The 9th Judgment - James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

DETECTIVE LINDSAY BOXER CHASES A JEWEL THIEF, A MURDEROUS MOVIE STAR, AND A KILLER WITH A VENDETTA AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

THE MOST PERSONAL

A young mother and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down while returning to their car in the garage of a shopping mall. There are no witnesses, and Detective Lindsay Boxer is left with only one shred of evidence: a cryptic message scrawled across the windshield in bloodred lipstick.

THE MOST DANGEROUS

The same night, the wife of A-list actor Marcus Dowling is woken by a cat burglar who is about to steal millions of dollars' worth of precious jewels. In just seconds there is a nearly empty safe, a lifeless body, and another mystery that throws San Francisco into hysteria.

THE MOST EXCITING WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB NOVEL EVER

Lindsay spends every waking hour working with her partner, Rich--and her desire for him threatens to tear apart both her engagement and the Women's Murder Club. Before Lindsay and her friends can piece together either case, one of the killers forces Lindsay to put her own life on the line--but is it enough to save the city? With unparalleled danger and explosive action, The 9th Judgment is James Patterson at his compelling, unstoppable best!

Title: The 9th Judgment (Women's Murder Club)

Author: James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Genre: Adult Fiction, Thriller, Suspense

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Publication Date: April 2010

My Rating: 4/5

The book starts out with three seemingly unrelated crimes. We get to see Detective Lindsay Boxer, as well as the rest of the Women's Murder Club, interact and help solve these crimes. This book really goes to show you how small the world really is. All of the key players are present and accounted for; however I found that this installment seemed to be lacking in the "Women's Murder Club" details, and seemed to focus more on following Lindsay around as she tries to solve these crimes with her partner, Rich Conklin.

The plot was fast paced and engaging. The chapters were short and to the point. They jumped from one case to the next and back again rapidly, however you are kept up to speed and can follow along easily. I enjoyed the scenes where we saw more interaction between the 4 women.

I am finding that I enjoy the Women's Murder Club series more so than the others that Patterson has written. I really like the personalities of the 4 women, and think they all play off of one another quite well. However, courtesy of the TV show, the only thing that I am having an issue with now is picturing Lindsay with blonde hair.

All in all, this is definitely one of the better books in the series, and it is well worth the read. The only disclaimer I'll mention is some might find the murders particularly gruesome as they are aimed at, as the tagline says, "women and children first".

Worst Case - James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Best Case: Survival

The son of one of New York's wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage. His parents can't save him, because this kidnapper isn't demanding money. Instead, he quizzes his prisoner on the price others pay for his life of luxury. In this exam, wrong answers are fatal.

Worst Case: Death

Detective Michael Bennett leads the investigation. With ten kids of his own, he can't begin to understand what could lead someone to target anyone's children. As another student disappears, another powerful family uses their leverage and connections to turn up the heat on the mayor, the press--anyone who will listen--to stop this killer. Their reach extends all the way to the FBI, which sends its top Abduction Specialist, Agent Emily Parker. Bennett's life--and love life--suddenly get even more complicated.

This Case: Detective Michael Bennett Is On It

Before Bennett has a chance to protest the FBI's intrusion on his case, the mastermind changes his routine. His plan leads up to the most devestating demonstration yet--one that could bring cataclysmic ruin to every inch of New York City. From the shocking first page to the last exhilirating scene, Worst Case is a nonstop thriller from "America's #1 storyteller" (Forbes).

Title: Worst Case

Author: James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge

Genre: Adult Fiction, Thriller

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

My Rating: 4/5

This is yet another solid book from author James Patterson. I like his Michael Bennett series as much as, if not more than his Alex Cross series. It was riveting, fast-paced, and engaging. The only thing that seemed to make it less than perfect is the fact that the police officers (and FBI agent) only "screamed, cried, or yelled". They didn't seem to do anything else. I found that to be quite annoying. Other than that it was a good read, and one I would definitely tell Patterson fans to pick up. I enjoyed the development of the new character "Emily Parker" but I found because of that, we didn't get to spend as much time with Mary Catherine. She seemed to fade into the background. As always the kids are entertaining, all 10 of them, however they didn't seem to play as large a role in this book either. Regardless, this was a good book, and I do recommend it to those wanting a quick read, or to get their Patterson fix.

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's/Home Girl's book blog.

I, Alex Cross - James Patterson

YOU CAN'T RUN

Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down her killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington's wildest scenes. And she was not this killer's only victim.

YOU CAN'T HIDE

The hunt for the murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain--they will do anything to keep their secrets safe.

ALEX CROSS IS YOUR ONLY HOPE TO STAY ALIVE

As Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable--a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat excitement that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.

Title: I, Alex Cross
Author: James Patterson
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Suspense.
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
My Rating: 4/5

This book is the latest installment in the Alex Cross series. Lately I've been finding his books a little graphic and though well-written, I haven't liked them as much. I was hoping that this book wouldn't follow the pattern that I've seen emerging. This book broke the pattern... in a way. It still was graphic, and I agree that it's one of the worst cases that Alex has worked on. However, it's not as graphic/morbid as the last Cross novel, or the last stand alone novel. (It still had parts that were a bit much!) Parts of this book I found didn't segue together well, but over-all it was very cohesive and well-written. It was engaging, but I do enjoy Alex Cross's earlier stuff more. I enjoyed the dialogue with Alex's family, and am glad that things ended the way they did. (I can't say more than that without giving major spoilers!) It's a fast-paced read, and definitely throws a surprise or two your way! If you're a fan of James Patterson, it is one of his better novels and is well worth the read. If you're new to James Patterson, I'd start with his earlier stuff and work your way up to this novel. There are a lot of characters in this book that are introduced early on in the series.

As an addendum, I really enjoyed the stand alone Cross book titled Alex Cross's Trial.