ALEX CROSS

Dual narration heightens the conflict between Alex Cross, former FBI agent, and Michael Sullivan, “the Butcher of Sligo.” Peter Jay Fernandez, the voice of Cross in almost all of Patterson’s audios, shows understanding of Alex’s humor and foibles, as well as his vulnerability in revisiting the painful death of his first wife and his inability to leave behind his life as a criminal tracker. Jay O. Sanders’s cold, ruthless tones portray Sullivan’s psychopathic zeal for threatening, killing, and torturing. He also conveys the villains’ tensions as he battles childhood demons, urges to hunt new prey, and Mob figures who threaten his family. The appeal of this book comes from the fascinating parallels between these two characters. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]