The story is set in present day San Francisco: The prologue describes how Detective Lindsay Boxer and her partner Inspector Rich Conklin are called to the scene of a gruesome accident on Golden Gate Bridge. Claire Washburn, Chief Medical Examiner and Lindsay´s best friend, asks for the murder squad´s support, because she harbours the suspicion that the two fatalities aren´t due to an accident but a murder. A red Jeep has crashed into the railing. The condition of the dead bodies makes it clear that the investigators have to deal with a case of cold blooded murder: the young couple in the car died from the explosion of "belly bombs" that ripped open their abdomens and spilled their entrails all over the interior of the Jeep.
Detective Boxer refuses to have the lane cleared and orders the Crime Scene Unit to come and investigate. CSI Clapper is surprised at the unusual explosive device which differs a lot from the contraptions usually known. According to him the bombs must have been surgically implanted and devised to explode only in one direction (forwards). Fortunately the rear compartment hasn´t been destroyed and the police find the victims´ belongings to identify them by.
LIndsay Boxer and her colleagues decide to involve the FBI, as the prominent location of the crime scene suggests a possible terroristic background.
Shutting out the SFPD the FBI has taken over the investigation, Lindsay and Rich, however, keep on looking into the case. They interview Lara´s and David´s families. The young couple didn´t have any enemies, nobody understands why they were killed. The Medical Examiner performs a post mortem and finds out that the explosive material had been ingested by the young couple, exploding due to chemical reaction with stomach acid. This information convinces Lindsay she is dealing with a double homicide, not with a terrorist attack.
Lindsay and her three girl friends who make up the "Women´s Murder Club" discuss the mysterious case. One of her friends tells her she is going to marry Lindsay´s boss, Brady.
The excerpt from "Unlucky 13" is easily read and promises an interesting case, as edible micro bombs are somewhat unusual and the reader wonders why such a strange means of killing was used. There have been other novels about "The Women´s Murder Club" that I haven´t read. As Lindsay´s friends and family are (re)introduced in this novel I think there won´t be a lot of problems for "newcomers" to the series.
Detective Boxer refuses to have the lane cleared and orders the Crime Scene Unit to come and investigate. CSI Clapper is surprised at the unusual explosive device which differs a lot from the contraptions usually known. According to him the bombs must have been surgically implanted and devised to explode only in one direction (forwards). Fortunately the rear compartment hasn´t been destroyed and the police find the victims´ belongings to identify them by.
LIndsay Boxer and her colleagues decide to involve the FBI, as the prominent location of the crime scene suggests a possible terroristic background.
Shutting out the SFPD the FBI has taken over the investigation, Lindsay and Rich, however, keep on looking into the case. They interview Lara´s and David´s families. The young couple didn´t have any enemies, nobody understands why they were killed. The Medical Examiner performs a post mortem and finds out that the explosive material had been ingested by the young couple, exploding due to chemical reaction with stomach acid. This information convinces Lindsay she is dealing with a double homicide, not with a terrorist attack.
Lindsay and her three girl friends who make up the "Women´s Murder Club" discuss the mysterious case. One of her friends tells her she is going to marry Lindsay´s boss, Brady.
The excerpt from "Unlucky 13" is easily read and promises an interesting case, as edible micro bombs are somewhat unusual and the reader wonders why such a strange means of killing was used. There have been other novels about "The Women´s Murder Club" that I haven´t read. As Lindsay´s friends and family are (re)introduced in this novel I think there won´t be a lot of problems for "newcomers" to the series.