Cross and Sampson: An Alex Cross and John Sampson Thriller
4.6 | 4,242 ratings
Price: 14.99
Last update: 03-02-2026
Product details
- ASIN : B0FLX2QDY4
- Publisher : Little, Brown and Company
- Accessibility :
- Publication date : February 9, 2026
- Language : English
- File size : 2.2 MB
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 362 pages
- ISBN-13 : 978-0316599863
- Page Flip : Enabled
- Book 35 of 35 : Alex Cross
- Best Sellers Rank:#60 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
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- Customer Reviews:4.64.6 out of 5 stars(256)
Top reviews from the United States
- Angie BoyterTwo gripping thrillers in one book!Washington Metro police detective John Sampson is faced with a serious challenge. A series of bombings in public areas in DC has left a lot of clearly innocent people dead. The locations seem unrelated, and the explosive techniques used are the only apparent connection. Sampson’s desired partner Alex Cross is not available to work with Sampson, though, because his son has gone missing from college in Chapel Hill, NC., and Alex naturally feels compelled to go there to investigate.
From the writeup on Cross and Sampson and my past experience with books by James Patterson, I knew I was in for a lot of action and accompanying violence in this book, but the opening paragraph also gave me the expectation that I would see plenty of good writing and light moments. All of these expectations were fulfilled.
The writing is very well done. The plot(s) move along smoothly, and there are a number of surprises as befits a book of this genre. I also learned about things like taggant explosives, which I had never heard of. There were only two disappointments. The first was simply annoying and totally avoidable, and that was the fact that too many characters had names starting with a “P”. This was unnecessary and made it harder to follow some of the interactions. The second was that the chapters switched back and forth between Cross’s case and Sampson’s. These cases had no connection, and the two protagonists did not work together, despite the title. For the readers’ benefit, they should have been separate books or at least separate works within the same volume. This was the main reason I rated the book a 4 rather than a 5, but I will still be recommending it to friends.
Back to the good writing, there is a lot of violence and death in this book, but there are resolutions as satisfactory as could be, given how many lives were lost. As a nice bonus, the ending left me with a big smile on my face.
I have read many books by James Patterson but none in this series. I did not feel at a disadvantage, though, and certainly plan to read more.
I received an advance review copy of Cross and Sampson from NetGalley and Penguin Books. - jwitt33Absolutely loved it!James Patterson is one of my favorite authors because his writing flows so easily, his books are very quick, enjoyable reads for me. I love his Alex Cross books because the character is so relatable, someone I would love to get to know in real life. His friendship with John Sampson is special - they are more than friends, they are brothers. This book was actually divided into two separate stories, one for Alex and one for Sampson, which means you get double the fun. Alex is searching for his missing son, and John is trying to solve a rash of bombings in the DC area. Both stories are full of suspense and compelling mysteries.
The dual plots in this book were interesting and drew me in. Even though Alex and John were investigating separate mysteries, they still kept in touch and you could feel the connection between them. Alex and Bree are always good together, and bringing his son into the story as a missing person gave it a personal feel. The book was a quick read, as mentioned above, the pacing was perfect, and the characters were well developed. The ending was also very satisfying.
All in all, this is a very good book that draws you in and makes you feel like you are invested in the story. Highly recommend.
5/5 stars.
*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company, James Patterson, and Brian Sitts for the opportunity to read and review Cross and Sampson. - EthanA Long-Running Series That Still Knows How to EntertainThe Alex Cross series has been a mainstay on my reading list ever since I first picked up Mary, Mary as a high school student. For the better part of two decades, I’ve faithfully read each new installment—through the highs and the more questionable lows (I’m looking at you, BookShots). Beyond Patterson’s signature pacing and plot-burning style, I’ve always gravitated toward the Cross books because they were one of the few series he wrote without a co-author.
That all changed with 2023’s Cross Down, the first entry to bring in a collaborator and to shift some of the focus away from Alex himself to include the perspective of his longtime partner, John Sampson. I went in worried the quality might dip. Instead, it felt like a breath of fresh air, broadening the scope of the story in a way that was surprisingly welcome. So when I saw the latest to follow this formula, Cross & Sampson, I jumped at the chance to dive back in.
Alex Cross and John Sampson have always worked best as a team. Best friends since childhood, they’ve built their careers on an unshakable trust, a bond that’s made them one of the most effective duos in the Washington, D.C., Police Department. But this time, circumstances pull them in different directions. Sampson remains in D.C., investigating what appears to be a terrorist attack after a bomb detonates on a crowded street with no group stepping forward to claim responsibility. Meanwhile, Alex and his wife Bree head to Chapel Hill for a case that hits far closer to home: Alex’s eldest son, Damon, has vanished. He’s stopped going to class, stopped answering calls, and even his girlfriend hasn’t heard from him in days. Wherever Damon is, Alex is determined to find him. For once, the two partners will have to rely on their instincts separately, working on independent angles in the hope that each can bring his case to a hard-won resolution.
Cross & Sampson sees James Patterson and Brian Sitts continue to expand the world of the Alex Cross series in a way that feels both true to the foundation Patterson has built over the better part of three decades while still pushing the characters into exciting new territory. All the hallmarks of the series are here. The pacing is as quick as ever, the mysteries hook you from the start, and the action is grounded by character moments that raise the emotional stakes.
Thirty-five books in, these characters feel like old friends, and part of the joy is watching their lives evolve alongside the investigations. Writing chapters from John Sampson’s perspective gives us the chance to connect with him more deeply. We see his relationship with his daughter, the strain after a proposal gone wrong, and his fierce loyalty to the Cross family. Patterson and Sitts balance this personal growth with sharp plotting, using shifting perspectives and short, cliffhanger chapters to keep the suspense high and the pages turning. The result is another strong, fast-paced entry in a long-running series that still knows how to entertain. It leaves me more than happy to keep following Cross and Sampson wherever the next case takes them.