Review ~ 10th Anniversary by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club)
Author ~ James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
Publisher ~ Little, Brown & Co.
Publication date ~ May 2, 2011

About the book ~ 

For every secret
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.

For every lie

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?

There's a different way to die

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. With James Patterson's white-hot speed and unquenchable action, 10th Anniversary is the most deliciously chilling Women's Murder Club book ever.

My thoughts ~

The time has finally come. Lindsay is marrying Joe Molinari, the love of her life. After taking some time off after the wedding she is a little hesitant about her return to work. Changes are all-around, including a new lieutenant to answer to, Jackson Brady. Her first case back is that of Avis Richardson. A 15-year-old girl found collapsed in the middle of the road, bleeding out. It appears that she has just given birth, but apparently has no recollection of what happened since the delivery, how she got where she is, or what happened to her baby. Lindsay isn’t so sure how honest Avis is being with her. She will have to push her hard in order to find out the truth. And hopefully find her baby alive.

Yuki has a make or break case on her hands. Dr. Candace Martin is charged with shooting her husband in cold blood. It appears to be an open and shut case, a sure, must-have win for Yuki. That is until Lindsay finds herself drawn into the case and starts poking around. Maybe things aren’t as perfect as they appear to be.  And Yuki’s slam-dunk case may now be in jeopardy.

Cindy is basking in the glow of being head-over-heels in love with Rich, who just happens to be Lindsay’s partner. Working as the crime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. She knows in this day and age - with internet news and bloggers - that she doesn’t have 100% job security. She needs to find that one big story that will make her stand out, and hopefully hold onto her job.  She gets the inside scoop on reports of several women being found passed out near their  homes, with no memory of the past several hours.  Cindy uses her investigative skills and tracks down a lead that will put her in a very precarious position.

While each of the Murder Club women works her own case they offer their own brand of expertise to each other. They each have their own worries, both professional and personal. But they are always there to help and support each other. They are each others best friends.

My issues with 10^th Anniversary are relatively minor. Lindsay, Yuki, and Cindy each have strong, independent stories, but we get only glimpse of Claire. Yes, she had a baby not too long ago, and may be shying away from trouble for now, but I wish we had seen more of her. I also found it confusing that there was a second, albeit minor character, named Cyndi. Granted the spelling is different, but it can be confusing to the reader. I think with any character in a book, we develop a picture in our minds of what we think each character looks like. With the Women’s Murder Club having been a TV show, the images of Angie Harmon as Lindsay have stuck in my mind.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Angie Harmon, but now she is the only face I see. And she wasn’t necessarily what I pictured Lindsay to look like originally.  This isn’t the authors doing, obviously, but those of you who watched the show may have a similar issue.

10^th Anniversary is typical James Patterson ~ short chapters, fast-paced storylines, familiar characters and cases that aren’t easily solved. He realizes that, at this point, everyone is probably familiar with the women of the Murder Club and doesn’t bother the reader with too much repetitive info on their pasts. James Patterson & Maxine Paetro do a great job of combining mystery, intensity, love, friendship, and suspense in this latest edition of the Murder Club series. While most may look at this book as a typical James Patterson mystery, I see beyond that, to what to me is the core of this story. The deep, unrelenting friendship that these four women share. A friendship that has survived death, kidnapping, dating your BFF’s boss, and whatever else gets thrown at them. Looking forward to when they celebrate their 20^th anniversary. 

About the authors ~ 

James Patterson has had more New York Times
bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977, James Patterson's books have sold more than 205 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.
 

 Maxine Paetro is the author of three novels, two works of nonfiction, and the coauthor of seven books with James Patterson. She lives in New York with her husband.







Other books in the Women's Murder Club Series ~

FTC Full Disclosure ~ I received this book from the publisher in hopes of an honest review.

Book Spotlight ~ Did Not Survive by Ann Littlewood

Poisoned Pen Press Announces the Release of Did Not Survive by Ann Littlewood

One of the best-known quotes about the craft of writing is “write what you know.” Novelist Ann Littlewood, who worked as a zookeeper for the Oregon Zoo for over a decade, does just that in her latest mystery, Did Not Survive. An intriguing and suspenseful tale set against the backdrop of a fictional zoo, Did Not Survive is the story of a violent death, an elephant with means and opportunity but no motive, and a zookeeper driven to find the truth.

Pregnant and still reeling from her husband’s murder, protagonist Iris Oakley wants only to carry on as a keeper at Finley Memorial Zoo in Vancouver, Washington. But Iris is forced into extraordinary—and extraordinarily terrifying—circumstances when she must try to rescue her boss, Kevin Wallace, from being mauled to death by Damrey, a reliable old elephant. No one understands why Damrey attacked—or even if Damrey attacked.

Nominated by her coworkers to investigate, Iris soon uncovers a number of motives to kill Kevin—and a long list of potential suspects. The elephant keepers are locked in a bitter feud; the zoo’s new veterinarian has something to hide; and an old flame’s passion has boiled down to a simmering rage. Adding to the chaos, animal rights activists who want the elephants sent to a sanctuary are picketing the zoo. The police keep dropping by. A new foreman shows up with alarming ideas. And then the animals begin to disappear into thin air. . . .

Determined to get answers, Iris launches a pulse-racing quest that will put her job, her baby, and even her life on the line. But the closer Iris gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer—a killer who will stop at nothing to keep Iris from piecing together this deadly puzzle.

A chilling and inventive tale that explores the promise of new birth juxtaposed against the trauma of murder, Did Not Survive is a complex and captivating mystery. Rich with insights about modern zoos and the incredible bond between humans and animals drawn from Littlewood’s experience, Did Not Survive is an exhilarating novel with an exotic setting, an enchanting heroine, and a storyline to die for.

Ann Littlewood worked as a zookeeper at the Oregon Zoo for 12 years before launching a career in business writing with Kaiser Permanente. Ann lives in Portland, Oregon. A life-long environmentalist, Ann is an active volunteer with the Audubon Society of Portland. She is also the author of Night Kill.

Visit Ann at her website

Friend Ann on Facebook
Check out her Blog 
Click HERE to contact Ann

Click HERE to read the first chapter of Did Not survive

Make sure to also check out the first book in the Zoo Mysteries series ~ Night Kill