Along Came a Spider Kyle Craig makes several brief appearances in the novel, as a rising star in the FBI. He helps Alex Cross, John Sampson, and several other detectives search for Gary Soneji, to which they finally capture him at a McDonald's. He later becomes friends with Alex and starts giving him help through his FBI status.
Kiss the Girls Kyle Craig returns for a much bigger role in the second novel, he helps lead an investigation against a serial killer and kidnapper, Casanova. He provides resources for Alex, which helps lead to another serial killer by the name of The Gentleman Caller, who stalks people on the Western Coast of California. At the end of the novel, both killers are linked together and are killed by Alex, and all kidnapped women are freed, finally ending the case. During the book, it is hinted that Kyle may have murdered a reporter named Beth Lieberman, who was researching the Gentleman Caller. This is later confirmed in
Violets Are Blue.
Jack & Jill Kyle Craig's role is small in the novel, but he does make a few appearances throughout the book.
Cat & Mouse Kyle is investigating a serial killer named Mr. Smith, who has been killing throughout the Eastern United States and Western Europe. He tries to get Alex on the case but fails to convince him. After Alex and his family are brutally attacked inside their home, Craig and the FBI use the incident as an advantage to lure out Mr. Smith, who is revealed to be none other than Thomas Pierce, an FBI agent who has been on the Mr. Smith case since the beginning. Kyle later tries to have Pierce killed, based on a kill order from the FBI, during ambush. Pierce/Smith is able to escape but is finally killed by John Sampson.
Pop Goes the Weasel Kyle's role is once again small, but he does appear a few times and even helps Alex try to find his fiancée, Christine Johnson, who was kidnapped by a serial killer named
Geoffrey Shafer.
Roses Are Red At the beginning of the 2000 novel
Roses Are Red, Craig, using the alias "The Mastermind", formulates the robbery of a
Citibank with two associates, Errol and Brianne Parker. Over the course of the robbery, Brianne reveals that Errol is holding the bank manager's family hostage and will kill them all if she doesn't leave the bank by a certain time. The robbery goes as planned, but Brianne neglects to call Errol, who in turn kills the family anyway. Craig, as the Mastermind, later visits the Parkers at their secluded hideout, bringing pizza and wine to celebrate. However, the poisoned items kill the Parkers. It is stated later that Brianne was raped by Craig
post-mortem. Cross, investigating the robbery, finds the Parkers' bodies and informs Craig, unaware of his role in murdering them. Craig hires a more professional robbery crew, who are referred to only by codenames: Mr. Red, Mr. White, Mr. Blue, and Mrs. Green. This new crew robs a
First Union bank and, same as before, holds the manager's family hostage, only this time Mr. Red and Mr. White produce a videotape to prove they are not bluffing. When he hears an alert on a police scanner regarding the robbery, Mr. Blue kills the bank's staff; the First Union manager's family is later released. It is later revealed that Craig had intended for the staff to be killed no matter what the robbery's outcome was, and that it was he who tipped off the police. After two more robberies—which Craig investigates alongside Cross—he murders the crew with more poisoned food, this time
having sex with Mrs. Green's corpse. Craig hires five corrupt
NYPD narcotics detectives to take part in his next crime, in which they commandeer a Washington tour bus carrying the wives of several insurance executives and demand a
ransom of $5 million in uncut diamonds; the transfer is a success and the hostages are released. The FBI suspects a former
U.S. Army sergeant, Mitchell Brand, of organizing the robberies and eventually track down his location. However, it turns out Brand was set up. Meanwhile, Craig commits two
home invasions, in one case raping and killing a woman for the initial purpose of impregnating her. Cross' investigation next focuses on Frederick Szabo, the head of security at the First Union, and then on Szabo's therapist, Dr. Bernard Francis. Despite being implicated by an accomplice, Francis professes his innocence whilst dying from poison. Three weeks after the case is seemingly solved, Craig contacts Cross and tells him that Betsy Cavalierre, the FBI
special agent assisting him on the Mastermind case, has been raped, murdered, and mutilated in her own home. Cross, who was romantically involved with Cavalierre, swears to kill the Mastermind—unaware that Craig is listening and secretly ecstatic over the emotional turmoil he has caused.
Violets Are Blue In the wake of Cavalierre's murder, Craig engages in a covert cat-and-mouse game with Cross, threatening his family and friends as the Mastermind. While this is going on, he also assists Cross in his investigation of a series of
vampiric serial killings in
San Francisco. Over the course of the investigation, they realize that the murders are the work of a cult and track similar killings across the country. When Cross returns to Washington, Craig enters his house and prepares to kill both him and his family. However, because Cross is recovering from injuries inflicted by a suspect, Craig does not consider him a worthy opponent at the moment and leaves. After Cross links the killings to Daniel and Charles, a pair of travelling magicians, he and Craig travel to
New Orleans to put them under surveillance. As the investigation progresses, Craig becomes increasingly hostile to Jamilla Hughes, an
SFPD detective aiding Cross; Hughes considers Craig to be a
control freak who has serious issues with women. After Daniel and Charles are mysteriously killed during a Halloween party, Cross receives another taunting call from the Mastermind; this time, he notices Craig watching him intently. Cross comes to believe that while Daniel and Charles were involved in the killings, they had been framed for the more sloppy murders committed by Michael and William, two brothers also involved in their cult. When Hughes returns to San Francisco and is kidnapped by the cult, Cross and a seemingly detached Craig stake out the animal preserve where it is based. Events transpire to where Cross saves Hughes and the FBI apprehends the cult. However, upon receiving another threatening call from the Mastermind, Cross arranges for his family to be moved to a safe location. Cross is afraid the Mastermind will go after Hughes and goes to her apartment to watch it. While there, he sees Craig surveilling Hughes' apartment and realizes that Craig is the Mastermind. Calling
FBI director Ronald Burns, Cross learns about the Bureau's suspicions of Craig in both the Cavalierre and Lieberman murders. Cross races back to Washington to protect as many of his relatives and friends as possible from Craig's homicidal wrath. Cross correctly deduces that Kate McTiernan, one of the protagonists from
Kiss the Girls, is his next target. He finds Craig at McTiernan's home and engages in a vicious struggle with him, eventually knocking him out. When Craig comes to, Cross goads him into making a confession, which is recorded on his answering machine after he called it from his
cell phone. Kyle is sent to supermax security prison
ADX Florence, where he is held on death row.
Four Blind Mice Kyle Craig returns for two brief appearances in the novel, where he is still being held in prison. Alex and him meet over the Four Blind Mice case but he gives him little information, only taunting him about his family and everyone he has lost. They meet again at the end of the book, where Kyle promises Alex that he will escape and come after him and everyone else that he loves.
The Big Bad Wolf Kyle Craig is mentioned at the beginning of the novel and appears at the very end. Alex Cross comes to him for help, which Craig provides, and gives the name of the criminal mastermind,
The Wolf, but the target is revealed to be a decoy.
Cross Despite not appearing in the novel, Craig's presence can be felt at the beginning of the story. He writes a letter to Alex, expressing that he misses his times with him and swears revenge. He also promises that he will escape from prison one day and that he will kill his entire family with him watching.
Double Cross Imprisoned at the
supermax prison ADX Florence, Craig hatches an elaborate escape plan with his loyal attorney, Mason Wainwright. While Craig and Wainwright are having one of their regular meetings in ADX Florence—which are not monitored due to
attorney–client privilege—the two men swap clothes and give each other prosthetic masks bearing their likenesses. Craig, having assumed Wainwright's identity, manages to leave the prison with ease and drive away in the lawyer's car. Wainwright, now bearing Craig's likeness, goes to his client's cell and hangs himself. However, prison officials figure out the ruse and warn Cross, who by now has started a private psychiatry practice in Washington. Craig travels to his family's vacation home in
Aspen, using another prosthetic mask to disguise himself as his dead father. He visits his mother and forces her to let him gain access to the Craig family's overseas bank accounts. After killing her, he travels the world to enjoy his newly gained freedom. He goes to
Iowa City,
Chicago, and
Paris, where he meets three separate women and violently kills them, sexually violating at least two of the bodies. He leaves clues at his crime scenes, including an unsigned
Hallmark card imitating the D.C. Audience Killer, or DCAK. Craig begins
e-mailing DCAK, praising his work despite actually viewing him as an inferior amateur. Craig leaves Paris for Washington, where he murders Nina Wolff, the judge who presided over his trial and sentenced him to death. He then has a meeting with DCAK in front of Cross' home. Events transpire to the point where Cross tracks down DCAK and engages in a
knife fight in an alley. Craig appears, coaching DCAK on how to attack Cross. However, Cross manages to severely wound and incapacitate DCAK. Craig holds Cross at gunpoint and begins taunting him, but Cross' girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, appears on the scene and shoots Craig. Craig initially plays dead before getting up, vowing to kill Cross, and fleeing the scene.
Cross Country The presence of Kyle Craig is felt at the end of the book, he makes a call to Alex, who has finished up a case on
The Tiger and warns him that he will be coming after him soon.
I, Alex Cross Kyle Craig once again calls Alex at the end of the novel, he doesn't make any physical appearances. He congratulates Alex on finding Caroline's killer, First Husband
Theodore Vance. He tells Alex that he will give him and his new fiancée, Bree Stone, some time for rest and fun, but warns him that he will return for revenge when the time is right.
Cross Fire Despite making several threatening phone calls to Cross, Craig doesn't return until a few years after the DCAK case. Kyle kills FBI agent, Max Siegel, assumes his identity and augments his own appearance through
plastic surgery. Afterwards, Kyle kills Siegel's handler and returns to Washington, where "Siegel" is assigned to the Patriot
sniper case with Cross. Craig antagonizes Cross by trying to beat him to breakthroughs in the case. He also copycats both the Patriot and the Numbers Killer, alerting Cross through cryptic clues that he is actually impersonating them. After solving both the Patriot and Numbers cases, Cross marries Washington detective Brianna "Bree" Stone. Craig—still impersonating Siegel—shows up at Cross's
honeymoon and attempts to take Cross' family hostage. With the help of Stone, Cross eventually subdues and arrests Craig, who is surprised that Cross refuses to kill him. As he is being taken into custody, Craig steals an officer's gun and shoots an
air tank, which explodes and seemingly kills him. This marks the final appearance of Kyle Craig, officially making him the most recurring villain in the series. ==Adaptations==