Violets Are Blue

Two joggers are found murdered in a manner that suggests ritualistic vampire involvement, and detective Alex Cross is pulled into a world of underground clubs, role-players, and at least one individual whose reenactments have crossed from theater into actual bloodshed. Simultaneously, a calculating super-criminal from Cross's past, known only as the Mastermind, has resurface to stalk him personally. James Patterson's seventh Alex Cross novel puts two separate but escalating threats in motion at the same time.

Daniel Whitner and Kevin O'Rourke split the narration, which suits Patterson's rapid chapter structure and multiple point-of-view approach. Their complementary styles keep the novel's two storylines organized and propulsive. At just over eight hours, this is a tightly constructed thriller that delivers on its high-concept premise with the efficiency the series is known for.