Wohoo! Alex Cross is back with a bang! And I loved it!! 
 When Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration with a bad news, you know it is a BAD News. His niece has been murdered and her remains dumped. By hitting so close to home, the miscreant has now become a target of Alex's personal vendetta. But this is no work of a small time criminal. So, welcome to the world of sex, politics and rule breaking. As expected, it turns out that his niece wasn't the only victim. There had already been a number of murders that can be connected to the same person. The tension and drama of the murder and the scandal was interwoven with some family drama as well. Alex's Nana is taken ill and Briana steps in to smooth over things for Alex. 
 First and foremost, I really loved the way Patterson has built up the antagonist's character. He is rich and powerful and will do anything from being discovered. It was intriguing to see exactly how far the character would go. I also particularly enjoyed the political involvement in the novel. Also, for those who have been following Alex Cross closely and have felt that the 'X' factor was missing the last few book, for them this book is a good news. Alex Cross is back in his true form. He is sharper than ever and is back to doing things in his own way. 
 Some aspects of this novel remain true to rest of the series; the chapters are short and there's some graphic content. Fast paced action and a lot of red herrings. The ending is surprising and 'most promising'. You should take hint here and not only pick up this book but probably also the following one as I will be sure to get my hands on 'Cross Fire' soon.