him long to find Cross whom is being escorted by a beautiful young woman, Moody. Moody is Cross' grand daughter and together they show Corbett the true extent of the hate-filled assaults in a once peaceful town. While it does take Ben Corbett a while to accept the truth, he does finally come to realize just how dire the situation is. I'll stop there so I don't spoil the story for anyone whom has yet to read this brilliant novel. There are so many twists-and turns (the biggest being Abraham Cross - the grandfather of Alex) The racial overtones are done incredibly well, and while it is graphic at times, they do serve a greater purpose and keep the novel on track. Now let's put the Patterson name back, and this good novel becomes great. Patterson is the master of suspense, intrigue, and lifellike characters that change and evolve the story to a level that only a very few authors can replicate. Do I really need to mention this? I mean seriously, if you don't know how good Patterson is...then that cave you live in must be nice and cozy. I'm joking. This latest novel to grace the Patterson name is an exciting thrill ride, that moves along at breakneck speeds and gives the reader a reason to place Patterson back on top of the genre. Well done. Well done, indeed.