7th Heaven
""... a classic Patterson gripping read." "
Synopsis:
It has been six months since the last sighting of Michael Campion - the young champion with the heart defect who captured the nation's heart and imagination.
The whole country has been in uproar since his disappearance some months previously. Now Lindsay has an anonymous tip - that Campion was last seen entering the premises of a well-known prostitute known as Junie Moon. Soon the girl has been interviewed and has confessed that Michael died while on her premises. But where is the body? Why is there no trace evidence? Yuki takes up the gauntlet of the prosecution and decides to take Junie Moon down for the unforgivable act towards America's adopted son.
At the same time there is a spate of fires. All the victims are couples and it is believed that they are accidents, until restraints are found on one couple and Lindsay and Rich Conklin are rushing to find the firebug who is targeting these people – seemingly at random. Or is it?
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Review:
Patterson seems to have set up a very good franchise using his name almost as a brand. However, it is also to his credit that his ghost writer is also credited on the cover. Maxine Paetro has been given The Women's Murder Club and she is crafting an excellent series. Until now, it has normally been the Cross titles that get all the glory but of late Cross, along with some very dodgy standalones, have made many people ponder if Patterson isn't spreading himself and his name just a little too thinly. In particular, Patterson's last few novels including You've Been Warned and Double Cross were not of his usual high standard. The last Women's Murder Club, The 6th Target ,was probably his only decent novel of 2007. Now that he has changed publishers in Britain, it can only be hoped that Patterson will be pushing up the ante and delivering sure-fire novels like he did with his earlier work. It seems he has done just that with his first novel with his new publishers. 7th Heaven is a marvellous book and one that will show readers what Patterson (and his co-writing gang) are capable of when you have the right mix in a book. The courtroom drama with Yuki is thrilling and when Patterson/Paetro get it right, often page turning. The firebug story is gruesome and fascinating but the factual content about past arsonists is extremely interesting. This shows that Patterson and Paetro have done their homework and it shows through the story. This is the sort of novel we have come to expect from the Patterson stable and one which should be a benchmark for subsequent books. It's a classic Patterson gripping read.