The Medical Examiner by James Patterson

Synopsis:

Two bodies arrived at the morgue--one was still breathing. 

A woman checks into a hotel room and entertains a man who is not her husband. A shooter blows away the lover and wounds the millionairess, leaving her for dead. Is it the perfect case for the Women's Murder Club--or just the most twisted?

I really haven’t been able to get into any of the BookShots yet. I figured I would give this one a chance since it’s part of the Women’s Murder Club series. It’s always good to spend some more time with the characters I’ve grown to love over the years. 

I hate to say it, really, but this one confirmed my feelings about the BookShots. They’re so cheesy, they don’t add anything to the series, and I’m just not sure what the point it. The writing is more cringe worthy than anything. We’ve known these characters for years now, so why did we need “Claire Washburn” in almost every chapter. We know her whole name, she’s usually referred to as just Claire. So, why was it different in this one. 

I feel like all of the characters were more extreme versions of themselves here too. It was off because Lindsay was on vacation so it was more about Claire, Cindy, and Rich. But it just wasn’t right. They didn’t act like themselves. It was hard to get through. 

I guess the storyline was interesting, but it really could have been developed into a full-length novel and actually explored. Although, Joan was an absolutely awful character, so I’m glad I didn’t have to read a long one about her. 

I just don’t like these BookShots. Sorry. Also - the cover of the book makes no sense. That never happens in the book.

1/5 Stars – just because it’s the Women’s Murder Club

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The 17th Suspect by James Patterson

Synopsis:

A series of shootings exposes San Francisco to a methodical yet unpredictable killer, and a reluctant woman decides to put her trust in Sergeant Lindsay Boxer. The confidential informant's tip leads Lindsay to disturbing conclusions, including that something has gone horribly wrong inside the police department itself. 

The hunt for the killer lures Lindsay out of her jurisdiction, and gets inside Lindsay in dangerous ways. She suffers unsettling medical symptoms, and her friends and confidantes in the Women's Murder Club warn Lindsay against taking the crimes too much to heart. With lives at stake, the detective can't help but follow the case into ever more terrifying terrain. 

A decorated officer, loving wife, devoted mother, and loyal friend, Lindsay's unwavering integrity has never failed her. But now she is confronting a killer who is determined to undermine it all.

It was weird having a Women’s Murder Club where it didn’t feel like Lindsay was the main character. It was more about Yuki’s case, which was fine and interesting – just weird. 

I guess it makes sense that Yuki’s case was the highlight of the book, because Lindsay’s story wasn’t all that interesting. There wasn’t much mystery around it even though we didn’t have all the details. It just didn’t pull me in like some of the others had. It’s always great being back in Lindsay’s world as she is one of my all-time favorite protagonists, but 17th Suspect came up a bit short. 

I’m also not sure that I enjoyed the outcome of Yuki’s trial. There are going to be spoilers here, so if you don’t want them, my rating for this book is 2.5/5 stars and if you’re already immersed in the WMC story, it’ll go by quickly and you have to read it to stay up to date. 

NOW ON TO THE SPOILERS – 
Yuki hears about a case involving a man accusing a woman he works with of raping him at gun point. He has video of it and it seems like a slam dunk case. But, the longer it goes on, the more skeptical Yuki gets, and her gut leads her in the right direction. The man is lying. He has framed the woman of a violent sexual crime to try to get money out of her. 

Now, while this storyline is totally valid, and it’s obviously a thing that happens, these books are written yearly. And, in this social climate we are currently in, I’m not sure that a book about a fake rape accusation was the way to go. They could have made a very strong social point about the fact that men can be raped just like women can. It’s a very real problem that keeps getting pushed aside and not taken seriously. 

James Patterson is a strong name. Knowing people who have struggled with this and are trying to speak out about it, I was hoping he would attach his name to a strong position. Instead, we see more fake rape accusations and a man ended up NOT being the victim. 

Maybe I have too many personal beliefs and feelings tied to this, but it was frustrating. It did show how a fake accusation can totally ruin someone’s life. But, I think we know this.

2.5/5 Stars

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Never Never by James Patterson

Synopsis:

When Sydney police department sex crimes detective Harriet Blue is called into her boss’s office, she never imagined it would be to tell her that her brother is the prime suspect in the brutal murders of three women.

Shocked and in denial, Harry is transferred to Perth to avoid the media exposure this case will attract. Harry is sent into the outback – the never never – to investigate the disappearance of mine worker Danny Carter. The mining town is a seedy place, full of money and immoral ways to spend it. As Harry delves deeper into the murky lives of these miners, she finds that Danny isn’t the first to go missing.

Never Never introduces a new heroine in James Patterson’s list of badass leading characters. This time, we are taken to the middle of the desert in Australia to solve the case of missing miners.

I think this book was more of a case of the co-author’s writing style shining through. It didn’t seem like a James Patterson book. I can’t pinpoint the reason why, it had the basic formula, it just seemed different.

I think Harriet Blue is a great new heroine. I love Lindsay Boxer more than any other novel protagonist, but Harry differs in that she has a “don’t give a crap” attitude and it can be funny to read. I’m still waiting for the James Patterson version of The Avengers when all of his detectives play a role in the book or in a separate series. I think it would be fun.

Back to this book – it keeps the bad guy a secret until the end, but I guessed the twist pretty early on. So, I wasn’t surprised when it was revealed, but that’s okay. It didn’t take anything away.

There was a depth to this book that I enjoyed. It was a great debut for the character and I can’t wait to read the next one.

4/5 Stars

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16th Seduction by James Patterson

Synopsis:

Fifteen months ago, Detective Lindsay Boxer's life was perfect--she had a beautiful child and a doting husband, Joe, who helped her catch a criminal who'd brazenly detonated a bomb in downtown San Francisco, killing twenty-five people. But Joe wasn't everything that Lindsay thought he was, and she's still reeling from his betrayal as a wave of mysterious, and possibly unnatural, heart attacks claims seemingly unrelated victims across San Francisco. As if that weren't enough, the bomber she and Joe captured is about to go on trial, and his defense raises damning questions about Lindsay and Joe's investigation. Not knowing whom to trust, and struggling to accept the truth about the man she thought she knew, Lindsay must connect the dots of a deadly conspiracy before a brilliant criminal puts her on trial.

Okay, first of all, I am not really sure where the title for this novel came from. None of the story lines were very seductive.

Second of all, there was talk of a terrorist group, but they also weren’t even mentioned all that much. I understand why, it was more focused on Connor Grant, the Stealth Killer, and J. I thought back on it once I finished the novel and realized I hadn’t heard a whole lot about them. With the way the book ended, it is open to being explored more in the next book.

So, the huge explosion, it almost seems like such a small part of the storyline, even though that is what the whole book is based around. The larger pieces were Connor Grant himself and Lindsay.

There was a brief appearance by the Stealth Killer, but that seemed like a random subplot. I thought it was really interesting, and it really could have had its own book, but it was treated almost as a book shot inside of this larger novel.

Overall, it was a Women’s Murder Club book, and it was nice to have them back. The main storyline was tied up, sort of, but it seems like all of the other ones were just left floating around in the ether.

3.5/5 Stars

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Cross the Line by James Patterson

Synopsis:

Shots ring out in the early morning hours in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. When the smoke clears, a prominent police official lies dead, leaving the city's police force scrambling for answers.
 Under pressure from the mayor, Alex Cross steps into the leadership vacuum to investigate the case. But before Cross can make any headway, a brutal crime wave sweeps across the region. The deadly scenes share only one common thread – the victims are all criminals. And the only thing more dangerous than a murderer without a conscience, is a killer who thinks he has justice on his side.
 As Cross pursues an adversary who has appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner, he must take the law back into his own hands before the city he's sworn to protect descends into utter chaos.

This book was really strange for me. Before starting it, I read the cover synopsis as I usually do. From reading that, I thought this book would be a lot more intense than it actually was. I was expecting major conflict between Alex and Bree and Alex’s life to be severely threatened.

Maybe it is just me, but I don’t really think I got any of that out of this one.

That being said, I did enjoy it. It was nice having another Alex Cross book that wasn’t a book shot. There was plenty of action, and the storyline was actually interesting. I think my reading experience may have been lessened just from me expecting something more intense to happen. I am upset by that, because there was actually a lot going on, but I was just expecting more.  This is probably my own fault, and I wasn’t looking forward to conflict between Alex and Bree at all. You’d think I would be happy that it didn’t happen.

If you are a fan of Alex Cross, you will enjoy this read. Maybe just don’t read the cover synopsis like I did.

3.5/5 Stars

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