Cross the Line vs Hell to Pay: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: African American detectives, Washington, Fiction
Cross the Line
When a prominent Washington D.C. police official is murdered, Alex Cross steps in to investigate but his efforts are impeded by a series of deadly attacks by a vigilante killer who is targeting suspected criminals.
vs
Hell to Pay
Derek Strange and Terry Quinn, the team of private investigators who made their stunning debut in Right As Rain, are hired to find a 14-year-old white girl from the suburbs who's run away from home and is now working as…
The verdict
- Readers rate Cross the Line highest: Cross the Line 4.5 · Hell to Pay 3.9.
- Hell to Pay has the widest readership — 3143 ratings behind its score.
- Hell to Pay runs the darker storyline; Cross the Line stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Cross the Line | Hell to Pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | — | 3.9 (3143) |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (20) | 3.5 (6) |
| Google Books | — | 5.0 (2) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (1069) | 4.0 (82) |
Reception
| Cross the Line | Hell to Pay | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 1069 | 3143 |
| Editions | 23 | 15 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | — | 1455 |
| Reading it now | — | 199 |
| Written reviews | — | 190 |
| Wikipedia attention | 111 | 82 |
| Pages | 400 | 360 |