“‘The most popular and glamourous man in the world’ was right there sitting at the table. Charles Lindbergh was tall, elegant, and fabulously golden haired, with a fair complexion. ‘Lucky Lindy’ truly seemed above everyone else.”

Gary Soneji/Murphy develops a fascination with the Lindbergh kidnapping as a child because his home is a few miles away from the location of the Lindbergh home. In the Prologue, he describes a fantasy that helped him endure being locked in his family’s cellar, placing himself in the role of kidnapper. This is the source of Gary’s desire to pull off the perfect kidnapping and earn fame. Gary’s obsession with the Lindbergh kidnapping also suggests his main target for kidnapping was Maggie Rose Dunne because her mother, Katherine Rose, is a famous actress.

“Three years before, my wife had been murdered in a drive-by shooting. That murder, like the majority of murders in Southeast, had never been solved.”

Alex Cross reflects on the death of his wife, Maria, a tragedy that motivates his dedication to justice. In Maria’s absence, Alex sometimes struggles to maintain a clear head and care for himself and his family. Maria is one of many victims of crimes in Washington Southeast, in which crimes are often underreported or unsolved due to socioeconomic disparity—touching on the theme of Discrimination in Society.