“4th of July” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro – At the Law's Mercy

James Patterson began the Women's Murder Club with relatively small ambitions, but with time it turned into one of his most recognizable works. In the fourth book co-authored with Maxine Paetro, titled 4th of July, we follow Lindsay Boxer as she is forced to fight for her innocence at her own trial, all while chasing after a serial killer who has been terrorizing a small picturesque town.

James Patterson and Maxine Paetro Throw Lindsay Boxer into the Fire

James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series is now a well-known commodity among thriller fans such as myself, and it's easy to forget how long it's been going and how far it has come from. The fourth title in the series, 4th of July, has the distinction of marking the beginning of the co-authorship between Patterson and Maxine Paetro, still going strong to this day.

Before we begin, as with most of Patterson's works, the books in the Women's Murder Club don't have to be read in order to be appreciated. You can literally jump in at any point in the series and all the necessary elements will be explained to you.

The story begins with San Francisco police lieutenant Lindsay Boxer following a car which is suspected of having some relation to her ex-partner's death. When the car crashes,she and her partner go to help and find two pre-teen kids in the front seat, who proceed to open fire on the cops. Lindsay shoots back, killing one and paralyzing the other.

The incident places her on forced leave from the San Francisco Police Department, and while the investigation into the incident is being conducted Lindsay takes refuge at her sister's house in a small Californian town. Though overtly she seems to have done no wrong, Lindsay's case doesn't look too promising and she will have to fight for her innocence in the Court of Law.

However, this is far from being the only woe in Lindsay's life at the moment. The small coastal town she retreated to also happens to be the playground for a serial killer, one who doesn't back away from a challenge. While Lindsay is used to chasing after the suspects, this one might just come chasing after her.

A New Direction in 4th of July

Let's begin by addressing the elephant in the room: this book was co-authored by James Patterson with Maxine Paetro, which inevitably brings up the question as to who gave the greater contributions. I can see this as being a source of worry, as it was for me, especially considering the first book in the series was a solo effort.

While I can't personally divine who did how much writing, I can certainly say this book has a bit of a different feeling compared to the other ones, without ever compromising the integrity of the world and characters Patterson has built on his own.

What exactly do I mean by this? 

Looking back at the previous books, we can see the emphasis was largely placed on quick progression of the plot, with events piling on top of each other almost as fast as we could process them. Everything else, such as the characters and the settings, took a bit of a back-seat, and it worked quite well.

In this book, it felt like things slowed down a little bit, and more importantly, we get a more profound look at Lindsay's character and her story before the beginning of the series. Personally, I think it's quite appropriate to take this approach at this point in the series; we've had enough adventures with Lindsay at this point to ask for a deeper characterization to keep her interesting.

As a matter of fact, it felt a little odd and jarring at first to see a story in the Women's Murder Club series which wasn't jam-packed with nail-biting action and suspense. However, I got quickly used to the slower pace, not to mention it gave its own contribution the building the tension in the plot, holding it much more steadily than in the previous novels.

The Trials of Lindsay and Company

Book protagonists all tend to share the unenviable quality of being magnets for unfortunate events, but even considering this Lindsay is living an exceptionally dark period in her life, and it shows on a number of occasions. As much as the book is about a murder investigation and a trial, it's also about Lindsay's traversal of a personal darkness.

In the first three novels, I didn't get much of an impression we would see Lindsay change dramatically over the course of the series. Now, however, some very interesting avenues of development have opened up, and it's interesting to see which ones Patterson and Paetro are planning to take.

The other members of the Women's Murder Club also make their appearances, although to be perfectly frank, their roles felt more secondary than before, but only because of the extra amount of focus which was placed on Lindsay's character. As always, they provide excellent support, help move the story forward when necessary, and set the stage for some fun bits dialogue which alleviate the mood.

Rest assured, while the book isn't all about action and forward momentum like before, I don't think it lacks any for the story it aims to tell. For starters, the investigation into the incident at the start of the book takes plenty of interesting twists and turns after seeming like an open-and-shut case. Sometimes, I think discovery is the most effective type of action a serial killer thriller can provide.

Naturally, the serial killer investigation taking place in the little Californian town is no less captivating than the other parts of the story, contributing heavily to preserving a sense of tension and mystery from start to finish. As is usual with Patterson novels, this part of the book is crafted carefully and deliberately, with some memorable twists of its own to bear.

The Final Verdict

4th of July by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is a fantastic fourth entry in the Women's Murder Club series, taking a slightly different but very welcome direction from the previous entries in the series, placing a greater focus on Lindsay and her personal demons. At the same time, we also get treated to another top-notch serial killer investigation.

If you've enjoyed the previous books in the series or are looking for a quality serial killer thriller to pass the time with, then I strongly recommend you check this book out.

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James B. Patterson Personal site James Patterson is an American writer who has dedicated a large part of his literary career to writing murder-related thrillers, inventing in the process two memorable character-based series in Alex Cross and Michael Bennett. His most prominent works include Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.

Maxine Paetro Maxine Paetro is an American author who began her published career all the way back in 1979 with How to Put Your Book Together and Get a Job in Advertising, which was revised for the fourth time in 2010. She has remained an active author, writing numerous novels since then, including Manshare, Windfall and Woman of God. Additionally, she is known for collaborating with James Patterson on numerous entries in the Women's Murder Club series.