7th Heaven (Women's Murder Club, #7)

Title: 7th Heaven (Women's Murder Club, #7)

Author: James Patterson

Published in: 2008

Date read: 19th September 2013

Score: 4/5

Genre: Crime, Thriller, Detective

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"7th Heaven" by James Patterson (co-authored with Maxine Paetro) sees Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer and the Women's Murder Club facing a chilling wave of seemingly random, but increasingly deadly, attacks on prominent, wealthy couples in San Francisco, while also dealing with personal challenges.

The story begins with a series of baffling murders where couples are found brutally slain in their luxurious homes, with no apparent forced entry and often no clear motive. The attacks are savage and leave the police with very few clues. As the body count rises, a terrifying pattern emerges: the victims are all well-known, successful individuals, and the perpetrator seems to vanish into thin air after each crime.

Lieutenant Lindsay Boxer, now leading the investigation, finds herself under immense pressure as the city becomes gripped by fear. The lack of progress and the seemingly random nature of the killings make the case incredibly difficult to crack.

Lindsay turns to her trusted friends in the Women's Murder Club for their unique perspectives and assistance:
• Medical examiner Claire Washburn works tirelessly in the morgue, trying to find forensic links between the disparate crime scenes and victims, looking for any minute detail that might point to the killer's identity or method.
• Reporter Cindy Thomas digs deep into the victims' backgrounds, seeking connections they might have had, or any secrets that could explain why they were targeted. She finds herself navigating the complex world of high society and its hidden dangers.
• Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is focused on prosecuting a high-profile case involving a serial rapist, a case that becomes unexpectedly intertwined with the main murder investigation, presenting her with difficult choices and ethical dilemmas.

As the body count climbs, the Women's Murder Club discovers that the killer, or killers, is meticulously planning each strike, leaving behind a trail of terror and very little evidence. They must work against time to uncover the motive behind these brutal slayings and stop the killings before more innocent lives are taken, all while navigating their own evolving personal lives and the strong bonds of their friendship.

Comments:
Once again, there was the fear that the overall story was going to be "samey" but it was comfortably rescued and it was made thoroughly entertaining.

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)