19 - Merry Christmas, Alex Cross(audio books)MP3-zeke23

Alex Cross is a 2012 American crime thriller film directed by Rob Cohen and starring Tyler Perry as the titular character and Matthew Fox as the villain Picasso. The adapted screenplay was written by Marc Moss and Kerry Williamson. This is the third film appearance of the character Alex Cross, the main character in a series of novels by James Patterson. Cross was previously portrayed by Morgan Freeman in Kiss the Girls (1997) and Along Came a Spider (2001). In 2010, Idris Elba was hired to play Cross but he was replaced by Perry. Filming took place in 2011. The film was released on October 19, 2012 in the United States and Canada.

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross is the nineteenth novel in the Alex Cross series. Detective Alex Cross is called out on Christmas Eve to deal with a hostage situation that has spiraled out of control. Released on November 12, 2012, the novel was well received by fans and critics alike. However, its commercial success was somewhat lukewarm in comparison to past installments, peaking at #2 and #3 on the New York Times and USA Today bestsellers lists, respectively.

It's Christmas Eve and Alex Cross has been called out to catch someone who is robbing his church's poor box. That mission behind him, Alex returns to celebrate with Nana, Bree, and his children. The tree decorating is barely underway before his phone rings - a horrific hostage situation is spiraling out of control. Away from his family on the most precious of days, he must call upon every ounce of training, creativity, and daring to save another family. Alex risks everything - and may not make it to the most sacred of days. Hala, from the previous novel, will return as the main antagonist.

On Christmas Eve, Metro Police officer Alex Cross and his friend, John Sampson are at the local church awaiting for a thief who has been stealing from the church's poor box. The two catch the miscreant and take him to jail, while Sampson says that the thief better be singing "Silent Night". Later the night, Alex returns home to decorate the Christmas tree with his aging "90-something-year-old" grandmother, Nana Mama, his wife, Bree, children - Damon, Janelle, and (though adopted) Ava, while his third child, Alex Jr. "Ali" is at his mother's house since Alex and Ali's mother never married and broke up. Alex receives another call from Metro Police informing him that a man has taken his family hostage. Alex rushes over, much to Bree and Nana's annoyance. The man is a former lawyer who was fired and thus led to a life of crime. After several hours, Alex tricks the man (who is doing drugs while speaking to Alex and holding a gun pointed at the family) and his background history is explained: after a case in court regarding drugs, he withheld information and exculpatory evidence and his life started to get ruined from that point when he lost the case. At a Christmas party years earlier, he held a party for his family and friends when an old friend from Georgetown arrived dressed as Santa Claus.

The man's wife then fellated the man when no one was around, while the man explains it as "mommy was sucking Santa Claus". The man found out and also cheated on his wife in retaliation. However, soon after, he became abusive and started a life of crime to which his wife filed a divorce. The wife then married the man from Georgetown. The man wounds his wife's new husband, and becomes extremely upset. A trained sniper meant to kill the man then tries to kill the man, but Alex saves his life and tells him that he should have in court given the evidence and information to the court so as to save lives and still have a good reputation, which may have meant his relationship with his wife would still be good and not very strained as it is now.

Early Christmas Day, Bree and Nana worry over Alex if he shall come back home or not. Alex gets home to find Bree in bed, but is informed by former Hostage Rescue Team - and current FBI agent - member Ned Mahoney, one of Alex's oldest friends, that Hala, the main antagonist of the previous novel, who poisoned Washington's water supply was seen - though disguised - by a camera at Union Station. Alex rushes over to the station and Hala poisons a boy, kills three people, and goes into the air ducts. Meanwhile, her allies from "the family" attempt to locate a poisonous substance that can kill thousands. Hala does several things to disturb, distraught, injure, stop, and fight the police and civilians. Hala throws grenades at officers, but when Alex sends in police dogs because he knows that Hala has had a fear since childhood. She throws another grenade while fighting off the dogs, and is caught.

Alex and Mahoney ponder how to interrogate Hala who lawyers up and refuses to talk. Ned uses Skype to show Hala that if she does not explain what she was doing at Union Station her children and mother may be injured or even killed by the Saudi secret police. Hala at first does not cooperate, but upon being asked by her children why she does not love him, grudgingly and unwillingly tells Alex that the Family is trying to retrieve the substance to poison and kill millions of people in America. Alex knows Hala is not giving the entire truth to him and Ned, and figures out where her allies are as well as the substance.

Calling Sampson, Alex and Sampson locate the allies but initially mistake them for construction workers. Hala's compatriots try to kill the pair and manage to shoot Sampson, but Alex finds his gun clogged with snow, therefore meaning if he fires his gun, it will explode killing them all. Sampson awakens and kills the terrorists with his own gun. Later, Alex returns home after Christmas Day, and is upset he did not get to spend Christmas with his family. At a double date with Sampson and his wife, Billy, Alex and Bree start to dance with Bree questioning Alex if he is okay, to which he replies "of course, I'm dancing with the most beautiful and sexiest woman here tonight." Hala and her remaining allies are taken to prison, leaving Alex wondering about having "crossed the line" during the interrogation.

Author James Patterson
Country United States
Language English
Series Alex Cross series
Genre Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Publisher Little, Brown
Publication date November 12, 2012
Media type Print (Hardcover)
Pages 400 (hardcover)
ISBN 0-316-21068-4
Preceded by Kill Alex Cross
Followed by Alex Cross, Run