The 8th Confession

June 29, 2009
Mystery, mayhem and murder most foul abound in this eighth entry to Patterson's enduring mystery series. The four members of the Women's Murder Club are pulled into the investigation of three deaths: a homeless man called Bag Man Jesus, whose face has been mutilated, and a glamorous couple from San Francisco's upper elite, who are just as dead as Bag Man but whose bodies look untouched. With its shifting points of view and multiple characters, this audio book would be a daunting task for any narrator, but Carolyn McCormick is up for the challenge. The reader for several earlier Women's Murder Club novels, she renders the characters with ease. Although her vocal tone may verge on strident at times, her earnest delivery keeps the story moving briskly. A Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, May 11).

Carolyn McCormick gives the impression of multiple narrators with powerful characterizations of victims, detectives, and murder suspects in two intricate San Francisco killings. The spree-style murder of a glamorous millionaire couple reveals that the killer stalked his victims and chose his moment--leaving no evidence behind. In addition, the murder of a homeless preacher, Bagman Jesus, appears to be random until reporter Cindy Thomas discovers he wasn't the saint everyone thought. McCormick's versatile range and vocal skills portray lead Detective Lindsay Boxer and her partner, Rich Conklin, with decisiveness, and even a love interest. She perfectly renders their commitment to work the homeless case on personal time. Add meth labs, drugs, and poisonous snakes--and McCormick delivers a high-octane thriller that won't disappoint. G.D.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine