Parodic crossovers can be used to lend verisimilitude to the fictional world of a program. Characters from a fictional television series may appear on a stylized version of an established non-fictional television series, such as game shows or reality shows. These crossovers between celebrity hosts and fictional characters are quite common on situation comedies. Mama's Family once appeared on Family Feud and the townsfolk of The Vicar of Dibley have had their heirlooms valuated on Antiques Roadshow, for instance. Triple Cross is the thirtieth book in the popular Alex Cross series by prolific American author, James Patterson. Investigative consultant to DC’s metro Police and to the FBI, Dr Alex Cross, and his good friend, Detective John Sampson are trying to solve a series of mass killings in which the perpetrator has been dubbed the Family Man. Over some months, three DC families (so far) have been efficiently executed without a single trace, nor any commonalities between them giving a clue to the killer.

The Crossover Characters | GradeSaver The Crossover Characters | GradeSaver

Inevitably, there are a few points where the reader needs to suspend disbelief, particularly where the lead couple’s cases intersect. And, probably due to having two cases running simultaneously, the final reveal of the Family Man’s identity and the motive behind the chilling murders was not as impactful as I had expected. However, Patterson makes up for the shortcomings by closing Triple Cross on a nail-biting note with the exciting possibility of a face-off between M and Alex in the oncoming episode. Simple language, short chapters, crisp dialogues and vivid descriptions make Triple Cross a rapid, riveting read, and it is not to be missed by the fans of this splendid series and any other reader looking for all-round entertainment. The earliest such crossover event was Gardner Fox's Zatanna's Search which took place in Hawkman #4 (October/November 1964), Detective Comics #336 (February 1965), The Atom #19 (June/July 1965), Green Lantern #42 (January 1966), Detective Comics #355 (September 1966), and Justice League of America #51 (February 1967). This story dealt with Zatanna attempting to reconnect with her father, Zatara, and seeking the aid of Hawkman, Batman, Robin, the Atom, Green Lantern, and the Elongated Man along the way.

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Along with all of this action is yet another sub-plot, this one involving Alex Cross’s wife, Bree, herself a top investigator, on a special assignment in NYC with a case set amid the fashion industry. As a reader, I initially found this storyline to be a distraction from The Family Man case that was so terrifying. That was until James Patterson, in his infinite gift of superiour plotting, finds a way to tie the plots together in a crafty, clever manner. In addition to basketball, Alexander leads the Bells through teenage angst in the form of JB's new girlfriend Alexis, which leads to a rift between JB and Josh. Both Bell parents impart vital life lessons to the twins, which are relayed to the reader in the form of basketball lessons and vocabulary words. Not only has Alexander made reading entertaining for young readers by invoking current stars, he has also succeeded in making an entertaining book educational.

Cross Over by James Patterson | Goodreads Cross Over by James Patterson | Goodreads

If I was in trouble, I would definitely want Alex Cross helping me. He is tough, takes no crap and highly dedicated. He loves his family more than anything, and they are a part of my world now too. How can you not love Nanna Mama and her cooking, or Ali and his keen detective skills. Triple Cross” opens with Alex Cross and his partner, John Sampson, working on a new case, hunting a serial killer called “The Family Man’ because he/she is quietly entering homes at night and murdering all of the family members – father, mother, and children – without any hesitation. The killer leaves no physical evidence nor clues as to his/her identity or motivation. Even Ned Mahoney, their FBI agent focal and resource is stymied by the killer’s ability to move unseen in the night. Quattlebaum, Mary (April 1, 2014). " 'The Crossover,' by Kwame Alexander". Washington Post . Retrieved June 20, 2017.Two things about book discoverability are indisputable: readers are always on the look out for good stories and writers are increasingly desperate to find their people.