Alex Cross books in order

All 32 Alex Cross books in order by James Patterson (1993 to 2023): the reading order and where to start, with a one-line summary of each.

32 books1993 to 2023 James Patterson

Where to start

Along Came a Spider (1993)

A kidnapper wants infamy. A detective wants the truth. Both will get it.

Read the summary

Reading order

Alex Cross reading order

  1. Along Came a Spider

    1993Start here

    A kidnapper wants infamy. A detective wants the truth. Both will get it.

    Read the summary

  2. Kiss the Girls

    1995

    Two serial killers, one harem, and a detective's niece among the missing.

    Read the summary

  3. Jack & Jill

    1996

    A nursery rhyme becomes a murder script in Washington, D.C.

    Read the summary

  4. Cat and Mouse

    1997

    Soneji is out. Alex Cross has one shot to end the game.

    Read the summary

  5. Pop Goes the Weasel

    1999

    A diplomat with a license to kill plays Death — and Alex Cross is the game board.

    Read the summary

  6. Roses Are Red

    2000

    A masked crew executes bank tellers while a killer taunts Alex Cross at home.

    Read the summary

  7. Violets Are Blue

    2001

    A vampire cult, a killer cop, and Alex Cross running out of people to trust.

    Read the summary

  8. Four Blind Mice

    2002

    A decorated soldier dies for murders he never committed — and Alex Cross wants to know why.

    Read the summary

  9. The Big Bad Wolf

    2003

    A new FBI agent hunts a ghost who sells people online.

    Read the summary

  10. London Bridges

    2004

    A ghost town burns in Nevada, and Alex Cross has four days to save four cities.

    Read the summary

  11. Mary, Mary

    2006

    A killer emails murder stories to a reporter — and signs them Mary Smith.

    Read the summary

  12. Cross

    2006

    The case Alex Cross can't refuse leads straight to his wife's killer.

    Read the summary

  13. Double Cross

    2007

    Double Cross is the 13th novel in James Patterson's Alex Cross series featuring Detective Alex Cross.

  14. Cross Country

    2008

    Cross Country is the 14th novel in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

  15. Alex Cross's Trial

    2009

    Alex Cross's Trial is the 15th novel in James Patterson's Alex Cross series.

  16. I, Alex Cross

    2009

    I, Alex Cross is the 16th novel in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

  17. Cross Fire

    2010

    Cross Fire is the 17th book of James Patterson's Alex Cross series.

  18. Kill Alex Cross

    2011

    Kill Alex Cross is the 18th novel in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson, following fictional detective Alex Cross as he tries to solve two crimes – one involving the president's kidnapped children and the other a…

  19. Merry Christmas, Alex Cross

    2012

    Merry Christmas, Alex Cross is the 19th novel in the Alex Cross series.

  20. Alex Cross, Run

    2013

    Alex Cross, Run is the 20th novel in the Alex Cross series written by American author James Patterson.

  21. Cross My Heart

    2013

    Cross My Heart is the 21st novel in the Alex Cross series written by author James Patterson.

  22. Hope to Die

    2014

    Novel by James Patterson.

  23. Cross Justice

    2015

    Cross Justice is the 23rd book of the Alex Cross series, written by James Patterson.

  24. Cross the Line

    2016

    Cross the Line is the 24th installment in the popular Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

  25. The People vs. Alex Cross

    2017

    Book by James Patterson.

  26. Target: Alex Cross

    2018

    Target: Alex Cross is the twenty-fourth novel in the Alex Cross series.

  27. Criss Cross

    2019

  28. Deadly Cross

    2020

  29. Fear No Evil

    2021

  30. Triple Cross

    2022

  31. Cross Down

    2023

  32. Alex Cross Must Die

    2023

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the Alex Cross series?

There are 32 main books in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson, published from 1993 to 2023.

What order should I read the Alex Cross books in?

The Alex Cross books in order: 1. Along Came a Spider (1993), 2. Kiss the Girls (1995), 3. Jack & Jill (1996), 4. Cat and Mouse (1997), 5. Pop Goes the Weasel (1999), 6. Roses Are Red (2000), 7. Violets Are Blue (2001), 8. Four Blind Mice (2002), 9. The Big Bad Wolf (2003), 10. London Bridges (2004), 11. Mary, Mary (2006), 12. Cross (2006), 13. Double Cross (2007), 14. Cross Country (2008), 15. Alex Cross's Trial (2009), 16. I, Alex Cross (2009), 17. Cross Fire (2010), 18. Kill Alex Cross (2011), 19. Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (2012), 20. Alex Cross, Run (2013), 21. Cross My Heart (2013), 22. Hope to Die (2014), 23. Cross Justice (2015), 24. Cross the Line (2016), 25. The People vs. Alex Cross (2017), 26. Target: Alex Cross (2018), 27. Criss Cross (2019), 28. Deadly Cross (2020), 29. Fear No Evil (2021), 30. Triple Cross (2022), 31. Cross Down (2023), 32. Alex Cross Must Die (2023).

Which Alex Cross book should I read first?

Start with Along Came a Spider (1993).

Who wrote the Alex Cross series?

The Alex Cross series was written by James Patterson.

Keep reading

Books and publication years are checked against Wikidata and Open Library. Titles link to our summary when we have one.