10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club)
Author ~ James Patterson & Maxine PaetroPublisher ~ 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 10th 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.
10th 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 20th anniversary.
About the authors ~
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.
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.
