Part of Alex Cross, book 3
First published 2003
Detective Alex Cross faces two brutal murder cases that may be connected. A controversial Senator turns up dead in his Georgetown apartment with only a cryptic rhyme signed "Jack and Jill" as evidence. The note warns this killing marks just the start of their campaign against the wealthy and powerful. Blocks from Cross's home, a young girl is beaten to death and left at the elementary school his son Damon attends. Cross must determine if these crimes link together as the killers strike repeatedly across Washington. No one remains safe from their violence, not children, not politicians, not even the President. The detective races against time to decode their plan before more victims fall. Cross alone possesses the expertise to solve these cases, but the killers stay one step ahead. He must uncover their identities and motives while protecting his own family from the escalating threat that has consumed the capital.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: cat-and-mouse, race-against-time
Setting: Georgetown, Washington DC
Period: 21st-century
466 pages · Paperback · Little, Brown and Company
Content warnings: murder, violence