Jenn's Review: The 6th Target

Summary: When a horrifying attack leaves one of the four members of the Women's Murder Club struggling for her life, the others fight to keep a madman behind bars before anyone else is hurt. And Lindsay Boxer and her new partner in the San Francisco police department run flat-out to stop a series of kidnappings that has electrified the city: children are being plucked off the streets together with their nannies-- but the kidnappers aren't demanding ransom. Amid uncertainty and rising panic, Lindsay juggles the possibility of a new love with an unsolvable investigation, and the knowledge that one member of the club could be on the brink of death. And just when everything appears momentarily under control, the case takes a terrifying turn, putting an entire city in lethal danger. Lindsay must make a choice she never dreamed she'd face--with no certainty that either outcome has more than a prayer of success.



Review: I looked back over my reviews of the WMC books and I keep finding myself saying "this isn't my favorite," in other words, few are living up to the first novel in the series. However, I think that this one was solid. There are instances where I don't feel that multiple cases in a crime novel work well, but this is not one of those instances. I found all of the crime stories accessible and plausible, though the central crime, child abduction, was the least riveting case in that it seemed too predictable and had the least satisfying solution (what about the rest of the children???). It's also far more realistic that a homicide detective would be working several cases (but would they take the lead in a kidnapping regardless of whether or not a murder was part of the case?). I didn't like Lindsay's demotion, though I understand the literary reason for it... I don't think that counts as a flaw in the story, just a product of my own personal connection with Lindsay. I truly loved the side-story about Cindy's new apartment, though.

The only real shortcoming I can site in the book was Lindsay's relationship issues. They seem to have come out of thin air and were much ado about nothing. She seemed to become highly irrational about her situation and I don't think it was congruent with her character, but maybe that's just me. Oh, and I also disliked the random discovery about Claire that came from her hospital stay. That seems to be a standby, proverbial monkey wrench.


All in all, a better Women's Murder Club than I have read in a while.


4.7/5



Julie's Review: The 6th Target