I recently read an unusual James Patterson book called “Woman of God,” written by Maxine Paetro. Of the many writers who author books under the Patterson brand, Paetro is our favorite. And, I suspect, Patterson’s favorite: they both have advertising backgrounds and have known each other since the early 1970s.
Paetro wrote most of the Women’s Murder Club books, and has written several in the Private series (the best ones, IMHO). All are typical murder mysteries. But the stand-alone “Woman of God” is unlike anything else Paetro has written. And though I can’t speak for the zillions of books written under the Patterson brand, I suspect “Woman of God” is unlike anything else with Patterson’s name attached. It’s certainly no murder mystery.
“Woman of God” basically tells the spiritual journey of a young Catholic woman. A good portion of it occurs in South Sudan, where she works with refugees. But other parts occur in Europe and the US. I was quite engrossed by the book, and it treats faith in a positive, respectful way. It was an entirely pleasant surprise.
