Alex Cross (novel Series) - Plot Overview

Plot Overview

Alex Cross is a widow/detective/father who often fights off against the most threatening and best villains—and criminals—who wish to kill Cross. Most villains kidnap, kill, or worse in the series. It faces Cross trying to solve the most difficult and hardcore cases ever seen while attempting to fix his relationship with his family and solve the case to save his city, Washington. Through the course of books, he is constantly faced by Kyle Craig the "Mastermind" who is out to kill Cross. In most recent books, Alex sometimes works—or goes against—with the President/Secret Service in a few books such as Along Came a Spider, Jack & Jill, I, Alex Cross, and Kill Alex Cross. In the first few novels his motive for solving the crimes/cases is usually his deceased wife, Maria, eventually becoming more than that. He later reveals another reason for trying to solve the cases, so he can protect his family from danger. Cross currently lives in Southeast street in Washington along with grandmother, Nana Mama, children, Damon, Janelle and Alex Jr., and his current—and new—wife, Brianna Stone-Cross.

At the age of 9, Alex's father dies of alcohol, a year after his mother dies. He goes to Washington, D.C., to live with his grandmother—Nana Mama. During his childhood, he meets his later bestfriend John Sampson. He meets his wife, Maria, and marries her. After giving birth to two children, a few months or years later, she is murdered. Alex later meets a woman named Christine, who becomes pregnant, giving brith to an additional third child for Alex—Alex Jr. She later leaves him. Alex Cross is nicknamed Dragonslayer and Peanutbutter Man. He is a detective and psychologist. His most deadliest foes are Geoffrey Shafer, Gary Soneji, and Kyle Craig, all three have been killed through the course and events of the book series.

In Cross, Alex discovers who really killed his wife, and will do anything to take down her murderers. He learns he was chasing a false killer, and the real killer is Jimmy Hats, whom Sampson killed earlier. At the end of the novel, Alex comes to terms with Maria's death and moves on with his life. Double Cross sees Alex as he falls in love again—with detective Bree Stone; he must also assist her in the case of DCAK, a murderer, known as DC Audience Killer.

In I, Alex Cross he decides to find and solve the murder case in which his deceased niece, Caroline Cross, was involved in due to her being a victim. He later learns who the murderer is—the president's husband—but the murderer is later killed by an agent from the Secret Service. Also in the book, Alex proposes to Bree and she accepts, becoming his finacee. By Cross Fire, Alex and Bree get married and face off against Kyle Craig, who dies at the end. With Kyle dead, Alex, Bree, and his family experience a sense of peace, something they haven't felt for a long time. In Kill Alex Cross, after Nana Mama finds a girl trying to steal from their house, she and Bree agree to adopt the girl towards the end of the book; he also goes on the case to rescue the new president's children. In Merry Christmas, Alex Cross, Alex risks everything to solve a case, stop possible murders, help a church, and must use every skill he knows of to help him solve the case and may not make it to Christmas dinner alive. Alex misses Christmas which upsets him and his wife, Bree. In Alex Cross, Run renowned plastic surgeon, Elijha Creem, is arrested and wants revenge on Alex. Alex eventually defeats Creem. However, another antagonist of the novel kills Ava. Alex, in retaliation, with Sampson and Bree find the killer and arrest him. At the end of the novel, several issues are left unresolved, such as Alex's lifetime problem: endangering his family's life as well as his own. He ponders whether he shall stay with the Metro Police. His therapist assures him he will eventually outgrow the issue, or solve it somehow. There is also some unresolved issues between Alex and Bree as well.