Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of racism, gender discrimination, sexual violence, rape, substance use, addiction, graphic violence, illness, death, physical abuse, and emotional abuse.

Alex Cross is the story’s protagonist. To highlight his centrality, Patterson lets Cross speak for himself in the first person. The chapters that focus on him are in his voice, while the chapters that center on the other characters have an omniscient third-person narrator. Cross is an admirable detective. He establishes his sense of responsibility and community right away by rushing Marcus to the hospital. He applies the same earnest dedication to the abducted women. He has extra motivation to find them since Casanova also kidnapped his niece. Kate gives Cross a third layer of motivation. She and Cross fluctuate between romantic partners and close friends, and Cross wants to capture the men who nearly kill her.

Cross represents positive masculinity, so he’s a man with model traits and behaviors. While Casanova and Rudolph “twin” to exacerbate their lethal brutality, Cross and Sampson work together to stop them. They hug and kiss each other on the cheek, indicating that there’s nothing wrong with two men showing each other affection.