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4th of July (novel)
Encyclopedia
4th of July is a mystery and legal thriller
by James Patterson
.
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.
-Bob Hinton- Lawyer who "bumps" into Boxer, and finds out where she lives: assistant to Carolee
, and mentions a scene from Bringing up Baby
.
Legal thriller
The legal thriller is a sub-genre of thriller and crime fiction in which the major characters are lawyers and their employees. The system of justice itself is always a major part of these works, at times almost functioning as one of the characters...
by James Patterson
James Patterson
James B. Patterson is an American author of thriller novels, largely known for his series about American psychologist Alex Cross...
.
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
Half Moon Bay, California
Half Moon Bay is a coastal city in San Mateo County, California, USA. Its population was 11,324 as of the 2010 census. Immediately at the north of Half Moon Bay is the Pillar Point Harbor and the unincorporated community of Princeton-by-the-Sea....
. 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.
Members of the Women's Murder Club
- Lindsay Boxer – Homicide Department Lieutenant, San Francisco Police DepartmentSan Francisco Police DepartmentThe San Francisco Police Department, also known as the SFPD and San Francisco Department Of Police, is the police department of the City and County of San Francisco, California...
(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 ExaminerMedical examinerA medical examiner is a medically qualified government officer whose duty is to investigate deaths and injuries that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictions to initiate inquests....
- Cindy Thomas - Reporter, San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chroniclethumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
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 comediesScrewball comedy film
The screwball comedy is a principally American genre of comedy film that became popular during the Great Depression, originating in the early 1930s and thriving until the early 1940s. It is characterized by fast-paced repartee, farcical situations, escapist themes, and plot lines involving...
, and mentions a scene from Bringing up Baby
Bringing up Baby
Bringing Up Baby is an American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, and released by RKO Radio Pictures....
.
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 VisionHachette Book Group USAHachette Book Group is a publishing company owned by Hachette Livre, the largest publishing company in France, and the second largest publisher in the world. Hachette Livre is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lagardère Group. HBG was formed when Hachette Livre purchased the Time Warner Book Group from...
, 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