Cross by James Patterson

Cross

(also Published As Alex Cross)

James Patterson

Little, Brown and Company · Print & ebook · January 20, 2026

From the world's #1 bestselling author: Alex Cross faces the deadliest psychopath of them all—his wife’s killer.

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Who it’s for
A familiar stop for anyone following Patterson’s long-running Cross books.
Genres
Police Procedurals, Psychological Thrillers, Crime Fiction
Published
Little, Brown and Company, January 20, 2026

About this book

From the world's #1 bestselling author: Alex Cross faces the deadliest psychopath of them all—his wife’s killer. Stream Season 2 of the #1-rated Cross in February 2026! Alex Cross was a rising star homicide detective in Washington, DC’s Metro PD when a shooter gunned down his pregnant wife, Maria.

Continue reading

In the years since, Alex has built a career as a forensic psychologist, first at the FBI and then in private practice, all the while nursing his vengeance against the unknown killer who made him a widower and a single father. Then John Sampson, Alex’s best friend and former PD partner, comes to him with a potential break in the cold case. Was Maria’s murder connected to contract killer Michael Sullivan, aka “The Butcher of Sligo”—or possibly one of his mafia henchmen? The clues the detectives piece together lead the investigation far from the nation’s capital. But there is no boundary Alex won’t cross to get justice for his beloved late wife. “Cross may be the ultimate in lunatic deadliness…Cross juggles being a single parent and being involved in the dangerous game of tracking serial killers.” –Publishers Weekly

Cross Files

A familiar stop for anyone following Patterson’s long-running Cross books.

Come here for

  • Alex Cross continuity
  • Fast crime-thriller pacing

Expect

  • Police-procedural rhythms
  • Action-forward, case-driven momentum

Where it sits

Police Procedurals38%
Psychological Thrillers36%
Crime Fiction34%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Media Tie-In
  • Police Procedurals
  • Suspense
  • Crime Fiction
Show all 5 publisher categories
  • Psychological Thrillers
Authors
James Patterson
Publisher
Little, Brown and Company
Published
January 20, 2026
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Media Tie-In