Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (Alex Cross 19)

On the night before Christmas, Detective Alex Cross is at home celebrating with his family. But when Alex’s phone rings, he knows that this won’t be a merry Christmas.

A father has taken his children and ex-wife hostage. Armed to the teeth and high on crystal meth, Henry Fowler is dangerously unstable. The lives of everyone in that house are hanging by a thread.

As this suburban nightmare is unfolding, another far greater threat is approaching. It will be a terrorist attack like Washington DC has never seen, and when nobody expects it.

"Fast-paced and tightly plotted, this is a dramatic thriller that shows why the books in this series sell by the truckload" (Sunday Mirror)

Detective Alex Cross is ripped away from his family on Christmas Eve – and that’s nothing compared to what awaits him on Christmas Day

It’s a snowy Christmas Eve, and Detective Alex Cross is at home celebrating with his family. Nana Mama’s famous pecan pie is in the oven and the kids are hanging their favourite ornaments on the tree. Just as Alex’s wife Bree emerges from the kitchen with a bowl of homemade eggnog, his phone rings with news that shatters the night: at a nearby home, a family has been taken hostage - and the situation is spiralling out of control fast.

Alex rushes to the scene and confronts the unthinkable: a father is threatening to murder his own children and his ex-wife. Then just as the insanity peaks, a second horrific situation explodes - one that no one could have foreseen and that puts millions of people at risk. This is a red alert of the darkest kind, and Alex is forced to make a decision that could end as many lives as it saves - including his own.

A CHRISTMAS YOU WILL NEVER FORGET

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross is James Patterson’s most shocking Alex Cross novel yet: a breakneck-paced and heart-pounding adrenaline rush of a thriller. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

'One of the most chilling murder scenes I've read in a long time... High-octane stuff' Daily Express

'Sharp, sassy and guaranteed to send shivers down your spine' Woman

'You're just completely engrossed in it from start to finish. Absolutely incredible... The story is unrelentingly exciting' BBC Radio 5 Live

JAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. His books have sold in excess of 300 million copies worldwide and he has been the most borrowed author in UK libraries for the past eight years in a row. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers.

James is passionate about encouraging children to read. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes a range of books for young readers including the Middle School, I Funny, Treasure Hunters, House of Robots, Confessions, and Maximum Ride series. James is the proud sponsor of the World Book Day Award and has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops. He lives in Florida with his wife and son.