Mary, Mary

Written by James Patterson

Narrated by Peter Jay Fernandez, Melissa Leo and Michael Louis Wells

Cross. Now streaming on Prime Video. 

FBI agent Alex Cross is on vacation with his family at Disneyland when he gets a call from the Director. A well-known actress was shot outside her home in Beverly Hills. Shortly afterward, an editor for the Los Angeles Times receives an e-mail describing the murder in vivid detail. Alex quickly learns that this is not an isolated incident. The killer, known as Mary Smith, has done this before and plans to kill again. Right from the beginning, this case is like nothing Alex has ever confronted. Is this the plan of an obsessed fan or a spurned actor, or is it part of something much more frightening? And particularly baffling, how could a woman be capable of these vicious crimes? Members of Hollywood's A-list fear they're next on Mary's list, and the case grows by blockbuster proportions as the LAPD and FBI scramble to find a pattern before Mary can send one more chilling update. Filled with the ruthless and shocking twists that make his fans hunger for more, Mary, Mary is James Patterson's most sophisticated thriller yet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: Nov 14, 2005
• ISBN: 9781594832666

Reviews for Mary, Mary

[atticusfinch1048 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mary, Mary is the eleventh edition of the Alex Cross series where he is till a member of the FBI and the agency’s ‘go to man’. Once again Patterson makes you work hard to try and work out how the thriller will end, and it is rewarding. Then there is Cross’ love life in which he is so darn needy!

A murder in a New York movie theatre becomes a triple homicide that should be a doozy to solve for though it remained unsolved. The action switches from New York to Los Angeles and the Hollywood glitterati. A well-known face is murdered on her way home and then mutilated and an email is sent to the entertainment editor of the LA Times describing in great detail the murder. Cross handily is on vacation at Disneyworld in California and the whole family is having a great time and Cross is relaxed. Cross cannot help himself and has taken his pager with him. So much so that the Director of the FBI wants Cross to have a look at the Mary Smith Case that that the LAPD is in the process of investigating.

Cross while clocking up the airmiles is trying to hold his family together and he needs to avoid the LAPD-FBI struggle which he knows will happen. He also is well aware that the LAPD does not think his profile of Mary Smith to be correct. Unfortunately, there is only one way to find out if it is correct and that is be investigating Mary Smith and everyone around her. When Cross shakes that tree who knows what will fall out.

Another high-octane white-knuckle ride with plenty of twists. A great thriller.

[judithrs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mary Mary. James Patterson. 2005. Alex Cross is on vacation with his family at Disney World when he is asked to look into what may be a serial murder. He is reluctant to get involved and has to work carefully around the LAPD but eventually identifies the murderer. Interspersed with his police work are details about his family life. It has been years since I have read an Alex Cross book, and he has moved from the police department to the FBI and somewhere along the line he has had an additional child that he wants custody of . As satisfying as all the books in this series are.

[susandennis-139327 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Patterson's Alex Cross novels are like the very tastiest junk food (and I love junk food). His characters are human and well formed and his plots, while not the most complicated, are meaty enough. Even his short chapter structure makes it easy reading. Mary Mary is quintessential. A serial killer starts in New York, moves to LA and sends emails describing each kill. The emails are from Mary Smith.

[novak_13 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Mary Mary: Patterson started off telling me about a nasty murder with a few clues. Then he left me and wandered away telling me about the detective’s nasty divorce and his children.
I gave it up.
Mr Patterson, if I wanted Mills and Boon, that’s what I would buy. Can I have my money back, please?

[MiVidaEnLibros · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don’t doubt that it may be good in its genre, but the thing is that I have never felt attracted to detective novels, which greatly influenced my perception of this novel; at times it seemed very dense and slow to me. (Translated from Spanish)

[lamour_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cross is on holidays with his family & girl friend in LA when he is asked to assist in the savage murder of a Hollywood actress who is a special friend of the president of the USA. Reluctantly he becomes involved despite protests from his children and Nanna his children's care giver. His ex-wife swoops in and takes his daughter back claiming Cross hasn't kept his promise to spend more time with his children. The murder case becomes more complicated when a Hollywood producer is murdered and his body mutilated in the same way as the actress's. The murderer sends emails admitting the murders and signs them Mary, Mary.

The plot has many turns and twists and much violence.

[vivianga23 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although suspense is not my strong suit, I enjoyed the search for the culprit... (Translated from Spanish)

[nataliec7 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alex Cross number 11. Alex is again on holiday when he gets a phone call yet again as there has been a murder of a famous actress. He leaves his family and goes to investigate the murder and then gets caught up in the whole 'Mary Smith' case. Mary emails a journalist with details of the crimes that she has committed and where to find the bodies. Alex is working alongside the LAPD to try to solve the case but its proving to be one of his more difficult cases.
Meanwhile, whilst Alex leaves his holiday to investigate the murder of the first victim, Christine - little Alex's mum turns up and takes him away. A court case ensues, what is going on with her?
All in all, another typical Cross book. 4/5 for me. I am very biased though as I love Patterson books!

[jguidry-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The mystery element in this Alex Cross novel was interesting. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the characters were interesting. The main thing that really slowed down the flow of the book was Alex's chaotic personal life. If Patterson had cut this drama in half, it would have been enough to build Alex's character and still keep the mystery flowing. Overall, though, I enjoyed this one.

[gma2lana · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As a Patterson fan, I couldn't go wrong with this fast read. At one point I did think the book was finished with the story, rather abruptly, but, pleased to find out that I hadn't reached the end yet, All I am saying.

[es135_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally, Alex Cross is back! I know he has been in several other novels, but faithful readers of the series will be pleased to find that Patterson has returned to form with this book. I found myself actually caring about the characters and their problems. With the success of this novel, one can only hope that Patterson will keep the momentum going in future installments.

[joannsmithainsworth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Words are bland, but he keeps the excitement up in the pace of the action.

[sonicquack · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There's not much new about Mary, Mary which is more blessing than curse. Patterson's narrative style is very popular, as is the Alex Cross character arc and in Mary, Mary the development of Alex Cross' character is as important as the serial killing that fills the other half of the book. It remains interesting throughout, smartly alternating and entwining the two sides of Cross, with some story elements coming to fruition that have been playing slowly across the whole series so far. Ideally suited to those reading the Cross novels in sequence, Mary, Mary is a solid entry in the series and is recommended reading.

[catmommie_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

James Patterson is always a good read.Basically, a serial killer is hitting celebrities in Los Angeles; Dr. Alex Cross represents the FBI and assists the LAPD in solving this case.Patterson takes you from two points of view: the killer's and Dr. Cross smoothly and without confusion. Thinking back, three-quarter ways through, hints were dropped as to the killer's identity but you didn't realize it until the end. Or at least, I didn't. LOLHad a nice, neat, well-written ending, not disappointed.

[tsisler_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think this is the 4th Alex Cross novel that I have read by Patterson. I continue to enjoy the series. I really like Patterson's writing style and format. The short chapters written from the different perspectives allows the reader to feel the story progress for the killer and for Cross. The length of the chapters also makes it a quick read in that "just one more chapter" always seems like a feasible task, and the engrossing plot ensures that "just one more chapter" is hardly ever just one more chapter. The Alex Cross series remains one of my favorite thriller series. I continue to love the psychological aspects of the books and find them all to be page-turners. For a quick-read thriller, this novel rates very high. For the actual murder-mystery plot, I'd rank this novel as high as "Along Came a Spider," which was my favoirte thus far in this series.

[pat1eiu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was great!! I get a little upset with James Patterson because anymore it seems he is just writting the outlines and someone else is writting the books. But, having said this, I still love his books. Alex Cross is hands down one of the best characters ever put into books.

[altarasabine · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My first venture into the writing of James patterson and the world of Alex Cross. A real page turner that made me regret to put it down. Engaging characters with a distinctive plot. Will leave you guessing to the very end.

[readafew · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mary Mary is the 11th book in the Alex Cross series. Once again he gets dragged into chasing down a serial killer. He is first asked to look into the case and give advice while he was vacationing at Disneyland with all 3 of his kids and Nana Mama. Someone is murdering high profile people in and around LA, all related to the movie business. I would classify this as an average book for the Cross series. A legal battle is thrown in near the beginning and a lot is made of it and then it disappears and becomes a non-issue once the rest of the story takes hold. An irritating reporter is also thrown in just to keep the waters a little murky. I was fooled until the end about who dun'it other than I knew one person who didn't do it. If you've read Agatha Christie this next line will be a spoiler, the murderer pulled an ABC Murder. You don't see this one very often and it was a pleasant surprise.

Overall it was a decent book and if you like the Cross books you won't be disappointed, but like most of them there are plenty of plot holes and what not, so don't think about it too hard.

I also think the readers did an excellent job.

[riverwillow · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I needed something formulaic that wouldn't tax my brain too much and friend passed this book to me and this was perfect. I think Alex Cross is an inspired creation, but its a shame that Patterson doesn't do more with him.

[skinglist · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Journal entry 2 by SKingList from New York, New York USA on Friday, December 30, 2005

Much as I love Patterson and Alex Cross, I wasn't a huge fan of this one. Yep, the ending still managed to surprise me and it had its usual twists and turns, but it's still getting formulaic. It's a bit of fill in the blanks for his girlfriend/the person he'll piss off and the agent he'll work closely with. New names, same story. And the very ending? WTF!? A bit of the editor saying 'you forgot to tie up this loose end' and Patterson going 'oh oops. Here, all done.'

That said, I still couldn't put it down. Quick read as always, but not one of his best. I think Alex needs to listen to what Nana said, and maybe this is Patterson's way of letting him relax?

[whitmelb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The human side of the "brilliant" detective. Alex Cross has moved from the New York police department to the FBI but continues to have problems conflating his family with his jobs. He, of course, leaves them at the most awkward of moments as he rushes off to solve one bizarre case or another. In this book it is the Storyteller he is chasing. A serial killer and the added twist is the question is the killer a man or a woman. I enjoy the Alex Cross stories but find his love life exhausting as he seems to start with one woman who perforce leaves him in the lurch but he then finds another, at this stage of the stories, usually one from a previous adventure.

[djupstrom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I like the combo of romance and thriller. Kept me hanging. I liked it!

[daybreak_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The characters lack depth at this point and I feel that Patterson is just cranking these books out to make some money.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't often read murder mysteries or detective stories. They are not my favourite genre. This book was fast-paced and had enough twists and intriguing connections to hold my interest. The characters were mostly two-dimensional, but this is the kind of book that depends on plot, not character development. And the plot is well developed.

[slkrbru · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While I found the conversations between characters and the rate at which women throw themselves at Alex Cross corny, I couldn't put this book down. The mystery itself kept me reading and it did have a nice little twist as I was hoping at the end. It has been too long since I have read a mystery novel and I would definitely read another by Patterson.

[ct4bergeron · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

FBI Agent Alex Cross is on vacation with his family in Disneyland when he gets a call from the Director. A well-known actress was shot outside her home in Beverly Hills. Shortly afterward, an editor for the Los Angeles Times receives an e-mail describing the murder in vivid details. Alex quickly learns that this is not an isolated incident. The killer, known as Mary Smith, has done this before and plans to kill again.
Right from the beginning, this case is like nothing Alex has ever been confronted with before. Is this the plan of an obsessed fan or a spurned actor, or is it part of something much more frightening? Now members of Hollywood's A-list fear they're next on Mary's list, and the case grows by blockbuster proportions as the LAPD and FBI scramble to find a pattern before Mary can send one more chilling update.

[swl_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I believe I've attempted Patterson novels before and found them wanting...I'm kind of surprised at the enthusiastic praise his work collects. On the plus side, the pace is consistent and doesn't lag. Cross is likeable and sympathetic and the first person narrative works well. Issues with his relationships (love interests, family) which I found choppy, unsatisfying and unlikely, I'll chalk up to the book being well into the series, which is hard for anyone to maintain.

On the down side, I couldn't get excited about the plot, the bad guy, the intrigue. The good guys were too flat to provoke much concern, the bad guys too thinly drawn to really scare. And, like so many authors, JP gets the kids' voices so horribly wrong...spend an hour with a teen (I'll loan him mine) and he'd see how far off the mark he is.

[fantasma_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Uff! This one was really better that the previous one in the Alex Cross series. I'm a big James Patterson fan but was getting a little disappointed by his last books, now I've hope again! There's still something missing from some of his other books, the unstopabale twists, the amazing surprises, but it's definitly a good thriller and I didn't find the "bad guy", not even close.
As usual, Alex Cross personal life's a mess, and even though we know it's part of the story and keeps another point of interest to it all, he's such a good guy, he deserved a nice woman at his side! ;o)

[goudareads · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is that last James Patterson I'm reading (and I mean it this time).

[jwarner6_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Alex Cross tries to balance life, family and the FBI which is calling him back to consult on a case of a serial killer who is killing Hollywood's power players. Although the ending was bit formulaic, it was still enjoyable.