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Women's Murder Club #13
Unlucky 13
When two dead bodies are found inside a wrecked car on the Golden Gate Bridge, Detective Lindsay Boxer doubts that it will be anything as simple as a traffic accident.
The scene is more gruesome than anything she has seen before. It definitely wasn’t the crash that killed these people.
While Lindsay starts to piece this case together, she gets a call she wasn’t expecting. Sightings of her ex-colleague-turned-ruthless-killer Mackie Morales have been reported.
Wanted for three murders, Mackie has been in hiding since she escaped from custody. But now she’s ready to return to San Francisco and pay a visit to some old friends
The scene is more gruesome than anything she has seen before. It definitely wasn’t the crash that killed these people.
While Lindsay starts to piece this case together, she gets a call she wasn’t expecting. Sightings of her ex-colleague-turned-ruthless-killer Mackie Morales have been reported.
Wanted for three murders, Mackie has been in hiding since she escaped from custody. But now she’s ready to return to San Francisco and pay a visit to some old friends
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2014
About the author
James Patterson
1,256 books339k followersOfficial US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author. Among his creations are Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett, and Maximum Ride. His #1 bestselling nonfiction includes Walk in My Combat Boots, Filthy Rich, and his autobiography, James Patterson by James Patterson. He has collaborated on novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton and has won an Edgar Award, nine Emmy Awards, and the National Humanities Medal.
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
ReadKiddoRead
James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author. Among his creations are Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Michael Bennett, and Maximum Ride. His #1 bestselling nonfiction includes Walk in My Combat Boots, Filthy Rich, and his autobiography, James Patterson by James Patterson. He has collaborated on novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton and has won an Edgar Award, nine Emmy Awards, and the National Humanities Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,518 reviews
May 6, 2014
I used to love this series - and while I do still read it, the books as of late just haven't been as great. In terms of this one, I don't think having the three different plot lines worked well. The book jumped all over the place and impacted the overall flow negatively. Without spoiling anything, I think only one plot line was even slightly interesting, one was just ridiculous and the other seemed unfinished. This story almost read like separate novellas - rather then a unified book/ a unified Woman's Murder Club. I mentioned this in a previous review, but I truly wish Patterson would stop releasing tons of books each year, and actually take more time with them. He is a great writer - his older works demo stare that. But the newer ones (stand alone and series's) seem to be churned out in a rapid pace often in combination with other writers. I think this rapid pace is ruining the books. What were once great series and books, seem to be going downhill. It makes me think that Patterson is definitely more about quantity (aka- money) over quality these days.
May 24, 2019
I usually enjoy the Women's Murder Club books less than I do Patterson's other series, but Unlucky 13 was really good!
So much happened that there really was never a moment when I wanted to put the book down. There were people exploding (really), an Alaskan cruise ship being taken over by 'pirates', and a murderer from the past coming back to get revenge. Never a dull moment for our intrepid group of women. I especially enjoyed the scenes on the ship which were very well done.
So the usual over the top, non stop action we expect from these books which are so addictive and so easy to read.
So much happened that there really was never a moment when I wanted to put the book down. There were people exploding (really), an Alaskan cruise ship being taken over by 'pirates', and a murderer from the past coming back to get revenge. Never a dull moment for our intrepid group of women. I especially enjoyed the scenes on the ship which were very well done.
So the usual over the top, non stop action we expect from these books which are so addictive and so easy to read.
January 17, 2018
This was by far one, if not favorite installment of the Women's Murder Club series. The crime plots are amazing in this book. Cindy and Yuki are put to the test in this book and boy, do they shine! I thoroughly loved this installment!
My quick and simple overall: James Patterson series are quick and fun to read and this is by far one of my favorites!
My quick and simple overall: James Patterson series are quick and fun to read and this is by far one of my favorites!
August 23, 2022
Book Blog | Bookstagram
There are three totally separate storylines crammed into this novel - so separate in fact that you could take each one and create novellas and miss nothing.
One: Lindsay is trying to catch a bomber that is feeding bombs to unwilling victims and then blowing them up all around San Fran. This villain is aptly nicknamed "The Belly Bomber," but good luck getting Lindsay to care about anything more than baby clothes while she's investigating the case.
Two: Yuki and her new husband are on a cruise taken over by pirates in Alaska.
And three: Mackie Morales is back from a previous novel and looking for some sweet, sweet revenge against Lindsay for killing her psycho murderer boyfriend. But Cindy is actually the one tracking Morales and Lindsay doesn't seem to care much. Morales is basically just stealing cars and fantasizing about her mother's cooking for a large majority of the book. But whatever.
Then you've got Yuki's new husband who cries and says "I'm so LUCKY to have found Yuki," in like every scene he's in.
I get it! I heard you the first thirty times - but I guess if you don't keep saying it there is literally no reason for this to be called Lucky 13.
Overall, the women were more concerned with ex-boyfriends, new babies, new husbands and cat-fighting than they were about any of the three crimes that were happening.
Still not gonna stop reading these though...
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
There are three totally separate storylines crammed into this novel - so separate in fact that you could take each one and create novellas and miss nothing.
One: Lindsay is trying to catch a bomber that is feeding bombs to unwilling victims and then blowing them up all around San Fran. This villain is aptly nicknamed "The Belly Bomber," but good luck getting Lindsay to care about anything more than baby clothes while she's investigating the case.
Two: Yuki and her new husband are on a cruise taken over by pirates in Alaska.
And three: Mackie Morales is back from a previous novel and looking for some sweet, sweet revenge against Lindsay for killing her psycho murderer boyfriend. But Cindy is actually the one tracking Morales and Lindsay doesn't seem to care much. Morales is basically just stealing cars and fantasizing about her mother's cooking for a large majority of the book. But whatever.
Then you've got Yuki's new husband who cries and says "I'm so LUCKY to have found Yuki," in like every scene he's in.
I get it! I heard you the first thirty times - but I guess if you don't keep saying it there is literally no reason for this to be called Lucky 13.
Overall, the women were more concerned with ex-boyfriends, new babies, new husbands and cat-fighting than they were about any of the three crimes that were happening.
Still not gonna stop reading these though...
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
May 27, 2014
This book is not much different than the others, it just has a different story line. However, I've especially noticed in this one and the last one that they are trying to cram so much into one book that the end result feels very rushed.
I'm not buying into Boxer's motherhood. I think she held Julie twice in this book and it just feels forced, like the baby is an after thought. Also, Joe got to leave the house for an hour and he had to be back in "Godspeed" and if he's a stay-at-home-dad why is there a nanny? And if he's not a stay-at-home-dad, they are failing on his story line.
I was all caught up in Yuki and Brady's storyline but I felt Cindy's storyline was forced and unbelievable. And the belly bomber suspect... Let's talk about that. The FBI had 400hrs of video tape to look at and came up with nothing. Boxer and Conklin get the same tapes and comment that it's like looking for a needle in a haystack and just like that Boxer sends 3 pics from the tapes, of what looks like the same guy, to her phone and takes them to a guy who does face recognition and voila, they have their suspect - just.like.that.
The next book better be incredible because they are starting to lose me with improbable story lines.
I'm not buying into Boxer's motherhood. I think she held Julie twice in this book and it just feels forced, like the baby is an after thought. Also, Joe got to leave the house for an hour and he had to be back in "Godspeed" and if he's a stay-at-home-dad why is there a nanny? And if he's not a stay-at-home-dad, they are failing on his story line.
I was all caught up in Yuki and Brady's storyline but I felt Cindy's storyline was forced and unbelievable. And the belly bomber suspect... Let's talk about that. The FBI had 400hrs of video tape to look at and came up with nothing. Boxer and Conklin get the same tapes and comment that it's like looking for a needle in a haystack and just like that Boxer sends 3 pics from the tapes, of what looks like the same guy, to her phone and takes them to a guy who does face recognition and voila, they have their suspect - just.like.that.
The next book better be incredible because they are starting to lose me with improbable story lines.
October 16, 2014
So disappointing!!
I have read all of the series in order and always look forward to the next one, I usually fly through the book in a couple of days.
This one was such a chore to plough through, 3 completely separate and unconnected "crimes" that were so far fetched, had little to no involvement with the story line, no real plot or additional characters that you could relate to and no resolution to the "belly bombings"
The "pirates" storyline with Yuki was ridiculous and irrelevant - the only part of the story I was interested in was the return of Morales and it was so secondary to the rest of the plot you almost forget it is happening.
Bad job James - bad job.
I have read all of the series in order and always look forward to the next one, I usually fly through the book in a couple of days.
This one was such a chore to plough through, 3 completely separate and unconnected "crimes" that were so far fetched, had little to no involvement with the story line, no real plot or additional characters that you could relate to and no resolution to the "belly bombings"
The "pirates" storyline with Yuki was ridiculous and irrelevant - the only part of the story I was interested in was the return of Morales and it was so secondary to the rest of the plot you almost forget it is happening.
Bad job James - bad job.
January 3, 2023
The term “belly bombs” gives new meaning to “upset stomach” and “breaking wind”!!
Count ‘em! UNLUCKY 13 has no less than FIVE concurrent plot lines and not a single one of them is navigated to a final destination, docked, and battened down with all of its lines tied and sails furled!! NOT ONE! Give us a break, Maxine Maestro and James Patterson. Did you have to finish this one up on a deadline?
PLOT #1 (major): A psychopathic serial killer and, believe it or not, a former intern with the SFPD, escapes and decides to stalk San Francisco detective, Lindsay Boxer, who she sees as the cause of her incarceration and the death of her beloved husband and fellow killer.
PLOT #2 (major): Legal wizard Yuki Castellano and beloved member of the WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB marries the love of her life, Jackson Brady (Lindsay Boxer’s current supervisor, by the bye), and they depart for a honeymoon on an Alaska cruise ship. The ship is hijacked and held at sea for ransom by a team of armed pirates who have no problems with murdering passengers to enforce their extortion.
PLOT #3 (major): There’s no delicate way of describing this one. A popular hamburger chain is selling burgers that contain a new form of powerful explosive that detonates on contact with the chemicals in stomach acids. The unwitting hamburger lover (not to mention anyone standing nearby) is turned into a human version of hamburger. The authorities coin the phrase “belly bomb”.
PLOT #4 (minor): A violent domestic dispute goes south and an apparently mentally distressed wife takes out her husband with a shotgun.
PLOT #5 (minor): Rich Conklin’s and Cindy Thomas’ erstwhile romance caves in on the issue of marriage, domesticity, and children versus career. Rich Conklin begins dating anew and Cindy Thomas frets over what she sees as a mistake for walking away from the relationship.
That said, I’m willing to forgive the lack of an ending on this little bit of romantic sub-text because it can be considered as ongoing character development in the total WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB series.
Observant readers will note that, despite this rather heavy-handed criticism of the lack of completion of the various story lines, I still awarded UNLUCKY 13 with a 3-star rating. That’s because I’m happy to admit that I still enjoyed the darn thing and found it quite easy to pick up and plow through in very short order. In fact, it took me less than two days to finish. So, despite my frustration at the plot shortcomings, I still count myself as a solid WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB fan boy and I’m definitely down for the next entry in the series, 14th DEADLY SIN.
Paul Weiss
Count ‘em! UNLUCKY 13 has no less than FIVE concurrent plot lines and not a single one of them is navigated to a final destination, docked, and battened down with all of its lines tied and sails furled!! NOT ONE! Give us a break, Maxine Maestro and James Patterson. Did you have to finish this one up on a deadline?
PLOT #1 (major): A psychopathic serial killer and, believe it or not, a former intern with the SFPD, escapes and decides to stalk San Francisco detective, Lindsay Boxer, who she sees as the cause of her incarceration and the death of her beloved husband and fellow killer.
PLOT #2 (major): Legal wizard Yuki Castellano and beloved member of the WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB marries the love of her life, Jackson Brady (Lindsay Boxer’s current supervisor, by the bye), and they depart for a honeymoon on an Alaska cruise ship. The ship is hijacked and held at sea for ransom by a team of armed pirates who have no problems with murdering passengers to enforce their extortion.
PLOT #3 (major): There’s no delicate way of describing this one. A popular hamburger chain is selling burgers that contain a new form of powerful explosive that detonates on contact with the chemicals in stomach acids. The unwitting hamburger lover (not to mention anyone standing nearby) is turned into a human version of hamburger. The authorities coin the phrase “belly bomb”.
PLOT #4 (minor): A violent domestic dispute goes south and an apparently mentally distressed wife takes out her husband with a shotgun.
PLOT #5 (minor): Rich Conklin’s and Cindy Thomas’ erstwhile romance caves in on the issue of marriage, domesticity, and children versus career. Rich Conklin begins dating anew and Cindy Thomas frets over what she sees as a mistake for walking away from the relationship.
That said, I’m willing to forgive the lack of an ending on this little bit of romantic sub-text because it can be considered as ongoing character development in the total WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB series.
Observant readers will note that, despite this rather heavy-handed criticism of the lack of completion of the various story lines, I still awarded UNLUCKY 13 with a 3-star rating. That’s because I’m happy to admit that I still enjoyed the darn thing and found it quite easy to pick up and plow through in very short order. In fact, it took me less than two days to finish. So, despite my frustration at the plot shortcomings, I still count myself as a solid WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB fan boy and I’m definitely down for the next entry in the series, 14th DEADLY SIN.
Paul Weiss
October 24, 2014
Patterson's successful Women's Murder Club series makes a great return with its 13th instalment. When Lindsay Boxer stumbles upon a case of true 'hunger pains'; ground beef patties packed with explosives, all traced back to a popular fast-food restaurant. Who's been spiking the meat and what's a reason behind this most horrific murder spree? Meanwhile, a quickie wedding by one of the Club members leads to an Alaskan honeymoon, as serene as it is beautiful, that is until terror strikes the cruise ship and no one on board is safe from the wrath of a number of vigilantes. While working on her case, Boxer cannot help but panic as news of the ship's troubles splash across the television. All this, while an old nemesis of Boxer's has her in the crosshairs, with one goal in mind, to rid the world of the SFPD's most talented detective. Patterson has been able to rejuvenate the Club and their thrilling stories keep readers addicted well into the night.
Patterson has been struggling with many of his novels of late, including his well-founded series with Cross and Boxer at the helms. That said, this was a great turn back towards an exciting and thrilling set of cases that could, given the right mood, leave the reader wanting more. While the idea is usually quite simplistic and straightforward, the approach is such that it works and keeps the ever-growing cast of characters from getting stale. We're thirteen books in and yet some of these characters have morphed enough to keep the reader interesting, while the likes of Ale Cross is well past his best-before date. One can hope that Patterson keeps coming up with good ideas and powerful ripped from the headline plots to keep the characters and readers alike jonesing for more.
Kudos, Mr. Patterson for your insightful return to decent Club work.
Patterson has been struggling with many of his novels of late, including his well-founded series with Cross and Boxer at the helms. That said, this was a great turn back towards an exciting and thrilling set of cases that could, given the right mood, leave the reader wanting more. While the idea is usually quite simplistic and straightforward, the approach is such that it works and keeps the ever-growing cast of characters from getting stale. We're thirteen books in and yet some of these characters have morphed enough to keep the reader interesting, while the likes of Ale Cross is well past his best-before date. One can hope that Patterson keeps coming up with good ideas and powerful ripped from the headline plots to keep the characters and readers alike jonesing for more.
Kudos, Mr. Patterson for your insightful return to decent Club work.
May 19, 2019
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4
I'm slowly working my way through this Women's Murder Club series. There is three different plot lines going on in this book. I was intrigued to find out why people had belly bombs, yes belly bombs, you did read that right. I did find it a bit far fetched though. Yuki and Brady have just got married and they are on their honeymoon on the Fin-Star cruise ship when it was hijacked. Cindy is keeping tracks on Mackie Morales who was featured in book twelve. Overall not a bad story.
Library book.
I'm slowly working my way through this Women's Murder Club series. There is three different plot lines going on in this book. I was intrigued to find out why people had belly bombs, yes belly bombs, you did read that right. I did find it a bit far fetched though. Yuki and Brady have just got married and they are on their honeymoon on the Fin-Star cruise ship when it was hijacked. Cindy is keeping tracks on Mackie Morales who was featured in book twelve. Overall not a bad story.
Library book.
August 5, 2019
Unlucky 13 by Maxine Paetro, 13th book in the Woman's Murder Club series, begins with homicide cop Lindsay Boxer's cell phone ringing. The person on the other end is Chief Medical Examiner for San Francisco and her best friend Clair Washburn. Clair says she is at the scene of a single car accident on the Golden Gate Bridge but she doesn't know what she's looking at. When Lindsay and Richie Conklin, Lindsay's partner, arrive on scene
Clair says
"welcome to some kind of crazy. Let me give you the tour."
The windshield had exploded outward and the front end was crushed accordion style. And that's not all. Two occupants, driver and passenger, have looks of horror frozen on their faces and their guts are strewn all over the footwell and dashboard. But there's no damage to the seats or car which would be the case if it was caused by an explosive device of some kind. Further, there are no components of metal, wires, or detonation parts that should be present among the rubble. As Lindsay attempts to take in the scene, she's thinking one thing.
I've seen a lot of gruesome scenes in my 14 years in homicide and this one vaulted to the top of the most gruesome list. I mean number one.
After untangleing the bizarre, it's been determined the two victims from the Jeep had eaten explosive devices planted in hamburgers from a fast food chain. The 'belly bombs' as they've been nicknamed, are made with a compound that, when mixed with stomach acid, triggers the explosion. And that's just the beginning.
This is becoming a very scary nightmare of a case. Even with the help from the FBI the person or persons who could be responsible too numerous to count. Or comprehend.
As if this case isn't enough, something else unfathomable happens. Jackson Brady, head of homicide and Lindsay's boss, says that a Macky Moralas sighting has been seen in Wisconsin and is now on the loose. Moralas had been an intern in the homicide squad for three months last year. However, as it turned out, she was not who she said she was. She was wrapped up with the notorious serial killer Randy Fish, who had made Lindsay the object of his sick affections. While running from the police, Fish and Moralas were involved in a fatal car accident. Macky survives and is taken by ambulance to the hospital. Despite being in police custody Macky somehow manages to escape. And she hasn't been seen since. Until now.
But as Lindsay and Richie have their hands full with the belly bomb case, Cindy decides to follow up and go after Macky Moralas. Alone. She's not giving up on working this story so she keeps what she's doing a secret. She knows that if she's successful this story could win her a Pulitzer. But, Macky is extremely dangerous and won't hesitate to kill anyone in her way without any conscious. Will Cindy get her Pulitzer? Or a brand new headstone.
Unlucky 13 starts out with a bang, with repeated clashes, booms, and loud cracks, ending with a heart pounding, breath snatching explosion!
Maxine Paetro is at the top of her game and narrator, January LaVoy? She just keeps getting better and better! By making changes in her voice she creates each individual character, personality and all!
Start with number one in the Woman's Murder Club series, 1st to Die, and be prepared to listen to every book in the series, one right after another, until you reach the final book to date, The 17th Shooter, which is set to be published in April, 2018!
You will not be disappointed!
Clair says
"welcome to some kind of crazy. Let me give you the tour."
The windshield had exploded outward and the front end was crushed accordion style. And that's not all. Two occupants, driver and passenger, have looks of horror frozen on their faces and their guts are strewn all over the footwell and dashboard. But there's no damage to the seats or car which would be the case if it was caused by an explosive device of some kind. Further, there are no components of metal, wires, or detonation parts that should be present among the rubble. As Lindsay attempts to take in the scene, she's thinking one thing.
I've seen a lot of gruesome scenes in my 14 years in homicide and this one vaulted to the top of the most gruesome list. I mean number one.
After untangleing the bizarre, it's been determined the two victims from the Jeep had eaten explosive devices planted in hamburgers from a fast food chain. The 'belly bombs' as they've been nicknamed, are made with a compound that, when mixed with stomach acid, triggers the explosion. And that's just the beginning.
This is becoming a very scary nightmare of a case. Even with the help from the FBI the person or persons who could be responsible too numerous to count. Or comprehend.
As if this case isn't enough, something else unfathomable happens. Jackson Brady, head of homicide and Lindsay's boss, says that a Macky Moralas sighting has been seen in Wisconsin and is now on the loose. Moralas had been an intern in the homicide squad for three months last year. However, as it turned out, she was not who she said she was. She was wrapped up with the notorious serial killer Randy Fish, who had made Lindsay the object of his sick affections. While running from the police, Fish and Moralas were involved in a fatal car accident. Macky survives and is taken by ambulance to the hospital. Despite being in police custody Macky somehow manages to escape. And she hasn't been seen since. Until now.
But as Lindsay and Richie have their hands full with the belly bomb case, Cindy decides to follow up and go after Macky Moralas. Alone. She's not giving up on working this story so she keeps what she's doing a secret. She knows that if she's successful this story could win her a Pulitzer. But, Macky is extremely dangerous and won't hesitate to kill anyone in her way without any conscious. Will Cindy get her Pulitzer? Or a brand new headstone.
Unlucky 13 starts out with a bang, with repeated clashes, booms, and loud cracks, ending with a heart pounding, breath snatching explosion!
Maxine Paetro is at the top of her game and narrator, January LaVoy? She just keeps getting better and better! By making changes in her voice she creates each individual character, personality and all!
Start with number one in the Woman's Murder Club series, 1st to Die, and be prepared to listen to every book in the series, one right after another, until you reach the final book to date, The 17th Shooter, which is set to be published in April, 2018!
You will not be disappointed!
January 6, 2015
Being called to a car accident on the Golden Gate Bridge was unusual for Detective Lindsay Boxer, but as soon as she saw the victims she understood why she and partner Detective Richie Conklin had been notified. There was no possible way the two young people in the vehicle had died from a simple vehicle crash – their injuries were too horrific; the gruesome nature of these deaths was the worst she had seen in her long career in law enforcement.
The Women's Murder Club, which was made up of Lindsay and her friends Cindy Thomas, who was a crime reporter with the Chronicle, Yuki Castellano, a prosecutor for the DA’s office and Claire Washburn, head Medical Examiner, were a tight bunch – they ran cases by each other all the time – and with Cindy it was always “off the record” until it wasn’t. But the day Lindsay forgot to say “off the record” to Cindy was the day she decided to do some investigating of her own. When ex San Francisco Detective Mackie Morales was sighted, Cindy decided she needed an interview with the ruthless killer even though she was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list…
Suddenly the dangers were coming thick and fast - the SFPD along with the FBI, were frustrated; unable to get a credible lead. Plus Morales had vanished again and they had no idea where she was headed. But when one of their own became embroiled in an unimaginable terror, Lindsay had no idea where to turn – what to do. What on earth would happen?
I thoroughly enjoyed Unlucky 13 – gripping and filled with tension, the pages flew by! I love the Murder Club girls – their growth through this series has been wonderful and I’m really looking forward to 14th Deadly Sin which is out next month. One thread wasn’t completely tied up at the end of Unlucky 13 and I suspect it will be in the next one. I have no hesitation in recommending this one, along with the series, highly.
The Women's Murder Club, which was made up of Lindsay and her friends Cindy Thomas, who was a crime reporter with the Chronicle, Yuki Castellano, a prosecutor for the DA’s office and Claire Washburn, head Medical Examiner, were a tight bunch – they ran cases by each other all the time – and with Cindy it was always “off the record” until it wasn’t. But the day Lindsay forgot to say “off the record” to Cindy was the day she decided to do some investigating of her own. When ex San Francisco Detective Mackie Morales was sighted, Cindy decided she needed an interview with the ruthless killer even though she was on the FBI’s Most Wanted list…
Suddenly the dangers were coming thick and fast - the SFPD along with the FBI, were frustrated; unable to get a credible lead. Plus Morales had vanished again and they had no idea where she was headed. But when one of their own became embroiled in an unimaginable terror, Lindsay had no idea where to turn – what to do. What on earth would happen?
I thoroughly enjoyed Unlucky 13 – gripping and filled with tension, the pages flew by! I love the Murder Club girls – their growth through this series has been wonderful and I’m really looking forward to 14th Deadly Sin which is out next month. One thread wasn’t completely tied up at the end of Unlucky 13 and I suspect it will be in the next one. I have no hesitation in recommending this one, along with the series, highly.
May 17, 2014
This book #13 in the Women’s Murder Club series is different than the others in the series. The group usually works together to figure about a case. This time, they all had their own cases to worry about. The exception was Claire she was working with Boxer. There are three different storylines that are all intertwined and affected each partly differently. Lindsay Boxer is trying to balance her work with her home life with new child Julie. She and Conklin are assigned to a case of people being blown up randomly by “belly Bombs.” Yuki and Brady were married and are off on their honeymoon. The cruise ship they are on was taken over by pirates. The pirates are killing some passengers every hour until the cruise line pays them ransom. Cindy is after Mackie Morales, you will remember her as a psychopath that got away in a prior book in the series. Morales is on the FBI most wanted list. Cindy finds out that Morales is back in San Francisco and she believes she is after Lindsay. Cindy has been unable to warn Lindsay so Cindy sets out to track Morales. All these stores are developed well and kept me listening wanting to know what would happen in each of them next. One of the stories gets a rather short climax as a result of trying to cram so much into the novel. This book is like reading three separate novellas rather than one unified book. Maxine Paetro and James Patterson should have published three separate books, rather than jamming them together. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. January LaVoy does a good job narrating the book.
May 15, 2014
This series has slowly become a total trainwreck. I get that it's typical James Patterson fare, but this was even worse than usual. The whole thing was filled with cliched, cringe-worthy one-liners and an overall rushed story. There were three different things going on in this novel, all of which felt like a complete rush job. The last several books in the series have been a total let-down.
June 18, 2015
Ahhh.... I love the Women's Murder Club!! These books are fast-paced, quick reads with all the twists and turns of a good detective story!
May 26, 2014
I keep saying the same thing, how I miss the good old James Patterson books, and why do I keep on reading them nevertheless... well, in the case of this book, it was fast paced as always, and the story was mildly interesting so it was not a boring read, but I expect a lot more from a thriller book and from this series.
The Women Murder Club is just a name these days, right? They don't do almost anything together. The storylines we have on the cover of the book seem really appealling, but they don't deliver as promised. The belly bombs are a quite interesting theme and story but then it just ends too quickly and quite unsatisfyingly and not clear, in my opinion. The return of Mackie Morales could have been a thrilling thing but again it just "happens and ends". And then, the ship "pirates", where only Yuki is involved, so it really has no relation to the rest.
Why so many story-lines, and separate the 4 women? Consistency would be good...
And I must have missed something... why the unlucky 13?...
The Women Murder Club is just a name these days, right? They don't do almost anything together. The storylines we have on the cover of the book seem really appealling, but they don't deliver as promised. The belly bombs are a quite interesting theme and story but then it just ends too quickly and quite unsatisfyingly and not clear, in my opinion. The return of Mackie Morales could have been a thrilling thing but again it just "happens and ends". And then, the ship "pirates", where only Yuki is involved, so it really has no relation to the rest.
Why so many story-lines, and separate the 4 women? Consistency would be good...
And I must have missed something... why the unlucky 13?...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2014
Read this whole series. All are good.
May 12, 2020
One of the best of this series!
May 9, 2014
As a fan of this series, I buy the next book as soon as it comes out and devour it. I read the sample that was available online and couldn't wait for the book to come out. This book was a disappointment. The story is disjointed--and there were times when I felt I must have missed something and went back to look (I hadn't missed anything--it was just disjointed). I don't feel that any real care was put into the character development and the plots--it was just a "grind it out and make the money" effort. I felt the same way with the last Patterson book in the Michael Bennett series. I think it's time for him to stop concentrating on how prolific he (and his partners) is, and go back to his strengths--plot and character development.
November 29, 2015
Another good entry in the Women's Murder Club. These books never blow me out of the water, but they're easy reads with short chapters and always interesting enough to hold my attention. I do have to say that in this particular book, I liked the side story involving Yuki and Brady more than the main mystery, even though it was kind of rushed and a little implausible. But I enjoyed seeing them front and center with their own story for a change.
January 29, 2021
This is the 13th book in a series called Women’s Murder Club of which I’ve read none of the previous books. However, I still found it worked perfectly well as a standalone.
It’s a no-nonsense, fast-paced action thriller with three separate strands: belly bombs (a mix of high explosive and magnesium, ignited by stomach acid) are being used to target and blackmail a fast-food franchise; serial killer Mackie Morales who has evaded capture before (presumably, in one of the earlier novels) is returning to San Francisco to seek revenge; and later on, a luxury cruise ship sailing off the coast of Alaska is hijacked by terrorists.
The novel is somewhat low on in-depth characterisation and the main roles are cliched in a wish-fulfilment, chick-lit sort of way: all the women are glamorous and all the men are hulks.
In all, I’d say it’s a novel which doesn’t set its bar too high, but still manages to achieve all it intends to very well.
It’s a no-nonsense, fast-paced action thriller with three separate strands: belly bombs (a mix of high explosive and magnesium, ignited by stomach acid) are being used to target and blackmail a fast-food franchise; serial killer Mackie Morales who has evaded capture before (presumably, in one of the earlier novels) is returning to San Francisco to seek revenge; and later on, a luxury cruise ship sailing off the coast of Alaska is hijacked by terrorists.
The novel is somewhat low on in-depth characterisation and the main roles are cliched in a wish-fulfilment, chick-lit sort of way: all the women are glamorous and all the men are hulks.
In all, I’d say it’s a novel which doesn’t set its bar too high, but still manages to achieve all it intends to very well.
May 17, 2014
This is my final attempt to get into the murder mystery club comprised by Patterson. I care little for clothing descriptions, babies, pursuits of boyfriends and the like while a serial killer reemerges. 2 of 10 stars
June 16, 2020
Women's Murder Club book No. 13 sees a nightmare honeymoon for Yuki, as Boxer and co track a 'belly bomber', and Cyndi gets obsessed with a most wanted serial killer from the past. One of the most captivating Murder Club books for awhile! 6 out of 12.
March 6, 2017
This book was okay, read book 12 before this one if you haven't because ... something (can't say) in the story is a sequence from book 12.
August 12, 2015
The thirteenth book in the Women's murder club by James Patterson.
I admit that I long for more novels like Patterson's early work when his books were a lot better and maybe more time spent on the writing. These day's it seems to be more about getting as many books out as possible and covering every possible genre rather than sticking to what made him a success in the first place.
This book is certainly fast paced and readable but lacks the craft of the earlier books by serving up 3 different plots that are unbelievable and lack the togetherness that the original books had in this series.
I know it won't happen but I wish James Patterson would go back to quality not quantity.
I admit that I long for more novels like Patterson's early work when his books were a lot better and maybe more time spent on the writing. These day's it seems to be more about getting as many books out as possible and covering every possible genre rather than sticking to what made him a success in the first place.
This book is certainly fast paced and readable but lacks the craft of the earlier books by serving up 3 different plots that are unbelievable and lack the togetherness that the original books had in this series.
I know it won't happen but I wish James Patterson would go back to quality not quantity.
January 24, 2016
Unlucky Thirteen is the thirteenth book in the popular Women’s Murder Club series by American author, James Patterson. When Claire Washburn summons Lindsay Boxer and Rich Conklin to a traffic accident on The Bridge, it quickly becomes apparent that this is much more. The explosion that caused the accident turns out to be from two belly bombs, ingested by two innocent motorists shortly before. The FBI decides to get involved, much to the SFPD’s disgust.
Meanwhile, Chronicle journalist, Cindy Thomas, gets a lead on what she believes will be the story that makes her career: Lindsay lets slip to her that Mackie Morales, the deranged killer posing as a police intern just months earlier (see Twelfth of Never), has been caught on camera recently. Cindy is determined to track her down to get an exclusive interview. And Yuki Castellano drops the bombshell that she and Jackson Brady (Lindsay’s boss), are getting married, pronto!
The Women’s Murder Club as such doesn’t get a lot of action in this book. Claire remains very much in the background after the first crime scene. Yuki is busy being a cruise-ship honeymooner with new hubby, Jackson while Cindy and Lindsay are each concentrating separately on their own cases. As for the action on the cruise ship, that seems to be pretty much the Jackson Brady show with Yuki showing a bit of her mettle at the end.
Cindy shows her smarts in this instalment: she’s so clever, in fact, that she figures out stuff the FBI and the SFPD with all their resources haven’t been able to. She’s like a dog with a bone when it comes to Mackie Morales. Lindsay’s case is not conclusively resolved, but she and Rich are convinced they have the guilty in custody. There is plenty of action and excitement: Patterson’s trademark short chapters and a few heart-thumping climaxes make this instalment another page-turner. 3.5 ★s
Meanwhile, Chronicle journalist, Cindy Thomas, gets a lead on what she believes will be the story that makes her career: Lindsay lets slip to her that Mackie Morales, the deranged killer posing as a police intern just months earlier (see Twelfth of Never), has been caught on camera recently. Cindy is determined to track her down to get an exclusive interview. And Yuki Castellano drops the bombshell that she and Jackson Brady (Lindsay’s boss), are getting married, pronto!
The Women’s Murder Club as such doesn’t get a lot of action in this book. Claire remains very much in the background after the first crime scene. Yuki is busy being a cruise-ship honeymooner with new hubby, Jackson while Cindy and Lindsay are each concentrating separately on their own cases. As for the action on the cruise ship, that seems to be pretty much the Jackson Brady show with Yuki showing a bit of her mettle at the end.
Cindy shows her smarts in this instalment: she’s so clever, in fact, that she figures out stuff the FBI and the SFPD with all their resources haven’t been able to. She’s like a dog with a bone when it comes to Mackie Morales. Lindsay’s case is not conclusively resolved, but she and Rich are convinced they have the guilty in custody. There is plenty of action and excitement: Patterson’s trademark short chapters and a few heart-thumping climaxes make this instalment another page-turner. 3.5 ★s
January 19, 2021
OH this was a hard one!
I mean the actually plot I actually really liked! Lindsey and Yuki (even Cindy) go through A LOT in this book and really manage to shine. There is plenty of death through this book and in this 13th instalment or the Women’s Murder Club there is also a reappearance of and old enemy.
My rating of this book could’ve been so MUCH higher! The early instalments of this series had me hooked but now it is becoming harder and harder to get through these books. I think this might have been ever so slightly better than the last. AGAIN I have the same issue with this book – too much CRINGY LOVE! So romance is fine but come on it is constant just when I am getting into the plot James Patterson and Maxine Paetro drop a cutesy line and I’m just not for it.
"Coffee without doughnuts is like a day without sunshine."
"Between now and San Francisco, she had to deal with the girl."
I understand that the characters have changed throughout these books and had families but I preferred it when the characters were all about their work and there was more guts, gore and murder (now I sound like a psycho!) if I wanted to read a romance I would but this is supposed to be a crime/thrilled can we bring it back to basics?
I am still holding out hope that these will get better but it is FADING!
On to the next I suppose
May 22, 2014
I have always been a fan of the Women's Murder Club books, but this one just didn't do it for me. There were too many plot lines that didn't flow together, and one of the major ones simply was left unfinished. So much so that I went back to "find the ending" of the story multiple times only to realize..."oh, that was it?" Not how the title was integrated into the storyline at all. Overall, I'm feeling pretty bummed by the lack of resolution and follow through.
April 8, 2021
A good story, good plot, and good writing... everything you expect from Patterson. I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration- with several voices- was excellent
July 15, 2018
Oh my God unlucky 13 by James Patterson was a book that I couldn't put down I don't know how you only took breaks to think about what was happening in the book and also James Patterson had me hooked on every word he put in this book.
October 15, 2014
This is the only series that I'm still keeping up with in regards to James Patterson. I love the characters and I the humanity in them. It has just enough of a certain spark that keeps me interested. I'm never bored or get lost in the different sub-plots. I always look forward to the next one in the series. These two authors never let me down.
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