Part of Alex Cross, book 11
First published 2006
Alex Cross is enjoying a family vacation at Disneyland when the FBI Director calls with an urgent case. A famous actress has been gunned down outside her Beverly Hills home. The Los Angeles Times receives an email detailing the murder with disturbing precision. The killer signs herself Mary Smith, and this actress is not her first victim. Cross discovers a pattern of celebrity murders, each followed by detailed accounts sent to the media. Hollywood's biggest stars now live in terror, wondering if they will be Mary's next target. The LAPD and FBI work frantically to decode Mary's selection process before she strikes again. Cross faces a case unlike any in his career. The killer could be an obsessed fan, a rejected actor seeking revenge, or something far more dangerous. As the investigation grows to match the scale of Hollywood itself, Cross must uncover Mary Smith's true identity and motive before she delivers another chilling message to the press.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, cat-and-mouse, race-against-time
Setting: Beverly Hills, Disneyland, Los Angeles
Period: Contemporary
413 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Warner Vision
Content warnings: murder, violence