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Book Summaries
A terrible fire in a wealthy suburban home leaves a married couple dead--and Detective Lindsay Boxer and her partner Rich Conklin searching for clues. And after California's golden boy, Michael Campion has been missing for a month, there finally seems to be a lead in his case--a very devastating lead. As fire after fire consume couples in wealthy, comfortable homes, Lindsay and the Murder Club must race to find the arsonists responsible and get to the bottom of Michael Campion's disappearance. But suddenly the fires are raging too close to home. Frightened for her life and torn between two men, Lindsay must find a way to solve the most daunting dilemmas she's ever faced--at work and at home.
Reviews
Fast paced thriller filled with twists and turns
I have been addicted to James Patterson's Women's Murder Club since reading the first book. For those not familiar with the series, the WMC comprises four brilliant women brought together by the very nature of their jobs: Lindsay (a dedicated police detective), Claire (medical examiner extraordinaire), Cindy (ambitious crime reporter) and Yuki (sassy assistant district attorney). Four best friends who get down and dirty solving some of the toughest crimes to rock San Francisco.
While enjoying a getaway with her friends, Lindsay receives a call from her lieutenant concerning the unsolved disappearance of Michael Campion. The popular son of the former governor, Michael was to the Californians what JFK Jr. was to the whole country. Born with an inoperable heart disease, everyone knew that he was living on borrowed time. The extensive media coverage about his life and battle with a debilitating illness has endeared him to the people. Thus, when he vanished one evening without a trace, the citizens of San Francisco grieved along with his parents. Now after three months, an anonymous tip-off leads Boxer and her partner to the doorstep of a young prostitute who shortly confesses to the gruesome murder of Michael. Yet as quickly as she gives her confession, she quickly recants it leaving Yuki with the Herculean task of representing the People, pitting her head to head with a ball breaking defense lawyer.
Meanwhile, as the case goes to trial, Lindsay investigates a series of arson in the city's affluent areas. Four couples are dead - robbed and set on fire. With no clue except some cryptic Latin words written inside a book, Lindsay and her partner are set on a wild goose chase as they hunt down two pyromaniacs who seem to outsmart the police in every turn.
Who are Pidge and Hawk and why are they targeting wealthy couples? How would Lindsay track the killers with barely any clue to follow? And is Yuki about to be slaughtered prosecuting the most important case of her life?
Well jump in and let Patterson and Paetro take you on an fast-paced journey to uncover the truth behind the murders. The plot is good, although I was more taken with the Michael Campion case than I was with the arson attacks. And while it is not without its share of flaws (such as Yuki's questionable age which I am sure I am not alone here), the suspense is never in short supply and the authors take the reader in an engaging courtroom drama that would keep you on the edge of your seat.
With his trademark short chapters and pulse pounding plot, not forgetting the prerequisite twisty ending (and certainly twisty enough to catch me off guard), 7TH HEAVEN continues the WMC series that shows no signs of flagging any time soon.
