16th Seduction by James Patterson
Fifteen months ago, Detective Lindsay Boxer’s life was perfect–she had a beautiful child and a doting husband, Joe, who helped her catch a criminal who’d brazenly detonated a bomb in downtown San Francisco, killing twenty-five people.
Pages: 384 Pages
Writer: James Patterson
Recommendations: All by Myself, Alone by Marry Higgins Clark
One of the gripes I have with some books in this series is the absence of the Women’s Murder Mystery Club. You might see one or two of them teaming up, but most of the time they’re MIA. However, this story did a better job of bringing them all together. The plot follows Lindsay attempting to mend things with Joe, or rather, Joe trying to mend things with Lindsay. While out for dinner, they witness an explosion and being the daredevils they are, they run towards the danger. This puts Joe in harm’s way and Lindsay face to face with a confessional bomber. Naturally, nothing is ever easy for Lindsay, and she finds herself in the middle of a major battle for justice.
Overall, I enjoyed certain aspects of the story. The outcome of the court case was pretty obvious even before the verdict was in, making it a tad predictable. It felt like the authors hit a roadblock after that, not quite sure where to take the story. And let’s not forget about poor neglected little Joey and the mistreatment of sweet Mrs. Rose. It’s baffling how Lindsay and Joe treat their child as a second thought. This could have been a great opportunity to showcase a strong female character who is also a kick-ass mom. And don’t even get me started on how Joe has been tossed aside, abandoning his family and acting completely out of character.