We’d recommend starting with Along Came a Spider. Not only is it the first Alex Cross novel, it’s also one of the very best. Published in 1992, it introduces readers to forensic psychologist Alex Cross as he investigates one of the most chilling crimes of his career. You’ll get to meet Alex, his family and his partner, John Sampson, right from the beginning.
Alex Cross
by24 books in this series
Cross My Heart
Alex Cross is being hunted.
Now his predator is priming himself for the kill.
Detective Alex Cross is investigating a string of violent murders in Washington, DC with his partner, Detective John Sampson.
Little does Cross know he is being stalked by his biggest foe yet, an elusive psychopath fixated on Cross and the thing he loves most: his family.
One by one, everyone is being taken from Alex and if he doesn't act fast, he'll lose everything...
'Alex Cross is a legend.' HARLAN COBEN
Now his predator is priming himself for the kill.
Detective Alex Cross is investigating a string of violent murders in Washington, DC with his partner, Detective John Sampson.
Little does Cross know he is being stalked by his biggest foe yet, an elusive psychopath fixated on Cross and the thing he loves most: his family.
One by one, everyone is being taken from Alex and if he doesn't act fast, he'll lose everything...
'Alex Cross is a legend.' HARLAN COBEN
Alex Cross, Run
Detective Alex Cross has three killers to hunt, and one to escape . . .
Pulled in every direction by three different investigations, Alex Cross has never been under more pressure.
And with a crisis at home that threatens to tear his family apart, Cross's attention is divided.
While Cross tracks the killers, he doesn't notice that someone is tracking him.
Pulled in every direction by three different investigations, Alex Cross has never been under more pressure.
And with a crisis at home that threatens to tear his family apart, Cross's attention is divided.
While Cross tracks the killers, he doesn't notice that someone is tracking him.
Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
On the night before Christmas, Detective Alex Cross is at home celebrating with his family. But when Cross's phone rings, he knows that this won't be a merry Christmas.
A father has taken his children and ex-wife hostage. Armed to the teeth and high on crystal meth, the man is dangerously unstable. The lives of everyone in that house are hanging by a thread.
As this suburban nightmare is unfolding, another far greater threat is approaching. It will be a terrorist attack on a scale never before seen in Washington, DC, and when nobody expects it.
A father has taken his children and ex-wife hostage. Armed to the teeth and high on crystal meth, the man is dangerously unstable. The lives of everyone in that house are hanging by a thread.
As this suburban nightmare is unfolding, another far greater threat is approaching. It will be a terrorist attack on a scale never before seen in Washington, DC, and when nobody expects it.
Kill Alex Cross
The President's children have been kidnapped.
Detective Alex Cross is investigating the shocking crime, but someone powerful is trying to keep him off the case.
Just days later, a deadly contagion in the DC water supply threatens to cripple the capital, and Cross fears that the stakes are much higher than he first thought - America is under attack.
If Cross stands a chance of finding the missing children and preventing an event that could change the fate of the nation, he must make a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes in.
Detective Alex Cross is investigating the shocking crime, but someone powerful is trying to keep him off the case.
Just days later, a deadly contagion in the DC water supply threatens to cripple the capital, and Cross fears that the stakes are much higher than he first thought - America is under attack.
If Cross stands a chance of finding the missing children and preventing an event that could change the fate of the nation, he must make a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes in.
Cross Fire
A sniper has Washington's corrupt elite in their sights.
When two of the most corrupt people in politics are assassinated by a skilled sniper, Detective Alex Cross is called to action.
As more crooked politicians are picked off, the media frenzy intensifies. Public opinion is divided - is this anonymous marksman a villain or a hero?
As Cross investigates the case, he receives a call from his deadliest adversary and his worst fears come true.
The Mastermind is in DC, and this time he won't stop until Cross and his family are dead . . .
When two of the most corrupt people in politics are assassinated by a skilled sniper, Detective Alex Cross is called to action.
As more crooked politicians are picked off, the media frenzy intensifies. Public opinion is divided - is this anonymous marksman a villain or a hero?
As Cross investigates the case, he receives a call from his deadliest adversary and his worst fears come true.
The Mastermind is in DC, and this time he won't stop until Cross and his family are dead . . .
I, Alex Cross
They came for his family. Now Detective Alex Cross is out for vengeance.
Cross is met with shocking news that his niece has been brutally murdered. He vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that his niece was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in.
Cross finds himself confronting some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain - they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.
As Cross closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable - a revelation that could rock the entire world.
Cross is met with shocking news that his niece has been brutally murdered. He vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that his niece was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in.
Cross finds himself confronting some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain - they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.
As Cross closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable - a revelation that could rock the entire world.
Alex Cross's Trial
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'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades. The Alex Cross series proves it.' LEE CHILD, international bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series
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The fifteenth novel in the bestselling Alex Cross series
Detective Alex Cross delves deep into the past - to a story passed down through his family, of a courageous fight for freedom...
Alex Cross is one of the nation's foremost detectives. But fighting for justice runs in the family, and it's time for Cross to tell the story that was passed down to him from his grandmother - the story of his great-uncle Abraham.
Ben Corbett is lawyer to the underprivileged and downtrodden in 1900s Washington, DC. Out of the blue, President Theodore Roosevelt invites Ben to the White House, asking him to investigate a resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in Ben's own home town.
Ben returns to Mississippi, and there he meets Abraham Cross and his granddaughter, Moody. Abraham and Moody reveal to Ben the hidden side of this sleepy Southern town, where the Black community lives in constant fear.
In a battle against entrenched hatred, what sacrifices will need to be made to break this reign of terror?
'No one gets this big without amazing natural storytelling talent - which is what Jim has, in spades. The Alex Cross series proves it.' LEE CHILD, international bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series
_____
The fifteenth novel in the bestselling Alex Cross series
Detective Alex Cross delves deep into the past - to a story passed down through his family, of a courageous fight for freedom...
Alex Cross is one of the nation's foremost detectives. But fighting for justice runs in the family, and it's time for Cross to tell the story that was passed down to him from his grandmother - the story of his great-uncle Abraham.
Ben Corbett is lawyer to the underprivileged and downtrodden in 1900s Washington, DC. Out of the blue, President Theodore Roosevelt invites Ben to the White House, asking him to investigate a resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in Ben's own home town.
Ben returns to Mississippi, and there he meets Abraham Cross and his granddaughter, Moody. Abraham and Moody reveal to Ben the hidden side of this sleepy Southern town, where the Black community lives in constant fear.
In a battle against entrenched hatred, what sacrifices will need to be made to break this reign of terror?
Cross Country
A killer's trail leads Detective Alex Cross to Africa - and a whole new world of danger . . .
Detective Alex Cross is called to a murder scene in Washington DC and is devastated to discover an old friend amongst the victims.
His pursuit of justice leads him to the Niger Delta, right into the den of the psychopathic perpetrator: the Tiger.
As Alex travels deeper into this dangerous world of corruption and conspiracy, his own survival is on the line . . .
Detective Alex Cross is called to a murder scene in Washington DC and is devastated to discover an old friend amongst the victims.
His pursuit of justice leads him to the Niger Delta, right into the den of the psychopathic perpetrator: the Tiger.
As Alex travels deeper into this dangerous world of corruption and conspiracy, his own survival is on the line . . .
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Alex Cross book to start with?
Can you read James Patterson out of order?
Most Alex Cross novels focus on a self-contained investigation, meaning you can pick up a later book and still enjoy the mystery without needing to know each of the characters.
However, reading the series in publication order allows you to experience the incredible character developments as James Patterson intended and helps avoid spoilers for major events in earlier books.
With more than thirty books in the series, it can feel like a big commitment. But if you’re planning to dive into the world of Alex Cross, starting at the beginning is definitely the most rewarding way to do it.
Is the Alex Cross series finished?
Absolutely not! New books in the Alex Cross series are still being published more than thirty years after Along Came a Spider was first published. In fact, the latest Alex Cross novel here in the UK is Return of the Spider, published in 2025, while The Family Cross is scheduled for publication in 2026.
With Patterson continuing to release new instalments on a regular basis, there is currently no indication that the series is coming to an end.
Does the Alex Cross TV series follow the books?
Amazon Prime’s TV show doesn’t adapt any specific Alex Cross novel. Instead, the creators chose to tell original stories using the world and characters Patterson created. In fact, the show’s writers have spoken openly about creating brand-new mysteries rather than recreating plots readers already know.
So if you’ve read every Alex Cross book, you’ll still find plenty of surprises waiting for you when you watch Cross.