Women’s Murder Club- James Patterson.
Reviewed by: Cecilia Jansink
James Patterson is the first author to have #1 new releases on both The New York Times adult and children’s bestseller lists at the same time. The man behind the Alex Cross novels, two of which have already been made into movies (Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls) and standalone thrillers such as Swimsuit and Lifeguard has also captured the minds and imaginations of the younger generations with the adventures of Alien Hunter Daniel X, the Superhero-Esq Maximum Ride (soon to hit the big screen) and the new Witch and Wizard series ensuring a fan base that will hopefully keep his fingers to the keyboard for many years to come.
Above all, for me, the Women’s Murder Club series is the standout from all the amazing, vibrant character’s Patterson has brought to life. Women’s Murder Club brings us four strong and independent women all with a deep interest in the law and order field who together solve crimes and put the bad guys away in San Francisco, often piecing together the clues over a round of drinks and Mexican food at Susie’s.
Our four are composed of :
Homicide Detective Lindsay Boxer who often feels like the leader of our fab four. Lindsay is a second generation cop with a background in Sociology. You get the feeling Lindsay has a big chip on her shoulder, but the more you get to know her you realise she is determined to prove herself in what is still somewhat of a boy’s club.
Up and coming San Francisco Chronicle reporter Cindy Thomas sometimes feels a
little left out of the loop, although the rest of the gang trust her implicitly there are some thing’s about an investigation the press can’t be told even off the record.
Chief Medical Examiner Claire Washburn juggles work with a hectic family life. Claire is often the wise mother figure of the group and helps keep the others grounded.
In the first three novels the group is rounded out by Attorney Jill Bernhardt. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but Jill leaves the group in tragic circumstances. We are then introduced to young and ambitious District Attorney Yuki Castellano. Half Japanese and half Italian/American, Yuki always seems to be in high gear and given to speaking at 90MPH.
There are nine novels so far in the series:
1st to Die A serial killer is stalking and murdering newlyweds on their honeymoon. The women join forces to solve the case and the Women’s Murder Club is born.
2nd Chance Family members of San Francisco cops are found dead and the women must work quickly to track the killer down before he finds
his next victim and strikes again
3rd Degree A deadly terror group begins their killing spree by blowing up 
an expensive townhouse – with the family still inside. And, a member of the club is in some trouble of her own – will Lindsay be too late to save her?
4th of July Lindsay finds herself facing police brutality charges after a botched arrest. She heads out of town and straight into the middle of a killing
The 5th Horseman Hospital patients are dying mysteriously hours before they’re due
to be released. When the women begin their investigation into the
The 6th Target Someone opens fire on unsuspecting pedestrians and one of the club is caught in the middle. As she struggles for her life, the others must work fast to track down the madman. Meanwhile, somebody is targeting children and their nannies. As the kidnappers await their 
ransom, the women must find the mastermind before more children are harmed.
7th Heaven The son of a former governor disappears and prostitute Junie Moon confesses to the crime leaving Yuki Castellano to face the media circus surrounding the prosecution. But is Junie Moon really guilty? Meanwhile, a serial arsonist is torching beautiful homes and their occupants – but something doesn’t add up. Lindsay and the gang must
find the truth.
The 8th Confession A killer is picking off the super-rich one by one without leaving a shred of evidence behind. A street preacher and a patron saint to the homeless is brutally beaten and left to die. And, danger strikes close to home when an unexpected romance threatens to tear the girls apart. In this installment, the stakes are high but the truth is 
shrouded. Who will confess?
The 9th Judgment A young mother and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down while returning to their car in the garage of a shopping mall. With no witnesses, Lindsay and the girls have only one piece of evidence – a cryptic message scrawled across the windshield in blood-red lipstick.
The next installment, 10th Anniversary, is due for release on May 2nd 2011: 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 the victim may be keeping secrets as well.
So if you like your crime solved with spunk, integrity, girl-power and a healthy dose of unwavering friendship along the way, check out the Women’s Murder Club and become an honorary member and gain yourself four new friends to brighten your day.
The series was also adapted for TV in 2007 it was only a short run and not as enjoyable as the written version but still worth a watch if you can find it on DVD.
There is also a range of Women’s Murder Club video games available through iPlay.
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