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Alex Cross's TRIAL
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Alex Cross's TRIAL
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Alex Cross's TRIAL
Audiobook8 hours

Alex Cross's TRIAL

Written by Richard DiLallo and James Patterson

Narrated by Dylan Baker

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

The year is 1906, and America is segregated. Hatred and discrimination plague the streets, the classroom, and the courts. But in Washington D.C., Ben Corbett, a smart and courageous lawyer, makes it his mission to confront injustice at every turn. He represents those who nobody else dares defend, merely because of the color of their skin. When President Roosevelt, under whom Ben served in the Spanish-American war, asks Ben to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in his home town in Mississippi, he cannot refuse.

The details of Ben's harrowing story--and his experiences with a remarkable man named Abraham Cross--were passed from generation to generation, until they were finally recounted to Alex Cross by his grandmother, Nana Mama. From the first time hear heard the story, Alex was unable to forget the unimaginable events Ben witnessed in Eudora and pledged to tell it to the world. Alex Cross's Trial is unlike any story Patterson has ever told, but offers the astounding action and breakneck speed of any Alex Cross novel.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 24, 2009
ISBN9781600248542
Unavailable
Alex Cross's TRIAL

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Reviews for Alex Cross's TRIAL

Rating: 3.787303523809524 out of 5 stars
4/5

315 ratings36 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Surprise; this book is NOT about Alex Cross being on trial. As a matter of fact he is not even a character.
    Instead the reader is drawn into a world of such horror and deep sadness to think of the cruelty of man to another who doesn't look "just like me".

    Told from the viewpoint of a young child who witnessed a lynching in a town where the KKK is a strong and proud tradition that should not be taken a stand against.
    Sent by the President of the United States to Eudora, Mississippi to ascertain the veracity of the rumors of these events, a young lawyer learns the dark secrets of his hometown and those he grew up with.

    I was captivated by this sadly true story and the incredible courage this lawyer found within himself to make a stand despite the very life threatening risks to himself and those he learned to care so deeply for.
    A new view into a horrid part of our nation's history.

    I highly recommend this book to anyone who seeks truth, enlightenment and a peek into a side of life they may have little personal knowledge of.

    This is a book that WILL move you.

    It is NOT light entertainment.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The war has just ended; Equality is still a foreign concept -- especially in the south. Theodore Roosevelt (the President of the USA) has placed an urgent call to Ben Corbett - a prestigious lawyer - summoning him to The White House. The President instructs Corbett to seek the aid of Abraham Cross in his home town of Mississippi, and together, investigate the outbreak of burning and lynching of minorities. When he does arrive, it doesn't take him long to find Cross whom is being escorted by a beautiful young woman, Moody. Moody is Cross' grand daughter and together they show Corbett the true extent of the hate-filled assaults in a once peaceful town. While it does take Ben Corbett a while to accept the truth, he does finally come to realize just how dire the situation is.

    The first two pages are about Alex Cross and he is not mentioned again in the entire 380 pages. The book is really about lynching in the South in the early 1900s. There aren't any twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader riveted and the conclusion is absolutely non-climatic. A real disappointment. History buffs may really like it. 2.5 stars.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    An excellent read!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    LOVED it! It was gripping, interesting, impossible to put down. Made me ashamed for our past, but so hopeful for the future. Very, very good!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is, without a doubt, the best Paterson novel I've ever read. It made me angry to think that American's could be sold cold and evil, even though I'm well aware of the lynching terror that pervaded the South after the Civil War. I'm not sure if the kudos should go to Paterson or Richard Dilallo as this is far different than Paterson's other novels. It kept me turning the pages, each character was so real, the scenes well drawn and disturbing, the attitudes and hate so clear. Describing the weather, I could feel the sweat dripping off me.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This was my first James Patterson novel though I am familiar with the movie adaptations of his Alex Cross books.

    Spoilers below.

    I found this to be an easy read. I picked it up for a time killer while getting ready for the day and was pulled in. I enjoyed it up until the end. All throughout the book Ben and his friends were fighting for what was right but by the end they were just being deliberately provocative and my sympathy began to wane. The big twist at the end with FDR was so obvious you expected a well educated lawyer like Ben to see right through it. And then there was the family, no tension there, and they didn't even feel like characters, just templates.
    Everything just seemed to wrap up too quickly and it was all sorts of meh.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Woah, Mr Patterson. As someone who is reading and enjoying the Alex Cross books in order,I was shocked by this book. A little bit of warning was necessary! This is a book about Alex's great uncle Abraham Cross in the era of the KKK. I think this book needs to be read to understand it fully and this review isnt going to give you much info.I found it too gripping to put down. I often struggle with books around racism. I find them so difficult to read. I think it's because I often put myself into the story too much and its almost like I can feel the pain and suffering that black people went through. This was one of those types of books for me. Although the story is a little farfetched at times, I was still fully immersed and it meant that I had to finish it to know what happens.And thats it,I dont feel like I can write anymore about it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It threw me off when I started to read this because it was not truly an Alex Cross book. I tried it a second time and kept going. Once I realized not to expect Alex I really got into the story as a stand alone book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    First off, I liked it. It was an entertaining read. I am doubtful that such gross injustice ever was so prevalent and fragrant as depicted here, so you have to suspend belief a bit and go along to get the maximum impact from this fictional novel. Many great novels require the suspension of common sense and belief, but this one is NOT a great novel, although highly readable and somewhat thought provoking. In spite of the negatives. I give it 4 stars for its entertainment value.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Oh my. I really wish people would stop recommending gruesome stuff to me. I am not the target audience for this. Nor do I think any thriller-reading bigots will learn anything from it. I have no idea who any of these people are except cardboard role-fillers. I found the short chapters to be jarring - like each was a panel or page in a graphic novel? Boy-oh-boy if this is a cut above most supermarket reads, well, let me say I'm glad I don't buy my books there. Sorry.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I've read many of the novels in James Patterson's Alex Cross crime series, however; Alex Cross's Trial is a departure from the above suite of novels. Essentially it's a family tale involving a lawyer by the name of Ben Corbett, and a man called Abraham Cross, who happens to be Nana Mama's Uncle. (For those familiar with the Alex Cross series, Nana Mama is Alex's Grandmother). Alex decides to write the story after reading Corbett's journals.Taking place in the early part of the Twentieth Century, President Roosevelt sends Corbett from DC to Eudora Mississippi, his hometown, to find out more about the supposed lynchings that have been reported. Racism is rife, lynchings are commonplace and Corbett must gather information and stay alive despite being quickly labelled a 'nigger lover'.Overall, an exciting departure from the regular series, and a great historical fiction read from the time of the Ku Klux Klan in the South.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Don't expect the typical Alex Cross novel. This book has balls.

    It takes place in the deep south in the early part of the 1900s. It is a book about small town racial prejudice and fear. You can feel the atmosphere and sense the tension.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Not a typical Alex Cross Novel but a exellent written piece about Cross great grandfather and how he fought against lynchings and the KKK.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Alex Cross is a lawyer who works alot of pro bono cases. He realizes that many of his clients are unable to pay in monetary value. He accepts whatever they have at the time. President Roosevelt is in term at this time. He requests Alex's presence at The White House and has a mission for Alex should he choose to accept it. Roosevelt has heard too many racial happenings down South; mainly in the state of Mississippi. He wants someone to do down there and report back to Roosevelt. He has heard of Alex's reputation of accepting pro bono cases and thinks he is picking the correct man for this job. Alex accepts the offer from the President and takes the train to Mississippi the next day. Alex re-acquaints himself with many residents in this town since this is where he grew up. He meets his best friend while they were growing up. He meets his first girlfriend. Most of the people in this town are still living here. They like the way of living. He takes a tour of the city and visits with many friends for a few days and then he gets down to the reason for his coming. He knows the racial tension is oppressive but what he sees and hears is unbelievable. Alex gets himself in trouble when he gets involved in stopping the issue. Patterson's books are great. What a great historial book one can't put down once you start reading it. You will get mad at some of the characters and the occurences that happen. You will like to put the book down, but it's just irresistible to do such a feat.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book's main character is a young white man from MS now living the life of a progressive lawyer in Washington DC. He receives a special task from Ted Roosevelt to go back to his home town and look into the lynchings and other inequalities occurring - something he believes can't be true. He returns to a town that looks the same but is inherently different and to a people who no longer welcome him with open arms as the son of the local Judge, but as the Yankee "nigger-loving" outsider. His secret task takes him down a dangerous path where he not only learns what the life of a black person in that area is like, but also learns that some of his white friends are not who he thought them to be. A great read.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This book is no where near as good as other installements in the series. Although the setting was a somewhat good idea, it seems to have sloed down the author's pace. The premise was good, but the book is not enjoyable.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is, without a doubt, the best Paterson novel I've ever read. It made me angry to think that American's could be sold cold and evil, even though I'm well aware of the lynching terror that pervaded the South after the Civil War. I'm not sure if the kudos should go to Paterson or Richard Dilallo as this is far different than Paterson's other novels. It kept me turning the pages, each character was so real, the scenes well drawn and disturbing, the attitudes and hate so clear. Describing the weather, I could feel the sweat dripping off me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A bit different for Patterson. Its a Alex Cross book, buts him telling about his ancestors courageous fight for freedom. A powerful drama & a good thriller, a very important one.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have read many of Patterson's books, and enjoy his easy reading style. I found this to be the best novel that he has written. I am surprised that Patterson chose to tell a Southern story, and a story that did not end with the trial decision anticipated. The story happens in 1906 in a small town in Mississippi and President Theodore Roosevelt has sent a lawyer on a secret mission to explore the tales of lynching of black people. Patterson presents a town torn between humanity dignity and fear of peers in the struggle of racial equality. The story is well told by Patterson.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    It was a good book with a good story. Kind of John Grishamish. Seems like the Alex Cross was to sell the book because I don't see where it was really necessary.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    An electrifying story placed in Mississippi in 1906. A fictional tale of the struggle of southern whites to keep the coloreds in their proper place. Though fiction, I fear the story is based on true events. duration 8:53:17
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    ALEX CROSS'S TRIAL by James Patterson & Richard Dilallo is a intriguing thriller set in 1900 Eudora, Mississippi. It has betrayal, racism, lynchings, friendships, trust, prejudices, and bravery. When Ben Corbitt, an attorney from Washington, DC, is sent to his hometown by the president to investigate the alleged lynching and KKK involvement he encounters betrayal, horrible discoveries, new friendships, near death and survival. He also encounters the trust and friendship of Abraham Cross and his granddaughter, Moody. This is a compelling, heartbreaking, fast paced, page turner story. It will pull you into the story and engulf you, you will see the injustice of the time. This is a story of survival of the African American family and the hardships they endure in the South. It is about the trial of some of the KKK that was involved in the death's of three men, and the injustice that occurred with that trial.I would recommend this book. I must warn you it is heartbreaking, but also a part of our history. This book was received for review and details can be found at My Book Addiction and More and Grand Central Publishing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I am a true Patterson fan that found this book enjoyable.This is not the usual Patterson style, however, the book holds your interest and keeps you turing pages.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Audiobook............A good piece of historical fiction set in Eudora, Mississippi during Teddy Roosevelt's presidency. The story is told by one of the author's longtime astute detective characters as he writes a piece of family history, about the role of the family in revealing the continuing practice of lynching in the South. Although the lynchings are described in all too vivid detail, the book is well worth reading!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I grabbed this from the new releases shelf at my library, because it had Alex Cross' name on it. Over the years I have really enjoyed James Patterson's Alex Cross novels. Now its my fault for not reading the synopsis, but I have to say I was a little disappointed that the book wasn't "really" an Alex Cross novel. I sort of feel that this was a marketing ploy to get Cross fans to buy the novel.That being said, I enjoyed it. It is by no means a great book, but you won't be disappointed. It is your typical easy and fast read by James Patterson. The type of book you want for the beach or your vacation (or in my case a long frickin Go bus ride, during a snow storm).The characters are interesting, if not overly developed, and the plot keeps you hooked. This is a little different than some of his other stuff, but I imagine that has to do with his co-writer on the story. The story is set during the early 1900's in a racially tense small Mississippi town. It is the story of Alex Cross's grandfather and his relationship with a white lawyer who comes to investigate lynchings on behalf of President Roosevelt.I know a lot of people knock James Patterson's novels, but he is a good storyteller, which is far more important to me than if the author is a "great writer"
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow - couldn't put it down from the moment I started reading. Excellent book. Very different from any of the Alex Cross novels and well worth the read. The characters are all very well written and you will be hooked from the first chapter.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    I knew going into this book that it really had nothing to do with Alex Cross, and I was fine with it. The problem I had with it is that it's what now I call, "typical Patterson". He needs to take control of his writings and not give it to the co-author. Patterson is more interested in pumping out books with his name on them, than putting out quality books. When I see a new "Patterson" book, I keep on telling myself, "this has to be better than the last one." As usual, I was wrong. The story is about Alex's great uncle, Abraham Cross who helps a man, Ben Corbett, who was sent by the President of the United States to look into the lynching of black men and to see if the KKK is still alive and hanging black men in Mississippi. That's pretty much the plot. One of many problems I had is that I expected Abraham to be a central characeter in this book, he's not. At best, he's a secondary character. The main character really is Ben. ***MINOR SPOILER*** There's a court scene, that just goes on and on and on and on. It just takes up so much of the book, that it was a distraction. ***END MINOR SPOILER*** Be smart, and do what I did. Get it at the library. I'd be mad if I paid full price for this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    At last, Patterson has redeemed himself in my eyes. For too long he has cranked out book after book full of fill-in-the-blank story lines. The names and scenery would change, but the story remained the same. It had gotten to the point where I could figure out "who done it" within the first five chapters of any of his books. But this book? This book here? The master storyteller is back!Titled Alex Cross's Trial, don't be fooled. Alex Cross is briefly mentioned in the first two pages, but the story is that of Washington, DC attorney Ben Corbett. Set in the early 1900s, Ben finds himself summoned to the White House by President Theodore Roosevelt. At the president's request, Ben is dispatched to Eudora, Mississippi to investigate the rise in lynchings. A native of Eudora, Ben is familiar with the ways of the south, but isn't prepared for the journey that lies ahead of him. With the assistance of Abraham Cross, Alex's great great uncle, Ben sets out to complete the task at hand. Along the way he discovers that old friends can't be trusted and new friends come from the most unlikely places.At times I had to simply put the book down and take a break because it set my emotions on edge. Patterson and his co-author, Richard Dilallo, do a fine job of capturing the essence of the town's characters, both black and white. There is no sugar coating of the horror of lynching and the era in history that most of mainstream America would like to pretend never existed. This is a definite must read from Patterson for the first time in a long time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was an atypical James Patterson book. Some of the scenes were quite gruesome but, it was a quick read and a page turner.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    James Patterson is like many successful authors. He writes a really good book or two, becomes famous, and then pours forth one mediocre (or sometimes just plain bad) book after another. I keep reading them hoping for another one like the really good ones, but it never appears. This is better than the last few of his I have read.It occurs at the turn of the century when the blacks are free in theory but still under the suppression of the whites, particularly deep in Mississippi where this story takes place. A Washington DC lawyer who grew up in Eudora, MS, returns there at the request of the President to quietly investigate the alleged actions of the Klan against the blacks. He finds it is even worse than reported with frequent lynchings for the slightest perceived provocation, or just because they want to do so. He becomes friends with Abraham Cross, an elderly black man, and his family. When Klan action escalates and is directed toward the Cross family, he sets out to help convict those involved. The characters are okay. The plot is okay. The book is not a great book, but it certainly is readable and a little different from his previous stories. It is not a book I would tell a friend they should read, but if you are a Patterson fan, you probably will enjoy it.