11th Hour (Women's Murder Club, #11)

Title: 11th Hour (Women's Murder Club, #11)

Author: James Patterson

Published in: 2012

Date read: 11th October 2015

Score: 4/5

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Detective

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"11th Hour" by James Patterson (co-authored with Maxine Paetro) sees Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer battling a deeply personal threat alongside a chilling new case involving a series of brutal slayings targeting a very specific group of victims in San Francisco.

The story opens with Lindsay Boxer’s personal life taking a terrifying turn. She becomes the target of a mysterious and dangerous stalker, whose unsettling presence disrupts her peace and makes her question who she can trust. The stalker seems to know intimate details about her life and movements, raising the stakes and making her feel vulnerable even within her own home.

Meanwhile, a new and horrifying series of murders grips San Francisco. The victims are young, recently released mothers, and the killer's method is particularly brutal and ritualistic, leaving the police baffled and the city in fear. The crimes appear to be connected by a chilling signature, but the motive remains elusive.

As Lindsay tries to cope with the escalating threat to her own life, she is also tasked with leading the investigation into these disturbing murders. The pressure mounts as the body count rises and the killer continues to elude capture.

The narrative skilfully weaves together the two major plot lines: Lindsay’s terrifying ordeal with her stalker and the Women's Murder Club's race against time to unmask the serial killer preying on new mothers. As the cases converge, the club uncovers a shocking secret that links the victims and brings them face-to-face with a truly depraved individual, while Lindsay must confront the very real threat to her own safety.

Comments:
Both stories work brilliantly here, the idea of Lindsay being the hunter and hunted adds more to this story, it shows that there is still milage in this set of books despite the number that have been produced already. I have been immensely impressed by one of my year 11 students, a young man who I never imagined as a reader outside of school, is a huge fan of the Women's Murder Club. His dad gets them and has to read them quickly as his son is eagerly awaiting his turn. The audience for these is certainly far and wide!

Books that we've read by James Patterson (32):
Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross, #1) (1993), Kiss the Girls (Alex Cross, #2) (1995), Jack & Jill (Alex Cross, #3) (1996), Cat & Mouse (Alex Cross, #4) (1997), Pop Goes the Weasel (Alex Cross, #5) (1999), Roses Are Red (Alex Cross, #6) (2000), 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club, #1) (2001), Violets Are Blue (Alex Cross, #7) (2001), 2nd Chance (Women's Murder Club, #2) (2002), Four Blind Mice (Alex Cross, #8) (2002), The Big Bad Wolf (Alex Cross, #9) (2003), The Jester (2003), 3rd Degree (Women's Murder Club, #3) (2004), London Bridges (Alex Cross, #10) (2004), 4th of July (Women's Murder Club, #4) (2005), Mary, Mary (Alex Cross, #11) (2005), 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club, #5) (2006), Cross (Alex Cross, #12) (2006), The 6th Target (Women's Murder Club, #6) (2007), Double Cross (Alex Cross, #13) (2007), 7th Heaven (Women's Murder Club, #7) (2008), Cross Country (Alex Cross, #14) (2008), 8th Confession (Women's Murder Club, #8) (2009), Alex Cross's Trial (Alex Cross, #15) (2009), I, Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #16) (2009), The 9th Judgment (Women's Murder Club, #9) (2010), Cross Fire (Alex Cross, #17) (2010), 10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club, #10) (2011), Kill Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #18) (2011), 11th Hour (Women's Murder Club, #11) (2012), Merry Christmas, Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #19) (2012), Alex Cross, Run (Alex Cross, #20) (2013)