To end the week, I finished the next installment in the Women’s Murder Club, The 19th Christmas. (The 20th book in the series was just published in March, 2020.) Lindsey Boxer is back with her entire crew for another baffling mystery, although I did miss the interactions with Claire Washburn, the medical examiner who was “away” for the holidays working in San Diego.
This time, the women find themselves dealing with the mysterious Loman, a criminal mastermind of repute who is plotting a major heist in San Francisco on Christmas Day. The only problem is that there are so many leads on where the hit is actually taking place that the police force doesn’t know where to direct their efforts. With the rising body count during the investigation, it is clear that Loman must be found — and soon!
Cindy, the newspaper reporter, has discovered an illegal immigrant who has spent nearly two years in lockup awaiting trial for murder. All signs point to the fact that an innocent man was pinned with the crime by gang members who actually did the deed. Combine the false accusation with a flaky defense lawyer who took the family’s money and ran and you immediately see a hopeless case. Can Cindy convince Yuki and the DA’s office to revisit the case while maintaining her credibility and professionalism?
A visitor from Joe’s past makes an appearance as The 19th Christmas comes to a close. It sets the stage for future challenges for Joe and Lindsey. I’m sure Patterson will use this new development as fodder for another running plot line that will continue throughout the series.
Reading for Me 
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