Friends and enemies
People have friends and enemies — fair-weather and true friends, run-of-the-mill and mortal enemies. It takes an emergency to sort them out. Fair-weather friends and run-of-the-mill enemies then back away. Mortal enemies are out to get you. True friends come to your aid. Afraid of being caught, mortal enemies don’t outright kill you. They murder you in other ways.
They contrive to destroy your reputation, tell lies, get the community to disrespect you. Throw mud at you, aware that though most will fall off, some will stick. Human nature is such that more than a few believe the worst of those in higher positions. “I always had my suspicions about him or her.” “I should have had that job, but he cheated.” “He wouldn’t know honesty if he tripped over it.” “You wouldn’t believe what I heard about his mother.” Etc.
How can you defend yourself against such scurrilous slander? Constantly proclaiming your innocence isn’t enough.
That’s where true friends come to the rescue. Particularly when they are in positions to strike back. Investigate to find out who’s behind the badmouthing and strike at him and his cronies. All of which is the theme of James Patterson’s The People vs. Alex Cross. The author’s ongoing literary protagonist is a police officer in the nation’s capital. His arrest record is unparalleled. As his supporters are proud, the underworld is livid. Dr Moriarty was Sherlock Holmes’ nemesis, Gary Soneji is Dr Cross’ (a clinical psychologist first and foremost).
The arch-villain is nasty as can be. Abducting young girls is a prime example. When encountering his nogoodniks, our hero goes ballistic and reaches for his sidearm. Which he does on an occasion and guns them down. A violation of the Code of Criminal Justice, shouts the media. His superiors suspend him. Read his rights, he’s put on trial. His enemies turn on him with a vengeance. What defence could he possibly have? Witnesses make up stories of his planting evidence to railroad innocent men to prison.
Cross’ cop friends and the FBI engage in shootouts with Soneji’s heavily armed hoods, casualties on both sides. Can they rescue the captive girls alive? Cross joins in the firefight without permission, saving lives.
As trials go, The People vs. Alex Cross isn’t up to John Grisham’s courtroom dramas. Yet it is an action-packed crime thriller. This reviewer has come to the conclusion that James Patterson on his own, like here, is better than when he teams up with a co-author.
His insight into friendship is well taken. I wonder if he’s defining enemies from experience.