Review: 22 Seconds by James Patterson

22 Seconds by James Patterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In a race against time, Sergeant Lindsay Boxer faces a critical decision that could cost her everything. With just 22 seconds left, she is on the brink of losing her badge or even her life. The San Francisco Police Department officer is consumed by thoughts of firearms as rumors circulate about a final illegal shipment of drugs and weapons across the Mexican border before new gun laws take effect. However, her attention is diverted when her trusted informant alerts her to a case that strikes a personal chord. The victims, former police officers, have been targeted by professional assassins, their bodies marked with a chilling warning: if they speak, they will die. Lindsay must now make a fateful choice that will shape her fate.

While not the best installment in the Women's Murder Club series, this book still manages to provide entertainment, albeit with occasional predictability. One notable difference is that only two of the main club members, Lindsay Boxer and Cindy, take the spotlight, with Clair having a minor role in a subplot involving a missing child. The other members make only brief appearances during their regular restaurant meetings. The character development is lacking compared to previous books, assuming that readers are already familiar with their personalities. Joe, Lindsay's husband and an FBI consultant, also plays a significant part in the story. Perhaps the reason this particular installment didn't resonate with me as strongly as some others is its lack of distinctiveness. It felt like a story that could easily be transplanted to any other set of characters, as it centered around the familiar themes of guns and drugs.

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