The 9th Judgement - Book Review

Sgt. Lindsey Boxer is deeply involved in one of the most heartwrenching cases of her career so far...one that involves the cold-blooded murder of young children and their mothers.  I have trouble reading this kind of stuff (Lovely Bones was the toughest yet), so there were definitely times where I unrealistically wanted to hide my eyes and pretend that little children do not get shot by killers at point range in this world. 

At first it seems as if this case is really two cases, and I spent almost half the book wondering if Patterson was losing his touch.  He's not.  The pace picks up immensely once you make the connection between the characters.  At that point, the suspense rises until you can't stand it...it's like being in the movie theatre rooting for the victim to turn around and see what's waiting in the shadows rather than be caught off guard right before your very eyes.While it was difficult to follow Lindsey's best friend Claire (also the coroner) as she made some way out there choices on this case, it made sense to me because as a mother, I share her emotion.  Claire's never been one to keep her opinions to herself, but this was the first time I remember her letting her personal feelings get in the way of judgement.

I'm so thankful that Lindsey and Joe have finally figured out a way to give their relationship a go.  As independent as she is, I think she needs Joe...and he needs her.  There was one point in this book, however, that Patterson teases the reader with Joe and Lindsey's relationship.  It only lasts for a few pages, but I was already vowing to be done reading the Women's Murder Club series if what I suspected had happened between them.  Thankfully, I was wrong...just another twist in the story.

I didn't like Lindsey's newspaper reporter friend Cindy much during this book...I'm not sure the others can trust her.  I don't think she's manipulative really;  she's a reporter...she gets a kick out of breaking a story...it's who she is.  She's also jealous of Lindsey and Rich's professional partnership.  Get over it.  If she keeps being petty, I'm going to want her whiny butt out of the next book.

My daughters and a friend of theirs are reading the Women's Murder Club mysteries now.  I enjoy so much being able to talk about books with them while we are reading them together.  These books are also the first books my middle child has been interested in reading in a LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG time.  I've found through some of her questions that she spends a lot of time worry about details and vocabulary words she doesn't know than relaxing and enjoying the big picture.  I'd like to strangle some of her past teachers and I'd like to burn all copies of a particular brand of software called Accelerated Reader that our school system used INSTEAD of actually allowing the good teachers to teach reading.  

Don't get me started.