This Summary/Review was copied from other sources and is used only as a reminder of what the book was about for my personal interest. Any Personal Notations are for my recollection only.
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One positive review.....
Individually, James Patterson and Candice Fox are outstanding thriller writers. Put them together, and the results are often something special. This time, their joint effort is 2 SISTERS MURDER INVESTIGATIONS, the second entry in their 2 Sisters Detective Agency Mystery series.
Rhonda and Barbara “Baby” Bird are half-sisters. Their father left his private detective agency behind when he passed away, and they reluctantly decided to keep it going. Rhonda is a former attorney and much older than 16-year-old Baby, who is aggressive and quite smart, if not a tad uncontrollable. They must get along if the firm is going to be successful, which is easier said than done. They agree on hardly anything, and Baby resents how Rhonda attempts to be a mother figure instead of her sibling. In reality, their personalities complement the business well, and they have begun to lean on their strengths to keep things moving forward.
Rhonda and Baby take on various cases, typically fighting for the underdog and butting heads with the local police department. Their lives change forever when a well-known face darkens the doorway of their agency. Troy Hansen, an actor who everyone in America suspects of killing his wife, Daisy, wants to hire them to clear his name. Daisy is missing, and Troy denies harming her in any way. But he lays something far more serious at their feet in the form of a box he found buried under their house. It is full of information and items that may or may not have been a serial killer’s trophy collection. This is an explosive situation, and Rhonda and Baby need to find the underlying cause of it before it backfires on them.
The sisters follow up on some of the names in the box, and a number of them are still listed as missing. They must tread carefully here and involve the police so that everything is done legitimately and their firm’s reputation can remain intact. Meanwhile, Troy is still a concern, and alarm bells are sounded when they find out that Daisy deposited a quarter of a million dollars into their bank account from an alleged lottery win.
There are so many balls being juggled by Rhonda and Baby, and the relationships they are involved in complicate matters. Not only are they at risk of being shut down by the police for overstepping, they are in a lot of danger and not prepared to face this level of intensity.
2 SISTERS MURDER INVESTIGATIONS is full of plot twists and multiple characters moving around like chess pieces, which is exactly what you would expect from a Patterson and Fox collaboration.
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Rhonda Bird and Barbara “Baby” Bird are back! I was wondering if the day would ever come. I’m so happy to see them back and as badass as ever. Six months after the events of 2 Sisters Detective Agency, they have taken over Earl’s business and renamed it 2 Sisters Murder Investigations, Rhonda has her PIs licence and Baby is just waiting until she is old enough to get hers (she is now 16). Baby is still feeling like she needs to show she can be an independent woman who can stand on her own. The plot largely revolves around the sisters and their biggest case to date for their company. A wife, Daisy, goes missing and her husband, Troy, comes to the sisters for help. Not to prove his innocence but to understand something he found while looking for clues in their house. There are some initial Gone Girl vibes but there is more going on than that, a serial killer and Baby’s side case. Her case involves Arthur, a man being threatened and whose life is in danger.
It is possibly more enjoyable than the first book. The sisterly dynamic is settled. The dynamics between the sisters and everyone else work well. Baby shows multiple sides of herself, so does Rhonda but in a different way. Both sisters show a lot more vulnerability at times, something I thought was missing in the first. The crimes suit my taste. While I didn’t see the ending coming, I would suspect the clues are there the whole time if you know what you are looking for. I really appreciated the ending, though. It is bittersweet and perfect for the set-up we have.
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2 Sisters Murder Investigations” is James Patterson and Candice Fox’s follow-up to their successful debut novel “2 Sisters Detective Agency” that I found to be a surprisingly welcome and enjoyable read.
The two sisters are back, and some couldn’t be happier. The older sister, Rhonda is tough-minded and resilient, Ronda Bird, is a 260-pound ex-attorney, with pink streaked hair and rock band shirts under her blazer. The younger sister, Barbara Bird, who goes by “Baby,” is a self-centered, selfish 16-year-old teenager that is way too smart for her own good. While Rhonda focuses on a more traditional by-the-book approach, Baby prefers to figure things out using her street smarts. Together, they are partners in their late father’s southern California detective agency, trying to figure out to work together without killing each other.
This time out the sisters are working on two cases, with Rhonda focused on one and Baby the other.
Rhonda’s case involves helping out a socially challenged husband who’s beautiful and popular wife has gone missing. Unfortunately, he’s the number one suspect and under police watch. Including the watchful eye of Officer David Summerly, Rhonda’s on and off unofficial boyfriend. Rhonda has her hands full because every time she turns around, the husband does something stupid that makes him look more and more guilty to everyone.
Baby’s case is about an elderly man who is being targeted by an executive in a mega corporation to sell his house to make way for a large tech community to be built. The owner is refusing to leave, and he is being harassed to the point of his life being threatened. Baby takes it personal to fight his battle for him and prove her worth and ability to her sister. The problem is she’s taken on more than she can handle with an enemy that’s willing to kill to get what she wants.
Will these two investigations lead Rhonda and Baby to work together or will they be broken by enemies stronger and smarter than them…
The plotting was stronger, creative, and kept things moving along in a snappy and entertaining read that just pulled you in. It was consistent in style, tone, and rhythm. The two mysteries were well thought out, layered, filled with clues and some pretty good red herrings, and one of the most important elements – strong villains that kept the protagonists running and reacting to obstacles thrown in their path. It also didn’t try to be more than what it was. The authors stayed in their lanes, so to speak, and didn’t throw in over-the-top escape or fight scenes that went above the type of story being told.
There was also something about the sisters that worked creatively and organically. I am really drawn to Rhonda, and although I found Baby really annoying through the first half, I came around in the second half of the book. She wore me down and won me over with her strong determination. I think some of my resistance to Baby was that I am closer in age to Rhonda and my parenting attributes influenced my perception of her. Just being honest.
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Overall, it was an enjoyable read that felt less predictable and more original than most of the books that Patterson pumps out on such a regular basis. And it is definitely his best collaboration with Candice Fox for sure. There is also more for Rhonda and her sister, Baby, to explore – chemistry, character development, and relationships) in future books, which I optimistically hope will happen. And if so, I hope that we won’t have to wait four years again to see that happen.
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James Patterson turns to Candice Fox for another great collaborative effort. This pair has shown their affinity for great crime thrillers, usually tapping into the unique aspects of the genre. These two sisters, while only recently aware of one another, have become a wonderful team, working cases in Los Angeles. When they are presented with the case of a man accused of murder, neither Rhonda nor Baby can turn it down. Working angles and whatever leads they can find, the sisters work to exonerate their client while staying on the good side of the law. Patterson and Fox serve the reader well once more.
Rhonda and Barbara “Baby” Bird might share a father, but they are drastically different women. While Rhonda has been an attorney for a number of years, it was only after the death of her father that she learned of Baby’s existence, a teenager girl with an attitude. They are saddled with handling the Early Bird Investigative Agency and soon learn tat the life of a PI is anything but straightforward.
Rhonda tries to run the business with a straightforward approach, solving crimes as they cross her desk, while Baby is still a teenager and wants her intuitiveness and street creed to work things her own way. There is nothing upon which they agree, until a man wants in the door of their agency with an issue.
He’s a reclusive guy, whose popular wife went missing. All clues point to his guilt, especially when he shows up with a box of mementos from other missing women. While the Bird sisters must rely on their gut feelings, they seek to help their client prove his innocence. Things will be tough and Rhonda wants to keep things favourable with the authorities, while Baby is ready to bend the rules to help their client. Unsure if this man is a distraught husband or a killer waiting to be helped so he can strike again, these sisters will have to find a way to work together, efficiently and effectively. A great follow-up novel by Patterson and Fox that had me devouring the story from the opening pages.
People have enjoyed the work of James Patterson and Candice Fox independently, though their collaborative work has also been of great interest to some over the years. Both authors have a penchant for developing great narrative foundations and building on them. The action helps propel things forward in effective ways, eased along by the Patterson trademark short chapters. Characters are well formulated and keep you eager to learn a little more as I explore a little more for the enjoyment of all.
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