11th Hour (novel)
11th Hour represents the eleventh installment in the Women’s Murder Club collection, authored by the American writers James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. Set in San Francisco, the narrative follows Sgt. Lindsay Boxer and her alliance with the Women's Murder Club—a team of women who work closely with Boxer to resolve prominent criminal cases. The group's composition has shifted over the course of the series.
Plot
Within this novel, Boxer confronts two significant investigations. The first involves a series of murders targeting drug dealers in San Francisco, including an undercover police officer. Notably, a firearm utilized in these crimes was reported stolen from the police evidence storage, indicating potential involvement by a corrupt law enforcement officer.
The second investigation is triggered by the discovery of severed heads in the garden of Elssworth House, the residence of a well-known actor. As additional heads are uncovered, suspicion falls upon the Wolsey family, proprietors of the estate. Nicole Wolsey takes on an inquiry that leads her to Connie Kerr, an ex-tennis professional exhibiting unstable tendencies but possessing critical insights.
The case concerning the drug dealers centers on Chaz Smith, father of Noelle Smith, who becomes a victim of a vigilante called Revenge. It emerges that Chaz was also a police officer, and Revenge—whose real name is William Randall—has been targeting drug traffickers to avenge his son's fatal overdose. Ultimately, Lindsay Boxer and Rich Conklin succeed in apprehending him.
Regarding the head discoveries, Janet Wolsey and Connie Kerr are implicated as perpetrators driven by vengeance against Harry Chandler, owner of Elssworth House and Janet’s unfaithful partner. His numerous extramarital affairs provoked their anger and led to their violent acts.
Reviews
Two notable critiques have evaluated this book. Joe Hartlaub from Book Reporter described 11th Hour as "possibly the finest entry yet in the Women's Murder Club series." Meanwhile, Kay Dyer reviewed it for News OK without offering a definitive judgment.