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While sipping margaritas at a cottage just north of San Francisco, friends who have nicknamed themselves “The Women’s Murder Club” are enjoying some well-deserved time off. Detective Lindsay Boxer, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano, medical examiner (and very pregnant) Claire Washburn, and journalist Cindy Thomas are all extremely dedicated to their careers. Expectedly, though, Lindsay receives the dreaded phone call to leave the cottage and return to work. Her boss, Lieutenant Jacobi, informs her that they received an anonymous tip in a highly publicized (and dead-end) missing persons case—that of Michael Campion, the son of the wealthy former governor of California.
Michael Campion, who was born with a serious heart defect, suddenly vanished from sight. Citizens mourned his disappearance, which was treated as a kidnapping, even though there was no ransom note. People got on with their lives. But now that there’s a possible lead, not only does Lindsay want in, but Yuki wants to prosecute the case, too.
In the meantime, gruesome arsons are taking place in the neighboring counties of Monterey and Santa Clara, as well as in San Francisco. Wealthy couples are found fried in their burning homes. Unfortunately, the leads go nowhere, and the SFPD is getting a sour reputation for the high number of unsolved crimes. The force can’t afford to screw this one up.
Though all four members of The Women’s Murder Club play a part, this novel focuses primarily on Lindsay and, to a lesser extent, Yuki. Some of the subplots are enticing—like the one involving a famous crime writer who begins stalking Yuki during the Campion murder trial. Others, however, aren’t fully developed. Yuki doesn’t have time for a boyfriend, and neither does Lindsay. Though she’s in love and has actually been proposed to, Lindsay just can’t commit. On top of that, her partner, Rich, is just too tempting. If further explored, that could have made for a provocative side-story.
7th Heaven is a simple, undemanding, and quick read that’s easy to put down and resume when you have time. Unfortunately, the depth of the book is placed at its end. This made for a satisfying, though predictable, conclusion, but if the authors had woven more of these intricacies into the middle and throughout the book, it could have been a fascinating story.
If your goal is pure entertainment and you just don’t want to think—while sweating on the elliptical trainer at the gym, for instance—then this book is for you. However, if you want to become engaged in a captivating and complex thriller, this isn’t a good choice.
