4th of July by James Patterson (The Women's Murder Club Series, Book 4)

*This book was supposed to post on Saturday, but I apparently forgot to schedule it! In an attempt to catch-up on reviews (I am way behind), there are going to be three posts today!*

Book Completed: 36
Completion Date: February, 2009
Pages: 400
Publication Date: July 1, 2008

Reason for Reading: Next in the series.

A young girl is killed in the crossfire after a routine arrest goes terribly wrong, and Lt. Lindsay Boxer has to defend herself against a charge of police brutality. In a landmark trial that transfixes the nation, Lindsay fights to save her career and her sanity.
While awaiting trial, Lindsay escapes to the tranquility of the beautiful town of Half Moon Bay. But the peaceful community there is reeling from a string of unspeakable murders. Working with her friends in the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay finds a link between these killings and a case she worked on years before - an unsolved murder that has haunted her ever since. As summer comes into full swing, Lindsay battles for her life on two fronts: before a judge and jury as her trial comes to a climax and facing unknown adversaries who will do anything to keep her from the truth about the killings. It all comes to a head before the big annual 4th of July celebration on the waterfront at Half Moon Bay.

In many ways, this book just seemed like a 'filler' book. After the case of police brutality is brough against Linday Boxer and she gets away from things for a while, the book doesn't really seem to be like the first books in the series. Normally the case is introduced right from the beginning and Lindsay and her friends are swept up into it, but this time around it appears there is a break with that. I started to wonder if anything was going to happen. She goes to a sleepy little town, her friends are still in the city, and the only thing she seems to be doing is fixing up an old car. Then, she has to go back to the city for her trial. It was lacking a lot of action compared to the rest of the series. Trouble seems to follow Lindsay wherever she goes, though, because she ends up getting involved in a murder investigation in this sleepy town. She is supposed to be relaxing, but she has never been known to stay away from the job for long.

I ended up liking this book because I was surprised in the end. I had a good idea of how most of the conclusion was going to play out, but there was one aspect of it that I had totally missed! I like it when you just assume things about people, and then the author shows you that you really shouldn't have been assuming after all! It kept me from entirely solving the case. It might have been because I was a bit bored with the first part of the book, so I wasn't paying as much attention as I normally do! Anyway, I enjoyed being surprised. This is a fun series, but like I said in my previous post, rather like brain candy. I stopped reading the series for a bit after this one. I am getting there, though. There are two more books in the series out in paperback, then book seven is out in hardcover, and book eight is coming out sometime in the next couple months. Since I will only read them when I can find them second-hand, though, it will probably be a while before I get through the series!

A couple people on the previous post commented on the television series, which I had entirely forgotten about! I really don't watch much television. Anyway, is it even still on? Did anyone watch it?