The Big Bad Wolf (novel)

The Big Bad Wolf represents the ninth entry in the Alex Cross series authored by James Patterson, released in November 2003. It achieved the status of the seventh highest-selling novel in 2004.

Series overview

Alex Cross is portrayed as a forensic psychiatrist and former homicide detective from Washington D.C., who takes on the position of an FBI agent for the first time in this book. Residing in Southeast D.C., Cross is depicted as a compassionate figure deeply engaged with his community, managing the pressures of his professional responsibilities alongside his role as a father.

Plot

While undergoing FBI training, Cross becomes involved in a kidnapping investigation concerning the spouse of a federal judge. His inquiry reveals a connection to a Russian criminal figure known as "the Wolf," responsible for abducting victims—including a housewife and male university students—and trafficking them into sexual slavery.

Although Cross links these crimes to the Wolf, the villain’s actual identity remains concealed, with all communication conducted through a protected online platform. Efforts to detain suspects are thwarted when an insider within law enforcement eliminates those arrested, complicating progress.

Working jointly with agencies such as the NYPD, CIA, Secret Service, and Russian officials, the FBI eventually captures Andrei Prokopev, suspected to be the Wolf. Nevertheless, the story ends by disclosing that the true Wolf has yet to be caught.

Sequel

The narrative continues in London Bridges, where the struggle between Cross and the Wolf escalates. The Wolf recruits Geoffrey Shafer—one of Alex’s longstanding foes who has previously inflicted significant harm on him—to aid in overcoming Cross.