Along Came a Spider (novel)
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | James Patterson |
| Products | Crime thriller novel |
Along Came a Spider marks the debut novel in James Patterson's Alex Cross crime thriller collection. Released in 1993, this book has since inspired twenty-six follow-up installments as of 2021.
In 2001, the story was adapted into a feature film featuring Morgan Freeman portraying Alex Cross.
Plot
Alex Cross, serving as both a detective and psychologist, begins his investigation with the brutal murders of a mother and her two children. His inquiry soon escalates into a high-stakes kidnapping case involving two youngsters from an affluent neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Although frustrated by the disproportionate media focus favoring wealthy victims over those from impoverished communities, Alex is mandated by the mayor to lead the case.
Collaborating with the hostage rescue unit and Secret Service supervisor Jezzie Flanagan, Alex confronts obstacles when one child's body is discovered and kidnappers issue ransom demands. Pursuing leads that take him from Florida to Disney World, he delivers the ransom but is ultimately outwitted by the kidnapper, losing both the money and the remaining captive, Maggie Rose Dunne.
Despite being publicly criticized and removed from the kidnapping investigation—while simultaneously receiving a promotion—Alex redirects his attention to the initial murders but continues to investigate the abduction covertly. When a teacher linked to the victims is killed in a similar fashion, evidence implicates a door-to-door salesman named Gary Murphy.
Gary evades capture but later takes hostages at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania. Alex successfully negotiates his surrender. Incarcerated, Gary claims to suffer from dissociative identity disorder; during hypnosis sessions, his alternate personality Gary Soneji emerges. At trial, Alex hypnotizes Gary once more, confirming his multiple personalities and connection to the crimes. Gary is convicted but subsequently escapes prison with assistance from insiders.
Alex discovers that Secret Service agents assigned to protect one of the victims had been surveilling Gary Soneji. The FBI corroborates suspicions that Jezzie Flanagan was involved due to her ties with an agent. Alex aids in collecting evidence that leads to her arrest. After two years, Maggie Rose is found alive in Bolivia.
Following an attack on Alex at his home by Gary Soneji, police fatally shoot Gary near the White House during a standoff. The novel concludes with Jezzie Flanagan's execution and Alex receiving one last taunting letter from Soneji, which he disregards to concentrate on his family.
Characters
- Alex Cross: An African-American forensic psychologist and detective known as "Doctor Detective." He is deeply committed to his profession and devoted to his two children. His wife Maria was deceased prior to the events of this novel. He develops a romantic relationship with Jezzie Flanagan before uncovering her involvement in Maggie Rose's disappearance.
- Jezzie Flanagan: A former Secret Service agent and the first woman to serve in that capacity. She encounters sexism and racism at work partly due to her relationship with Alex. Coming from a troubled family background, she initially manipulates Alex for information but eventually genuinely falls in love with him and his children.
- Gary Murphy / Soneji: A man who suffered childhood abuse leading to dissociative identity disorder: one persona as Gary Murphy, an ordinary family man; the other as Gary Soneji, a calculating criminal fixated on notoriety. He masterminds the kidnapping of Maggie Rose and Michael Goldberg.
Film
The story was adapted into a movie that premiered on April 6, 2001, featuring Morgan Freeman in the role of Alex Cross, Monica Potter portraying Jezzie Flanagan, and Michael Wincott as Gary Soneji. The cinematic version notably modifies the original narrative by omitting much of Soneji's history and dissociative identity aspects, changing the identities of the abducted children's parents, and revising significant character resolutions.