2020 Book Review #5: The 19th Christmas

 I just finished the 19th book in the Women's Murder Club series.  It's a fun series...same main characters in each novel.  Very easy and fast-paced without a lot of gore but a lot of mystery and drama.  I've read every novel in the series and really enjoy the main characters and finding out what's new in their lives.  Of course it's fiction but they are all very believable.  But that's also because this author is just phenomenal.

STORY SUMMARY

It's 4 days before Christmas and Lindsay Boxer (homicide detective for the San Francisco Police) and her husband Joe (Homeland Security) and their 3 year old daughterl Julie are all going to the Festival of Lights.  The tree is up, the gifts are wrapped and Lindsay is looking forward to a quiet Christmas at home.  Her friends Yuki (lawyer) and Cindy (news reporter) are also looking forward to spending time with their significant others. Cindy is wrapping up a news story about the true meaning of Christmas featuring an immigrant family. Claire (medical examiner) and her husband are off to San Diego where Claire is going to teach a Christmas break course to some medical students.  All seems right with the world.

Until the police get a tip that a person named Loman is going to strike somewhere in San Francisco.....supposedly a huge heist/robbery.  The tip is that it will be a deadly surprise for Christmas morning.

Lyndsay begins the investigation but all they have so far are random clues and no solid evidence.

What Lindsay and her partners Rich Conklin and Warren Jacobi don't  realize yet though is that there are several criminal acquaintances of Loman that are taking actions to mask the real plan.

As the investigation continues, they begin to figure out that Loman has a lot of greed: for riches, bloodshed, and attention.

 Lindsay and her colleagues are hoping to avoid a terrible tragedy....it will take a miracle!

MY THOUGHTS

The story is fast-paced and I was drawn right into it as soon as I read the prologue. It begins on December 20th and the major part of the plot ends on Christmas evening.  

Then, a new twist to the Murder Women's Club series opens up and the story ends on New Year's Eve with the introduction of Joe's biological daughter Francesca ("Franny" whom he hasn't seen in 20 years.  

I expect more exciting escapades in the next book.

This book can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read the series from the beginning so you get a sense of each character and her role.

I like this series because the language is not awful....."gutter talk" and swearing is kept to a minimum which I always appreciate.

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this a 9.