 |
The 8th Confession (Women's Murder Club) by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
Book Summary InformationAuthor: James Patterson, Maxine Paetro Edition: Hardcover Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2009-04-27 ISBN: 0316018767 Number of pages: 368 Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Book Reviews of The 8th Confession (Women's Murder Club)Book Review: Narrative that Flows Right Off the Page and into Your Mind at Breakneck Speed! Summary: 5 Stars
My own very unscientific research (which consists primarily of asking everyone from soul mates to total strangers, "So what do you like to read?") demonstrates that the Women's Murder Club books by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is wildly popular. Each of the novels in this entertaining series contains a number of appealing elements.
The first is a primary cast of four likable, professional women whose careers intersect occasionally with a stretch. Then you have the setting. The stories take place mainly in San Francisco, a city of such distinctiveness that it becomes a character unto itself, as opposed to a mere though beautiful backdrop. Add some very well-written erotica that steams up the pages without hijacking the book, a narrative that flows right off the page and into your mind at breakneck speed, and...what's not to love?
Of course, I have failed to mention one last element. Any series known as The Women's Murder Club had better have at least one good murder-based mystery at its heart; Patterson and Paetro haven't let their readers down. THE 8th CONFESSION has two puzzling cases to keep Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends busy from beginning to end. The homicides could not be more dissimilar. One involves the slaying of a street character known only by his nickname of Bagman Jesus, whose mutilated body is found on the street. Bagman's demise is a true example of overkill, given that he has so many wounds that his death could be from any one of several factors. >From accounts, it appears that Bagman actually did some good on the street. Who then would want him dead, and why? Newspaper reporter Cindy Thomas does not want to let his murder rest, and she pressures the police establishment --- and Boxer --- not to let the case fall through the cracks.
Meanwhile, Boxer is getting pressured from above the chain of command to solve a series of murders that is taking out San Francisco's rich and famous beautiful people. How these killings are being done is a mystery, especially to Dr. Claire Washburn, San Francisco's chief medical examiner. And if Boxer ever makes an arrest in either case, she'll be passing the defendants off to Yuki Castellano, the San Francisco D.A. whose losing streak in the courtroom and in the bedroom needs to be broken, and soon. Speaking of which, Boxer's problems aren't limited to the detective bureau. Things are fine between her and her significant other; the problem is that he keeps popping the question, and she won't drop an answer. At the same time, the mutual attraction between Boxer and Rich Conklin, her detective bureau partner, is undeniable. How then is she going to react when Conklin and her friend Cindy begin forming their own society of mutual admiration?
As may be obvious, there is enough going on in THE 8th CONFESSION to keep you up all night reading or to while away a day or three at the beach this summer. On the other hand, if you have yet to pick a summer destination, this book, as with its predecessors, functions as a bit of a mini Zagat Guide for San Francisco, with various combinations of characters visiting a number of its finer and funkier dining establishments that lay off the beaten (and tourist) path. The idea of visiting some of the crime scenes that are peppered throughout the novel has its own appeal as well.
And if you need further prompting to read THE 8th CONFESSION, it seems to be a homage, intentional or otherwise, to one of the more popular stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as well as one of the most favored novels by Dame Agatha Christie. It doesn't get much better than this.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Summary of The 8th Confession (Women's Murder Club)As San Francisco's most glamorous millionaires mingle at the party of the year, someone is watching--waiting for a chance to take vengeance on Isa and Ethan Bailey, the city's most celebrated couple. Finally, the killer pinpoints the ideal moment, and it's the perfect murder. Not a trace of evidence is left behind in their glamorous home.
As Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile murder, someone else is found brutally executed--a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless. His death nearly falls through the cracks, but when reporter Cindy Thomas hears about it, she knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim's history, she discovers he may not have been quite as saintly as everyone thought.
As the hunt for two criminals tests the limits of the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay sees sparks fly between Cindy and her partner, Detective Rich Conklin. The Women's Murder Club now faces its toughest challenge: will love destroy all that four friends have built? The exhilarating new chapter in the Women's Murder Club series, The 8th Confession serves up a double dose of speed-charged twists and shocking revelations as only James Patterson can. And remember, this is the only Murder Club episode of the year.
|
 |
|
|
The 9th Judgment (The Women's Murder Club)by James Patterson Grand Central Publishing; Published: 2011-04-12; Paperback; BookBest price: $7.58Price in other shops: $14.99
3rd Degreeby James Patterson, Andrew Gross Little, Brown; Published: 2004-03; Hardcover; BookBest price: $1.90Price in other shops: $26.95
4th of Julyby James Patterson, Maxine Paetro Little, Brown and Company; Published: 2005-05-02; Hardcover; BookBest price: $0.72Price in other shops: $35.00
2nd Chanceby James Patterson, Andrew Gross Little, Brown and Company; Published: 2002-03-04; Hardcover; BookBest price: $2.84Price in other shops: $35.00
The 6th Targetby James Patterson, Maxine Paetro Little, Brown and Company; Published: 2007-05-08; Hardcover; BookBest price: $3.18Price in other shops: $27.99
The 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club)by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro Little, Brown and Company; Published: 2006-02-13; Hardcover; BookBest price: $2.47Price in other shops: $27.95
10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club)by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro Little, Brown and Company; Published: 2011-05-02; Hardcover; BookBest price: $9.25Price in other shops: $27.99
7th Heaven (Women's Murder Club)by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro Little, Brown and Company; Published: 2008-02-04; Hardcover; BookBest price: $1.71Price in other shops: $27.99
The 9th Judgment (Women's Murder Club)by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro Little, Brown and Company; Published: 2010-04-26; Hardcover; BookBest price: $3.89Price in other shops: $27.99
The 6th Target (The Women's Murder Club)by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro Vision; Published: 2008-11-25; Mass Market Paperback; BookBest price: $3.22Price in other shops: $7.99
|