4th
Of July ,
by James Patterson, Maxine Paetro, and Carolyn McCormick (Narrator)
The story starts off with a bang
-- actually with many bangs, and none by fireworks. When the
bangs stop, San Francisco Police Department Lt. Lindsay Boxer
and her partner Warren Jacoby have both been shot twice. The
shooters are kids, one dead and the other seriously wounded.
Days later the kids' father, a prominent doctor in San Francisco,
sues Lt. Boxer for $50 million, claiming wrongful death, police
brutality, and not following police procedures. Relieved of
duty and awaiting her trial, Lindsay Boxer decides to escape
the media frenzy and take refuge at her sister's beach house
in Half Moon Bay. There she finds the local police department
involved in its second double murder in two weeks. Each killing
leaves the couples whipped across their backs and buttocks and
with their throats slashed. Despite her help, more murders occur
before Boxer solves the astonishing mystery.
I enjoyed this book because
of its fast pace and interesting plot twists. Because Lt.
Boxer travels between the trial in San Francisco and the murders
in Half Moon Bay, it feels like you're listening to two stories
at once, and this heightens the suspense. The listener can't
wait to get back to the Half Moon Bay murders after observing
the courtroom action. The reader, Carolyn McCormick, is a
skilled actress who gives each character definition and life,
making this seven-CD unabridged book very easy to listen to.
The outcome of Lt. Boxer's trial and the
shocking results of the murder investigations make this one
of Patterson's best mysteries. I enjoyed every moment, and
although Patterson is one of my favorite mystery writers,
you don't have to be a James Patterson fan to appreciate this
book.
John
Mormon
5/29/05
|
