Women's Murder Club Books in Order
Part ofMaxine Paetro Books in OrderFind the Women's Murder Club books by Maxine Paetro in order, with quick summaries, character notes, series background, and tips on where to begin.
Last updated: July 1, 2026
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Women's Murder Club books in publication order
23 books
4th of July
by Maxine Paetro
2005
A late-night police shooting leaves Lindsay Boxer on trial and her career in jeopardy. During breaks in the case, she follows a string of murders in Half Moon Bay that may connect to an old crime she has never been able to forget.
The 5th Horseman
by Maxine Paetro
2006
When patients begin dying under suspicious circumstances at a San Francisco hospital, Lindsay Boxer and Yuki Castellano push into a case the administration wants buried. The closer they get, the more dangerous the truth becomes.
The 6th Target
by Maxine Paetro
2007
One of the Women's Murder Club is left fighting for her life just as Lindsay Boxer faces a terrifying wave of child kidnappings. With panic rising across San Francisco, the club has to solve two crises before the city pays the price.
7th Heaven
by Maxine Paetro
2008
A series of deadly fires sweeps through wealthy California homes while a separate missing-person case takes a devastating turn. Lindsay Boxer and the Women's Murder Club chase arsonists, buried secrets, and threats that suddenly feel much too close to home.
The 8th Confession
by Maxine Paetro
2009
Lindsay Boxer investigates the murder of one of San Francisco's most glamorous couples while Cindy Thomas digs into the death of a preacher with a murky past. The twin cases strain the club and expose how messy love and justice can get.
The 9th Judgment
by Maxine Paetro
2010
A cat burglar turns a celebrity break-in into murder, while another killer leaves a mother and child dead beside a blood-red message. With two ruthless criminals on the loose, Lindsay Boxer and the club race to stop San Francisco from spiraling further.
10th Anniversary
by Maxine Paetro
2011
Lindsay Boxer is called away from her long-awaited wedding celebration to a brutal crime scene, a teenage girl barely alive and her newborn missing. At the same time, Yuki Castellano's biggest courtroom battle puts friendship and instinct on a collision course.
11th Hour
by Maxine Paetro
2012
Pregnant at last, Lindsay Boxer should be slowing down, but a fresh murder points to a weapon stolen from the police evidence locker. As suspicion creeps toward people she knows, Lindsay faces a case that makes trust feel almost impossible.
12th of Never
by Maxine Paetro
2013
Lindsay Boxer barely has time to settle in with her newborn before two major cases pull her back to work, a murder tied to a 49ers star and an eerie professor who seems to predict killings. Then the danger turns deeply personal.
Unlucky 13
by Maxine Paetro
2014
Lindsay's happy home life is shattered when a killer from the past reappears. Mackie Morales is back, and the Women's Murder Club has to stop a brilliant predator who knows exactly how to get under their skin.
14th Deadly Sin
by Maxine Paetro
2015
San Francisco is rocked by savage crimes and a horrifying video that makes every cop seem suspect. As fear spreads and the city demands answers, Lindsay Boxer and her friends risk everything to expose the people behind the violence.
15th Affair
by Maxine Paetro
2016
A murder at a luxury hotel leaves behind a vanished blonde with CIA ties and a trail that leads straight toward Joe. Lindsay Boxer turns to the club for help as secrets, espionage, and doubt tear into her marriage.
16th Seduction
by Maxine Paetro
2017
While Lindsay Boxer is still reeling from Joe's betrayal, a wave of strange heart-attack deaths grips San Francisco. At the same time, a bomber's trial begins pulling apart an old investigation and revealing a much bigger conspiracy.
The 17th Suspect
by Maxine Paetro
2018
A confidential informant points Lindsay Boxer toward a disturbing possibility, something inside the San Francisco police department has gone badly wrong. As shootings spread and her health falters, Lindsay chases a killer determined to wreck both her case and her reputation.
The 18th Abduction
by Maxine Paetro
2019
Three teachers vanish after a night out, and Lindsay Boxer is suddenly under pressure to solve a case that threatens the whole school system. Meanwhile, Joe follows a lead on a supposed war criminal, and that mystery turns dangerous fast.
The 19th Christmas
by Maxine Paetro
2019
The Women's Murder Club is hoping for a quiet December when a criminal known only as Loman starts terrorizing San Francisco with escalating threats. Holiday plans vanish as Lindsay and her friends race to stop a mastermind who wants the whole city afraid.
The 20th Victim
by Maxine Paetro
2020
Three victims, three bullets, and three cities pull Lindsay Boxer into one of her widest investigations yet. As San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago start to connect, the Women's Murder Club faces a case that feels bigger and stranger by the day.
21st Birthday
by Maxine Paetro
2021
When Tara Burke disappears with her baby, suspicion falls on her husband and Lindsay Boxer starts digging into a marriage full of cracks. At the same time, she vows to protect a young woman being hunted by a serial killer.
22 Seconds
by Maxine Paetro
2022
A warning scrawled on dead former cops, you talk, you die, sends Lindsay Boxer into a case tied to guns, drugs, and betrayal. With only seconds to react, she has to decide how much risk she can take.
23 1/2 Lies
by Maxine Paetro
2023
In this shorter Women's Murder Club story, Lindsay Boxer investigates the execution-style murder of her estranged father. The case forces her to confront painful family truths while chasing answers that refuse to stay buried.
The 23rd Midnight
by Maxine Paetro
2023
A copycat killer starts recreating murders from a notorious case Lindsay Boxer thought was over. As Cindy's true-crime book becomes a killer's playbook, the whole club is pulled into a brutal new nightmare.
The 24th Hour
by Maxine Paetro
2024
A celebration for the Women's Murder Club turns chaotic when an assaulted woman, a shaky memory, and a tricky prosecution collide. While Yuki handles the courtroom fight, Lindsay hunts a high-society killer who may strike close to the bridesmaids.
25 Alive
by Maxine Paetro
2025
When former SFPD chief Warren Jacobi is found murdered in Golden Gate Park, Lindsay Boxer is hit by grief and suspicion at once. A clue left behind sends the Women's Murder Club on a determined hunt for his killer.
Women's Murder Club books in chronological order

4th of July
by Maxine Paetro
2005Women's Murder Club, Book 1
The 5th Horseman
by Maxine Paetro
2006Women's Murder Club, Book 2
The 6th Target
by Maxine Paetro
2007Women's Murder Club, Book 3
7th Heaven
by Maxine Paetro
2008Women's Murder Club, Book 4
The 8th Confession
by Maxine Paetro
2009Women's Murder Club, Book 5
The 9th Judgment
by Maxine Paetro
2010Women's Murder Club, Book 6
10th Anniversary
by Maxine Paetro
2011Women's Murder Club, Book 7
11th Hour
by Maxine Paetro
2012Women's Murder Club, Book 8
12th of Never
by Maxine Paetro
2013Women's Murder Club, Book 9
Unlucky 13
by Maxine Paetro
2014Women's Murder Club, Book 10
14th Deadly Sin
by Maxine Paetro
2015Women's Murder Club, Book 11
15th Affair
by Maxine Paetro
2016Women's Murder Club, Book 12
16th Seduction
by Maxine Paetro
2017Women's Murder Club, Book 13
The 17th Suspect
by Maxine Paetro
2018Women's Murder Club, Book 14
The 18th Abduction
by Maxine Paetro
2019Women's Murder Club, Book 15
The 19th Christmas
by Maxine Paetro
2019Women's Murder Club, Book 16
The 20th Victim
by Maxine Paetro
2020Women's Murder Club, Book 17
21st Birthday
by Maxine Paetro
2021Women's Murder Club, Book 18
22 Seconds
by Maxine Paetro
2022Women's Murder Club, Book 19
The 23rd Midnight
by Maxine Paetro
2023Women's Murder Club, Book 20
23 1/2 Lies
by Maxine Paetro
2023Women's Murder Club, Book 21
The 24th Hour
by Maxine Paetro
2024Women's Murder Club, Book 22
25 Alive
by Maxine Paetro
2025Women's Murder Club, Book 23
Series background & context
The Women's Murder Club books Maxine Paetro wrote with James Patterson begin with 4th of July, the point where her long run on the series starts. The setup is simple and smart. Four women in San Francisco, each with access to a different part of the truth, compare notes over food and friendship and end up solving cases that would overwhelm any one of them alone.
At the center is homicide detective Lindsay Boxer, who carries the badge, the stress, and usually the first wave of danger. Around her are medical examiner Claire Washburn, crime reporter Cindy Thomas, and assistant district attorney Yuki Castellano, who joins the group in 4th of July. Their jobs give the books a built-in rhythm, crime scene, autopsy, headline, courtroom. San Francisco matters, too. Its neighborhoods, courts, hospitals, politics, and waterfront streets shape the way each case unfolds.
The stories are usually driven by one big public investigation, but Paetro's run shows how flexible that formula can be. The 5th Horseman turns suspicious hospital deaths into a race against institutional secrecy. The 6th Target mixes a personal attack on the club with a wave of kidnappings. 7th Heaven brings arson and a high-profile disappearance into the same pressure cooker. Later books widen the lens with returning enemies, corruption, copycat killers, and cases that stretch beyond city limits, from Unlucky 13 to The 23rd Midnight and 25 Alive.
The cases are brutal, but the books never lose sight of the friendships.
That balance is really the series' engine. Lindsay may lead the investigations, but Claire brings calm and hard science, Cindy knows how to chase a story when official channels stall, and Yuki adds legal pressure that can rescue a case or complicate it. Their marriages, pregnancies, betrayals, health scares, and work conflicts keep building in the background, so even when a single novel can be read on its own, the emotional payoff is better in order.
The tone is fast, direct, and very hard to put down. Chapters are short. Clues arrive quickly. One scene might be courtroom drama, the next a forensic detail, the next a late-night conversation between friends trying to hold their lives together. If you want crime fiction that mixes police work with ongoing character lives, this series does that well. And if you start with 4th of July, you can watch Maxine Paetro's whole stretch of the club unfold from the beginning.
Edited by
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