Book ~ "The 24th Hour" (2024) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ Sergeant Lindsay Boxer, Medical Examiner Claire Washburn, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano, and crime writer Cindy Thomas are celebrating at San Francisco's finest restaurant.

But before they can raise their glasses to both a birthday and a wedding, a violent assault interrupts their festivities.

Claire examines the victim. Lindsay makes an arrest. Yuki takes the case. Cindy covers it.

The case is complicated by the plaintiff's unreliable version of events - and the shocking reason behind her ever-changing memory.

As Yuki argues the toughest case of her career, Lindsay chases down a high-society killer whose target practice may leave the Women's Murder Club short a bridesmaid ... or two.

This is the 24th in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all but #23). Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club who have been friends for years ... police officer Lindsay, reporter Cindy, medical examiner Claire and prosecutor Yuki.

Six months ago friends Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki were settling in for lunch at a nice restaurant when they heard a scream from upstairs. Lindsay rushed up and found a woman who had just been beaten and raped and a half-naked man hiding. She arrested him and that set up Yuki's storyline as she is the lead prosecutor during his trial in present day. The closure to this was lame.

Six months ago, Holly, the wife of a wealthy man, was gunned down and her killer hasn't been found. Jamie, her husband, is killed in the same way in present day and Lindsay is the lead in the case. This storyline was convoluted and ridiculous as was the "whodunnit" which came together quickly at the end.

Claire and Cindy don't have a lot to offer in either storylines.

Joe, Lindsay's husband, is former FBI and now a freelance "consultant". He gets called in to help find out who is downloading malware at hospitals and demanding large amounts of crypto to stop. This was boring a storyline and there was way too much time devoted to it as it had nothing to do with the other two storylines involving the "Women's Murder Club".

The only thing I liked about this book was the short choppy chapters.  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on others such as Joe and Yuki.  I found this story long, draggy and drawn out. This is the end of the series for me.

Book ~ "22 Seconds" (2022) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ SFPD Sergeant Boxer has guns on her mind.

There's buzz of a last-ditch shipment of drugs and weapons crossing the Mexican border ahead of new restrictive gun laws. Before Lindsay can act, her top informant tips her to a case that hits disturbingly close to home.

Former cops. Professional hits. All with the same warning scrawled on their bodies.

You talk, you die.

Now it's Lindsay's turn to choose.

This is the 22nd in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all). Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club who have been friends for years ... police officer Lindsay, reporter Cindy, medical examiner Claire and prosecutor Yuki.  Like most of the books, Lindsay storyline is the focus.  Yuki is barely there in this one and Claire momentarily has some unrelated side story about a child's death in another town.  Cindy has a small part in Lindsay's storyline and has an unrelated side story about writing a convicted murderer's bio.

The gun laws have recently changed in the U.S. and there are protesters.  Plus guns and drugs are illegally being brought up from Mexico.  Lindsay and Joe, her husband who is recruited by the FBI, are both working on these cases for their respected agencies.  Former police officers are turning up murdered with the same message ... "you talk, you die".  Lindsay and Joe are trying to find out who is behind it all and to stop them.

I liked the short choppy chapters.  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on others such as Joe, Cindy, and Claire.  I found this story long, draggy and drawn out ... it might have been more interesting if it has been tighter.  I found Julie, Lindsay and Joe's young daughter, annoying and doesn't add anything to the story.  As a head's up, there is swearing.  

Book ~ "21st Birthday" (2021) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ When young wife and mother Tara Burke goes missing with her baby girl, all eyes are on her husband, Lucas. He paints her not as a missing person but a wayward wife - until a gruesome piece of evidence turns the investigation criminal. 

While Chronicle reporter Cindy Thomas pursues the story and M.E. Claire Washburn harbors theories that run counter to the SFPD’s, ADA Yuki Castellano sizes Lucas up as a textbook domestic offender ... who suddenly puts forward an unexpected suspect. If what Lucas tells law enforcement has even a grain of truth, there isn't a woman in the state of California who's safe from the reach of an unspeakable threat. 

This is the 21st in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all). Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club who have been friends for years ... police officer Lindsay, reporter Cindy, medical examiner Claire and prosecutor Yuki.  Unlike previous books, all the women have a part in the story rather than the focus being on one or two.

Kathleen goes to Cindy to ask her to investigate the disappearance of her daughter and granddaughter.  Cindy pulls Lindsay into it and Lindsay speaks with Lucas, Kathleen's son-in-law, and he's not concerned.  He and his wife had a fight and he figures she'll be back once she runs out of money.  Then bodies start turning up, including those of the missing woman and her daughter and Lucas is the prime suspect.  He swears he didn't kill anyone and points to a surprisingly different person, who points their finger right back at Lucas.

As in previous books, I wondered if the two authors had written different chapters and hadn't read each other's.  Or the editor(s) slacked off.  For example, Charlie Clapper, who has been in previous books, has been promoted to chief and he makes a big deal about how he's going to run things and becomes a bit of an A-hole.  Then chapters later it's like we are being updated about his promotion.  This happened a couple times with different characters.

I liked the short choppy chapters.  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on others such as Cindy, Yuki and Claire.  As a head's up, there is swearing.  I still had many unanswered questions at the end so didn't have enough closure.

Book ~ "The 20th Victim" (2020) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ Some people like to shoot. Some people like to kill.

Three victims, three bullets, three cities.

The first of these simultaneous serial killings occurs in San Francisco, Sergeant Lindsay Boxer's jurisdiction and reporter Cindy Thomas's beat. The shooters are precise, as is their target selection. Each one of the men and women down excels at an illegal and deadly activity that is dominating public debate. As the casualty list expands, the fear and fascination with this shooting gallery galvanises the county.

Are the shooter villains or heroes? And who will be next?

This is the twentieth in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all). Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club who have been friends for years ... police officer Lindsay, reporter Cindy, medical examiner Claire and prosecutor Yuki.  As in past books, though, the four aren't solving a murder together so what kind of a murder club is that?!  The only time the four women got together was at the end to party.

There are killers murdering people around the country who are selling drugs and Lindsay and her partner, Rich (who is living with Cindy), are part of the San Francisco team investigating.  Cindy was especially annoying ... she got mad at Lindsay because Lindsay wouldn't reveal confidential information pertaining the case so Cindy couldn't get the scoop ahead of everyone else.  Claire was basically non-existent because she has lung cancer (huh??!!) and has surgery to remove half a lung.  Yuki is prosecuting a young man who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time ... he was driving a car for a drug dealer who shot a police officer and took off.  The young man isn't talking so is charged with everything and Yuki doesn't think this is right.

As in previous books, I wondered if the two authors had written different chapters and hadn't read each other's.  Or the editor(s) slacked off.  For example, we learn in detail that Brady, who is Lindsay's boss, is married to Yuki.  Then a couple chapters later, basically the same paragraph appears.  Yep, I know ... I didn't forget who he is.  It's like they were introducing a new character but weren't.  This happened a couple times.  Or we learned that Joe's university buddy, Dave, gave Joe and Lindsay a safe ... and a couple chapters later we're told about it like we'd never heard the backstory.

I liked the short choppy chapters.  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on others such as Cindy, Yuki, etc.  But at one point, Claire and Lindsay are talking and Lindsay's voice shifted from first person to third person back to first person again.  As a head's up, there is swearing.  The end came very quickly and was pretty lame.

The book could have been more focused ... there were some side stories that had nothing to do with anything.  Joe goes off to help Dave whose father had just passed away.  Dave suspects his father's doctor had murdered his dad and doesn't hide his suspicions.  Joe's not sure whether Dave is delusional because he's grieving or if the father was, in fact, murdered and is determined to find out and help his friend.  The ending to that side story was really lame.  Cindy is stuck working with a sleazeball named Jeb and the ending to that was really lame too.  Within a week of having half a lung removed because of cancer, Claire is out eating and boozing it up with her friends.  Seriously?!

I'm so glad I borrowed this ebook from the library rather than paying for it.

Book ~ "The 19th Christmas" (2019) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ As the holidays approach, Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends in the Women's Murder Club have much to celebrate. Crime is down. The medical examiner's office is quiet. Even the courts are showing some Christmas spirit. And the news cycle is so slow that journalist Cindy Thomas is on assignment to tell a story about the true meaning of the season for San Francisco.

Then a fearsome criminal known only as "Loman" seizes control of the headlines. He is planning a deadly surprise for Christmas morning. And he has commissioned dozens of criminal colleagues to take actions that will mask his plans. All that Lindsay and the SFPD can figure out is that Loman's greed - for riches, for bloodshed, for attention - is limitless.

Solving crimes never happens on schedule, but as this criminal mastermind unleashes credible threats by the hour, the month of December is upended for the Women's Murder Club. Avoiding tragedy is the only holiday miracle they seek.

This is the nineteenth in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... cop Lindsay, reporter Cindy, medical examiner Claire and prosecutor Yuki.  I don't know why it's considered part of this series because (1) Claire was basically non-existent (she and her husband headed to a conference at the beginning of the book and arrived home in time for New Years Eve) and (2) the only time the four women got together was at the end to celebrate New Years Eve.  As usual, the focus is more on Lindsay.

The police department starts getting random tips and vague clues that something big is going to happen.  But they have no idea what so they are trying to cover all their bases which is stretching the department thin since it's happening over the Christmas holidays.  Unfortunately Lindsay and Richie didn't have the foresight to take their loved ones out of town so they are stuck working crazy hours, as is acting chief Brady (Yuki's husband) and former chief, Jacobi.

Cindy is approached by the wife of a Mexican man who has been in prison for two years for a random murder.  He and his family are in the country illegally.  As she investigates, Cindy feels the man is innocent and pulls Yuki in to help prove it.  It was a weird random subplot that seemed out of place other than trying to invoke some Christmas spirit?

I thought the writing was okay.  There was odd stuff, though, that made me wonder if perhaps the two authors had written different chapters and hadn't read each others.  Or the editor slacked off.  For example, Jacobi is brought into the story and we find out that he was the former chief before he retired.  Then a couple chapters later, the beginning of chapter 31 starts "Former chief Warren Jacobi drove".  Yep, I know ... I didn't forget who he is.  It's like they were introducing a new character but weren't.  This happened a couple times.

I liked the short choppy chapters.  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on others such as Cindy, Yuki, etc.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

I found the ending and whodunnit really lame.  Throughout the book, "Loman" is portrayed as incredibly smart, vicious and manipulative and I thought he was actually a wimp in the end.  The end came very quickly and I went "Huh?  That was it?  All that build-up for that?"  To be honest, I'm still not sure what the caper was and how he expected to pull it off.

Everyone gets together for New Years Eve and are happy happy happy.  Then the next couple chapters focus on Joe and seem random and out of place.  I thought maybe it was the first couple chapters as a preview for the 20th book .... but no.  I'm assuming they are indeed setting us up for the 20th book but it was strange how they handled it.

Book ~ "The 18th Abduction" (2019) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ Detective Lindsay Boxer and her husband Joe Molinari team up to protect San Francisco from an international war criminal in the newest Women's Murder Club thriller.

Three female schoolteachers go missing in San Francisco and Detective Lindsay Boxer is on the case - which quickly escalates from missing person to murder.

Under pressure at work, Lindsay needs support at home. But her husband Joe is drawn into an encounter with a woman who's seen a ghost - a notorious war criminal from her Eastern European home country, walking the streets of San Francisco.

As Lindsay digs deeper, with help from intrepid journalist Cindy Thomas, there are revelations about the victims. The implications are shocking. And when Joe's mystery informant disappears, joining the ranks of missing women in grave danger, all evidence points to a sordid international crime operation.

It will take the combined skills of Lindsay, Joe, and the entire Women's Murder Club to protect their city, and themselves, from a monster.

This is the eighteenth in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki, though the focus in this book is on Lindsay.  Cindy, Claire and especially Yuki are barely there.  Yuki makes her first brief appearance about a 1/3 of the way into the book and if you didn't know what her job was, you had to wait until she made her second brief appearance about halfway into the book and that's when you find out she is a prosecutor.  I found this slack editing.

Lindsay is a detective with the San Francisco Police Department and her husband Joe works for the FBI.  This story happens five years ago so Lindsay and Joe are newly married and don't yet have a daughter.

Three teachers have disappeared after having drinks one Monday night and Lindsay and her partner, Rich, are assigned to the case.  As they dig deeper into the case, they discover the teachers aren't as wholesome as everyone thought and this adds a bit of a dirty element to the case.

In the meantime, Joe is approached by Anna, who had escaped from war torn Eastern Europe a few years ago.  There she was a young housewife with a baby.  Her husband and baby were killed and she, along with other young women of childbearing age, were taken and beaten and raped.  The man ultimately responsible was arrested but reportedly died.  Anna sees him living a couple blocks from her in San Francisco so she goes to Joe to report it.  Joe gets involved because he wants the guy to pay for all he had done.

I liked the writing style of this book and thought it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters.  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on others such as Joe, Anna and the kidnapped school teachers.  As a head's up, there is swearing and graphic violence.

I thought the stories were okay, though I couldn't believe Anna, while traumatized at all she had gone through back home, would be that dumb and naïve to follow around the monster responsible.  She knew he was dangerous ... how could she think she could outsmart him?!  I thought it was a bit of a coincidence that in the big ole city of San Francisco that Lindsay and Joe may be working on the same case.

Book ~ "17th Suspect" (2018) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ A KILLER WITH A PLAN

Detective Lindsay Boxer is on the case of a series of shootings of the homeless in San Francisco, where the killer is methodical yet unpredictable. An encounter with a confidential informant leads her to disturbing conclusions – something has gone very wrong inside the police department itself.

A DETECTIVE IN TOO DEEP

The hunt for the killer lures Lindsay out of her jurisdiction and Lindsay’s friends in the Women’s Murder Club are concerned that she’s taking the crimes too much to heart.

A PATH TO DANGER

But with lives on the line, Lindsay can’t stop herself from following the case into ever more terrifying terrain – even though the killer could cost her everything.

HOW FAR IS TOO FAR?

This is the seventeenth in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki, though the focus in this book is on Lindsay and Yuki.  Cindy and Claire are barely there, except when they meet for a couple meals.

Lindsay is a detective with the San Francisco Police Department.  She and her husband, Joe, are the parents of a young daughter.  Joe is recovering from an injury (incurred in the last book) so is currently a stay-at-home dad.  Lindsay is approached by Millie, a homeless woman, who tells her that others in her community are getting murdered but the police in that jurisdiction don't care.  Millie asks Lindsay to help, which causes some tension with the police officers who are assigned to the cases.  In the meantime, Lindsay isn't feeling well is concerned that she may be pregnant, something she's not sure she wants.

Marc has gone to the police to say that he was raped by his boss and he has a video to prove it.  Yuki is the DA assigned to this case and she's determined to bring Marc's boss down for what she did.

I liked the writing style of this book and thought it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters.  I thought the stories were okay, though the ending of one was pretty predictable and the other one ended abruptly and I would have liked more info on the "why" (not enough closure for me, I guess).  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on others such as Yuki and the killer of the homeless.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "16th Seduction" (2017) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ Fifteen months ago, Detective Lindsay Boxer's life was perfect - she had a beautiful child and a doting husband, Joe, who helped her catch a criminal who'd brazenly detonated a bomb in downtown San Francisco, killing twenty-five people. 

But Joe wasn't everything that Lindsay thought he was and she's still reeling from his betrayal as a wave of mysterious, and possibly unnatural, heart attacks claims seemingly unrelated victims across San Francisco. As if that weren't enough, the bomber she and Joe captured is about to go on trial, and his defense raises damning questions about Lindsay and Joe's investigation. 

Not knowing whom to trust, and struggling to accept the truth about the man she thought she knew, Lindsay must connect the dots of a deadly conspiracy before a brilliant criminal puts her on trial.

Lindsay is a detective with the San Francisco Police Department.  She and her estranged husband, Joe, are having supper at a restaurant when a bomb explodes in the science centre across the street.  Of course, they both run over.  Joe dashes into the science centre and while inside is injured when a second bomb is detonated.  Outside a man confesses to Lindsay that he was responsible for the bombing and was in wonderment at what he had done.  Lindsay immediately arrests him and though he denies his confession the next day, he is charged and the case goes to court.

Another of Lindsay's cases is people are dying of apparent heart attacks.  Her friend, Claire, who is a medical examiner and member of the Women's Murder Club, suspects that these people are, in fact, being murdered.

This is the sixteenth in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki, though the focus is on Lindsay.

I liked the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters.  I thought this book was okay.  I wasn't crazy about the bomber story and thought it and the trial was far fetched.  The same goes for the serial killer storyline.  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "15th Affair" (2016) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ Detective Lindsay Boxer has everything she could possibly want. Her marriage and baby daughter are perfect, and life in Homicide in the San Francisco Police Department is going well. But all that could change in an instant.

Lindsay is called to a crime scene at the Four Seasons Hotel. There is a dead man in one of the rooms, shot at close range. The man checked in under a false name with no ID on him so the first puzzle will be finding out who he is.

In the room next door are a dead young man and woman, also shot. They are surrounded by high-tech surveillance equipment. Could they have been spying on the man now dead in the room next to them?

And in the utilities cupboard down the hall is the dead body of a house maid. The murders are all clearly linked and professionally executed. But what is the motive behind it all? Lindsay will need to risk everything she has to find out. 

Lindsay is a detective with the San Francisco Police Department.  She and her team are called out when a man is found naked and shot in a hotel.  In the room next to his are two young people, who appear to have been spying on the man, also shot.  None of them have any ID.  Hotel footage show a beautiful woman entering the hotel and the man's room but that's all they have.  As Lindsay and her team keep digging, she discovers that there could be international espionage involved.

In the meantime, her husband, Joe, who is a former FBI agent and Homeland Security agent and is now a consultant, had disappeared and hasn't been in contact with Lindsay.  So in addition to solving the hotel murders, Lindsay now wonders whether her husband is still alive.

This is the latest (the fifteenth) in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki, though the focus is on Lindsay.  The ladies do get together a couple times but the time is spent delving over Joe's disappearance, not fun stuff.  In this book, Yuki is basically non-existent.  Lindsay seemed more mad than concerned that her husband was missing.

I liked the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters.  I thought this book was okay ... it was a bit much, though, with the crazy storylines.  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

Book ~ "14th Deadly Sin" (2015) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ Detective Lindsay Boxer and her three best friends are back and recovering from the events that pushed them all to the edge. 

 After her near-death experience, Yuki is seeing her life from a new perspective and is considering a change in her law career. San Francisco Chronicle reporter Cindy has healed from her gunshot wound and has published a book on the infamous serial killers she helped to bring down. Lindsay is just happy that the gang are all still in one piece. 

 But a new terror is sweeping the streets of San Francisco. A gang dressed as cops are ransacking the city, and leaving a string of dead bodies in their wake. Lindsay is on the case to track them down and needs to discover whether these killers could actually be police officers. Maybe even cops she already knows.

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki.  In this book, Cindy gets very little airtime and Claire is non-existent.

There were lots of stories going on in this book.  Three people dressed as cops are robbing money mart stores and shooting the workers.  They are also suspected of robbing drug dealers and killing them too.  This story went throughout the book and when it was resolved, there was no reason given as to why they did it.

Yuki quits her job to become a lawyer for a non-profit organization providing guidance to those who can't afford it.  Her first client is the mother of a 15-year-old (but mentally a five-year-old) who was arrested for killing some drug dealers and then got murdered in jail.  Once the case is over, her storyline is done.

Cindy has written a book about one of the cases from a previous book and is touring.  She and Rich are back together.  That was it for Cindy.

One of Claire's brief appearances is that she's mad at Lindsay for leaving her birthday dinner because a woman has been stabbed.  Claire comments that Lindsay always has to dash off during Claire's birthday has Lindsay and her husband, Joe, investigating whether there is indeed a serial killer who only kills once a year.  I could have done without this storyline.

This is the latest (the fourteenth) in the Women's Murder Club series (and I've read them all). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I liked the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters.  I thought this book was okay ... it was a bit over the top, though, with so many crazy storylines.  I had a hard time keeping track of who every one was and what story line they were in.  Plus Lindsay and Joe, who is a former Director of Homeland Security, make some rookie moves when they let their guard down around some crazies, which I didn't find believable as they should have known better.

The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.  It ends with a bit of a cliffhanger.

Yes, I'll read the next one when it comes out.

Book ~ "12th of Never" (2013) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ It's finally time! Detective Lindsay Boxer is in labor - while two killers are on the loose.

Lindsay Boxer's beautiful baby is born! But after only a week at home with her new daughter, Lindsay is forced to return to work to face two of the biggest cases of her career.

A rising star football player for the San Francisco 49ers is the prime suspect in a grisly murder. At the same time, Lindsay is confronted with the strangest story she's ever heard: An eccentric English professor has been having vivid nightmares about a violent murder and he's convinced is real. Lindsay doesn't believe him but then a shooting is called in-and it fits the professor's description to the last detail.

Lindsay doesn't have much time to stop a terrifying future from unfolding. But all the crimes in the world seem like nothing when Lindsay is suddenly faced with the possibility of the most devastating loss of her life. 

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki.  In this book, Cindy gets very little airtime and the time she does get, she's seems self-centred and insensitive.  In fact, she and Rich, Lindsay's partner, break up.

There is a lot going on in this book.  Lindsay has her baby but is called back to work within weeks.  Even though there is a health crisis with her baby, she does go.  Joe, her husband, is usually out of town working but is around in this one to shoulder a lot of the responsibility.

One of Lindsay and Rich's cases is a professor has dreams of people being murdered ... and then it happens.  They are also working on a case of a famous football player's girlfriend being murdered and then her body disappears from Claire's morgue before she can perform the autopsy.  Finally a serial killer comes out of his coma and is willing to tell where he buried the bodies ... but only to Lindsay.

Yuki is prosecuting a sleazy lawyer accused of murdering his wife and child.  Just when she thinks she's going to win the case, there are lots of crazy twists and turns.

This is the twelfth in the Women's Murder Club series (and I've read all twelve). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

I thought this book was okay ... it was a bit over the top, though, with so many crazy storylines.

Book ~ "11th Hour" (2012) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ Lindsay Boxer is pregnant at last! But her work doesn't slow for a second. When millionaire Chaz Smith is mercilessly gunned down, she discovers that the murder weapon is linked to the deaths of four of San Francisco's most untouchable criminals. And it was taken from her own department's evidence locker. Anyone could be the killer - even her closest friends.

Lindsay is called next to the most bizarre crime scene she's ever witnessed: two bodiless heads elaborately displayed in the garden of a world-famous actor. Another head is unearthed in the garden, and Lindsay realises that the ground could hide hundreds of victims.

A reporter launches a series of malicious articles about the cases and Lindsay's personal life is laid bare. But this time she has no one to turn to - especially not Joe.

Lindsay and her partner, Rich, are working on two cases.  Someone is executing drug dealers and it's suspected that it might be a cop.  Unfortunately that means that Lindsay and Rich have to start suspecting that it's their friends and colleagues.

Two heads surrounded by necklaces of fresh flowers were discovered in the backyard of an actor's home.  Harry, the actor, hasn't lived in the house for years but he is a suspect.  His wife, Cecily, disappeared ten years ago and Harry was suspected then of killing her but was acquitted.  Lindsay and Rich have to figure out who the heads belong to and where are the rest of their bodies.

A thorn in Lindsay's side is a reporter who has no problem making things up when he doesn't have the true story ... and he's focusing a lot on her and making her look bad.

This is the eleventh in the Women's Murder Club series (and the twelfth one I've read). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

I thought this book was okay.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki.  And for the first time in a lot of books in this series they actually work together to solve a crime.

There's always a physical description of the four of them.  I always feel sorry for Claire because the fact she is overweight is always emphasized.  And does anyone beside these four go around calling friends "girlfriend"?!

With Lindsay being pregnant, there is a lot about her hormones raging.  At one point, she freaks out on Joe without first asking his side of the story which I thought was a bit extreme.

I found it unbelievable that two homicide cops would let Cindy, a reporter, tag along with them even though they said no because they don't want her mad at them (Cindy is one of Lindsay's good friends and is Rich's fiancee).  Lindsay acknowledged that she could lose her job and Cindy could be in danger but they still let Cindy bully them.

One more to go to get caught up on the series.

Book ~ "10th Anniversary" (2011) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ Detective Lindsay Boxer's long-awaited wedding celebration becomes a distant memory when she is called to investigate a horrendous crime: a badly injured teenage girl is left for dead and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found. Lindsay discovers that not only is there no trace of the criminals - but that the victim may be keeping secrets as well. 

At the same time, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting the biggest case of her life - a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband in front of her two young children. Yuki's career rests on a guilty verdict so when Lindsay finds evidence that could save the defendant, she is forced to choose. Should she trust her best friend or follow her instinct? 

Lindsay's every move is watched by her new boss, Lieutenant Jackson Brady, and when the pressure to find the baby begins interfering with her new marriage to Joe, she wonders if she'll ever be able to start a family.

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki.

Avis, a fifteen-year-old, is found wondering around in nothing but a poncho.  It's obvious she's recently given birth but has no idea where her baby is.  When questioned, she has different stories and it's up to Lindsay and her partner, Rich, to figure out what's going on and find the baby (hoping he is still alive).

Yuki is prosecuting the case of a doctor who is accused of shooting her cheating husband.  The wife said an intruder did it.  As Lindsay starts poking her nose in it, she starts to wonder if the wife is, in fact, innocent after all.  This doesn't resonate well with Yuki since she wants the win.

Women are waking up in strange places after being sexually assaulted with no memory of where they have been.  The police aren't putting a lot of emphasis on finding out what's going on so it's up to reporter Cindy to investigate.  Of course, she does stupid things and puts herself in danger.  Things are progressing with Rich and they are now living together.

This is the tenth in the Women's Murder Club series (and the eleventh one I've read). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

I thought this book was okay.  I will continue to get caught up on the series.

Book ~ "The 8th Confession" (2009) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ As San Francisco's most glamorous millionaires mingle at the party of the year, someone is watching - waiting for a chance to take vengeance on Isa and Ethan Bailey, the city's most celebrated couple. Finally, the killer pinpoints the ideal moment and it's the perfect murder. Not a trace of evidence is left behind in their glamorous home.

As Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile murder, someone else is found brutally executed - a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless. His death nearly falls through the cracks but when reporter Cindy Thomas hears about it, she knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim's history, she discovers he may not have been quite as saintly as everyone thought.

As the hunt for two criminals tests the limits of the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay sees sparks fly between Cindy and her partner, Detective Rich Conklin. The Women's Murder Club now faces its toughest challenge: will love destroy all that four friends have built? 

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki.

Rich young obnoxious millionaires are mysteriously dying.  There doesn't seem to be any foul play and Claire, the medical examiner, can't find any cause for their deaths.  We, the readers, know, though, as the killer includes us in the killings.  Pet Girl is seeking revenge and she's getting it. Officers Lindsay and Rich are stumped until they get some clues from the past that may tie into the present.

A homeless guy named Bagman Jesus is found dead, beaten and shot.  The police have more important murders to investigate so Cindy, a reporter, takes it upon herself to find out what happened.

Yuki is a district attorney trying the case of a woman accused of bludgeoning her parents in their sleep.  After she gets hurt, she starts dating her doctor.

This is the eighth in the Women's Murder Club series (and the  ninth one I've read). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

Some of the storylines, like Pet Girl and Bagman Jesus, were okay.  Other stories were a bit annoying and unbelievable.  Like Yuki dating the doctor.  It turns out there is an issue between them (which was a bit out there) and Yuki and the rest of the club, though they like Doc, didn't have any compassion about his situation.  Yuki had fallen fast and hard for Doc and behaved like a gushing teenager ... but once she knew Doc's secret, she didn't care anymore.  Very shallow.  Lindsay and Rich still have a crush on each other.  Keep in mind that Lindsay is living with Joe, who had disrupted his life to be with her in San Francisco and had proposed (she's stalled him).  Conveniently Joe is out of town for the next three weeks.  Rich and Cindy start dating and Rich suddenly forgets about Lindsay and she's jealous.  Seriously?

I thought this book was the worst of the series but will continue to get caught up on it.

Book ~ "7th Heaven" (2008) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ 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. 

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki.

There are two main cases going on.  Someone is invading the homes of older wealthy couples, tying them up, robbing them and then setting the house on fire which kills the couples.  Lindsay is one of the officers investigating this case along with her partner, Rich.

The other case is that of  Michael, the missing 18 year old son of a former governor.  He was seen going into the house of a prostitute but never seen again.  June finally admits that Michael did visit her but he died (he had a major heart condition) and she and her boyfriend cut him up and threw his body in a dumpster.  Three months later there is no hope of finding the body.  Push comes to shove, though, and June denies what happened and said she was pressured by the police to confess.  Yuki is prosecutor on the case.

There was not really any focus on Cindy in this book.  Claire is pregnant and about to give birth.

This is the seventh in the Women's Murder Club series (and the  eighth one I've read). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

I thought the fire storyline was just okay.  I found June's trial storyline more interesting.  There was a twist at the end I didn't see coming.

I thought this book was okay and will continue to get caught up in the series.

Book ~ "The 6th Target" (2006) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ When a horrifying attack leaves one of the four members of the Women's Murder Club struggling for her life, the others fight to keep a madman behind bars before anyone else is hurt. 

And Lindsay Boxer and her new partner in the San Francisco police department run flat-out to stop a series of kidnappings that has electrified the city: children are being plucked off the streets together with their nannies - but the kidnappers aren't demanding ransom. Amid uncertainty and rising panic, Lindsay juggles the possibility of a new love with an unsolvable investigation, and the knowledge that one member of the club could be on the brink of death. 

And just when everything appears momentarily under control, the case takes a terrifying turn, putting an entire city in lethal danger. Lindsay must make a choice she never dreamed she'd face - with no certainty that either outcome has more than a prayer of success. 

Lindsay, Claire, Cindy and Yuki form the Women's Murder Club.  There was a lot going on in this book!  Fred was on a ferry and listened the voice in his head that told him to kill ... so he opened fire, killing some.  One of the people shot was Claire.  Lindsay is one of the officers assigned to this case along with her new partner, Rich.  Fred is captured and goes to trial with Yuki, another in the club, as the prosecutor.  I found this storyline a bit farfetched.

Cindy has moved and there are scary things happening in her building ... animals and people are getting killed.  This is another of Lindsay's cases.

Lindsay's third case is that of a kidnapped little girl.  As Lindsay investigates, she discovers that this isn't their first time a child has been kidnapped and disappeared so she has to figure out what the pattern is.

This is the sixth in the Women's Murder Club series (and the seventh one I've read). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

I didn't like Lindsay much in this book.  She is tired of her long distance relationship with Joe, who is a deputy director for Homeland Security.  Even though she breaks up with him, she's surprised when he doesn't call.  Yet when he does show that he's trying to change his life to be with her, she's not very nice to him or appreciative of what he is trying to do so they can be together.

I thought this book was okay and will continue to get caught up in the series.

Book ~ "The 5th Horseman" (2006) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ It is a wild race against time as Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer and the newest member of the Women's Murder Club, attorney Yuki Castellano, lead an investigation into a string of mysterious patient deaths - and reveal a hospital administration determined to shield its reputation at all costs. 

And while the hospital wages an explosive court battle that grips the entire nation, the Women's Murder Club hunts for a merciless killer among its esteemed medical staff. 

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki.

Lindsay is a police lieutenant in San Francisco.  Young dead well-dressed girls start being found in fancy cars around the city.  Her department is strapped for resources and everyone is working extra hard to find the killer(s).

Yuki was Lindsay's lawyer and has become a friend and the latest member of the Women's Murder Club.  Her mother, Keiko, has a stroke and is taken to the hospital.  Despite being told that she was getting better, Keiko suddenly dies.  Yuki discovers that the hospital where her mother had been taken is being taken to court because there have been many mysterious deaths of patients in the last three years.  Lindsay stumbles onto the case because she discovers that the dead patients were found with buttons on their eyes.

This is the fifth in the Women's Murder Club series (and the sixth one I've read). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.  This book was less about the Women's Murder Club, though ... the focuses were on Lindsay and Yuki. Cindy and Claire popped up occasionally.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.

I found the two storylines interesting but it felt like I was reading two different books because there was no connection.  I found it odd that 32 people had mysteriously died in three years and were found with buttons on their eyes yet the head of the hospital didn't think it was bizarre enough to tell the police.  Another thing I found strange is one of the characters gets on a plane with a gash in their head and their face bruised and bloodied.  Wouldn't Security at an airport stop and report them or take them to a hospital?

The whodunnits are exposed throughout the book (the last reveal comes very quickly at the end).  I would have liked more explanation as to why the killers did what they did.

I liked this book and will continue to get caught up in the series.

Book ~ "4th of July" (2005) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ In a deadly late-night showdown, San Francisco police lieutenant Lindsay Boxer fires her weapon and sets off a dramatic chain of events that leaves a police force disgraced, a family destroyed and Lindsay herself at the mercy of twelve jurors. 

During a break in the trial, she retreats to a picturesque town that is reeling from a string of grisly murders-crimes that bear a link to a haunting, unsolved case from her rookie years.

Now, with her friends in the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay must battle for her life on two fronts: in a trial rushing to a climax, and against an unknown adversary willing to do anything to hide the truth about the homicides-including kill again? 

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki.

Lindsay and her former partner, Jacobi, are chasing a car.  When it crashes, their first thought is to rescue the two people inside.  Bad move as it comes back to bite Lindsay in the butt when she is charged with the killing of one and injuring the other.  She has to go to trial for the charges, which could mean the end of her career.

To get away from the media attention, she stays at her sister's house.  There have been some murders in this community and which have a link to an unsolved murder from Lindsay's rookie days.

This is the fourth in the Women's Murder Club series (and the fifth one I've read). Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.  This book was less about the Women's Murder Club, though, and more about Lindsay.  Sweet Martha, Lindsay's dog, has more face-time than Claire and Cindy (but I was okay with that).

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

I thought the trial (and the fact there was a trial) was a bit overblown.  The facts and evidence clearly showed that Lindsay did what she had to do so I'm surprised that there was even a doubt she acted inappropriately.

Lindsay discovers whodunnit and the book wraps up pretty quickly after that.  The whodunnit was a bit of a stretch but I went with it.

I liked this book and will continue to get caught up in the series.

Book ~ "3rd Degree" (2004) James Patterson and Andrew Gross

From Goodreads ~ Plunging into a burning town house, Detective Lindsay Boxer discovers three dead bodies ... and a mysterious message at the scene. 

When more corpses turn up, Lindsay asks her friends Claire Washburn of the medical examiner's office, Assistant D.A. Jill Bernhardt, and San Francisco Chronicle reporter Cindy Thomas, to help her find a murderer who vows to kill every three days. Even more terrifying, he has targeted one of the four friends. Which one will it be?

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Jill.

Lindsay is a police lieutenant in San Francisco.  She is jogging with her dog when a house blows up as she's passing by.  Three dead bodies are found inside, one is the owner of a company from which he had recently sold his stock, thus plunging the price down.  As more murders happen and more notes are found, the group taking responsibility want fairer conditioners for people around the world.  Joe, a deputy director from Homeland Security, is brought in to help the San Francisco police department solve these murders.

This is the third in the Women's Murder Club series (and the fourth one I've read).  Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.  Out of the blue, domestic violence appears but it's nipped in the bud rather quickly (too quickly I thought).

I found this book a bit too political and as a Canadian, I didn't get some of the American references to things that have happened in the past.  I'd never heard of the Weathermen and there was no explanation of who they were and I don't really know what Homeland Security is.

I thought this was just okay and will continue to get caught up in the series.

Book ~ "2nd Chance" (2002) James Patterson and Andrew Gross

From Goodreads ~ "2nd Chance" reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (a detective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner) who used their networking skills, feminine intuition and professional wiles to solve a baffling series of murders in "1st to Die". 

This time, the murders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all the signs of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of San Francisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even more disturbing: both victims were related to city cops. 

A symbol glimpsed at both murder scenes leads to a racist hate group but the taunting killer strikes again and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever more cleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk - and the killer knows who they are. 

There are four members of the Women's Murder Club ... Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Jill.

After choir practice as the children are leaving, a gunman open fires on them, killing a young black girl and Lindsay investigates.  It seems like a random act until Cindy, Lindsay's friend and another member of the Women's Murder Club, tells Lindsay that the hanging of an older black woman and the killing of the girl may be related.  There is the same symbol at both deaths plus both have a connection to police officers.  Then there are more shootings ... one hits its mark killing the person and other just misses.

As Lindsay continues the investigation, she has to deal to some of the most hardened criminals to get to the bottom of what's going on.  On top of that, she has a surprise visit from someone from her past.

This is the second in the Women's Murder Club series (and the third one I've read).  Though it is part of a series, it does work as a stand alone.

I enjoyed the writing style and it went at a good pace. I liked the short choppy chapters. The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on everyone else ... but it was easy to figure out.  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

I liked Lindsay, Claire, Jill and Cindy.  They are very supportive of each other both professionally and emotionally.  There were a couple of dumb things that Lindsay did which put her in danger.  As a cop, she should know better.

I liked this one and will continue to get caught up in the series.