Challenge Corner discussion

The #1 bestselling female detective of the past 50 years is back.

Detective Lindsay Boxer and her husband Joe Molinari team up to protect San Francisco from an international war criminal in the newest Women's Murder Club thriller.

Three female schoolteachers go missing in San Francisco, and Detective Lindsay Boxer is on the case-which quickly escalates from missing person to murder.

Under pressure at work, Lindsay needs support at home. But her husband Joe is drawn into an encounter with a woman who's seen a ghost--a notorious war criminal from her Eastern European home country, walking the streets of San Francisco.

As Lindsay digs deeper, with help from intrepid journalist Cindy Thomas, there are revelations about the victims. The implications are shocking. And when Joe's mystery informant disappears, joining the ranks of missing women in grave danger, all evidence points to a sordid international crime operation.

It will take the combined skills of Lindsay, Joe, and the entire Women's Murder Club to protect their city, and themselves, from a monster.

I love James Patterson's books. They aren't over the top or too dark, but they usually provide a decent mystery and they're easy to read. lol

I feel the same, I tend to fly through them, especially with the super short chapters.
I’ve noticed I tend to really enjoy the ones that feature David Ellis as a co-author so I always look for the stand alones with him first, in addition to the series I try to keep up with.

Okay, it's the day I can start my challenge using this book, so I'm starting with this book now. I might be awhile since my husband is home until 2:30 and we tend to go here and there. Sweet that he still, after all these years, wants me with him. :)

Chapters 1-30

I am definitely loving this one and I'm so into it! I love that the characters are familiar, as they should be after 18 books. LOL

Anna (view spoiler)[I feel so terrible for her, losing her hubby and her child that way. UGH!!! (hide spoiler)]

Lindsay (view spoiler)[ I like that she cares immensely about not letting the case go cold. She's a good cop. (hide spoiler)]

Joe (view spoiler)[I guess even the best can go outside of protocal, given the right motivation. It is iffy to do so though. (hide spoiler)]

The Missing Teachers (view spoiler)[ I wonder if Carly really was a prostitute by night. And where the heck are the other two women? If they went together from the bar and left the bridge together, why was Carly alone in that motet? (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 31-63

OMG (view spoiler)[So there is a Denny after all. LOL He admittedly pimped out Carly, so he's at least partially responsible for her death. And poor Anna! I hate that she has to live in such fear. I still can't believe that Petrovic was let off the hook, given a NEW ID, and basically given a free ride! I SO angry and wonder if that happened in real cases. Knowing the U.S. and its leniency at times, I wouldn't doubt it. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 67

HOLY CRAP!!!! I just had to stop & comment! (view spoiler)[ TONY/PETROVÍC has Adele and Susan!!!! I knew he was still dirty but he’s holding them in a rape hotel or wherever. Susan is stronger than Adele BUT I don’t know if I could ever give sex talk & cater to PIGS like that! I know they say whatever keeps you alive, but I think I’d be more like Adele, wanting to die rather than go through what they are. But you never know & I hope I never have to find out! (hide spoiler)]

Chapters 68-95

I am sitting on the edge of my seat!!!! I think this is my favorite book in this series and probably my favorite of Patterson's. Maybe his co-author is part of the reason?

(view spoiler)[I can't believe what happened to Adele. She was so scared to begin with, and to be hunted like that, taunted, toyed with...despicable!!!! And not Anna is with Susan too! OMG! I am so nervous for both of them. What God-awful human beings those bastards (sorry) are to have done what they did. And what's REALLY disturbing is knowing that there are real, live people in this world just like these pigs! (hide spoiler)]

I have to go pick up my car from a detailing place now but I don't want to! I want to finish my book!! Ugh...

Finished

I LOVED this book!! I hope you like it too. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on it.

(view spoiler)[Anna was not very wise to follow a man like Petrovic! OMG I feel awful that she went through more crap at the hands of this man, but thank GOD he is no longer able to roam the streets and kidnap, terrorize, rape, and torture women! (hide spoiler)]

Ch.1-9
(view spoiler)[I know this is super early in the book, since 9 chapters is nothing with these wonderful short chapters, but I’m already excited that this is going on 5 years earlier. It seems like a cool concept to try in a series where we’ve read about these characters lives starting before that so how will everything fit in. I’m excited to see how it works!

It took me a minute to catch on when Lindsay said ‘my new husband Joe’ and I was thinking ‘they’ve been married several years what’s up with that?’, then remembered the heading that this was 5 years earlier than the prologue which was I would guess current time. I’m intrigued. (hide spoiler)]

I can’t wait to get to the points where I can read your spoiler thoughts Vicki! I’ve been so excited to get started on this. Today we’ll be at the beach and I should get a good chunk of reading done!

Ch.10-36
(view spoiler)[okay I’m terrified that Petrovic recognizes Joe in the restaurant and also connected him with Anna riding her bike by his house. That just creeps me out. I’m nervous for them both.

Also I can’t wait to find out more about the three missing women now that the plot thickened even more in finding only one of them dead but with info she was alive checking into that hotel alone not with the other girls. Quite a shocking reveal she was a prostitute too. (hide spoiler)]

Ch.37-75
(view spoiler)[OMG this is so horrible!! I can’t believe Tony/Petrovic is the one that has Adele and Susan! I mean I started to maybe think he had something to do with it based on the hanging and stuff, but this is basically like another of his disgusting rape hotels in the US. I know Marko has got to be the gray haired man Anna and Joe have both seen.

I’m also super worried about Anna, that girl makes some very stupid and reckless decisions that put her in extreme danger, even if the intention is good... (hide spoiler)]

Vicki wrote: "Chapters 31-63

OMG [spoilers removed]"

Yes!! I was just as annoyed on how that happened with his case and wondered if this was a real thing. Once I found out it was a real thing, I certainly hope that wasn’t the real result :/

Vicki wrote: "Chapter 67

HOLY CRAP!!!! I just had to stop & comment! [spoilers removed]"

I agree, I don’t know if I could be that strong either :/

Ch.75-119: Finished!
Wow the end of this flew by I couldn’t put it down!
(view spoiler)[wow does Anna make some unwise/very dangerous choices in trying to follow these terrible men! I was so afraid of her getting captured again and then she did! I am so relieved she lived and got to say her piece against Petrovic. I’m also glad we at least got to see Susan get saved since the other two teachers were killed.
I felt conflicted on the ending, because though I’m happy Petrovic is dead...I felt like he didn’t deserve the easy way out of death. Especially death on his own terms. He deserved to rot for life and have the bad conditions in prison for what he’s done. Or at least if he was going to die, to get killed by one of the girls as they escaped him or something. I felt like even in death he got to have the power. But, it definitely wasn’t the worst ending, at least he’s dead and no longer torturing new victims. (hide spoiler)]