Series Sunday: Return of the Spider

(Alex Cross #34) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Return of the Spider, the 34th book in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

What a treat to take Alex Cross back to the original days of him catching a spider. In this 34th installment of the Detective Alex Cross series, we are taken back in time. Cross was a rookie. Sampson was learning the job. And the infamous Gary Soneji entered the scene. Return of the Spider is the companion to Along Came the Spider, the debut novel that introduced our beloved Detective Cross.

"What was the psychology behind that?" ~ pg. 279

Eighteen years later, police discover that Gary Soneji kept a murder book, detailing his evil transformation from substitute teacher to serial killer. Included are clues that imply missteps Cross may have taken in his earlier rookie days of a homicide detective. The story moves to eighteen years ago, with Soneji live and in the flesh committing murders while Sampson and Cross are trying to solve the murders as they hurriedly come in.

The real treat are the alternating chapters featuring Alex's first wife, Maria, and their early home life. Reading about her secret spaghetti sauce, her pregnant with an active baby sure to be an athlete and their young love. I always wanted to read more about Maria and Patterson delivers it here! What a great addition to the series filled with suspense, mystery, action and heartfelt scenes. And the ending is like the series has just begun...

Happy Early Pub Day, James Patterson! Return of the Spider will be available tomorrow, November 17.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Return of the Spider
Author: James Patterson
Published: November 2025
Pages: 329
Edition: Galley
Genre: Mystery

Challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤