Author: James Paterson & Maxine Paetro
Publisher: Random House
Year: 2015
ISBN: 9780099574279
Rating: 
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In Unlucky 13 The Women’s Murder club convene again to solve the gruesome belly bomb killings while an old villain is set to take out her revenge!
Plot –
The girls are back! Lindsay is now happily married and has a 6 month old who makes it hard for her to be back at work, Cindy and Lindsay’s broken up with her work partner Richie with mild regret, Yuki is engaged to be married and Claire is still Claire (Nothing much has happened to her!) So, while the readers are almost convinced that James Patterson has surprised his readers with a chick-lit, we finally get to the plot were a series of gory murders start happening. Lindsay Boxer is hot on pursuit of the killer when her old nightmare returns with vengeance!
Characters –
It has been more than 3 years since I read the last Woman’s Murder Club mystery and the characters are still pretty much the same, thankfully. Lindsay is the bold blondie, striving as hard as ever to manage her work life balance. Cindy is on the prowl for a great cover story that will make her the award winning journalist that she has always wanted to be. Yuki’s story on the other hand, is a separate plot on its own where she finds herself in the middle of a hijacking plan while on her honeymoon. Claire, surprisingly, does not have much of a role in this book apart from a few scenes.
The Good –
This is a perfect James Patterson book. You know, the kind he wrote before all the below average books like Zoo or the Private series. I liked the main plot (Lindsay and the Belly bomber) which was a typical Patterson story. Clichéd though it might be, it’s still a pleasure to read. It’s a no-nonsense, straight up to the facts sort of mystery. Hence, it makes for a fast and engaging read. Mackie Morales’ character is creepy and you truly feel scared for Cindy when she is on her lookout.
The Bad –
At certain points, the author’s language gets too impersonal for the readers to care. It seemed too simple in some ways. Lindsay’s trouble with motherhood seems forced and an ever easy-going husband seems like a fable! Similarly, the whole Yuki’s dream-turned-into-a-nightmare scenario seems unnecessarily included in the book. And while we are talking about the hijacking, that whole subplot seems ridiculous. With no visible escape route plans (as Brady himself says in the book), I can’t believe anybody would be stupid enough to formulate a hijacking without planning an escape. And without any ‘greater cause’ as the motive either!
The Verdict –
The main plot + Lindsay and Cindy take you back to the once-good James Patterson works. Everything is a sheer reminder of the deteriorating works by him. Not the best book in the series, but not the worst of James Patterson either.
Vanathi Parthasarathi
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