A reboot film starring Tyler Perry and based on the 12th novel, Cross, was released in 2012.

Now the books are sure to gain a lot of new fans from the series starring Aldis Hodge and Isaiah Mustafa.

So how can you read the books in order, how many are there, and which books is the first season of the new series based on?

Read on for everything you need to know about how to read Alex Cross novels in order.

How many Alex Cross novels are there?

This is a bit of a difficult question because there is not only the mainline Alex Cross series, but also some spin-off novels and novellas.

In the mainline series, there is 32 novels written by Patterson so far he has written on his own and an additional book co-written by Brendan DuBois that also focuses on John Sampson.

How can I read Alex Cross novels in order?

Below is the order of publication of Alex Cross series in which it is best to read them.

1. A Spider Came (1993)
2. Kiss the Girls (1995)
3. Jack and Jill (1996)
4. Cat and Mouse (1997)
5. Pop Goes Weasel (1999)
6. Roses Are Red (2000)
7. Violets Are Blue (2001)
8. Four Blind Mice (2002)
9. Big Bad Wolf (2003)
10. Bridges of London (2004)
11. Mary, Mary (2005)
12. Cross (2006)
13. Double Cross (2007)
14. Cross Country (2008)
15. The Trial of Alex Cross (2009)
16. I, Alex Cross (2009)
17. Cross Fire (2010)
18. Kill Alex Cross (2011)
19. Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (2012)
20. Alex Cross, Run (2013)
21. Pass My Heart (2013)
22. We Hope to Die (2014)
23. Cross of Justice (2015)
24. Cross the Line (2016)
25. People vs. Alex Cross (2017)
26. Target: Alex Cross (2018)
27. Cross Cross (2019)
28. Fatal Cross (2020)
29. Don’t Be Afraid of Evil (2021)
30. Triple Cross (2022)
31. Lower Cross (2023)
32. Alex Cross Must Die (2023)
33. House of the Cross (2024)

The series also includes two novellas by Patterson; Cross Kill in 2016 and Detective Cross in 2017. Cross Down, published in 2023, is a joint novel by Alex Cross and John Sampson and was written by Patterson with Brendan DuBois.

The Ali Cross series, which focuses on Alex’s son, also includes three more novels. These are 2019’s Ali Cross, 2021’s Ali Cross: Like Father, Like Son and 2022’s Ali Cross: The Secret Detective.

Which Alex Cross novel is season 1 of Cross based on?

The first season of Cross is not actually based on any of Patterson’s novelsand instead tells a new story using the characters and world of the books.

Stars Aldis Hodge and Isaiah Mustafa recently discussed this topic while speaking with: RadioTimes.comHodge explains: “What people will learn is that every season the seasons are not based on the books, right? It’s new mysteries, new characters, new villains, and of course your core characters — your Cross, your Sampson, you know what I mean?”

“The benefit of that is that we create a world that stands as an asset to the Cross universe, so when people pick up the books and come into the series, they have an extension of the world they love, and we can create these sublime characters that are truly inspiring, imaginative, have depth, have a lot of mystery.”

“But we as artists have the freedom to play and create, always celebrating the texture and foundation of the books. And once again, we give the audience the final full experience they want to have of the Cross world they love so much.”

Meanwhile, Mustafa added: “I think they complement each other, whereas books can introduce you to characters and the world, but our series will fill any gaps and create new things you never thought of.

“Like, ‘I had no idea Samson was like this, I had no idea Alex was like that.’ In other words, it will create a world that is fully fleshed out and breathing.”

Season 1 of Cross is available to watch now Prime Minister Video.

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