Over margaritas and ribs, the gals piece together clues to pin down their chief suspect. Then he sets out to do it. The four girlfriends outsmart those hackneyed male cops by unearthing an unpublished Jenks manuscript, Always a Bridesmaid , which maps out the actual killings to the last detail. Don't bet on it. Having read this far, you'll be praying for a plot twist, no matter how unoriginal.
Events are pat and predictable for far too long.
But, Patterson is a professional and must have intended for us to start sniffing around for the zinger. Fortunately, he throws out a neat one toward the end, and it's worth the wait. It will no doubt sell lots of soap. So, hang on tight, and ladies, don't think for a minute you can't flex your muscles every bit as well as these gals do. Lucie MacDonald is subscriber retention coordinator for the Herald-Leader's circulation department.