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A 911 call late one evening, a distraught husband, two experienced police officers and a wife and child kidnapped.Alex Cross must race against the clock to track down the missing family, and draw on all of his skills to solve the crime before the inevitable happens.This is an exclusive short story co-written by James Patterson and Brent Gargan for the 2014 James Patterson Heroes + Villains Writing Challenge.

10 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2014

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Brent Gargan

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5 stars
82 (36%)
4 stars
54 (24%)
3 stars
43 (19%)
2 stars
26 (11%)
1 star
20 (8%)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Cheryl .
2,415 reviews80 followers
February 8, 2018
** 15 Minute Reads from Kindle **

I thought I'd try a few of these 15 minute reads from Kindle to see how they compare quality wise to other short stories I've read.

I LOVE my Alex Cross novels and this was a stunning example of a classic Alex Cross tale and what an exceptionally well written short story should look like. James Patterson tends to co-write his novels and this time sees his co-author Brent Gargan get star billing.
It helps to have read other Alex Cross novels to get a feel for the main characters, but I'm sure this could be read as a standalone and still give new readers a heart pounding thrill! It's hard to describe more without giving spoilers away (it was a very short piece) but I held my breath as the story romped home to it's stunning conclusion. Highly, highly recommended - especially for Alex Cross fans.
Profile Image for Em.
561 reviews48 followers
May 7, 2018
I knew this was a short story, but wow, it is short. It took 2 minutes to read. It wasn't very interesting or suspenseful, but if you're interested in reading it, give it a shot - it won't take you long to finish!
Profile Image for Genevieve.
Author 16 books11 followers
February 19, 2022
While only a short read, this is how you write thrillers.

“It feels like a lifetime, but a moment is all it takes for him to lower the gun, close an eye and cock the hammer.”

Engaging, well paced, no fillers or fluff in very few pages. Easy one click author.
Profile Image for Kelli.
8 reviews
March 20, 2025
This is more of a scene than a whole story. But it is well-written. It doesn't really add anything to the Cross series, but it was enjoyable.
Profile Image for Julie Bye.
271 reviews1 follower
April 11, 2016
Got a spare five minutes? More than ling enough to read this so called story. Bit badly written but it's more like part of a scene. At least it was a free Amazon download.
Profile Image for Adam Dalton.
43 reviews2 followers
March 3, 2016
Fantastic Read, Kept Me on my feet. James Patterson is a beautiful author. Keep them coming mate!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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