REVIEW: Jack & Jill

Jack & Jill
Author: James Patterson

A murderous duo calling themselves Jack and Jill are killing important people in Washington, D.C. Detective Alex Cross is put on the case when they threaten the President. But he would rather stay on a more personal case....children are being killed at the school Cross' young son attends. Deaths continue as Cross investigates both cases. Is anyone in Washington safe?

This book is definitely filled with action and twisted suspense. Originally published in 1996, the book is a bit dated in places. But, the story is still very much enjoyable. I found the plot in this 3rd book of the Alex Cross series to be just as action-packed and exciting as the first two books.

I'm enjoying this series. I started reading just this year because the series is listed as part of The Great American Read. I'm not sure why I had never read a book by James Patterson before this year. I guess it was a case of so many books...only so much time. I'm glad I finally gave the Alex Cross series a try....it's really quite good. It will take me awhile to catch up, as the series has 25 books and Jack & Jill is only #3. Book 26, Target, is scheduled to come out in November 2018. I have lots of reading/listening to do!

I listened to the audio version of this book. Narrated by Ron Butler and Maxwell Hamilton, the audio is just over 12 hours long. Both narrators read at a nice pace. I liked the fact that the narrators change when the point of view changes. Even with my hearing loss, I was still able to hear and understand the entire book.

I have book 4, Cat and Mouse, on hold at the library. I'm definitely continuing with this series. I like Alex Cross as a main character. He is gritty, intelligent and hard-hitting. I like all the side characters, especially Nana Mama and Sampson. I do see a tendency in this series towards killing or victimizing any woman that Alex looks at as a possible love interest. It's happened in every book so far....and seems repetitive and unrealistic. But, this is only book 3.....   If I get further in this series and this is still a major repeating plot point, it might make me stop reading. I'm suspending judgement until I get further into the series.

I can see why this series is part of the list of 100 books for The Great American Read. This bestselling series has wowed readers for 25 years now. The Great American Read honors 100 books that got the American public reading and talking about books. From classics to contemporary fiction, the list is varied. Check out the list here: https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/books/#/  In my quest to read all 100 books/series, I am currently at 16. (I'm counting series listed as one, even if I read multiple books). Lots more reading to go! I love this concept -- I hope they do something similar again!

Here is a link to the main website for The Great American Read: https://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/