List of Alex Cross books in order

1. Along Came a Spider (1993)

Two children have been kidnapped from a private school in Washington DC, and Detective Alex Cross is tasked with finding them.

The kidnapper is the dangerous and psychopathic killer Gary Soneji, who had disguised himself as one of the children’s teachers.

Working alongside Jezzie Flanigan of the Secret Service, Cross must solve what Soneji intends to be the crime of the century.

Together they are pulled deeper into the kidnapper’s strange world, and into a bizarre triangle of suspense.

2. Kiss the Girls (1995)

Detective Alex Cross’s niece is missing.

A recent string of abductions and murders are terrorising the United States, and Cross thinks there’s a link.

On opposite sides of the country, two killers are collaborating and competing to commit increasingly horrific crimes.

With lives including his niece’s hanging in the balance, Cross must hunt down a brutal pair of criminal masterminds.

3. Jack and Jill (1996)

One one side of town, a controversial US Senator is murdered in his own bed. On the other, a beautiful little schoolgirl is savagely beaten to death.

Alex Cross can’t solve both cases, so must make an impossible choice.

With two killers at large in Washington DC, no one is safe.

But can Cross discover the truth before the killers set their sights on the ultimate target?

4. Cat and Mouse (1997)

Things had started to feel better again for Alex Cross, as the depression he’s been in since the death of his wife began to ease.

But there is a madman on the loose in the city, firing indiscriminately into the crowds of travellers at Union Station train terminal.

This psychopath seems hell-bent on going down in a blaze of glory, and he wants Alex Cross to be there.

5. Pop Goes the Weasel (1999)

Geoffrey Shafter is a man who never loses, a man who is prepared to play a game for the highest possible stakes.

Detective Alex Cross is determined – no matter the consequences – to unmask the man he has nicknamed The Weasel.

The Weasel is the prime suspect for a series of twisted, chilling killings that have rocked Washington DC.

But Cross has been forbidden to investigate these crimes, so how will the killer be brought to justice?

6. Roses are Red (2000)

When a series of meticulously planned bank robberies ends in murder, Alex Cross must try to bring down the bizarre and sadistic mastermind behind the crimes.

Torn as ever – between the job and his family – Cross knows the risks associated with hunting down a killer, and the heart-breaking cost.

Alex Cross is forced to play in a world where mind games lead to violence, and the slightest mistake will be punished with death.

7. Violets are Blue (2001)

Two joggers have been found dead in San Francisco – bitten and hung by their feet to drain the blood.

Further murders in California and the East Coast leave Alex Cross and the FBI struggling for answers. Is this the work of a cult, or could it be modern-day vampires?

Desperate to stop the deaths, Alex must unravel the truth behind the most macabre case he’s ever known.

But at the same time, a deadly criminal from Cross’s past is stalking and threatening everything he holds dear.

8. Four Blind Mice (2002)

Alex Cross is preparing to resign from the Washington Police Force. He’s thinking about the future.

But then John Sampson shows up, desperate for Alex’s help.

Three young military wives have been brutally killed and Sampson’s friend, a master sergeant at the army base, stands accused.

If they are to solve the case, Cross and Sampson must infiltrate the closed world of the military. But what is the army trying to hide? And are there more sinister forces at work?

9. The Big Bad Wolf (2003)

Across the US, men and women are being kidnapped in broad daylight and then disappear completely.

But it’s not for ransom. They are being bought and sold.

A criminal genius known as The Wolf is behind the crimes, bringing a new reign of terror to the country.

It’s Alex Cross’s first case since joining the FBI, and the level of bureaucracy and caution is hindering him.

Cross may have to go it alone if he is to track his prey and rescue some of the victims while they are still alive.

10. London Bridges (2004)

Whilst on vacation, Alex Cross gets a call..

Minutes after being evacuated, a town in Nevada is annihilated.

Major global cities are threatened with total destruction, and Cross’s blood runs cold at the thought of such dark genius at work.

Alex Cross is catapulted head-first into a thrilling and dangerous international chase.

11. Mary, Mary (2005)

A well-known actress has been shot outside her Beverly Hills home. Shortly afterwards, the Los Angeles Times receives an email describing the murder in vivid detail.. signed by Mary Smith.

As more killings and emails follow, one thing is clear.. Hollywood’s A-list players are the killer’s target.

Is this the work of an obsessed fan? A spurned actor? Or something far more terrifying?

FBI agent Alex Cross must work with the LAPD to uncover a pattern before Mary can send another chilling update.

12. Cross (2006)

Alex Cross was on the up in the Washington D.C. PD when an unknown shooter killed his wife, Maria, in front of him.

Years later, having left the FBI and returned to practising psychology in DC, Alex finally feels his life is back on track.

But then his former partner, John Sampson, calls in a favour. Sampson is hunting a serial rapist in Georgetown and needs Alex’s help to track down this brutal predator.

When the case triggers a connection to Maria’s death, will Alex get the chance to catch his wife’s murderer? Or will it be the endgame in his own deadly obsession?

13. Double Cross (2007)

Alex Cross is once again drawn back into the game as he seeks to confront the Audience Killer, a psychopath who stages his killings as public spectacles in Washington, DC and broadcasts them live on the internet.

In Colorado, another twisted criminal is planning a victorious return.. from his maximum-security prison cell, where he has spent years plotting his escape and revenge.

And if he joins forces with DC’s Audience Killer, it could help him to get the man who put him away – Alex Cross.

14. Cross Country (2008)

When Detective Alex Cross arrives at a murder scene in Washington DC, he is devastated to find an old friend amongst the dead.

His efforts to bring the perpetrator to justice, lead him to the Delta’s of Nigeria – and the realm of a psychopathic killer known as the Tiger.

15. Alex Cross’s Trial (2009)

In the fight for Justice, Alex Cross must make the ultimate sacrifice.

16. I, Alex Cross (2009)

A family member murdered.

A suspect above the law.

17. Cross Fire (2010)

Alex Cross’s ultimate case.

And his deadliest enemy.

18. Kill Alex Cross (2011)

The President’s children have been kidnapped.

And someone powerful is trying to keep Detective Alex Cross off the case.

19. Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (2012)

Detective Alex Cross is at home with his family on the night before Christmas.

But when his phone rings, he knows that this isn’t going to be a merry Christmas.

20. Alex Cross Run (2013)

Don’t look. Don’t think. Just Run.

21. Cross My Heart (2013)

Alex Cross has never faced an adversary like this before.

If he doesn’t act fast, he’ll have no one left…

22. Hope to Die (2014)

When an enemy holds Alex Cross’s family hostage and threatens to kill them, things can’t get any tougher.

But Cross is fighting back.

23. Cross Justice (2015)

Alex Cross’s cousin When his cousin is accused of an unspeakable crime, Alex Cross returns to his North Carolina hometown for the first time in over three decades.

24. Cross the Line (2016)

Detective Alex Cross chases a cold-blooded killer with a conscience.

25. The People Vs. Alex Cross (2017)

Alex Cross is charged with killing in cold blood.

He’s never been on the wrong side of the law.. until now.

26. Target: Alex Cross (2018)

The FBI calls on Alex Cross to help them find America’s most wanted criminal.

But as the country is plunged into chaos, Cross is being drawn into the most important case of his life.

27. Criss Cross (2019)

Soon after the execution of a killer he helped lock up, Alex Cross is called to the scene of a copycat murder.

A note signed ‘M’ rests on the corpse: ‘You messed up big time, Dr. Cross.’

28. Deadly Cross (2020)

A glamorous socialite and high school principal are found murdered.

And it’s down to Alex Cross to solve a double homicide that is dominating the headlines.

29. Fear No Evil (2021)

Alex Cross ventures into the rugged Montana wilderness – where he will be the prey.

30. Triple Cross (2022)

A killer is targeting entire families. They strike under cover of darkness, trigger no alarms, and leave no evidence behind.

Detective Alex Cross must hunt them down.

31. Cross Down (2023)

A series of untraceable, military-style attacks are erupting across the United States.

Detectives Alex Cross and John Sampson will need to find a link amidst the carnage.

32. Alex Cross Must Die (2023)

An American Airlines plane explodes in the sky, taken down by a rare, stolen machine gun.

But this isn’t the only case that Alex Cross must solve, as a serial killer is ambushing young men in what the media are calling the ‘Dead Hours’ murders.

33. The House of Cross (2024)

America’s finest legal minds are under threat – being taken out by a brutal serial killer.

In one of Alex Cross’ most dangerous assignments yet, he must track down not just a killer – but members of his friends and family who have now gone missing.

Will the House of Cross survive?