Book ~ "The 24th Hour" (2024) James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

From Goodreads ~ Sergeant Lindsay Boxer, Medical Examiner Claire Washburn, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano, and crime writer Cindy Thomas are celebrating at San Francisco's finest restaurant.

But before they can raise their glasses to both a birthday and a wedding, a violent assault interrupts their festivities.

Claire examines the victim. Lindsay makes an arrest. Yuki takes the case. Cindy covers it.

The case is complicated by the plaintiff's unreliable version of events - and the shocking reason behind her ever-changing memory.

As Yuki argues the toughest case of her career, Lindsay chases down a high-society killer whose target practice may leave the Women's Murder Club short a bridesmaid ... or two.

This is the 24th in the Women's Murder Club series (I've read them all but #23). Though it is part of a series, it works as a stand alone.  There are four members of the Women's Murder Club who have been friends for years ... police officer Lindsay, reporter Cindy, medical examiner Claire and prosecutor Yuki.

Six months ago friends Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Yuki were settling in for lunch at a nice restaurant when they heard a scream from upstairs. Lindsay rushed up and found a woman who had just been beaten and raped and a half-naked man hiding. She arrested him and that set up Yuki's storyline as she is the lead prosecutor during his trial in present day. The closure to this was lame.

Six months ago, Holly, the wife of a wealthy man, was gunned down and her killer hasn't been found. Jamie, her husband, is killed in the same way in present day and Lindsay is the lead in the case. This storyline was convoluted and ridiculous as was the "whodunnit" which came together quickly at the end.

Claire and Cindy don't have a lot to offer in either storylines.

Joe, Lindsay's husband, is former FBI and now a freelance "consultant". He gets called in to help find out who is downloading malware at hospitals and demanding large amounts of crypto to stop. This was boring a storyline and there was way too much time devoted to it as it had nothing to do with the other two storylines involving the "Women's Murder Club".

The only thing I liked about this book was the short choppy chapters.  The point of view shifted ... it was first person perspective when the focus was on Lindsay and third person perspective when the focus was on others such as Joe and Yuki.  I found this story long, draggy and drawn out. This is the end of the series for me.