A review by cj_mo_2222
The 24th Hour by James Patterson

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The premise of the series is four women in different jobs related to solving crimes or crime reporting have become close friends and family to one another. In this book, Sgt. Lindsay Boxer of the San Francisco Police Department, Medical Examiner Dr. Claire Washburn, crime reporter Cindy Thomas, and ADA Yuki Castellano are having lunch together, but come first on the scene of a brutal attack on a woman in the employee dressing room. The case is more complex than it appears, but Yuki is determined to get justice for the victim.

In the meantime, Lindsay is assigned to a case involving the death of a billionaire, six months and one block from where his wife had been killed six months before. Holly's case is still unsolved, so Lindsay's commanding officer wants results on her husband's case as soon as possible. Many unexpected secrets are uncovered during this difficult case that has lots of suspects, but no evidence. I was very surprised when the final resolution was revealed. 

Lindsay's husband Joe Molinari is an FBI agent working on a cybercrime involving a ransom demand to a hospital for access to their patient records and endangering many lives. The three cases are unrelated, so sometimes things seem a little disjointed which slows down an otherwise fast-paced book. I especially enjoyed the courtroom drama of Yuki's case and reading about the steps Lindsay takes to solve a crime. Joe's case was interesting on its own and is very relevant, but somehow didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the book. 

It has been a while since I had read a book in this series, but I enjoyed the plot, as well as catching up with all of the main characters. Everyone gathers together at the end of the book for a happy, hopeful occasion. Fans of this series will really enjoy this installment of this long-running series. 

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company. My review is voluntary and unbiased.