What’s it about?
Kill Alex Cross is the latest action-packed thriller from prolific author James Patterson. Detective Alex Cross races against an invisible clock to save the President’s abducted children and prevent Saudi terrorists from poisoning Washington D.C.’s public water system. A full cast of contrasting characters moves the story along as members of the terrorist group known as ‘The Family’ are chased around the city by Detective Cross and members of every possible law enforcement agency in the country. The nation is in turmoil and only Cross and his mixed band of associates stand between normalcy and a leap into national chaos.
There is no lack of drama in this absolute whirlwind of a tale. The story switches from the tampering terrorist’s perspective to the federal agents following up sources to the calm cold dictation of the first family’s abductor. Patterson is a storyteller pure and simple. His clean writing style lends itself well to the audiobook medium.
Is the narrator any good?
The role of the narrator is shared between Andre Braugher and Zach Grenier. A little coarse at first hearing, listeners quickly fall into step with the masculine edginess of the dual narration. Two narrators are not for everyone but the long list of characters in Kill Alex Cross makes two voices appropriate. Both Braugher and Grenier are obviously experienced in changing the tone and pitch of their voices depending on the age and gender of the character. Gender changes are smooth and believable enough not to interfere with the fluidity of the tale.
Forget falling asleep to Kill Alex Cross. A considerable number of sound effects punctuate the storyline. The wailing police sirens and chapter change signals are unnecessary and a little messy. Because of the additional audio effects, you may want to bring the volume down a notch or two. That’s no reflection on the story of course. The plot and pace coupled with the clipped gruff tones of the narrators are enough to keep you vigilant. Details come thick and fast and alert listening is a must to keep up with the tale.
The verdict?
Kill Alex Cross audiobook is an unabridged recording of just under seven hours and fun to listen to in one sitting. If your schedule dictates breaks in the listening you can bet you’ll be pressing “play” as soon as able to find out what happens next. Patterson fans are not going to be disappointed with this latest in the well established Alex Cross series. Patterson’s imagination does its usual job of creating incredible flights of fancy just possible enough to keep you interested and carry you along for the length of this audiobook adventure.
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