emeraldmaple's review against another edition
2.0
I had the rest of the Women’s Murder Club on my hold list at my local library and for some reason, this has a wait list so I took a break from other books to read this. I was thinking the long wait list meant it was better than some recent ones in the series but now maybe just a Christmas in July book club or something.
I am happy to see Boxer back at work but this book just fell flat. The master criminal suddenly gets caught thanks to a cop’s kid in a chat room and told one of the distraction criminals what the real target was? After years of major heists without leaving a clue? The side story with Cindy and Yuki looking into a case of an illegal immigrant waiting in jail on a murder charge despite zero evidence is full of meetings but wraps up without any of the drama of closure.
The premise of either story could have been excellent but like many of Patterson’s recent books, it felt rushed and just when you think that Joe and Lindsay’s home life will survive this book without major drama, the epilogue happens but doesn’t even leave a cliffhanger for the next book.
Maybe it is time to just be done with the series.
I am happy to see Boxer back at work but this book just fell flat. The master criminal suddenly gets caught thanks to a cop’s kid in a chat room and told one of the distraction criminals what the real target was? After years of major heists without leaving a clue? The side story with Cindy and Yuki looking into a case of an illegal immigrant waiting in jail on a murder charge despite zero evidence is full of meetings but wraps up without any of the drama of closure.
The premise of either story could have been excellent but like many of Patterson’s recent books, it felt rushed and just when you think that Joe and Lindsay’s home life will survive this book without major drama, the epilogue happens but doesn’t even leave a cliffhanger for the next book.
Maybe it is time to just be done with the series.
yorugua1891's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 stars and I am being generous. The only two positives about this book are that it is short and the vignette we get in the epilogue. The main story is completely disjointed and uninteresting. The main cast is acting completely out of character most of the time and we get absolutely zero development of their personal stories. A truly forgettable read, you can skip this one and continue the series with #20 and not miss a thing.
lilmisssouthernyn's review against another edition
3.0
I love this series, but this one was my least favorite so far.
prongs_little_king's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
abookarmoire's review against another edition
4.0
It’s just another day at the office for this crew. Or is it? Set through the holiday season, literally over Christmas, you’ll get to see just what it’s like to be enforcement when everyone is feeling jolly and festive. There’s some really fun things that happen in this book, a lot of character development, all the while trying to catch a bad guy.
”I’m calling people back from time off so we’re covered. One of those people is Chief Warren Jacobi, who has volunteered to step out of retirement and work out of this unit with Boxer and Conklin.”
Jacobi came through the doorway to a big round of applause from about sixty cops who knew that, even after retiring under a cloud, he was a helluva cop.
I was very glad to see my old partner, my old boss, my close friend. Conklin and I grinned at each other.
The gang was all here.
I love this crew, and to bring back Jacobi. Too fun. Lindsay is also loving it. This plot follows these bad guys planning a Ocean 11 style heist, but all the while dropping misleading hints, the museum, the mint, the instrument store, the airport? Hmm. As usual action packed!
I said to Jacobi, “Could this be true? The mint is impenetrable. Guns and ski masks won’t cut it. What’s your bullshit detector tell you?”
Jacobi said, “That it’s time to call the Secret Service.”
If you’re a fan of the series, then read on. Otherwise, it just another story and won’t resonate if you read it as a stand alone book. And could someone explain the cover? Some girl in the forest? The entire plot occurs in San Francisco city… It’s a pretty cover, nothing to do with the book though. Anyway, I’m always happy to read another instalment of the Women’s Murder Club.
”I’m calling people back from time off so we’re covered. One of those people is Chief Warren Jacobi, who has volunteered to step out of retirement and work out of this unit with Boxer and Conklin.”
Jacobi came through the doorway to a big round of applause from about sixty cops who knew that, even after retiring under a cloud, he was a helluva cop.
I was very glad to see my old partner, my old boss, my close friend. Conklin and I grinned at each other.
The gang was all here.
I love this crew, and to bring back Jacobi. Too fun. Lindsay is also loving it. This plot follows these bad guys planning a Ocean 11 style heist, but all the while dropping misleading hints, the museum, the mint, the instrument store, the airport? Hmm. As usual action packed!
I said to Jacobi, “Could this be true? The mint is impenetrable. Guns and ski masks won’t cut it. What’s your bullshit detector tell you?”
Jacobi said, “That it’s time to call the Secret Service.”
If you’re a fan of the series, then read on. Otherwise, it just another story and won’t resonate if you read it as a stand alone book. And could someone explain the cover? Some girl in the forest? The entire plot occurs in San Francisco city… It’s a pretty cover, nothing to do with the book though. Anyway, I’m always happy to read another instalment of the Women’s Murder Club.
nortonmerlyn's review against another edition
3.0
I read this book for book club. It was okay. I am not a huge Patterson fan. I loved his maximum ride books but have not enjoyed his others.
This book was your basic mystery. A who dun it. The characters were there but I never developed a feel for them.
I kept hoping for the end of the book.
This book was your basic mystery. A who dun it. The characters were there but I never developed a feel for them.
I kept hoping for the end of the book.
notlikethebeer's review against another edition
2.0
Echoing a lot of the other reviews - this was great, until it wasn't. It started out so strong, giving me real Thirteen (Steve Cavanagh) and The Fall vibes with the dual view of both the crime-creators and the crime-fighters. I really liked the way that dual view was used to create tension and a lot of dramatic irony. I wanted to know what would happen next, what the next twist would be, where it would all end up. Unfortunately it just didn't deliver on that. I was left with a massive sense of 'so what?' and a lot of unanswered questions - it really just wrapped up too quickly. Even in the last few chapters, I was expecting there to be something MORE - something else, another twist - because it just felt unfinished. But nope. It really did just... fizzle out. What a shame :(
ronniewest's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. This was a crime mystery set at Christmas time, but it just felt a little contrived, maybe forced.
tabatha_shipley's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 Stars (rounded up for sites that don't allow halves).
What I Didn’t Like:
-Again, weird chapter breaks. This is a common problem with all the Patterson books I’ve read lately. He seems to have started chopping his chapters mid scene, sometimes even mid conversation. It’s such a weird choice and I’m not sure I’m liking it.
-Missing the women’s murder club. Yes, this book is technically about them. But it’s been a long time since we’ve had those great scenes with the four powerful women coming together to have a conversation about a case. They’re not working them out together over dinner anymore and I miss that.
-The more things change the more they stay the same. I like when characters grow and change, but this series seems to find any excuse to keep returning the ladies to the status quo. YES, they’re different people with changed lives on the surface, but essentially the books keep sounding and working the same. They fall into their old patterns. This makes the books feel stale and similar to the previous books.
What I Did Like:
-Lindsay. I still like her. I like her power and passion, I like her strength and sense of justice. I like that in a world of male detectives, Lindsay stands out.
-Satisfying mystery. By that I mean I didn’t have it all figured out. The angle was a little different than the other stories in this series and it keeps you guessing.
Who Should Read This One:
-If you’re already a fan of the murder club series, you’ve probably already read this one or have decided to.
My Rating: 2.5 (rounded up to 3 for rating sites that don’t allow halves). It just feels like it’s lost the magic that made this series great and that’s problematic.
What I Didn’t Like:
-Again, weird chapter breaks. This is a common problem with all the Patterson books I’ve read lately. He seems to have started chopping his chapters mid scene, sometimes even mid conversation. It’s such a weird choice and I’m not sure I’m liking it.
-Missing the women’s murder club. Yes, this book is technically about them. But it’s been a long time since we’ve had those great scenes with the four powerful women coming together to have a conversation about a case. They’re not working them out together over dinner anymore and I miss that.
-The more things change the more they stay the same. I like when characters grow and change, but this series seems to find any excuse to keep returning the ladies to the status quo. YES, they’re different people with changed lives on the surface, but essentially the books keep sounding and working the same. They fall into their old patterns. This makes the books feel stale and similar to the previous books.
What I Did Like:
-Lindsay. I still like her. I like her power and passion, I like her strength and sense of justice. I like that in a world of male detectives, Lindsay stands out.
-Satisfying mystery. By that I mean I didn’t have it all figured out. The angle was a little different than the other stories in this series and it keeps you guessing.
Who Should Read This One:
-If you’re already a fan of the murder club series, you’ve probably already read this one or have decided to.
My Rating: 2.5 (rounded up to 3 for rating sites that don’t allow halves). It just feels like it’s lost the magic that made this series great and that’s problematic.