Alright, alright...Murder is wrong. And stealing is wrong. But it seems to me sometimes these things are justified. This book kind of proves it. Really.
I was on board when I saw that the Hello Kitty thief was working the party circuit. Then bam! A murder mid-burglary. And not just any murder, but one with a ready-made scapegoat. If you're planning to off your wife (and, just to be clear, you shouldn't), waiting for a masked cat burglar to do their thing is... ambitious.
This book had two plotlines, and I enjoyed both. The Lipstick Killer made my skin crawl. Not just because he was out there targeting moms and kids, which was bad enough. The guy gave off serious “shouldn’t be allowed near people ever again” vibes. Honestly? I wouldn’t have minded a little street justice with that one.
But then, there's the Hello Kitty thief. Somehow, I found myself rooting for her, not because she was robbing the rich, but because she was clawing her way out of an abusive situation no one deserves. Then came the plot twist that her girlfriend was married to the Lipstick Killer. Suddenly I was rooting even harder for Hello Kitty to get away clean.
As if that wasn’t enough emotional whiplash, Joe’s plane went down, and I genuinely teared up. Hasn’t Lindsay been through enough? The woman needs a break, and by the end, she finally gets one. Fingers crossed it lasts longer than a chapter.
The pacing was relentless. I was flipping pages so fast I swear my fingers have friction burns. The ending was perfect! The woman who took out the Lipstick Killer wasn't named, but someone get her a medal, a therapist, and a lifetime supply of chocolate. She earned it.
The Women’s Murder Club were in fine form:
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Claire was commanding on TV and righteously furious.
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Cindy brought the Hello Kitty drama to the masses.
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Yuki was an absolute boss in the courtroom and finally got a man who doesn’t suck.
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And Lindsay? Still my girl. Gritty, fragile, exhausted, and doing it all anyway.
I laughed when Rich hummed the actor’s theme song just to get under his skin, and I held my breath through twist after twist after twist. This book didn’t let up, and I was all in.
Whether you have been reading this series or not, anyone who likes crime thrillers is going to love this one. And if you're only going to read one James Patterson book, this one should be it.
You don’t mess with women who’ve been pushed too far. Not the cops. Not the lawyers. Not even the thieves.
