Literary Devices in Alex Cross's Trial
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
Alex Cross's Trial takes place in 1906, back when Teddy Roosevelt called the White House home. Most of the story is set in the small town of Eudora, Mississippi, a place governed by Jim Crow laws a...
Narrator Point of View
You might be wondering why the book is called Alex Cross's Trial when Alex never shows up. He shows up in plenty of other books by Patterson, but he's never around in this one. Except for in the pr...
Genre
This book might not be what you think of when you hear the word mystery—there are no hidden passages, foreboding lightning strikes, or twisty stairwells—and yet it has the two biggest features...
Tone
You know that music that plays when the shark is lurking in the waters in Jaws? This book is written in the literary-equivalent of that sound. It's ominous, foreboding, and even downright scary. We...
Writing Style
You don't have to read very far to get a glimpse of the fast-paced style of the book. After all, every single chapter leaves us with a mini cliffhanger, making us unsure of what's going to happen n...
What's Up With the Title?
At first glance, the title—Alex Cross's Trial—is kind of a no brainer. Alex Cross is the purported author of the book, and the story centers on the trial against the White Raiders. So boom, rig...
What's Up With the Ending?
By the end, Ben has lost the case in Eudora, lost his relationships with Jacob and Elizabeth, and even lost some respect for President Roosevelt. But worry not—he's amply rewarded for heading dow...
Tough-o-Meter
On the one hand, Alex Cross's Trial is very straightforward. The writing style might be suspenseful, but it certainly isn't confusing, and we always know exactly what Ben Corbett is talking about....
Plot Analysis
A Trial of a Different Kind Ben Corbett is used to the courtroom, but he's in for a trial of a different kind. When President Roosevelt sends Ben on a mission to his hometown of Eudora, he's intrig...
Trivia
James Patterson got interested in writing the book when he thought of an unusual way of telling it: Alex Cross, a fictional character in his own right, is the "author" of the book. (Source.)One of...
Steaminess Rating
Let's face it: There's no afternoon romp in this book. Sure, there are some references to Ben thinking about how beautiful his wife looks in her nightgown, or how much time he likes spending with M...
Allusions
Proverbs (Bible) (4.13; 63.15) Jesus (6.14; 43.11; 63.6, 63.10; 136.15) Psalms (Bible) (18.1) H.G. Wells (21.14)The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (56.10)1 Samuel (Bible) (121.23; 127...