James Patterson
It’s a long time since I read a novel by prolific author James Patterson*, but I picked this one up in the National Trust property bookshop a few weeks ago. It’s 7th Heaven and it’s a real page turner. Short chapters, cliff hangers aplenty, fast paced action, electrifying twists and turns, and a completely unexpected finale.
Detective Lindsay Boxer, attorney Yuki, medical examiner Claire, crime reporter Cindy – aka The Women’s Murder Club – are immersed in two high-profile cases. The first involves the disappearance of the golden boy son of a high profile and hugely wealthy governor. The boy, Michael Campion, has a serious congenital heart defect. He was last seen entering the home of a prostitute, who eventually confesses that he died in flagrante, and she and her boyfriend butchered his body and packed it into plastic bags which they disposed of in a dumpster miles away. But there is not a single shred of evidence to back up her allegation.
The second case concerns two college youths with aliases of Hawk and Pidge, who target extremely wealthy couples, tie them up, steal their jewellery and cash, and then burn them and their properties to the ground using an untraceable accellerant. Four couples have perished in these horrific circumstances so far. But the fires leave no clues.
Lindsay and her partner Rich Conklin are relentless in their pursuit of these ruthless murderers; Yuki is equally persistent in her prosecution of the prostitute. Told in parallel the cases unravel at pace and reveal such chillingly devious minds that must surely outwit the reader as well as the investigators. Just what I needed to take my mind off real life problems, and remind me of the power of accomplished novel-writing.
* On this occasion he writes with Maxine Paetro
Drama illuminating medicine Mandrake