4th of July (novel)

4th of July is a mystery and legal thriller by James Patterson.

Plot introduction

Police lieutenant Lindsay Boxer takes leave from the force after being sued for wrongful death after a recent shootout. She stays at her sister’s house in Half Moon Bay, and reads about murders that resemble one that haunted her for 10 years. She joins with the local police to solve the murders, while dreading her awaiting trial.

Plot summary

When Lindsay Boxer gets a lead on a recent murder of a teenager, she responds to the call and joins Warren Jacobi on a stakeout of a Mercedes. When the car takes off, a high speed chase ends in a crash. The officers discover two teenagers in their father’s car, who are scared and have been hurt. They help them out, and are shot. After being hit in the shoulder and thigh, and seeing Jacobi shot twice, Boxer shoots back. The girl is killed, and the boy is paralyzed for life. As Boxer and Jacobi are recovering in the hospital, they are told that everything is legally good, that is was a case of self-defense. Then, Boxer receives a notice she is being sued for wrongful death.

Taking a vacation before the trial starts, Boxer housesits for her sister in Half Moon Bay. While there she reads about recent murders in which the victims’ throats were cut and they were whipped. This resembles an unsolved case from before, so Boxer begins to investigate informally. After a few days, the Half Moon Bay police chief tells her to mind her own business, but reconsiders when the next bodies are found. Boxer meets with her friends to try to determine a link between victims as her trial date approaches.

Boxer is found not guilty, and instead of returning to work right away, goes back to Half Moon Bay, determined to solve the recent murders. She is only there a day when the killers leave her a message by shooting up the house. She gets out and follows more clues, then finally catches up with a guy who has been following her. He is arrested and confesses to the killings. It is not until Alison Brown, her friend’s daughter, shows up at her house that Boxer catches the other two killers. They are part of a vigilante group of former victims who take the law into their own hands, playing the role of The Seeker, The Watcher, and The Truth. After they are all arrested, Boxer returns to San Francisco a double hero, for winning the trial and solving the murders.

Characters in "4th of July"

Members of the Women's Murder Club

• Lindsay Boxer – Homicide Department Lieutenant, San Francisco Police Department(SFPD)
• Yuki Castellano – Defense attorney for Boxer (revealed at end of novel to be newest member of WMC, replacing deceased Jill Bernhardt)
• Claire Washburn - San Francisco Medical Examiner
• Cindy Thomas - Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle

Others (partial listing)

• Warren Jacobi – Inspector with the SFPD
• Sam Cabot – Apprehended suspect who shot Warren Jacobi, shot and paralyzied by Boxer
• Sara Cabot - Sister of Sam Cabot, participated in murders and drove getaway car, shot and killed by Boxer in self-defense. (Father Andrew Cabot, a doctor, sues Boxer as a result of the incident.)
• Dr. Carolee Brown – Friend of Boxer. Runs the Bayside School for runaway children, while secretly murdering individuals who she feels are morally worthless.
• Joe Molinari – Boxer’s boyfriend; works for the Department of Homeland Security
• Keith Howard – Gas station attendant at the Man in the Moon gas station; assistant to Brown

-Bob Hinton- Lawyer who "bumps" into Boxer, and finds out where she lives: assistant to Carolee

Major themes

• Justice achieved through the judicial system when Boxer is sued over a wrongful death shooting
• Vigilante justice brought about by Brown, Howard, and Hinton on child abusers and child sex offenders

Allusions/references to other works

Lindsay Boxer is a big fan of screwball comedies, and mentions a scene from Bringing up Baby.

Release details

• 2005, U.S., Little, Brown & Co., ISBN 0-316-71060-1, Pub date 2 May 2005, Hardcover
• 2005, U.S., Little, Brown & Co., ISBN 0-316-05885-8, Pub date 2 May 2005, Hardcover Large Print
• 2006, U.S., Warner Vision, ISBN 0-446-61336-3, Pub date 1 June 2006, Paperback
• 2005, U.S., Time Warner Audiobooks., ISBN 1-59483-033-9, Pub date 1 May 2005, Audiobook (CD)
• 2005, U.S., Time Warner Audiobooks., ISBN 1-59483-032-0, Pub date 1 May 2005, Audiobook (cassette)
• 2006, UK, Headline Book Publishing, ISBN 0-7553-0583-3, Pub date 24 April 2006, Paperback

Sources, references, external links, quotations

Review of 4th of July at www.mostlyfiction.com