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32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
Better Than I'd Hoped
SUMMARY: The Women's Murder Club returns for their eighth case in which a series of unrelated crimes both past and present converge.
WHY YOU'LL LIKE IT: Anyone who is familiar with Patterson and his numerous coauthors understands that these books are formulaic, and it's no longer a question of how contrived the plot will be but rather how enjoyable it will...
Published 16 months ago by Hippolytos
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82 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "CRIME STORY OKAY... BUT ROMANCE INFANTILE AND RIDICULOUS!"
This is James Patterson's eighth installment of his "WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB" series and it literally starts off with a "bang" as a floating meth lab disguised as a school bus explodes resulting in numerous deaths. Before the reader has any time to recover from the explosion... "Woman's Murder Club" (WMC) member Cindy Thomas, an investigative reporter for the San Francisco...
Published 16 months ago by Rick Shaq Goldstein
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82 of 91 people found the following review helpful:
RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "CRIME STORY OKAY... BUT ROMANCE INFANTILE AND RIDICULOUS!", April 30, 2009
This is James Patterson's eighth installment of his "WOMEN'S MURDER CLUB" series and it literally starts off with a "bang" as a floating meth lab disguised as a school bus explodes resulting in numerous deaths. Before the reader has any time to recover from the explosion... "Woman's Murder Club" (WMC) member Cindy Thomas, an investigative reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle is scrutinizing the brutal murder of a homeless man known simply as "Bagman Jesus". To the rest of the world "Bagman" is just another homeless loser and his death does not affect the rest of the world... including Cindy's friend and WMC member Detective Lindsay Boxer... who is immediately taken off the "Bagman" case so she can spend all her time on a rash of high profile "rich-and-famous" millionaire murders. As Cindy digs deeper into who "Bagman" really was... she finds out that "Bagman" was literally a "Saint-Of-The-Streets". "He'd broken up a liquor-store holdup, sometimes worked in a soup kitchen, said that he always had a few dollars for someone who needed it." He had even helped deliver a woman's baby. If all the aforementioned criminal activity isn't enough to get the readers engine running... a rock star dies mysteriously.
Simultaneously WMC member Yuki Castellano an assistant district attorney is prosecuting a big murder case involving a former beauty queen who beat her Father to death with a tire iron... and attempted to accomplish the same thing with her Mother... but failed... but not for lack of trying. Yuki has been on a losing streak... so this case has an added level of importance.
As the story progresses clues seem to point to the current millionaire murders being related to a series of high society deaths in 1982... and the deeper Cindy digs in the "Bagman" case... the more it seems that the "Saint-Of-The-Streets" may actually be a sinner. Now... based on the crime stories being presented... experienced Patterson fans... who have been terribly disappointed in the last few years... may start to think... hey... maybe Patterson has found his long forgotten talent... but then... we get to the romance!
The romantic interludes between all of the characters could only be appreciated by someone in junior high school or lower. It is hard to take these interludes seriously... such as when Cindy and Lindsay's partner Rich "hook-up"... the author writes: "IT WAS A PERFECT KISS, NO CLASHING OF NOSES OR TEETH." And this next quote from the same sex scene will make you laugh out loud: "RICH SLIPPING HIS HANDS INTO THE FLIMSY FABRIC OF HER PANTIES, MAKING THEM DISAPPEAR." (?What disappeared? His hands... the panties... or both? Was Rich a magician as well as a cop?) And when Yuki starts falling in love with a doctor... "YUKI HAD CAUTIONED HERSELF NOT TO GET TOO GAGA ON THEIR FIRST REAL DATE, NOT TO LET HER MOONY EYES SHOW."
There is one situation that comes up out of THE ABSOLUTE BLUE... out of left field... regarding Yuki and the doctor... that is so ludicrous and not needed... but I just can't tell you here. Not that it's a spoiler in the normal sense of the word... but it's so indescribably ridiculous... I can't take this absurdity away from you if you decide to pay for this book. If you want to see what this preposterous development is before laying down your money it's on page two-hundred-eighty-four.
In summary: the crime portion of this book is an improvement on Patterson's recent releases... but the romance would only be enjoyable in a comedy.
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48 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
Another Trite Book by the James Patterson Assembly Line, April 30, 2009
When I first discovered James Patterson about 10 years ago, I loved his stuff. He was by far the top novelist in the Mystery-Suspense genre. His early Alex Cross books were always best sellers and this was completely deserved. His books always had great pace, suspense, mystery and intriguing villains.
He still produces best sellers but he is living purely on reputation. He now employs associate authors thus enabling him to churn out novels 4 times a year. The truly great authors generally produce one book a year.
This book, The 8th Confession, is another assembly-line product. While it holds your interest, there is nothing that makes it stand out. The word that comes to mind after finishing it is TRITE. There is no real suspense. Instead it depends on familiar characters and thin plot lines.
Will the real James Patterson please come back.
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32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
Better Than I'd Hoped, May 12, 2009
SUMMARY: The Women's Murder Club returns for their eighth case in which a series of unrelated crimes both past and present converge.
WHY YOU'LL LIKE IT: Anyone who is familiar with Patterson and his numerous coauthors understands that these books are formulaic, and it's no longer a question of how contrived the plot will be but rather how enjoyable it will be to read. This latest offering is a step above the last two or three entries in the series, but nowhere near as compelling as the first few. That said, this is a quick and untaxing read with characters whom readers have come to know and enjoy. The manner in which the murders are perpetrated is relatively interesting, and the new pairing of Cindy and Rich is cute if pat.
WHY YOU WON'T: Patterson's quirk of short chapters is annoying and tiresome, as his penchant for ending each one with what he assumes to be a cliffhanger. It's plodding and actually slows the narrative rather than accelerating it. The villain is revealed early on as plot device, but their motives are never fully explored, and thus it's difficult to care about them or their victims as we wait for Lindsay to put all the clues together. The new romances for Cindy and Yuki are odd and rushed, with no real thought behind them; Yuki's in particular was brittle and appeared to reinforce her loneliness rather than abate it. Yuki is extremely likable but has never been as fleshed out as predecessor Jill. In fact, characterization suffers as the series progresses.
BOTTOM LINE: If you're in the series for the long haul, this installment is better fare than some of the previous novels, but nowhere near as interesting as the first few. A quick read with some good moments.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Don't Buy this Book, Use your Library, January 9, 2010
I have read just about every James Patterson book written to date. I have become a huge fan of the Women's Murder Club...HOWEVER, I think that the entire Yuki romance in this book with Doc was lame. Seriously when will she get a break? Her mother dies, she is stalked by a psycho and now the Doc just doesn't measure up. I have to agree with others who have stated that it seems Mr. Patterson is worried more about deadline than storyline. Do not buy this book, go to your library and check it out for free.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Mystery Novel Devolves Into Cheap Romance Novel, January 3, 2010
Having read all the books in this series, as well as many other James Patterson novels, I was looking forward to this latest installment of the Women's Murder Mystery Club. However, I was extemely disappointed with this book. My wife and I listened to the unabridged audio version together as we traveled by car. We both thought this resembled very cheap, romance novel pulp rather than a true mystery novel. I wondered if James Patterson had much to do with the actual writing of the story. If so, then it was the worst Patterson novel I have read.
As others have commented, James Patterson is always entertaining. That is generally true--but no longer "always." At many points in this novel the writing was so poorly crafted that my wife and I found ourselves groaning in unison. The ending was sappy, especially so in the audio version with violins playing in the background as our heroine is entralled by her "hunk of blue-eyed man." Gag!
There were sure a lot of blondes (both genders) in this novel. That this would be noteworthy in reviewing a novel tells you something about the story-telling. We also learned that our main character has hair like that of Sherl Crow and is burdened by a 36C bust that makes it difficult for some men to take her seriously. I wondered if James Patterson and Maxine Paetro were taking her seriously.
The frequent sex is gratuitous and juvenile. Was this written for adults? The female characters, with the exception of Claire, have devolved into emotional, love-conflicted misfits whose emotions overrule their ability to reason and make sound decisions time after time. This misbegotten novel is not a credit to women or to mystery.
I hope this novel does not reveal the direction of the series. If so, I will be checking out at eight.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Starts off with a bang but fizzles out, November 16, 2009
A school bus explodes killing several people. Someone murders a street preacher who may not have been as holy as he seemed. Someone is murdering rich people and the police are stumped as to who the killer is, why the murders are being committed, and even how they are being committed. When the Women's Murder Club isn't investigating these cases they are busy sorting out their tangled love lives.
"The Eighth Confession" gets off to an explosive start - literally - but ultimately fails to live up to the action packed beginning. There are far too many plot lines in the book and authors James Patterson and Maxine Paetro could easily have written two or three books using the various plots in this one book. The book jumps back and forth between plot lines and it becomes a bit confusing and frustrating to readers. To further frustrate readers, the events in the first chapter are exciting but are barely referred to again and become a very small part of another plot. The plot line of rich people being murdered in a way that totally baffles the police is the strongest plot line but is ruined when not only the murderer but the method is revealed halfway through the book, instead of keeping readers guessing. The other major plot line of the murdered preacher is okay, but deserves a book of its own as it feels underdeveloped and the resolution left me underwhelmed when it shouldn't have. Mixed in with the action is the love lives of the members of the Women's Murder Club and these too could have been developed more. The plot line involving Cindy and Lindsay is carried throughout the book and then abruptly, if unconvincingly, wrapped up. The plot line involving Yuki's romance is totally bizarre.
"The Eighth Confession" has some thrilling moments but is ultimately a fluff read and disappointing.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
3.5 star fast and fun beach read, July 27, 2009
This is the 8th book in the Women's Murder Club series. Of course if you're a fan, you've already read the others and probably pre-ordered this one. I do believe it is a series that you have to read in order, so don't start with this one as even though you would "get it" as a stand alone, it's really the history that the women have shared that makes this "Murder Club" more interesting. I've enjoyed all but 2 books in this series (#3 and #6 and if you've read them you can probably figure out why).I like the women characters and their friendship as well as the different glimpses we get into their personal lives. Each has her own flaws and conflicts to deal with and the friends celebrate and commiserate with each other when they get together.
This isn't a deep psychological thriller with multiple layers and complex motivations or characters. It's a book that tells an interesting couple of stories -- one about the brutal murder of a strange homeless man named Bagman Jesus, and the other about the mysterious deaths of some rich high profile society figures. The main body of the book details how the cases are solved and about the confluence of interest that the women have in the cases and in each other.
It's a fun summer beach read -- you can put it down and pick it up because the short chapters don't require long attention spans! Perfect for plane, train or ship travel. An easy read that provides a couple of hours of entertainment and reading enjoyment and doesn't tax the mental processes!
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
Dissolve the Women's Murder Club, July 18, 2009
It is time to dissolve the Women's Murder Club.
What had begun as a wonderful idea of four unique women working together to solve crimes had deteriorated into little more than a superficial attempt to sell more books.
Before I continue, I must make it clear to those who profess to love James Patterson's writing, that I doubt that he wrote this book. I suspect he provided an outline to Maxine Paetro, then reviewed what she drafted. That understood, stop saying that James Patterson wrote the book; he did not...Ms. Paetro did.
Now, to the story. The 8th. Confession is a superficial novel dealing with four storylines: A murder of members of Upper-Class San Francisco Society; the murder of a "supposed" good man, Bagman Jesus, helping the rejects of society; the inability of Yuki to win a case; and the love lives of three members of the Club.
The superficiality of all the storylines--and their sometimes ridiculous unraveling--makes for an embarrassing read. The death of the social elite is weakly based upon a story or revenge; unfortunately, the justification for the killings is so shallow, I doubt that Ms. Paetro would have pased a creative writing class had she submitted it to the instructor.
The investigation into the death of the so-called "good" man helping the poor and destitute is another shallow attempt at some kind of social relevance. The reporter, Cindy, a member of the Women's Murder Club, goes off on a self-righteous crusade to do justce to the memory of Bagman Jesus, since the police do not appear to be interested in the man since he seems to be one of the city's lost homeless. As his life story is revealed, the police are forced to become more involved. Why the reporter goes off on her own stretches credulity to the point of being trite.
The inability of Yuki to win a case is tiresome; the authors should let her win one, else why have an incompetent Assistant D.A. handle cases?
The fourth storyline involves the love lives of three of the members of the Women's Murder Club; it borders on the absurd, with two of the women having an affair with the same cop. The third member is involved with a doctor who may not be all she thinks he is. Of the four threads, this is the most unbelievable. What Ms. Paetro and Mr. Patterson were thinking of is unclear.
In the early adventures of the Women's Murder Club, the reader cared what happened to the members; in the 8th, Confession, that doesn't exist. The women no longer work together, there is little of their background in the novel for the reader to care about them, and each is involved in her own life. Also, the four women no longer get together on a girls' night out to work on solving a murder...the initial reason for the creation of the Club.
It is time to dissolve the club...and it is also time for Mr. Patterson to once more care about his writing by doing the work himself, and not focus on merely having the highest number of books in print, with his name on the covers. He should drop his six co-authors and get back to the kind of work he once did in the early Alex Cross novels.
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15 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
James Patterson...give it a rest, May 3, 2009
Once James Patterson took on partners, I worried the quality of his books, especially in this series would go downhill. Well, this one is it for me. I'm done. This book was so banal, bland, half-baked, and boring I wouldn't have finished it if the whole thing took more then a few hours to read. The chapters are two-three pages each, the level of writing is horribly simplistic. The relationship between the women that used to be enjoyable in the first few of this series, is now nothing further then a few meetings at a restaurant. No connection, no depth, no substance. I've had it. James Patterson bangs these books out so fast it is obviously he's no longer giving much thought to the plots or the point.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Last Patterson Book I'll Ever Buy, March 27, 2010
Years ago when I first began reading James Patterson books he wrote his own works and they were top notch. Now titles are mass produced under a myriad of different shadow authors under the Patterson Banter and the quality has gone down the sewer. This work is yet another example. The plot is weak, the dialogue between the characters is lame and worse, the book is filled with diction errors. You would expect a competent editor to at least catch those. The ending is a cookie cutter lame solution you've seen in a dozen movies. I would not expect a respected author to be so blatant about copying plots, themes and endings. This is the third Patterson book in a row I've purchased and been disappointed with and it will be the last. There are much better authors out there who truly do care about the product they produce and I will buy their books. If I could have given this review zero stars, I would have because that is what this book deserves. But the system forces me to give it at least one star, but just know it deserves a no star rating.
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