4th of July

After the explosive events of the third entry in the Women's Murder Club series, 3rd Degree (2004), which claimed the life of one of the members, it's understandable that the follow-up might be a bit of a letdown. But only a little. Patterson's characteristic brutal murders and elusive killers are present, keeping the stakes high. Lindsay Boxer, the police lieutenant who brought the club together, is taking some serious heat in this installment. After a car chase goes wrong, Lindsay is forced to shoot two killers after they wound her and her partner. The firefight leaves a 15-year-old girl dead and her 13-year-old brother paralyzed, making way for a police brutality lawsuit. Lindsay hides out in her sister's suburban house, where she hopes to escape the media circus surrounding her trial. But someone has been killing married couples in the upscale community, and the method greatly resembles a case from early in Lindsay's career, one that she was never able to close the book on. Even though the Women's Murder Club itself is consigned to the background, Lindsay's trial and the murders keep the pages turning. --Kristine Huntley Copyright 2005 Booklist

Mega-bestseller Patterson teams up with journalist/novelist Paetro for a rousing fourth installment of the Women's Murder Club series. This time, bright, tough SFPD Lt. Lindsay Boxer is battling police brutality charges while chasing down a clan of murderers. When a botched police arrest of two gun-toting minors expands from a shaky preliminary hearing to what promises to be a nerve-rattling jury trial of Lindsay, she flees the pre-trial media frenzy for the serene haven of sister Cat's house in Half Moon Bay. But instead of finding relaxation and romance with her Homeland Security beau, Lindsay becomes embroiled in the ruthless crimes of a troika of killers who've been slashing and flogging victims all over town. With surprisingly little aid from the Murder Club, Lindsay performs her detective handiwork (and steps on the toes of Half Moon's police chief). As more bodies surface, sketchy suspects like a smitten grease monkey and a slimy porn star emerge, then the murderous threesome set their sights on Lindsay. Back in San Francisco, Lindsay is acquitted; she then rushes back to Half Moon Bay to apprehend the elusive villains and put to rest her unresolved first homicide case as well. Heroic super-sleuthing, a steadily gripping plot line and 146 snappy chapters add up to suspense fiction euphoria for Patterson's legion of fans. (One-day laydown May 2) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Home in Half Moon Bay while facing a charge of police brutality, Lt. Lindsay Boxer joins up with her Women's Murder Club friends to investigate a spate of killings. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.