Now that Alex Cross is withthe FBI, he seems to be getting more involved with crimes of more global importance rather than just serial murders. There is still no shortage of death, though! This newest volume in the series brings back two of his sickest challengers: the Weasel and the Wolf. Of course, most of the people he comes up against are pretty messed up.

The Weasel and the Wolf have moved into the realm of terrorism, placing a series of cities around the globe in serious danger. The Wolf demands a great deal of money from countries involved as well as the release of 50-odd terrorists that have been recently captured as part of the global war on terror.

As usual, Alex is also facing some troubles at home, as he is confronted with the potentially failing health of Nana, Little Alex's move to Washington state to live with his mom Christine, and his struggling relationship with a San Francisco detective.

The story has a lot of potential, but the inflated consequences really means that the reader doesn't get the usual opportunity to connect with the victims in the same way. As with most acts of terrorism, the victims are faceless, which seems out of place for Alex.

Rather than the usual one-on-one contest of wills found in the Alex Cross books, the reader finds himself in a really poor Tom Clancy/Jack Ryan novel that seems to lurch from scene to scene rather than flowing well. This is the first Alex Cross book that I have found myself reading just to get to the end, and I was surprised because it is one of the shortest. It just lacked the usual oomph found in the books. I am hoping the next book in the series is more up to the usual standard.