Helpful Score: 4
WOW, WOW, WOW!! This is written in classic Patterson prose and his infamous short chapters. The first book of JP's I ever read was one that was totally different than anything else he has ever written ... The Jester ... I was hooked from page one and I then went in a frenzy and just HAD to have and read every book he has ever written. This book, is like that!!
Although is it a part of his Cross series ... it's not typical ... it takes place back in the early 1900's and it is told to you by Alex Cross telling it from Ben Corbett's first person journal account and it features Cross's relatives. It made me tear up a few times while reading it and it was really very graphic when describing some of the lynching scenes ... it's very sad for me to know that these things actually did happened in our country's past. For a white author writing about a very serious time in black history ... I think he did an awesome job relating it and letting you, the reader, feel it.
If you have never read JP before and you pick this one up ... you WILL be hooked. If you have read JP before ... you WILL NOT be disappointed!!
Although is it a part of his Cross series ... it's not typical ... it takes place back in the early 1900's and it is told to you by Alex Cross telling it from Ben Corbett's first person journal account and it features Cross's relatives. It made me tear up a few times while reading it and it was really very graphic when describing some of the lynching scenes ... it's very sad for me to know that these things actually did happened in our country's past. For a white author writing about a very serious time in black history ... I think he did an awesome job relating it and letting you, the reader, feel it.
If you have never read JP before and you pick this one up ... you WILL be hooked. If you have read JP before ... you WILL NOT be disappointed!!
Helpful Score: 3
As a huge fan of Alex Cross, I was eagerly anticipating his next case. However, I was sorely disappointed because the book's title is misleading. The story is not about Alex Cross but a story about one of his ancestors. The writing style and content was not what I have come to appreciate and expect in an Alex Cross story. A disappointing entry in an otherwise excellent series.
Helpful Score: 3
I had stopped reading James Patterson, not that his books aren't good, but because I felt like they were way too short and he could have developed his books a lot more. I accidentally ordered Alex Cross's Trial through my book club. I must admit even though this book is not about Alex Cross it is a very good book. The subject matter is disturbing and goes into detail on lynchings and the Klan in Mississippi before the turn of the turn of the 20th century.
Helpful Score: 3
For Patterson, I thought this was a very powerful novel delving into the racial injustices in the South during the early 20th century. Although the title of the book implies that this is an Alex Cross thriller, it is actually much more. It tells the story of Cross' great uncle, Abraham, and his cousin, Moody, in the town of Eudora, Mississippi. It is the story of lynchings, racial bigotry, hatred, and violence towards African Americans at that time, and paints a very ugly picture of man's inhumanity to man. The book is written in Patterson's fast short-chapter style and is a very quick read but the subject matter leaves you with something more to think about that his usual action thrillers. The trial sequences in the book were somewhat reminiscent of "To Kill a Mockingbird" but not quite in the same league. The book includes references to historical figures such as W.E.B. DuBois and Teddy Roosevelt but I'm not sure of the historical accuracies. If the South was anything like what is portrayed in this story, there is a lot to be ashamed of! Overall, a high recommendation for this one.
Helpful Score: 2
Excellent book. I read it in one day. My wife read it in one day. My father - in - law read it in one day. It is that type of book - you cannot put it down.
Helpful Score: 2
WOW, WOW, WOW!! This is written in classic Patterson prose and his infamous short chapters. The first book of JP's I ever read was one that was totally different than anything else he has ever written ... The Jester ... I was hooked from page one and I then went in a frenzy and just HAD to have and read every book he has ever written. This book, is like that!!
Although is it a part of his Cross series ... it's not typical ... it takes place back in the early 1900's and it is told to you by Alex Cross telling it from Ben Corbett's first person journal account and it features Cross's relatives. It made me tear up a few times while reading it and it was really very graphic when describing some of the lynching scenes ... it's very sad for me to know that these things actually did happened in our country's past. For a white author writing about a very serious time in black history ... I think he did an awesome job relating it and letting you, the reader, feel it.
If you have never read JP before and you pick this one up ... you WILL be hooked. If you have read JP before ... you WILL NOT be disappointed!!
Although is it a part of his Cross series ... it's not typical ... it takes place back in the early 1900's and it is told to you by Alex Cross telling it from Ben Corbett's first person journal account and it features Cross's relatives. It made me tear up a few times while reading it and it was really very graphic when describing some of the lynching scenes ... it's very sad for me to know that these things actually did happened in our country's past. For a white author writing about a very serious time in black history ... I think he did an awesome job relating it and letting you, the reader, feel it.
If you have never read JP before and you pick this one up ... you WILL be hooked. If you have read JP before ... you WILL NOT be disappointed!!
Helpful Score: 2
WOW, WOW, WOW!! This is written in classic Patterson prose and his infamous short chapters. The first book of JP's I ever read was one that was totally different than anything else he has ever written ... The Jester ... I was hooked from page one and I then went in a frenzy and just HAD to have and read every book he has ever written. This book, is like that!!
Although is it a part of his Cross series ... it's not typical ... it takes place back in the early 1900's and it is told to you by Alex Cross telling it from Ben Corbett's first person journal account and it features Cross's relatives. It made me tear up a few times while reading it and it was really very graphic when describing some of the lynching scenes ... it's very sad for me to know that these things actually did happened in our country's past. For a white author writing about a very serious time in black history ... I think he did an awesome job relating it and letting you, the reader, feel it.
If you have never read JP before and you pick this one up ... you WILL be hooked. If you have read JP before ... you WILL NOT be disappointed!!
Although is it a part of his Cross series ... it's not typical ... it takes place back in the early 1900's and it is told to you by Alex Cross telling it from Ben Corbett's first person journal account and it features Cross's relatives. It made me tear up a few times while reading it and it was really very graphic when describing some of the lynching scenes ... it's very sad for me to know that these things actually did happened in our country's past. For a white author writing about a very serious time in black history ... I think he did an awesome job relating it and letting you, the reader, feel it.
If you have never read JP before and you pick this one up ... you WILL be hooked. If you have read JP before ... you WILL NOT be disappointed!!
Helpful Score: 2
This was an awesome book about race relations in the South and how one man and his family were affected by his decision to go undercover with a relative of Alex's to show the world how things truly were and what it cost them. An excellent read.
Helpful Score: 1
I was very upset when I got into the book and found out it is not about Alex Cross. Although the book was good, it's title is very deceiving. The main character of this book is a white lawyer from a small southern town in Mississippi sent to his home town by President Roosevelt to investigate lynchings in the south. Some characters in the black part of town are relatives of Alex Cross. The book does give an interesting historical perspective of life in the south in the early 1900s.
Helpful Score: 1
The next installment of the Alex Cross series. Except this was a historical novel concerning an ancestor of Alex Cross. Set in Mississippi. Told in the 1st person of Ben Corbett. A lawyer in early 1900's, Ben travels back home to investigate rumors of Ku Klux Klan at the request of President Theodore Roosevelt. This is where he meets kin of Alex Cross. There are lynchings and murders and racism in his hometown. Ben tries to fight this but it is a hard fight especially when his father is the judge. Another fast paced book from Patterson. Looking forward to his next book which will actually be about Alex Cross.
I didn't know what to expect. It did have very graphic sections, but I could not put the book down.
Freaking lame that Patterson and the publisher conspired to foist off a race relations retrospective on their Alex Cross loving public by draping his name over a book that more had to do with Alex Cross than it does Mickey Mouse. If you know what you're getting into going in and choose to proceed, it is a good story. The hero pulls off some stuff that would put even Alex Cross to the test.
A very good book. Brings out the human nature of people, not willing to stand up against a bully. Such a good picture of the friendship that can bond the races. A look at what it was like in the era of lynchings.
LOVE Alex Cross!
Kind of artificial to me.
I could not get past the first chapter I am sorry, it was not his best work I may try again later but.............
I think the title is deceiving. You expect it to be part of the Alex Cross books but it is not. I found it quite boring. Not a mystery which you would expect from the title. Seems as though Patterson is willing to add his name to a book and grab the royalties that his name brings and this author decided to use his famous character's name.
Loved it. A different type of book for James Patterson. But he cannot write a bad book.
This is a great book finish it in three days, just when you think you know whats going to happen next you get surprise, so you stop trying to get ahead of the book, and sit back and just enjoy it.
It was an interesting book that detailed some history of the Black experience in our country, however, I was disappointed that Alex was not in this story.
I thought this was part of the Alex Cross books, as it turns out it's Alex Cross telling an old family story. This book tell a great story of oppression and racism the way the history books can not. I could not put this book down. A MUST READ!!
I enjoyed the book, but I would not call it the next "To Kill a Mockingbird".
I have read many of Alex Cross' stories and this was not in my list of favorites. This is a story narrated by Alex about his ancestors experiences. I would give it only 2 stars
I recently purchased this book via Bookins and should have paid more attention to the summary. The title is very misleading as Alex Cross does not appear in this novel. Ancestors of his from the 1900's do appear, as well as the main character Ben Corbett, who is investigating lynchings in Mississippi. If you are a fan of the Alex Cross character, then you may want to skip this one. If you are fan of James Patterson, then its definitely a good read. The details can be gruesome, but they are needed as they do detail factual events that did occur in the past.
Even though it was not what I expected....Alex Cross on trial, I did enjoy reading the book. If it makes you feel uncomfortable it is doing it's job. I found myself feeling so many emotions. Disgust and shame that one group of human beings could treat others so horribly and respect and pride for those that suffered and endured. You must be prepared to read the truth.
This book was alright, but I don't understand how it ties into the Alex Cross series. Other than being about his distant relative, it doesn't seem very relevant. I was expecting a prequel that would give us some insight as to how Alex came to be the way he is today, but that is not what this book is about. It is completely its own story line.
Angela C. (rolltide1al) -
Another great book by J Patterson, although this one in particularly isn't one of my favorites in the series..
This was different from Alex Cross's usual books. It was quite well done though.
Really good book!
It was not about Alex Cross himself but of his Uncle Abraham years ago. Awesome book! I could not put it down.
I was very disappointed in this book. I suppose because it is not his "usual" kind of book. I only read a few pages and then put it down. It was not for me.
Just fantastic.. Thought-provoking, moving, disturbing but yet so well written..
Sheralene C. (SheraleneC) - , reviewed Alex Cross's Trial (Alex Cross, Bk 15) on + 4 more book reviews
This is a page turner. Could not put it down.
The year is 1906, and America is segregated. Hatred and discrimination plague the streets, the classroom, and the courts. But in Washington D.C., Ben Corbett, a smart and courageous lawyer, makes it his mission to confront injustice at every turn. He represents those who nobody else dares defend, merely because of the color of their skin. When President Roosevelt, under whom Ben served in the Spanish-American war, asks Ben to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in his home town in Mississippi, he cannot refuse.
The details of Ben's harrowing story--and his experiences with a remarkable man named Abraham Cross--were passed from generation to generation, until they were finally recounted to Alex Cross by his grandmother, Nana Mama. From the first time hear heard the story, Alex was unable to forget the unimaginable events Ben witnessed in Eudora and pledged to tell it to the world. Alex Cross's Trial is unlike any story Patterson has ever told...
The details of Ben's harrowing story--and his experiences with a remarkable man named Abraham Cross--were passed from generation to generation, until they were finally recounted to Alex Cross by his grandmother, Nana Mama. From the first time hear heard the story, Alex was unable to forget the unimaginable events Ben witnessed in Eudora and pledged to tell it to the world. Alex Cross's Trial is unlike any story Patterson has ever told...
From what I've read about this time period, this is a true and accurate depiction of this time in Southern Mississippi. It's a brutal characterization of humankind and prejudice against our fellowman. A good read, but sad.
This was a compelling book that I could NOT PUT DOWN!!! It leaves one deeply disturbed by the travesty inflicted in the aftermath of freedom. This is a story of fear and of survival in the face of insurmountable odds and the courage of one man to risk his life to change the course of a town full of hate and fear.
This is a book written by two men (Richard Dilallo & James Patterson)about a man (Alex Cross) writing a book about his great uncle Abraham. zzzzzzz
Great book and an easy read. Not a book that was easy to put down.
Great reading. A well told story....You'll love it. Jerry
Disturbing story line but the truth usually is. Different kind of book for James Patterson. I read it quickly but can't put my finger on why something was just missing from the story.
This was a wonderful book to read. It has a more historical plot to it and takes place in the early 1900s is Mississippi where lynchings and lawlessness still prevailed. It does have many disturbing scenes to it, but it is a very enlightening book that packs a lot of punch. It is a departure from his usual writing, but it was a refreshing departure. It is not his usual story line, but the chapters stayed tight and short, making you want to keep on reading.
Good read, yes! The story describes the experiences of the lawyer about whom the book was written. Did the President really ask him to explore racism in his home town or is this fiction? Whether or not that is true the story is told in a succinct and reasonable fashion. Many of the stories about racism in our country are true.
This is the tale of a family member, a great uncle, about whom Patterson supposedly heard time and again from his mother. Since Patterson did not comment on how the book came about and why he decided to write it we can only take his publisher's word on that aspect which could be a marketing ploy. I find author comments lend validity for me about the author's work and enjoy stories they write so much more. Keeping these thoughts in mind I do recommend the read. It is good and well written although a bit savage in spots.
This is the tale of a family member, a great uncle, about whom Patterson supposedly heard time and again from his mother. Since Patterson did not comment on how the book came about and why he decided to write it we can only take his publisher's word on that aspect which could be a marketing ploy. I find author comments lend validity for me about the author's work and enjoy stories they write so much more. Keeping these thoughts in mind I do recommend the read. It is good and well written although a bit savage in spots.
Very good read. Really enjoyed the story.
