First line: Sarah Wells stood on the roof of the carport and snaked her gloved hand through the hole she’d cut in the glass.
From the inside cover: A young mother and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down while returning to their car in the garage of a shopping mall. There are no witnesses, and Detective Lindsay Boxer is left with only one shred of evidence: a cryptic message scrawled across the windshield in bloodred lipstick.
The same night, the wife of A-list actor Marcus Dowling is woken by a cat burglar who is about to steal millions of dollars’ worth of precious jewels. In just seconds there is a nearly empty safe, a lifeless body, and another mystery that throws San Francisco into hysteria.
Lindsay spends every waking hour working with her partner, Rich – and her desire for him threatens to tear apart both her engagement and the Women’s Murder Club. Before Lindsay and her friends can piece together either case, one of the killers forces Lindsay to put her own life on the line – but is it enough to save the city? With unparalleled danger and explosive action, The 9th Judgment is James Patterson at his compelling, unstoppable best!
My thoughts: I love this series and this latest installment didn’t disappoint. It is the 9th in the Women’s Murder Club series and we once again get to catch up with the four friends, Lindsay, Claire, Suki and Cindy. The plot was fast paced and engaging, with two separate storylines running parallel that ultimately merge. One case involves a string of burglaries of the rich and you actually end up sympathizing at times with the ‘thief.’ The second case involves a disturbed individual killing mothers and children. It is gruesome and hard to take, but seems to be balanced by the cat burglar, aptly named “Hello Kitty.’ The chapters were short and to the point, which made the jumping back and forth from one case to the other easier to follow.9th Judgment is everything that I have come to expect from James Patterson’s mystery thrillers – it shocks, teases and keeps you hanging on to the very end.
(I purchased this book.)
Mystery thrillers aren't usually my thing. It's not even that I don't enjoy them because when I do occasionally pick them up, i like them. But I don't usually pick them up. Still, this one definitely sounds interesting. I like the idea of a Women's Murder Club with strong women who aren't afraid. I love strong female characters and it sounds like this book is full of them. Maybe I'll try this series out.