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Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a James Patterson mega fan girl 😆 I just love his books, with their short and punchy chapters, characters that feel like family now and killers that you can’t wait to get what is coming to them. I am always thrilled to get approved for early copies of his books, so a massive thank you to Random House UK for feeding my addiction. A mother and her baby are murdered in broad daylight. A passing jogger who bears witness to the scene is then also killed. All of this is caught on film... by the killer himself! A new serial killer seems to be recreating the most infamous crimes of Evan Burke. The hunt for the killer is interspersed with another Women’s Murder Club member, prosecutor Yuki Castellano, trying a domestic violence case. That is horrible enough, although fascinating in the way events get interpreted and twisted, but pales in comparison to the senseless, nihilistic murders committed by the killer. Practically speaking in terms of the reading experience this translates into non stop action and a plot full of twists and turns. I got really immersed and could feel the tension and frustration of the characters as the murders pile up and Yuki waits for a verdict. This isn’t always a given in the authors’ work as sometimes they substitute action for emotion, but today I felt it and finished the novel in one sitting, desperate for a successful outcome. That means that I adored the final prison scene and my righteous enjoyment of comeuppance. These are delightful female characters ably supported by an excellent ongoing male supporting cast.
In my opinion, this series, written by Patterson and Paetro since the fifth book has been really hit and miss over the last five to eight outings. At times, it has lost steam, including superficial and ludicrous serial killer villains, repetitive and formulaic storylines that have grown old, and stagnant growth in most of the primary characters. An obsessed fan is studying every detail-and committing fresh horrors that carry Burke's signature. Up front disclosure. I read most of James Patterson’s books and have for several years. Some might ask why and that’s another whole discussion best saved for another day. I have really enjoyed some, liked some, and didn’t really care for others. On a personal level, I must admit that his Women’s Murder Club series – focused on the professional and personal lives of four women in San Francisco - has been very hit and miss over the last couple of years with more weak outings than not. This year’s outing - “The 23rd Midnight”- has three primary plots – Lindsey’s police team’s hunt for a serial killer, Cindy’s troubled book tour, and Yuki’s courtroom case involving a battered wife. This time it’s Claire’s turn to play more of a supporting role. For the first time I'm not giving 5*. Not because of anything negative but in all honesty it's got to the point where alot of what is happening (bar the actual plot) I've come to sort of predict.One of Detective Lindsay Boxer’s greatest feats as part of the San Francisco PD was putting serial killer Evan Burke behind bars. Burke’s murder spree was long and complicated, allowing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. Fellow member of the Wommen’s Murder Club, Cindy Thomas, uses her crime reporting skills to work with Burke to write a tell-all book about the killer’s life and some of the gruesome acts he committed. Now published, the book is selling like mad and Cindy has been on the book signing junket, in hopes of garnering even more press. At the same time, Cindy Thomas, news reporter and author is attending the first event on her tour promoting her new book on the life of serial killer, Evan Burke, who is serving life in prison. Her fellow members of the Women’s Murder Club – Lindsay, Yuki, and Claire – show up to support her and indulge in a celebratory dinner afterwards. It would appear I’m in the minority for this book when it comes to low scores. I hope that it a reflection of my tastes rather than the book as I have enjoyed others by this author I love James Patterson books and the Women’s murder club ones are usually superb, this one does not disappoint in any way. In fact once I started reading it I couldn’t stop and read it in a day!
Lindsay is tasked, alongside her partner Rich Conklin, in investigating 'copy cat' murders taking place across many jurisdictions, all somehow linked to past murders of Evan Burke. What does he know and will he talk?The characters a came across as quite one dimensional and I struggled to connect with them or feel anything towards them. I’m aware that this is a part of a series but equally I should’ve been made to feel like I was part of ‘the gang’. Instead I was left utterly confused as to why this group of women ‘the murder club’ felt it was totally okay to talk shop with one another - because they are friends. Reporter Cindy Thomas is undertaking a book tour on her bestselling book about Evan Burke but after each book signing someone seems to end up dead, is this connected to Cindy? I love this series of books having read them . This can be read in isolation but I do recommend that the reader reads the other books in the series so that they have a fuller understanding of the relationships between all of the major charcters.
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