A rash of brutal arson-murders and the missing son of a recent governor has the ladies of the Women's Murder Club very busy. Can these two sets of crimes be connected?
Prolific mystery writer, James Patterson, returns with the seventh installment of his Women's Murder Club mysteries, a series made even more popular by the hit ABC television drama based on the books.
Women's Mystery Club
This series revolves around four characters: Lindsay Boxer, a homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department; Yuki Castellano, an assistant district attorney; Cindy Thomas , a reporter for the "San Francisco Chronicle; and Claire Washburn, the medical examiner for the city.
The group finds itself in the middle of two complex mysteries. The chronically-ill, teen-aged son of the former governor has disappeared. It's been several months and no contact has been made with the family and no body has been found. Michael Campion's mother and father are frantic and the pressure is on the SFPD.
At the same time, a series of fires have taken the lives of several affluent area couples. Though Lindsay and her crew are beginning to suspect arson, evidence is sketchy at best. All of the fires are fierce in their intensity and localized in one room. It's also curious that none of the victims make any attempt to flee. Can the boy's disappearance and the fires possibly be connected and if so, how?
A Fast-Paced Solution
After months of inactivity and blind leads, an anonymous tip sets Lindsay and her team onto the solution to both mysteries. Not before, however, they are forced to decipher what is true and what is designed to mislead them. Choosing incorrectly will do more than let a murderer go free; it could cost one or more of them their lives.
The Women's Murder Club Series is the most enjoyable of the Patterson output, primarily because of the likeability of its main characters. Lindsay's tenaciousness, Cindy's curiosity, and Claire's no-nonsense attention to detail make these books fun to read. Do they suffer from Mr. Patterson's penchant for short chapters? Yes, no 375-page novel needs to have 125 chapters. It's the literary equivalent of being interrupted repeatedly in the middle of a sentence. Still, reading 7th Heaven is an enjoyable way to spend an evening.
About James Patterson
James Patterson is the author of more than 40 novels. He is best known for his Alex Cross Series and his Women's Murder Club Series, recently made into a TV series. Mr. Patterson has also recently branched out into young adult fiction with the Maximum Ride series, first published in 2006. He has won numerous writing awards. In addition to the Edgar, he has won the BCA Mystery Guild's "Thriller of the Year" award and is the 2007 recipient of the "Thrillermaster" Award.
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