Years ago, when James Patterson was an author and not a brand, he wrote some terrific stories. This is one of them and I’ve read it at least twice. It’s a textbook example of how a thriller is written, used as a template by at least one writer who teaches the subject. The plot moves forward at a rapid pace, the characters — especially Dr Alex Cross — are superb, and the plot twists come thick and fast. I read this in less than one day and it’s tempted me to re-visit at least a few of the dozens of books in this series.