11th Hour by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
New York; Little, Brown [2012]
978-0-316-09749-9; $27.99
San Francisco Homicide Detective Lindsay Boxer and her pals in the Women’s Murder Club are back and working together to solve several difficult crimes. First, an unknown gunman visits a recital at a prestigious music academy and shoots millionaire Chaz Smith in the Men’s Room, escaping with the crowd. It is discovered that the gun was stolen from the Department’s Evidence Locker, and is connected to the deaths of 4 of San Francisco’s most untouchable criminals. Lindsay is heartsick when she has to stake out the home of her former partner, now Chief, Warren Jacobi.
The second case happens at the compound of an actor and legendary womanizer, Harry Chandler, who had been accused of killing his missing wife 9 years ago. The housekeeper reports that 2 people are dead – very dead – she is in no danger. It turns out that, not only are the people very dead, they are only two decapitated heads, or, more accurately, one decapitated head and one skull. They do identify the head, but it doesn’t help. No one knows this woman. And more skulls turn up, buried on the property. It turns out they are all women, but still unknown, and none of them are the missing wife. Some fancy work by Claire Washburn, the M.E., and a colleague of hers, helps to narrow the field and puts the heads within a range for identification. The heads are identified and they close in on the suspect.
But the most emotional case comes at the expense of Lindsay’s emotions. She is now married to F.B.I. agent Joe Molinari, and she is finally pregnant. Joe was in Washington for a while, and Lindsay calls him at one point, but ends up talking to a woman who had been his heartthrob before her. She tells Lindsay that they are still together. Lindsay tries to forgive. When a weasley reporter posts a picture of Joe escorting this woman at a formal Washington affair, with commentary on Lindsay’s life, she sees red. Joe has told her there is no affair, but the photo belies what he says, and she kicks him out of the house. Then she misses him, particularly when she feels vulnerable. She does get back at the reporter, with the help of the Women’s Murder Club, and it is such a joy!
This is a good series, which whips along via Patterson’s style of short chapters. Recommended. ~lss-r
___________
Library Book.
No comments:
Post a Comment