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Alex Cross #15
Alex Cross's Trial
Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's Trial is a #1 New York Times bestseller of murder, love, and above all, bravery.
From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he's written-a novel called Trial.
As a lawyer in turn-of-the-century Washington D.C., Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his home town to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse.
When he arrives in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful granddaughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town's black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror-but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's Trial is a gripping story of courage in the face of prejudice and terror.
From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he's written-a novel called Trial.
As a lawyer in turn-of-the-century Washington D.C., Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his home town to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse.
When he arrives in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful granddaughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town's black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror-but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross's Trial is a gripping story of courage in the face of prejudice and terror.
416 pages, Paperback
First published August 24, 2009
2053 people are currently reading
20063 people want to read
About the author
James Patterson
955 books355k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,997 reviews
November 18, 2023
Easily the best book in the series and one that doesn't involve Alex Cross. Alex Cross's Trial is the story of his great uncle Abraham Cross and a white DC lawyer, as a run of events leads to them being involved in getting part of a lynch mob on trial. Patterson doesn't pull many punches and relates the events within the limits of what could really be achieved at the time, which makes the book even more memorable and worthwhile; looking at racial prejudice and discrimination in Mississippi during Roosevelt's Presidency. 8 out of 12 furious Four Star read.
2011 read
2011 read
April 3, 2014
For those of you who are fans of Alex Cross (and I am one), this book is a surprise. It is not about the Alex Cross we know and love, but about his ancestors.
I have mixed feelings about this book - it's well written, engaging, and holds you until the end - many of the features I look for when choosing a book. The characters are memorable.
However, the topic - the old South (1906) full of hatred, prejudice, lawlessness, and separation is a bitter pill to swallow. I recognize how far we've come in the relations between blacks and whites but unfortunately understand that those same prejudices still exist among races, cultures, socioeconomic groups, and in relation to sexual orientation, religious differences, and on and on.
As I read this book I felt embarrassment, shame, horror, and responsibility. I don't understand how humans can treat other humans or in fact, any living beings, with such cruelty - to maim, harm, humiliate, hang/lynch. I think it must be how someone from Germany feels when they read stories about the Nazis. They love their country and they are Germans. I love the South and I am Southern. And yet, I do not want to be associated with those who believe that those horrific acts were warranted and justified.
Were we responsible? Not for things that happened before we were even born. Are we responsible now? Yes - to recognize if/when our behaviors contribute toward hate and prejudice, and to take action when we see an injustice.
I think I will have this story with me - in my head and heart - for a long time.
I have mixed feelings about this book - it's well written, engaging, and holds you until the end - many of the features I look for when choosing a book. The characters are memorable.
However, the topic - the old South (1906) full of hatred, prejudice, lawlessness, and separation is a bitter pill to swallow. I recognize how far we've come in the relations between blacks and whites but unfortunately understand that those same prejudices still exist among races, cultures, socioeconomic groups, and in relation to sexual orientation, religious differences, and on and on.
As I read this book I felt embarrassment, shame, horror, and responsibility. I don't understand how humans can treat other humans or in fact, any living beings, with such cruelty - to maim, harm, humiliate, hang/lynch. I think it must be how someone from Germany feels when they read stories about the Nazis. They love their country and they are Germans. I love the South and I am Southern. And yet, I do not want to be associated with those who believe that those horrific acts were warranted and justified.
Were we responsible? Not for things that happened before we were even born. Are we responsible now? Yes - to recognize if/when our behaviors contribute toward hate and prejudice, and to take action when we see an injustice.
I think I will have this story with me - in my head and heart - for a long time.
September 22, 2009
This review of the book Alex Cross's Trial, by James Patterson & Richard Dilallo, is by Hans W. & Lindsay.
With all due respect to Mr. Dilallo, I decided that since James "paid-by-the-chapter" Patterson no longer needs to be the primary author of the Alex Cross books, I no longer need to be the primary reader of the fore-mentioned series.
Here is what my reader had to say about this book:
Lindsay: 2 stars
"I'm sorry, but this is NOT the book that "Alex Cross" would write. I find it hard to believe that he would focus all his energy on Ben and his happiness at the end of the book and give very little in the way of character development and concern about his own family. There's NO way that Moody would be safe and sound when Ben left, after all that happened. It makes me sad to think in the South at the turn of the century they would have lynched her the second Ben stepped foot out of town and had no one to protect her. I'm sorry, a war can't be won in a day and a town's racism certainly wouldn't have been erased with that half-assed KKK conflict at the end of the book.
"AC's Trial adds absolutely nothing to the Alex Cross series and gives no insight to Alex's ancestry. I was expecting a lot of strong family members to give proof to Alex's strength and how he was raised, but got this weak crap instead.
"James Patterson, start writing your own damn books again!"
Lindsay, thanks for reading this book, so that I did not need to. I appreciate your help.
With all due respect to Mr. Dilallo, I decided that since James "paid-by-the-chapter" Patterson no longer needs to be the primary author of the Alex Cross books, I no longer need to be the primary reader of the fore-mentioned series.
Here is what my reader had to say about this book:
Lindsay: 2 stars
"I'm sorry, but this is NOT the book that "Alex Cross" would write. I find it hard to believe that he would focus all his energy on Ben and his happiness at the end of the book and give very little in the way of character development and concern about his own family. There's NO way that Moody would be safe and sound when Ben left, after all that happened. It makes me sad to think in the South at the turn of the century they would have lynched her the second Ben stepped foot out of town and had no one to protect her. I'm sorry, a war can't be won in a day and a town's racism certainly wouldn't have been erased with that half-assed KKK conflict at the end of the book.
"AC's Trial adds absolutely nothing to the Alex Cross series and gives no insight to Alex's ancestry. I was expecting a lot of strong family members to give proof to Alex's strength and how he was raised, but got this weak crap instead.
"James Patterson, start writing your own damn books again!"
Lindsay, thanks for reading this book, so that I did not need to. I appreciate your help.
May 19, 2018
I actually loved this deviation from the normal Alex Cross series books. The plot was devastating to read about and as a human being seeing that this is how things were handled and discussed about other human beings is shameful and horrendous. I think books that talk of this matter are so helpful to humanity. It reminds us to be better people.
My quick and simple overall: enlightening and interesting.
My quick and simple overall: enlightening and interesting.
January 13, 2021
Book 15 in the Alex Cross series published 2009.
3 stars
This is fairly entertaining read from the JP factory but for the life of me I can’t understand why it is apart of the Alex Cross franchise.
Given that the story is about racial emancipation in the southern states of America in the early nineteen hundreds long before Alex Cross was even a twinkle in JP’s eye.
The only connection To Alex Cross is a character by the name of Abraham Cross, Alex’s great grandfather. But this character could have been called James Patterson for all the difference it would have made.
It is of course a story concerning the terrible condition that the, now free from slavery, coloured population had to endure at the hands of their one time masters.
The major problem for me was that the whole book was so cliché-ridden that it lost much of its potential impact.
Apart from the oppressed simple black folks and the racist bigoted whites I found the book to be overly sentimental at times.
By the time I got to the end I couldn’t help but feel that the book was an opportunity lost.
Not bad but not a book that would warrant a return to.
January 3, 2025
I literally am not sure what to say. As a stand-alone historical fiction, this has a lot of weight. As a historical fiction book randomly thrown into the middle of a fast-paced thriller series... it is just odd, to say the least. I came into this wanting to go on an adventure with Alex Cross.. and that was FAR from what I got... This should not be called Alex Cross's Trial, nor should it be Alex Cross #15—an extreme prequel, perhaps, but not smack in the middle of a long-running series. I can't wrap my head around this logic except to get it to sell on the Cross name. James Patterson, if nothing if not a marketing phenomenon, knows how to sell based on names, so I will assume that is what happened here. Maybe he just wanted a chance to pull out a crap ton of racial slurs...
A review of this book as part of the series would be 1.5-2 at best. It's not Alex Cross's Trial, but Abrahams, so I will try to think about it more as a standalone novel.
Although there is a well-woven tale that feels well-developed for the historical setting, it was somewhat disconcerting to be almost berated with racial slurs and curses. I listened to the audio version, and it was hard to constantly hear words that were very damaging and painful for an entire race of people, especially when my son was already starting to experience them in grade school.
The characters were well-developed, and the narrative flowed well. Abraham and Ben were likable, and plenty of characters were easy to hate. However, Ben, rather than Abraham, reminded me of Alex, especially in his thoughts about women. Just like Alex, he doesn't seem to be one to whom "absence makes the heart grow fonder" applies. I can't entirely separate it from Alex Cross, as it is about an ancestor, so it still affects my rating.
I will give it a 3 for good measure.
A review of this book as part of the series would be 1.5-2 at best. It's not Alex Cross's Trial, but Abrahams, so I will try to think about it more as a standalone novel.
Although there is a well-woven tale that feels well-developed for the historical setting, it was somewhat disconcerting to be almost berated with racial slurs and curses. I listened to the audio version, and it was hard to constantly hear words that were very damaging and painful for an entire race of people, especially when my son was already starting to experience them in grade school.
The characters were well-developed, and the narrative flowed well. Abraham and Ben were likable, and plenty of characters were easy to hate. However, Ben, rather than Abraham, reminded me of Alex, especially in his thoughts about women. Just like Alex, he doesn't seem to be one to whom "absence makes the heart grow fonder" applies. I can't entirely separate it from Alex Cross, as it is about an ancestor, so it still affects my rating.
I will give it a 3 for good measure.
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September 1, 2021تعقد محاكمة المحقق " أليكس كروس " على إثر إطلاقه النار على ثلاثة أشخاص يُفترض بكونهم أبرياء وهناك مقاطع فيديو مصورة تشهد بأنهم لم يمثلوا خطراً على حياة الشرطي ، حيث لم يكن هناك أي أسلحة بحوزتهم لحظة إطلاق النار عليهم...
على ما يبدو ان المحقق في مأزق شديد ويتراءى للجميع إنه قاتل بارد الدم ولكنه متأكد من إنه اطلق النار دفاعاً عن النفس وإنهم كان كل منهم يحمل مسدس مصقول بالنيكل من عيار ٣٥٧...
ولكن هناك من يصدق المحقق ويدعم موقفه ويتوق لإظهار براءته ..إنهم العائلة والأصدقاء...
هل يمكن إثبات براءته ؟...
على الجانب الآخر هناك من يختطف الفتيات الشقراوات ويقوم بتصويرهن في مشاهد فيديو مرعبة عنيفة...ويعرضها على احدى المواقع السوداء...
يتتبع فريق عمل من الشرطة والمباحث الفيدرالية والمحقق كروس الخيوط المتشابكة وراء المتورطين في عمليات الاختطاف..وبالنهاية ينجح المحقق كروس في إنقاذ الفتيات
وهذا ما لا يروق لي وهو أن شخص واحد هو البطل الذي يقبض على الأشرار دون تدخل من فريق العمل...
أخيراً قد نظن بأننا يمكن تبرير التصرفات الشاذة والوحشية التي تكمن بدواخل بعض البشر والتي بها يجدون اللذة في تعذيب الآخرين وترويعهم...لكن في الحقيقة الأمر سيبقى عصياً عن الفهم مهما كانت المحاولات في تحليل نوازعهم والكشف عن دوافع هؤلاء الأوغاد....
على ما يبدو ان المحقق في مأزق شديد ويتراءى للجميع إنه قاتل بارد الدم ولكنه متأكد من إنه اطلق النار دفاعاً عن النفس وإنهم كان كل منهم يحمل مسدس مصقول بالنيكل من عيار ٣٥٧...
ولكن هناك من يصدق المحقق ويدعم موقفه ويتوق لإظهار براءته ..إنهم العائلة والأصدقاء...
هل يمكن إثبات براءته ؟...
على الجانب الآخر هناك من يختطف الفتيات الشقراوات ويقوم بتصويرهن في مشاهد فيديو مرعبة عنيفة...ويعرضها على احدى المواقع السوداء...
يتتبع فريق عمل من الشرطة والمباحث الفيدرالية والمحقق كروس الخيوط المتشابكة وراء المتورطين في عمليات الاختطاف..وبالنهاية ينجح المحقق كروس في إنقاذ الفتيات
وهذا ما لا يروق لي وهو أن شخص واحد هو البطل الذي يقبض على الأشرار دون تدخل من فريق العمل...
أخيراً قد نظن بأننا يمكن تبرير التصرفات الشاذة والوحشية التي تكمن بدواخل بعض البشر والتي بها يجدون اللذة في تعذيب الآخرين وترويعهم...لكن في الحقيقة الأمر سيبقى عصياً عن الفهم مهما كانت المحاولات في تحليل نوازعهم والكشف عن دوافع هؤلاء الأوغاد....
May 31, 2024
A little deviation from the usual Alex Cross series, in this instalment we are reading Alex Cross's book about his great uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. A refreshing book in the Alex Cross series, I really needed this after feeling a little bored of it recently. I hope JP does something like this again as it was really interesting.
A very disturbing look on a dark time in our history, although this is completely fiction, you can't help be realise that very similar events would have been taking place around this time. It's quite heart-breaking in place, but for the most past it's depressing and bleak. There isn't so much of a thriller/mystery plot line in this book, but it didn't matter it still had me wanting to read more.
A very disturbing look on a dark time in our history, although this is completely fiction, you can't help be realise that very similar events would have been taking place around this time. It's quite heart-breaking in place, but for the most past it's depressing and bleak. There isn't so much of a thriller/mystery plot line in this book, but it didn't matter it still had me wanting to read more.
November 9, 2009
I have read many, many of James Patterson's books -- and have enjoyed every one of them. However, this book is by far the best book that he has written, and should be read by even those who are not familiar with his books and characters.
It is a different type of book altogether, and is written from the viewpoint of Alex Cross, his protagonist in so many novels. It is also a historical-type book, in that it is the story of an event which took place in Alex Cross's family long before he was born.
Set in the Mississippi of 1906, it shows how one town can so easily be torn apart, and set friend agains friend, in the un-ease which followed the freeing of the slaves following the Civil War.
Great reading! A real page-turner to the very end, with a cast of surprising characters -- including President Teddy Roosevelt.
It is a different type of book altogether, and is written from the viewpoint of Alex Cross, his protagonist in so many novels. It is also a historical-type book, in that it is the story of an event which took place in Alex Cross's family long before he was born.
Set in the Mississippi of 1906, it shows how one town can so easily be torn apart, and set friend agains friend, in the un-ease which followed the freeing of the slaves following the Civil War.
Great reading! A real page-turner to the very end, with a cast of surprising characters -- including President Teddy Roosevelt.
March 3, 2021
This is a Mystery/Thriller, and this is the 15th book in the Alex Cross series. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I could not put this book down. (*)
October 30, 2022
This started out strong and I liked the timeline of being in the early 1900s. But over the course of the book I found myself getting bored with the repetitiveness and predictability of it. Similar scenes were scattered throughout. I also didn't understand decisions that the main character made. He did things that were contradicting and I questioned why he did them. While it started strong, it ended underwhelming.
August 13, 2018
It took me a very long time to finish reading this novel because of how disturbing it is; it really is difficult to get through because of the gruesome detail exercised in regards to, specifically, lynchings, and while it may be true that Patterson's work usually is fairly gruesome, it is a lot more difficult to read something that is based on something that really did happen. Every character that is lynched in this novel represents a person that really did live once until his life was cut short with a rope bound tightly around his neck. With that being said, as a big James Patterson fan, I really appreciate the fact that he wrote a historical fiction novel, something that, as far as I can remember, he has not tried yet, unless you would consider the Jester a work of historical fiction. The novel makes it clear that Patterson did his homework and uncovered as much information about life in the American south during the early part of the twentieth century as he could manage, and the novel pays very close attention to detail. I really enjoyed reading this novel, especially since I learned a lot about Alex's ancestry, and, if possible, I would even like to use it in an English classroom after I become a high school teacher, seeing as how it is so historically significant and focuses on a time period that I feel is far too often ignored by teachers.
January 16, 2017
I've been meaning to read from the Alex Cross series for awhile now (ever since the corresponding movie/series came to Netflix), but haven't for reasons. So now I have, even though it is a book that is not part of the main timeline.
This book takes us back to Alex's ancestor, Abraham, who is not the main character. In the early 1900s people of color were free from slavery, but not from segregation and prejudice....or lynchings. Our main character, Ben Corbett, is sent on a mission to Mississippi, his hometown, to define the extent of the racism going on.
There were points where I wondered if American history really was as bad as it's depicted within the pages of this book, and it really made me upset at all the stuff the "bad people" were doing, even though I'm sure it was the normal thing to do at the time. Let's just say I'm so glad that period of history is over, and that society has moved on (somewhat, there are still prejudices but at least the legal system isn't quite so biased anymore).
Anyway, I enjoyed the book. I enjoy reading James Patterson. I need to read the rest of his books that I own.
This book takes us back to Alex's ancestor, Abraham, who is not the main character. In the early 1900s people of color were free from slavery, but not from segregation and prejudice....or lynchings. Our main character, Ben Corbett, is sent on a mission to Mississippi, his hometown, to define the extent of the racism going on.
There were points where I wondered if American history really was as bad as it's depicted within the pages of this book, and it really made me upset at all the stuff the "bad people" were doing, even though I'm sure it was the normal thing to do at the time. Let's just say I'm so glad that period of history is over, and that society has moved on (somewhat, there are still prejudices but at least the legal system isn't quite so biased anymore).
Anyway, I enjoyed the book. I enjoy reading James Patterson. I need to read the rest of his books that I own.
October 26, 2015
Patterson tries to write about a very real, very serious, and very horrifying period in history - lynchings in the early 1900s in the Southern United States. Instead, Patterson writes one of the worst books that I have ever had the misfortune of reading.
This book is filled with so many tropes and caricatures that it is damn near laughable, and is written in a manner so pedestrian, that I'm willing to put money on it that the Twilight books (which I have not read) were written better. The writing was so bad that I was actually offended by it. However, I was more offended by the depictions of all of the characters created for this novel. This book was published in 2010, yet it reeks of racism and classism that may have been acceptable 30 years ago, but certainly shouldn't be this day and age. There is a stark difference between telling a story of very real events that happened in our history, and churning out torture porn under the guise of being historical fiction in hopes to make a quick buck. How this even got published is beyond me.
Yes, Patterson tries to tell a story of a different place and a different time, and tries to immerse us in that. But he goes about it all wrong. This is the second book by Patterson that I have read, and it will be the last (the first being The Jester, which was also painfully awful).
I don't think I would recommend this book to even my worst enemy.
This book is filled with so many tropes and caricatures that it is damn near laughable, and is written in a manner so pedestrian, that I'm willing to put money on it that the Twilight books (which I have not read) were written better. The writing was so bad that I was actually offended by it. However, I was more offended by the depictions of all of the characters created for this novel. This book was published in 2010, yet it reeks of racism and classism that may have been acceptable 30 years ago, but certainly shouldn't be this day and age. There is a stark difference between telling a story of very real events that happened in our history, and churning out torture porn under the guise of being historical fiction in hopes to make a quick buck. How this even got published is beyond me.
Yes, Patterson tries to tell a story of a different place and a different time, and tries to immerse us in that. But he goes about it all wrong. This is the second book by Patterson that I have read, and it will be the last (the first being The Jester, which was also painfully awful).
I don't think I would recommend this book to even my worst enemy.
March 22, 2022
Part of the Alex Cross series - but not really.
Alex Cross obtained this story from Nana Mama as part of their family’s history and now we get to hear it too.
It is early in the 20th century, Teddy Roosevelt is president. Slavery is outlawed but the segregation and abuse (to the point of murder) toward people of color (particularly in the south) is alive and well. A young Washington lawyer is sent back to his hometown in Eudora, Mississippi by the president to investigate and report back on reports of lynchings that are going on.
Abraham is the man he befriends and works with to investigate these lynchings. He happens to be an ancestor of Alex Cross.
A very good historical fiction book that will get you to feeling all kinds of anger and disgust at the evilness and ugliness some people have the capacity for. Sadly it still exists today.
Alex Cross obtained this story from Nana Mama as part of their family’s history and now we get to hear it too.
It is early in the 20th century, Teddy Roosevelt is president. Slavery is outlawed but the segregation and abuse (to the point of murder) toward people of color (particularly in the south) is alive and well. A young Washington lawyer is sent back to his hometown in Eudora, Mississippi by the president to investigate and report back on reports of lynchings that are going on.
Abraham is the man he befriends and works with to investigate these lynchings. He happens to be an ancestor of Alex Cross.
A very good historical fiction book that will get you to feeling all kinds of anger and disgust at the evilness and ugliness some people have the capacity for. Sadly it still exists today.
December 22, 2014
Not about Alex Cross, just a story of a family member in times of extreme racism.
Not for me.
Not for me.
February 8, 2020
من الواضح إن قراءاتي لهذا العام لن تتوقف ولن تنتهي بمجرد انتهائي من التحدي الذي وضعته لنفسي في بداية العام ، فبعد أن كافحت في آخر شهرين من العام كي أصل ووضعت خطة أسير عليها كل شهر وإنتابني بعض القلق والخوف من سرعة مرور الايام ، حدث أن تمكنت من تنفيذ خطتي بحذافيرها بل و تجاوزتها أيضا بعدة كتب لا أعرف عددهم بعد حتى أصل لليوم الاخير من شهر ديسمبر 2019
صدفة ًعيني وقعت على عنوان رواية هاهنا فقلت لنفسي أنا أعرف هذا المؤلف قرأت له من قبل ، وبالفعل كنت قد قرأت له رواية السفاح الخفي منذ فترة ليست ببعيدة لأذهب في اليوم التالي للمكتبة دون تخطيط مسبق لما أستعيره فتقع عيناي في مصادفة اخرى على الرف الخاص بمؤلفات جيمس باترسون ، تسائل عقلي أين هي محاكمة اليكس كروس التي لمحتها أمس على جوودريدز و ابتسمت حين وجدتها تقبع بين باقي المؤلفات وهي تغمز لي ، نعم كانت صدفة اليوم السابق ما هي إلا أول خيط يغزله القدر ، فقط لأنه مقدر لي ان أستعير وأقرأ محاكمة اليكس كروس
ذاك الشرطي الذي علمت فيما بعد إنه بطل مشترك في سلسلة كاملة ليست متصلة ببعضها البعض ، كما علمت إن روايتي هي الجزء رقم ١٥ من هذه السلسلة التي تقريبا يبلغ عددها ٢٧ جزء ، وللعلم فان محاكمة اليكس كروس ليست مجرد رواية تدور حول ذاك الحدث وحده بل تأخذ القارئ إلى أحداث متنوعة هنا وهناك
اليكس كروس الشرطي المجتهد المكافح الذي عرض حياته للخطر عدة مرات ، يحاكم بجريمة قتل اناس بريئين من وجهة نظر البعض فماذا سيكون حكم هيئة المحلفين بعد عرض جميع الادلة امامهم التي بالطبع بعضها يدينه وبعضها الاخر يبرئ ساحته
وبالرغم إنه من المفترض إني أحب الروايات التي تضيف لدي ولو معلومة واحدة فقط بل و غالبا ما أسعى خلف الموضوع بكامل إرادتي كرواية نيلوفر اسود مثلا وما فعلته بي عن مونيه ولوحاته ، وايضا رواية كفاحي التي أنا بصدد قراءتها و بحثي في النت عن آخر لوحات رامبرانت ، وفي احيان آخرى ابحث عن أغاني واشعار تم ذكرها ضمن الاحداث ، إلا انه حين حدثني عن التشفير البصلي ونظرية الموجات والفيزياء وقفت أمامه عاجزة عن استيعاب المكتوب كاملا ، فمن الممكن القول إني أبحث فقط عما يستهويني و يثير استفزازي كي أعرف عنه أكثر فمع قليل من البحث وراء جيمس باترسون ذلك المؤلف الذي باع ملايين النسخ من رواياته بل و وصل إلى نفس عدد بيع اعمال ستيفن كينج و دان براون ، لم اصدق للوهلة الاولى إن مؤلف الغموض والأثارة قد اشترك في تأليف رواية رومانسية تم أخذ فيلما عنها هو من أقرب الافلام إلى قلبي
Sundays at Tiffany's
ابتسمت ونظرت إلى ما خلف الأمواج التي تضرب الشاطئ إلى الافق ، شاعرا ان مثل هذه اللحظات ، وتلك الانتصارات الصغيرة ، كانت كافية واكثر لكي أواصل العمل من أجل بث الخير في العالم ، رغم انف جميع الشبكات السوداء التي واجهتها طول حياتي
وهكذا أنتهت الرواية بهذا المشهد الرائع متسللا إلى مسامعي صوت الأمواج المتخبطة Waves Soundليغمرني بعدها ذاك الشعور بالرضا والسكينة الذي أتوق دوما للوصول إليه بمجرد ما تزل قدمي داخل غلاف كل رواية
صدفة ًعيني وقعت على عنوان رواية هاهنا فقلت لنفسي أنا أعرف هذا المؤلف قرأت له من قبل ، وبالفعل كنت قد قرأت له رواية السفاح الخفي منذ فترة ليست ببعيدة لأذهب في اليوم التالي للمكتبة دون تخطيط مسبق لما أستعيره فتقع عيناي في مصادفة اخرى على الرف الخاص بمؤلفات جيمس باترسون ، تسائل عقلي أين هي محاكمة اليكس كروس التي لمحتها أمس على جوودريدز و ابتسمت حين وجدتها تقبع بين باقي المؤلفات وهي تغمز لي ، نعم كانت صدفة اليوم السابق ما هي إلا أول خيط يغزله القدر ، فقط لأنه مقدر لي ان أستعير وأقرأ محاكمة اليكس كروس
ذاك الشرطي الذي علمت فيما بعد إنه بطل مشترك في سلسلة كاملة ليست متصلة ببعضها البعض ، كما علمت إن روايتي هي الجزء رقم ١٥ من هذه السلسلة التي تقريبا يبلغ عددها ٢٧ جزء ، وللعلم فان محاكمة اليكس كروس ليست مجرد رواية تدور حول ذاك الحدث وحده بل تأخذ القارئ إلى أحداث متنوعة هنا وهناك
اليكس كروس الشرطي المجتهد المكافح الذي عرض حياته للخطر عدة مرات ، يحاكم بجريمة قتل اناس بريئين من وجهة نظر البعض فماذا سيكون حكم هيئة المحلفين بعد عرض جميع الادلة امامهم التي بالطبع بعضها يدينه وبعضها الاخر يبرئ ساحته
وبالرغم إنه من المفترض إني أحب الروايات التي تضيف لدي ولو معلومة واحدة فقط بل و غالبا ما أسعى خلف الموضوع بكامل إرادتي كرواية نيلوفر اسود مثلا وما فعلته بي عن مونيه ولوحاته ، وايضا رواية كفاحي التي أنا بصدد قراءتها و بحثي في النت عن آخر لوحات رامبرانت ، وفي احيان آخرى ابحث عن أغاني واشعار تم ذكرها ضمن الاحداث ، إلا انه حين حدثني عن التشفير البصلي ونظرية الموجات والفيزياء وقفت أمامه عاجزة عن استيعاب المكتوب كاملا ، فمن الممكن القول إني أبحث فقط عما يستهويني و يثير استفزازي كي أعرف عنه أكثر فمع قليل من البحث وراء جيمس باترسون ذلك المؤلف الذي باع ملايين النسخ من رواياته بل و وصل إلى نفس عدد بيع اعمال ستيفن كينج و دان براون ، لم اصدق للوهلة الاولى إن مؤلف الغموض والأثارة قد اشترك في تأليف رواية رومانسية تم أخذ فيلما عنها هو من أقرب الافلام إلى قلبي
Sundays at Tiffany's
ابتسمت ونظرت إلى ما خلف الأمواج التي تضرب الشاطئ إلى الافق ، شاعرا ان مثل هذه اللحظات ، وتلك الانتصارات الصغيرة ، كانت كافية واكثر لكي أواصل العمل من أجل بث الخير في العالم ، رغم انف جميع الشبكات السوداء التي واجهتها طول حياتي
وهكذا أنتهت الرواية بهذا المشهد الرائع متسللا إلى مسامعي صوت الأمواج المتخبطة Waves Soundليغمرني بعدها ذاك الشعور بالرضا والسكينة الذي أتوق دوما للوصول إليه بمجرد ما تزل قدمي داخل غلاف كل رواية
February 15, 2012
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.
September 25, 2009
Another disappointment from Patterson. Although this story starts out as a compelling, though heartwrenching read,the ending once again is slapped together in a rushed and highly implausible finale. The main character gets on a high horse, crusades all around town stirring up the citizens, who have proven themselves murderous, callous, white supremacist, and then says adios, and heads back to his safe lily white world, leaving the black family he befriended and all the other black citizens on their own to defend his actions and the backlash that surely would have occured. It was an insult to my intelligence.
Also, I was looking forward to learning about Alex Cross's ancestors, but I feel like I learned next to nothing. The point of view was taken from another character, and the Cross family felt like a rose that had only begun to bloom.
Also, I was looking forward to learning about Alex Cross's ancestors, but I feel like I learned next to nothing. The point of view was taken from another character, and the Cross family felt like a rose that had only begun to bloom.
March 9, 2010
I really liked this book. I enjoy Patterson books in general, but this one, I feel, is one of his better works. Patterson and Dilallo keep you on the edge of your seat with events and fully involved in the characters. They point out the human frailties of fear and feeling of safety in packs, ego and the use of any means (or any one) to better ones self image, greed and discrimination and all the other things the human animal clearly shows as normal traits. The most dangerous animal walks on two feet. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself, and this book manages to shed a little light in that direction.
A good read.
A good read.
March 6, 2016
1 pathetic star. This is book 15 in a MODERN crime, mystery series. This book isn't about Alex Cross's Trial. It isn't about Alex Cross at all. It's about hate in Mississippi in the early 1900's. I thought it was poorly written and it doesn't belong in this series. I didn't enjoy even 1 small part of this book. Horrible is the best word to describe.
December 20, 2017
This book sort of threw me for a loop because it's not about Alex. It's about his ancestors. Which don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book at all but it's really hard to write out this review.
In Alex Cross's Trial, Patterson talks about the old south where Racism is alive and kicking and no one knows what the hell "equality" means. The main character in this book, Ben Corbett, arrives back to his hometown in Mississippi after six years of being away. Ben goes through hate-filled assaults from people he has known for most of his life - which was heartbreaking. This was a really hard book to read and I have no idea how I can write a good review on it.
Patterson also delivers some good twists and turns throughout the story that have you hanging on the edge of your seat.
Now I know about our history and I'm glad I wasn't born to see it happen because reading about what people went through makes me so freaking sad. I hate that anyone lived or went through that. I hope the world can learn from our past mistakes and create a better and brighter future for everyone to enjoy and thrive in.
In Alex Cross's Trial, Patterson talks about the old south where Racism is alive and kicking and no one knows what the hell "equality" means. The main character in this book, Ben Corbett, arrives back to his hometown in Mississippi after six years of being away. Ben goes through hate-filled assaults from people he has known for most of his life - which was heartbreaking. This was a really hard book to read and I have no idea how I can write a good review on it.
Patterson also delivers some good twists and turns throughout the story that have you hanging on the edge of your seat.
Now I know about our history and I'm glad I wasn't born to see it happen because reading about what people went through makes me so freaking sad. I hate that anyone lived or went through that. I hope the world can learn from our past mistakes and create a better and brighter future for everyone to enjoy and thrive in.
July 2, 2013
Alex Cross’s Trial by James Patterson & Richard Dilallo delivers an incredible, yet alarming story. The setting is early 1900’s, during the era of President Theodore Roosevelt. Ben Corbett is a young lawyer who does not take on the big money cases, choosing to fight against oppression and racism instead. The President asks Ben to probe into some nasty rumours about what the outlawed Ku Klux Klan is up to in the Deep South, Ben having been born and raised in Eudora, Mississippi. He is told to look up Abraham Cross when he arrives, that this man will be of great assistance to Ben. His cover story is that he is down there to scout out future judges for the Bench.
On his way to Eudora, Ben scans a number of back issues of local newspapers and is bombarded with sensational stories of lynchings of coloured people. The articles made the killings seem so spectacular––a spectacle not to be missed. Ben also learns, from a fellow passenger, that the white man doesn’t really hate the coloured man––they are afraid of them––mostly that the coloured men will take jobs away from the white man because they are willing to work cheaper. “Yes, sir, the black man has to figure a way to get along peaceable with the white man, without taking his job away … if the black man don’t come to understand this, why I reckon we’ll just have to wipe him out.”
Finally in Eudora, Ben has a few ghosts of his own to revisit. Instead of staying with his father, the renowned Judge E. Corbett, Ben checks into a rooming house. We discover soon enough the reason for this, his father not approving of Ben’s direction in law. Ben looks up Abraham Cross and discovers that he is an elderly black man. Together, they begin to unravel the dire situation as Abraham shows Ben the reality of the situation in the South. Ben, himself, after a time, realizes first hand how hated the black people are, and those who sympathize with them! Ben is shocked at who betrays him, and whom he can trust.
Ben makes his report to the President, and then waits for a reply. In the meantime, his own little family is falling apart, his wife having written that she is leaving him. She can no longer handle the frustration of having to live so frugally because of the types of cases her husband feels he needs to take on. Eventually, a horrendous event takes place and some white men are arrested for murder and attempted murder, and the trial of the century begins.
“Alex Cross’s Trial” is an excellent, well-written story that will have you riveted to each page as it takes you through a part of history that should never have happened. Having said that, though, I am happy to see that no matter how depraved some of mankind are, there are always those who will come forward and fight for justice. Make sure you have some idle time available because you will not want to put this book down.
On his way to Eudora, Ben scans a number of back issues of local newspapers and is bombarded with sensational stories of lynchings of coloured people. The articles made the killings seem so spectacular––a spectacle not to be missed. Ben also learns, from a fellow passenger, that the white man doesn’t really hate the coloured man––they are afraid of them––mostly that the coloured men will take jobs away from the white man because they are willing to work cheaper. “Yes, sir, the black man has to figure a way to get along peaceable with the white man, without taking his job away … if the black man don’t come to understand this, why I reckon we’ll just have to wipe him out.”
Finally in Eudora, Ben has a few ghosts of his own to revisit. Instead of staying with his father, the renowned Judge E. Corbett, Ben checks into a rooming house. We discover soon enough the reason for this, his father not approving of Ben’s direction in law. Ben looks up Abraham Cross and discovers that he is an elderly black man. Together, they begin to unravel the dire situation as Abraham shows Ben the reality of the situation in the South. Ben, himself, after a time, realizes first hand how hated the black people are, and those who sympathize with them! Ben is shocked at who betrays him, and whom he can trust.
Ben makes his report to the President, and then waits for a reply. In the meantime, his own little family is falling apart, his wife having written that she is leaving him. She can no longer handle the frustration of having to live so frugally because of the types of cases her husband feels he needs to take on. Eventually, a horrendous event takes place and some white men are arrested for murder and attempted murder, and the trial of the century begins.
“Alex Cross’s Trial” is an excellent, well-written story that will have you riveted to each page as it takes you through a part of history that should never have happened. Having said that, though, I am happy to see that no matter how depraved some of mankind are, there are always those who will come forward and fight for justice. Make sure you have some idle time available because you will not want to put this book down.
September 5, 2009
Ok, first off it you are expecting another Alex Cross suspense novel you will be disappointed, because this one isn't. It starts off by telling you that the Cross family has a history of keeping their history alive with oral stories passed down from generation to generation. It the moves into one story, that of a Mississippi born young lawyer, Ben Corbett, who is practicing in Washington DC taking on more poor and often black clients, much to the dismay of his wife who hopes he will take a more lucrative line of the law. The year is 1906 and TR is President when Ben gets a summons to the White House from his former commander in the Rough Riders. TR asks him to take on a secret mission back in his home town of Edura, Mississippi where under cover of interviewing candidates for federal judgeships he is to report on the rise of lynching and the KKK activity. On arriving in Eudora, Ben finds things not much changed over the years including his father, a prominent local Judge with whom he has a very strained relationship. The remainder of the story deals with the conflict between Ben's liberal views on race and the imbedded views of the towns people, some of whom he had once called good friends. Ben ends up in a trial prosecuting three locals captured on a raid on a black household and running into entrenched local "Justice" from his father the judge in the case to the local towns people. In a way this book reminded me of Grisham's Painted House. A local period piece of a segment of US history. I expect that those who expect the South will rise again will not be great fans of this one.
ISBN - 978-0-316-07062-1, Suspense, Pages - 380, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.5
ISBN - 978-0-316-07062-1, Suspense, Pages - 380, Print Size - R, Rating - 4.5
December 30, 2009
At last, Patterson has redeemed himself in my eyes. For too long he has cranked out book after book full of fill-in-the-blank story lines. The names and scenery would change, but the story remained the same. It had gotten to the point where I could figure out "who done it" within the first five chapters of any of his books. But this book? This book here? The master storyteller is back!
Titled Alex Cross's Trial, don't be fooled. Alex Cross is briefly mentioned in the first two pages, but the story is that of Washington, DC attorney Ben Corbett. Set in the early 1900s, Ben finds himself summoned to the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt. At the president's request, Ben is dispatched to Eudora, Mississippi to investigate the rise in lynchings. A native of Eudora, Ben is familiar with the ways of the south, but isn't prepared for the journey that lies ahead of him. With the assistance of Abraham Cross, Alex's great great uncle, Ben sets out to complete the task at hand. Along the way he discovers that old friends can't be trusted and new friends come from the most unlikely places.
At times I had to simply put the book down and take a break because it set my emotions on edge. Patterson and his co-author, Richard Dilallo, do a fine job of capturing the essence of the town's characters, both black and white. There is no sugar coating of the horror of lynching and the era in history that most of mainstream America would like to pretend never existed. This is a definite must read from Patterson for the first time in a long time.
Titled Alex Cross's Trial, don't be fooled. Alex Cross is briefly mentioned in the first two pages, but the story is that of Washington, DC attorney Ben Corbett. Set in the early 1900s, Ben finds himself summoned to the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt. At the president's request, Ben is dispatched to Eudora, Mississippi to investigate the rise in lynchings. A native of Eudora, Ben is familiar with the ways of the south, but isn't prepared for the journey that lies ahead of him. With the assistance of Abraham Cross, Alex's great great uncle, Ben sets out to complete the task at hand. Along the way he discovers that old friends can't be trusted and new friends come from the most unlikely places.
At times I had to simply put the book down and take a break because it set my emotions on edge. Patterson and his co-author, Richard Dilallo, do a fine job of capturing the essence of the town's characters, both black and white. There is no sugar coating of the horror of lynching and the era in history that most of mainstream America would like to pretend never existed. This is a definite must read from Patterson for the first time in a long time.
May 30, 2010
Alex Cross's TRIAL
Early 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt President, the Klan in Mississippi, and trouble comes knocking for one Washington attorney - 30 year old Ben Corbett a young family man who must leave his wife and two daughters at the bequest of the President. Who can say no to the President? This story of tough times opens our eyes to the mood of the south and the struggles of those who lived through it all. An exciting, gruesome thriller indeed just as we have come to expect from James Patterson. Alex Cross relates this oral history handed down in his family of these terrible occurrences and we are drawn into the characters vivid lives. I truly enjoy reading every James Patterson that comes out and this one doesn't disappoint.
Early 20th century, Theodore Roosevelt President, the Klan in Mississippi, and trouble comes knocking for one Washington attorney - 30 year old Ben Corbett a young family man who must leave his wife and two daughters at the bequest of the President. Who can say no to the President? This story of tough times opens our eyes to the mood of the south and the struggles of those who lived through it all. An exciting, gruesome thriller indeed just as we have come to expect from James Patterson. Alex Cross relates this oral history handed down in his family of these terrible occurrences and we are drawn into the characters vivid lives. I truly enjoy reading every James Patterson that comes out and this one doesn't disappoint.
November 5, 2009
This book was wonderfully gruesome. It really made me consider what black people went through only a couple of decades ago. No wonder so many people are still angry about discrimination that may not have happened directly to them. I would still be angry too if my family were treated in such horrible ways.
June 10, 2016
Story about racism in the south.
November 24, 2025
This only gets 5 stars because you can't give 6.
What a sensational and emotional story. Yes, fiction, but fiction sometimes is a great way to highlight reality. And I guess it is an easier read for someone like me who does not come from the USA and the need to feel the shame of the racist and sexist behaviour on display. In saying that we have our own history that is not something we are proud of either, so I assume if I was reviewing a fictional book about the mistreatment of aboriginals I may have felt the pain I am sure my American friends would be feeling when reading about this chapter of their past.
But even in saying that, a must read and definitely a cannot put down book.
What a sensational and emotional story. Yes, fiction, but fiction sometimes is a great way to highlight reality. And I guess it is an easier read for someone like me who does not come from the USA and the need to feel the shame of the racist and sexist behaviour on display. In saying that we have our own history that is not something we are proud of either, so I assume if I was reviewing a fictional book about the mistreatment of aboriginals I may have felt the pain I am sure my American friends would be feeling when reading about this chapter of their past.
But even in saying that, a must read and definitely a cannot put down book.
February 22, 2023
This is another book in the Alex Cross series. It was well written and was different from all the previous books. It was all about Alex Cross’s ancestors and things that went on back in the day. I knew that a lot that happened in the book was true. Wasn’t planning to read this for Black History month, but it was the next in the series for me and I knew I wanted to keep going with the series.
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