Kiss the Girls

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Kiss the Girls is a thriller novel by James Patterson. The story is about detective Alex Cross, who is trying to find his kidnapped niece Naomi, with the help of Kate McTiernan, a former victim of the kidnapper, a sexual predator who goes by the alias "Casanova." This is the 2nd book in a series to feature Washington DC Homicide Detective and psychiatrist Dr. Alex Cross. The first book was Along Came A Spider.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Trivia 2.1 Alex Cross 3 Film adaptation

[edit] Plot

The book begins in 1975 in Boca Raton, Florida where the boy who will become Cassanova has been stalking, and been living inside the walls of the house of the pierce family. His target was Coty,, who attended highschool with her. He goes into the room, tells her he loves her and rpes her. He has already killed her father, mother and little sister. Next, in 1981 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina the man who will become the Gentleman Caller stalks a couple in the wood, out for a row in the lake. He kills the boyfriend, then rapes and kills the girlfriend.

Presentday, Alex Cross plays the piano with his children Damon and Janelle when there is a pounding at the door. A young woman covered in blood named Rita who informs him that 11 year old Marcus Daniels has been stabbed. Cross runs to the boy, and carries him to the hospital. Turns out the boy tried to slit his own throat.

Elsewhere Cassanova takes a girl to the woods and ties her to a tree and leaves her to die. He waers a mask that symbolizes death. A theme in the book is that Cassanova wears a mask to symbolize his mood. The girl pleads for her life but Cassanova tells her that she disobeyed the rules and that this was her punishment and leaves her.

Back in Washington DC Alex still waits in the hospital when his best friend and partner, John Sampson arrives. He is soon told the boy died, which Alex takes very hard.

Sampson drives Alex home where things get worse. Inside his house is his sister, grandmother and other relatives. Alex is informed that his niece, Naomi "Scootchie" Cross is missing. Sampson and Cross decide to head down to Durham, North Carolina, where Naoimi was a student at Duke University.

In Durham, Cassanova is on the prowl at the where he finds his next victim, a young doctor named Kate McTiernan.

Sampson and Cross drove down to North Carolina. Cross being a psychiatrist, as well as a detective, tried to make sense of what he believed was a kidnapping. They were supposed to meet 2 local detectives in Durham. Sampson and Cross waited an hour and half when Detectives Nick Ruskin and Davey Sikes. They immediately inform Cross and Sampson that there’s been a very bad homicide and that Cross and Sampson can come with them.

Ruskin informs Cross that the FBI and the DEA are involved in the case and getting answers is difficult. Ruskin informs Cross that eight to ten women are missing and the FBI is in full force. The missing women have been abducted in different states. Ruskin continues to explain that they’ve received notes from the man and calls himself Casanova.

Upon arriving at the scene, Cross worries the murdered woman is Scootchie, but the woman was white. It was the woman at the beginning of the book.

Cross talks with an FBI agent. Casanova is very careful and leaves no evidence at the scene.

Alex meets with FBI Deputy Director Ronald Burns. Burns tells Cross the case is big but would not elaborate as to why. Burns did say he believes Casanova is a collector of extraordinary women.

Later that night, Casanova kidnaps Kate McTiernan from her own apartment.

Sampson returns to Washington DC. Alex interviews the Dean of Students and Naomi’s roommate. Casanova was watching Dr. Cross. Casanova wants a challenge. When Cross comes to his hotel room there is an envelope that was slid under the door. Inside the envelope is a picture of 1 of the missing woman. Behind a note written by Casanova.

Kate awakens in a room. She noticed she had some of her things there that Casanova brought for her. She also finds a letter left to her from Casanova explaining the house rules and warning her not to break them. He tells her how much he loves her.

Casanova shows up later, sedates her, and then rapes her.

Cross meets Naomi’s boyfriend and decides he is not a suspect.

Cross meets with FBI Special Agent Kyle Craig. They go over Cross’ profile of the rejected women and of Casanova. Craig asks Cross to work with the FBI. Alex accepts.

Casanova shows up to be with Kate once again but she fights back. She was able to see his eyes as she took off part of his mask and noticed his blue eyes. He hits her and knocks her out. When she comes to, she cries for help and discovers that there are other women locked in other rooms near her. There were at least 6 of them.

In Los Angeles a reporter named Beth Lieberman works on a story for the LA Times. Beth receives notes from a serial killer named “The Gentleman Caller”. He had just murdered a 14 year old girl, who was his youngest victim so far. He had cut off her feet. The “Gentleman” would always take a piece of his victims and he was always very brutal. He threatened to do “bonus kills" if his letter were not published. Kyle Craig meets with Beth. He was now in LA.

Casanova is at a mall looking at women again, when he is greeted by his wife.

For a few days Alex goes to visit his family in Washington DC.

Casanova drugged Kate and was going to kill her, like he had killed the others. She had broken the rules when she fought back. As he comes in, wearing his death mask she fights him and gets away.

Back in North Carolina, Cross reads about ongoing FBI investigations on serial killers. He reads about the “Gentleman Caller” and one of the notes published in the LA Times mentioned an attractive, black 2nd year law student named Naomi C.

Cross tried to call Beth Lieberman, but she hangs up on him thinking he is trying to write a book about the killer (Cross had written a book about the Soneji/Murphy kidnapping) and since she was writing a book also, she didn’t want to talk to him. Angry, Cross calls her editor in chief, Dan Hills. Hills reveals that Casanova and the Gentleman Caller are communicating. They were coast to coast serial killers.

In North Carolina, Kate manages to escape. As she runs outside she is now in a large forest. Casanova was behind her. She came to a cliff, blow a river ran. As Casanova approached her Kate jumps toward the river below.

Nick Ruskin calls Cross and informs him they have found Kate alive. She had been found by 2 boys fishing in the river downstream. Cross and Ruskin go see her, but she is in really bad shape and seriously hurt.

Later that night a young couple is about to make love but are interrupted by Casanova, who kills the man and kidnaps the woman.

Cross talks with a doctor at the hospital and discovers she was given the drug marinol, which leads them to believe a doctor or pharmacist. Cross thinks he has broken the case open.

Alex stays in the room with Kate. Alex believes she is the only hope at finding Naomi. She is going thru marinol withdrawal. He introduces himself to Kate.

Casanova can not sleep. He is still upset about Kate escaping from him, He gets up and calls his friend, the “Gentleman”.

At the hospital Alex tries to hypnotize Kate, but was unsuccessful in getting his answers. After 2 weeks, Kate was released. Alex took her to the woods near where she was found to see if that would help her, but nothing happened.

Casanova had his harem out in the living room area where they were kept and he wore a festive mask, but was otherwise naked. He had Naomi play the violin for the group.

At Kate’s apartment in Chapel Hill, Cross and Kate have a few drinks when Kyle arrives to inform Alex that Beth Lieberman was murdered by the Gentleman Caller, who had cut off her fingers. At her work computer she had a suspect for Casanova, a Dr. William Rudolph from Los Angeles. Kate and Alex are going with Kyle to LA.

Dr. Rudolph was attempting to pick up a woman. The FBI has him under surveillance. The woman he tried to pick up though was not interested and left with a friend. The FBI was disappointed. The follow Rudolph to his home, but nothing happened. Cross is sure he is either the Gentleman Caller or Casanova.

The next day, Kate goes on surveillance also, but at looking at Rudolph is sure that he is not Casanova. Cross now knows for sure there are 2 killers and Rudolph must be The Caller. They follow Rudolph that night. He is well dressed. He drove and they followed for 6 hours and turns to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. He had turned and Cross let him get far enough ahead. Suddenly they see his vehicle stopped. He was getting something out of the back seat. Alex keeps driving on but tells the FBI he is now on foot and headed to a cabin.

The next day, in the afternoon, they follow Rudolph to a town 2 miles south. A woman comes with him. That night they hear the woman scream. Everyone rushes in. Rudolph tries to escape on his SUV but Cross jumps on the vehicle as it sped away. He held on for a while but Rudolph managed to shake Cross off, and escapes.

For 2 days the FBI and the police search Rudolph’s apartment when they find a picture of Rudolph with a Dr. Wich Sachs from Durham. In the back a note that said Casanova.

The Gentleman is now in the area of Stoneman Lake, Arizona. He parks his car in a wooden area, takes out a gas can and walks toward a house. The house was unlocked and he goes in. A woman was making breakfast and is startled by the Gentleman. He subdues her and rapes her.

Kate was home when Alex calls her that he had been to Casanova’s home.

Alex needed to be sure Dr. Wick Sachs was Casanova and he broke into Sachs’ house. Since Cross was not “officially” involved in the case, he could do things the FBI and local police couldn’t do. Upon looking at the outside and inside of the house he was beginning to suspect Sachs’ was Casanova.

The FBI put Dr. Sachs under surveillance. Nothing peculiar happened.

Kate and Alex have dinner together that night. When they get back to Kate’s apartment, they kissed passionately, but nothing else happened.

In Casanova’s secret lair the girls plan on escaping the next time Casanova has them together, but the planning is interrupted by Dr. Rudolph. The Gentleman had arrived.

Sampson arrives in Durham again. Cross shares a theory with him that the girls are being held in an underground house, built in an area that may have been part of the Underground Railroad.

Sampson and Cross talk again to Dean Lowell about Sachs. Sachs was a professor at Duke. Lowell confirms Sachs was the campus skell, known as doctor dirt, but that he has been cooperative with the investigation. Lowell also lets Cross know that Sachs had been a suspect when 2 students were murdered in the early 80’s. The FBI had interviewed Sachs and he was cleared as a suspect.

Later that afternoon Ruskin and Sikes ask Cross for help in Catching Casanova, who they believe to be Sachs.

That same night Casanova was on the prowl again. He was going to visit Kate again, one last time. He missed her. He loved her.

As Rudolph also prowls Durham he reminisces. Rudolph was the son of a Colonel and grew up at Fort Bragg. He was an honor student. The perfect gentleman. No one had known his true desire. He met Casanova at Duke. Casanova knew Rudolph had killed the young couple and had kept the woman’s tongue as a souvenir. Casanova shares with Rudolph his own experiences and the 2 form a bond that will last a lifetime. Rudolph was headed to Kate’s house when he sees Cross and Sampson hanging on the porch.

After Cross and Sampson leave Kate goes to bed. She was then attacked by Casanova & the Gentleman at the same time. She was seriously wounded.

She is taken to the hospital, Cross, Sampson and the FBI are at her house. Cross notices that this attack was different from the first one. He suspects both men worked together on this.

The next day Sachs is brought in for questioning. Cross physically attacks him but backs away. He notices that Sachs is not very physically strong. Cross is sure Sachs is not Casanova.

Sampson and Cross are having dinner together when Cross is beeped. They were arresting Sachs. Cross calls Kyle and tells him not to. Cross tells him that Sachs is being set up by the real Casanova. Kyle Craig tells Alex that it’s to late and the wheels have been set into motion. He also states that they found physical evidence at Sachs house.

The Gentleman and Casanova have dinner with the harem. They are celebrating the police arresting Sachs. They turn on the TV so the women can watch the press conference.

Casanova visits Kate at the hospital. He sits next to her and holds her hand. When Cross arrives in her room he smiles at Cross, and then Casanova excuses himself and lets him sit in his chair.

Cross plays the piano at the barroom in the hotel he’s been staying at. He’s thinking about the case and the “underground” house.

Sampson and Cross head to the forest again. This time they have a hand written map given to them by Underground Railroad historian and professor at Duke. They go to the area not searched by the police or the FBI, as they walk they hear the women screaming. They found them.

The 2 cops follow the women screams and find the entrance to the underground house.

Outside Casanova and the Gentlemen had bee watching Sampson and Cross all afternoon. They plan to take out Sampson first and then deal with Cross together. They regret ever separating and competing. They claim Cross could never have put this together if they had never separated.

As Cross finds Naomi but hears Sampson scream. He rushes out to see Casanova and the Gentleman, both wearing masks, on top of his partner. Sampson had a knife stuck on his back. Cross then did what the never expected, he took out his gun and fired at the men hitting one in the shoulder. The 2 run and Cross follows them. Some gun fire is exchanged but for the most part they all keep running. The men make it to a nearby bar in town and steal a pick up truck and take off. Cross than takes a man’s car and goes after them. There was a bit of traffic later down the road and the two run out of the car, running on opposite directions and firing their guns. Cross follows on of them and exchange gunfire. Cross hits him in the chest. Cross runs to the fallen man and takes off his mask. It was Rudolph. He died telling Cross he would never catch Casanova.

The women of the harem were all taken to the hospital. Sampson was also there and was recovering. Cross’ family also arrived from Washington DC.

At the underground house, Cross looks for clues but thinks he knows who Casanova might be. He does not share the information with Kyle Craig. He decides to go on his own steak out.

He follows Davey Sikes. Cross is sure that he’s Casanova. He thinks Sikes was looking for a new woman to kidnap. Cross starts snooping outside a house where Sikes had gone in. Sikes saw him and the 2 get into a fight, the woman that Cross thought was going to kidnap was actually his mistress. The FBI had known about the affair. Craig tells Cross to go home.

Cross stays 10 more days with Kate at the hospital. He returns home for most of the summer, returning to Durham on occasions to visit Kate. One day Kyle Craig calls Cross to tell him Gary Soneji had escaped from prison.

In August Cross and Kate go vacationing together but realize their relationship would be doomed. The 2 of them are much too alike.

For Casanova to get to Kate and Alex he had to go through their FBI agents watching them. They put a flashlight on his face and upon recognizing him, they let him go thru.

Early morning, Alex went jogging when he finds a dead FBI agent. His neck had been broken. Alex runs back to the house. He is ambushed as Casanova hits him in the chest with a stun gun. Cross finally sees the face of Casanova, Nick Ruskin.

With Cross down, Ruskin heads for Kate, but Kate fights him and takes him down. Ruskin takes out his gun and is going to shoot Kate. Little by little, Cross gets up, takes out his gun and shoots Ruskin dead.

The book ends with John Sampson knocking on Cross door telling him there’s been a honey of a murder.

The End

[edit] Trivia

• The adventures of Alex Cross continue in Jack and Jill
• Like all the books featuring Alex Cross, he plays the piano to help him relax.
• Kyle Craig plays a bigger role on this book.
• There is a foreshadowing scene toward the end of the book in which Cross is worried about Kyle Craig.
• Although Kate and Alex are interested in each other, and kiss twice, they do not become romantically involved.
• Casanova wears a mask to show what mood he is in.

[edit] Alex Cross

1. Along Came A Spider (1992, ISBN 0-446-36419-3)
2. Kiss the Girls (1994, ISBN 0-446-60124-1)
3. Jack & Jill (1996, ISBN 0-446-60480-1)
4. Cat and Mouse (James Patterson book) (1997, ISBN 0-446-60618-9)
5. Pop Goes the Weasel (novel) (1999, ISBN 0-375-40854-1)
6. Roses are Red (novel) (2000, ISBN 0-446-60548-4)
7. Violets are Blue (novel) (2001, ISBN 0-446-61121-2)
8. Four Blind Mice (novel) (2002, ISBN 0-446-61326-6)
9. The Big Bad Wolf (novel) (2003, ISBN 0-446-61326-6)
10. London Bridges (novel) (2004, ISBN 0-446-61335-5)
11. Mary, Mary (2005, ISBN 0-316-15976-X)
12. Cross (forthcoming in November 2006, ISBN 0-316-06509-9)

[edit] Film adaptation

• In 1997 the novel was made into a film directed by Gary Fleder and starred Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross and Ashley Judd as Kate McTiernan. This is a very thrilling film.
• The adaption of Kiss the Girls resembles the book a lot closer than the adaption of Along Came A Spider.
• In the movie adaption Nick Ruskin is played by Cary Elwes.