内容简介
DetectiveAlexCrossmustconfronthismostterrifyingnemesisever--andhisowndeepestfears--inthiselectrifyingthrillerfromthemasterofsuspense,JamesPatterson.AlexCrosshasneverbelievedinvampires.Butwhentwojoggersarefoundslaininamannerthatsuggestsamacabreritual,hehastoreconsider.Someonebelievesinvampiresenoughtohavecommittedaseriesofbizarremurdersthatappeartobetheworkofone.Localpolicearehorrified,andeventheFBIisbaffled.Crosstakesonthecaseandplungesintoanetherworldofsecretclubsandrole-players,aworldfullofposeursandplayactors-andsomeonedementedenoughtohavecrossedthelinefromdarkritualtorealblood.Atthesametime,alethalsuper-criminalfromCross'spastknownastheMastermindisstalkinghim,tauntinghim,andthreateningeverythingheholdsdear.Crosshasneverbeenclosertodefeat,oringreaterdanger.Inashockingconclusion,AlexCrossmustsurviveadeadlyconfrontation-onlytodiscoveratlasttheawfulsecretoftheMastermind.
作者简介
JamesPattersonNotmakinganybonesabouthisbidforsuccess,JamesPattersononcedeclaredhewantedtobeknownas“thekingofthepage-turners.”Whilethatmayseemlikeaprettygrandambition,Pattersonisasworthyofthattitleasanyauthorworkingtoday.BiographyJamesPattersonhadbeenworkingasaverysuccessfuladvertisingcopywriterwhenhedecidedtoputhisMastersdegreeinEnglishtoasomewhatdifferentuse.Inspiredbybestsellinghair-raisingthrillerslikeTheDayoftheJackalandTheExorcist,Pattersonwenttoworkonhisfirstnovel.Publishedin1976,TheThomasBerrymanNumberestablishedhimasawriteroftightlyconstructedmysteriesthatmoveforwardwiththevelocityofabullet.Forhisstartlingdebut,PattersonwasawardedtheprestigiousEdgarAwardforBestFirstMysteryNovel—anauspiciousbeginningtooneofthemostsuccessfulcareersinpublishing.Astringofgrippingstandalonemysteriesfollowed,butitwasthe1992releaseofAlongCameaSpiderthatelevatedPattersontosuperstarstatus.IntroducingAlexCross,abrilliantblackpolicedetective/forensicpsychologist,thenovelwasthefirstinstallmentinaseriesofbestsellingthrillersthathasprovedtobeacashcowfortheauthorandhispublisher.ExaminingPatterson'strackrecord,it'sobviousthathebelievesonegoodseriesdeservesanother…maybeevenathird!In2001,hedebutedtheWomen'sMurderClubwith1sttoDie,afast-pacedthrillerfeaturingfourfemalecrimefighterslivinginSanFrancisco—ahomicidedetective,amedicalexaminer,anassistantD.A.,andacubreporter.Thesuccessfulserieshascontinuedwithothernumericallytitledinstallments.Then,spinningoffasetofcharactersfromapreviousnovel(1998'sWhentheWindBlows),in2005hepublishedMaximumRide:TheAngelExperiment.Featuringa"flock"ofgeneticallyengineeredflyingchildren,thenovelwasahugehit,especiallywithteenreaders,andspawnedaseriesofvastlypopularfantasyadventures.Inadditiontocontinuinghisbestsellingliteraryfranchises,Pattersonhasalsofoundtimetoco-authorthrillerswithotherwriters—includingPeterdeJonge,AndrewGross,MaxinePaetro,andHowardRoughan—andhasevenventuredintoromance(Suzanne'sDiaryforNicholas,Sam'sLetterstoJennifer)andchildren'sliterature(santaKid).Writingatanastonishingpace,thisprolificauthorhasturnedhimselfintoaone-manpublishingjuggernaut,fulfillinghisclearlystatedambitiontobecome"thekingofthepage-turners."GoodToKnowPatterson'sSuzanne'sDiaryForNicholaswasinspiredbyadiaryhiswifekeptthattrackedthedevelopmentoftheirtoddlerson.TwoofPatterson'sAlexCrossmysteries(AlongCameaSpiderandKisstheGirls)havebeenturnedintofilmsstarringMorganFreeman;in2007,aweeklytelevisionseriespremiered,basedonthebestsellingWomen'sMurderClubnovels.
