2nd Chance by James Patterson

2nd Chance reconvenes the Women's Murder Club, four friends (a detective, a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner) who used their networking skills, feminine intuition, and professional wiles to solve a baffling series of murders in 1st to Die. This time, the murders of two African Americans, a little girl and an old woman, bear all the signs of a serial killer for Lindsay Boxer, newly promoted to lieutenant of San Francisco's homicide squad. But there's an odd detail she finds even more disturbing: both victims were related to city cops. A symbol glimpsed at both murder scenes leads to a racist hate group, but the taunting killer strikes again and again, leaving deliberate clues and eluding the police ever more cleverly. In the meantime, each of the women has a personal stake at risk--and the killer knows who they are.

I must say, I am enjoying this reading thing I have been doing lately... I think I have read more books in the last week than I have read in some of the previous months, so I am pretty happy about that. I am reading like I used to is what I am really saying! It's great!

Anyway, James Patterson is not an author that I would normally read, but I enjoyed the previous book in this series, 1st to Die, and decided that it was about time that I saw what happened next in the series. It is a nice, quick read, so it was good to throw that in to the mix. I finished it late at night, and I have to say, it was perfect late night reading. I will probably continue on with the series. (It is up to book seven, now.) I don't love the books, but they are good, nonetheless.

The main character in the series is Lindsay Boxer. After the events in the previous novel, she has been promoted to Lieutenant. The events of the last case were tough on her, though, so she hasn't really got back in the game yet. This is the case that brings it all back; and it is not a case that is any easier on her. Teaming up with three other women, The Women's Murder Club is back in session. Lindsay might also find this case just a little bit too personal, though, and at times, a little hard for her to handle.

The other three women add some interesting subplots to the story. We have Cindy who is a reporter for the Chronicle. The events of the past sky-rocketed her career and she is always the first to have an exclusive, but, at the same time, she is very good at getting to the bottom of things when the police find themselves stuck. Claire is Lindsay's best friend, so they go way back. She is the sort of woman that is always in control, but at the same time she is a lot of fun to read about. She is a medical examiner and one of the finest in her field. Lastly, we have Jill. Jill is a very driven Assistant District Attorney. They are all very typical working women, though, balancing their life outside of their careers with the very demanding positions that they hold. I can see why this series works for so many people.

As to my thoughts on the book. I enjoy them. They are fun reads, but not exceptionally written. I own second-hand paperbacks of them. I don't think they are the sort of books that I would rush right out and buy, that's for sure! If I read the next book, I read the next book. If I don't, well, I have plenty of series on the go that I enjoy a lot more. That being said, I own the next book, so I am sure I will get to it eventually!