2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #2 discussion

Nikki went to the Andersons alone, knowing Joe was dangerous and almost got herself and Rory killed (he was working there on a project). Were you surprised to find Zach alive? The irony of him being the one to subdue Joe? How could Nikki have handled this better?

Nikki should not have gone in without backup.

Again, I have to ask why an author would purposefully put their female detectives in situations where they behave unprofessionally. I see it far too often in these books. It undermines the character and is completely unnecessary.

I did like that Zach was able to give Joe what he deserves.

Yes, she should have waited for backup before going in. I'm surprised she didn't go straight to the shop and say she was there to talk to Rory.

I don't read a lot of books with male detectives as the lead. Do they do the same stupid things that the female detectives do in these books? Lauren is right. We see this over and over in these books. The female detectives rarely wait for backup before going into a building and confronting the killer.

I have to agree. Female lead detectives tend to come across as reckless at times. Not sure why but this seems to be a trend in this genre now.

I hate when a law enforcement agent goes into a potential volatile situation on their own! She should have had back up. I was proud of Zach for stepping up to exact revenge on his tormentor.

Same as all of you. No idea why she didn't wait for backup??

This was just wrong on so many levels and FBI agents just don’t do this.

I read a lot of detective stories and Eve Dallas doesn’t do this…anymore. And, she’s a stickler for planning. The only time she gets into trouble is when she’s caught off guard, not for doing something rash and stupid.

Tracy Crosswhite is another smart detective. It’s rare for her to do something rash, even though she often gets caught in some dicey situations, again, not because she behaved stupidly.

They don’t get any smarter than DI Kim Stone and she’s always careful. When she gets into trouble, it’s to save someone else.

Now Kate Burkholder holds the honor of consistently doing the dumbest stuff that always gets her into personal peril. You can count on it in every book.

I’m a big fan of Harry Bosch who might go in without backup but is smart about it. I’m sure there are other male detectives that do stupid stuff but the gender bias defines them as tough and courageous. It’s a good question to explore.