1st to Die (Women's Murder Club)
by James Patterson
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Book Reviews of 1st to Die (Women's Murder Club)
Book Review: Gritty, pulse pounding crime drama
Summary: 5 Stars
These books are a heck of a lot more gritty and raw than anything my other favorite series writer, Janet Evanovich has ever written. Not for the faint of heart, the crime descriptions in this book are gruesome. I found myself cringing at times.
1st to Die centers around a killer murdering newlyweds and defiling the bodies of the brides. The crimes seem random and hard to tie together, yet are inextricably linked. Lindsay Boxer is assigned to the case and feels compelled to stop at nothing to put an end to these heinous crimes. Inside her body another war is raging. She wonders if she can keep up the strength to continue with the case.
Cindy Thomas, a rookie reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle finds herself smack dab in the middle of the crime scene. This gives her an advantage over every other reporter in the city and snags her a spot on page one.
Cindy keeps running into Lindsay at the crime scenes and Lindsay decides that this girl might just have something to offer up in the investigation. She and Cindy start meeting to brainstorm about details in the case. Eventually two other women join the impromptu club, a medical examiner by the name of Claire Washburn and an assistant DA, Jill Berhardt.
Together they share in their meetings all of the info they have, with 4 top of their game women all working together, they are able to bust the case wide open, or so they think.
If you haven't started this series yet, start it now.
Book Review: Reading with Tequila
Summary: 5 Stars
I loved 1st to Die. It was the perfect beginning to a thrilling series. I thought the women's decision to join forces and work together to stop a serial killer was ingenious. I think it spoke to the true character of each of them, showing that their true goal was to protect the public from danger rather than be recognized personally for being the sole reason the killer was stopped.
The book works so well because of the differences each woman brings to the table. Lindsey works well as a main character because of the other women in her life. Had the book been Lindsey on her own, I don't think it would have been nearly as enjoyable.
1st to Die was a wonderful mystery that didn't hold back. The murders were shocking. The serial killer was targeting couples on their wedding nights. Just the concept alone is upsetting. The frenzied race to find the killer was easily felt and I found myself caught up in the momentum of the book. Once started, I couldn't put it down. I had to know who the killer was and how they would be stopped.
The first book in any mystery series can be hit or miss due to the necessity of laying groundwork and introducing background information. 1st to Die was definitely a hit for me. I honestly can't think of one thing that wasn't perfect in this book. If you haven't started this series yet, you are missing out.
Book Review: Nice Diversion
Summary: 3 Stars
I usually read mysteries with woman protagonists written by women so I hadn't read any James Patterson but ever since I watched the short lived TV show Women's Murder Club I wanted to read the first in this series.
This is a fast paced story with many twists and turns that hold your interest. In the midst of the investigation of some newlywed's murders the Women's Murder Club is born with Lindsay Boxer, a homicide detective and her friend, Claire, the Medical Examiner, Cindy, the energetic newspaper reporter, who she befriends in the midst of this investigation and Jill, the assistant district attorney. Their friendships develop and they meet several times throughout the book to discuss details of the crime and strategies to solve it. Due to seeing the show I was picturing Angie Harmon as Lindsay though they did change her hair color and Jill's also but I do think the show captures the essence of the characters.
Patterson's prose is uneven but this book is definitely a page turner with short chapters and there is some character development in Lindsay and I found her to be very likable. I want to read the next in the series but as Patterson has coauthors for the remaining of the series I will have to see if they have the same consistency as this one.
Book Review: A thrilling page turning mystery
Summary: 5 Stars
James Patterson's Women's Murder Club: 1st to Die has both thrilling twists and a little love story. In this book Patterson takes on the narrative perspective of a woman to create a page-turning opening to The Woman's Murder Club.
The Women's Murder Club is a club of four women who investigate a murder on the sideline of the police. The club consists of a reporter, Cindy; an assistant D.A., Jill; a medical examiner, Claire; and the one who started the club Lindsay, an inspector for the police.
In this book, someone has been murdering newly weds all over the city of San Francisco and the Bay Area. Lindsay Boxer must figure out who did the murders before they happen again. But when nothing adds up Lindsay must gather up her club and dig deeper into a few crimes that don't seem to have any connection at all. Just when everyone is about to lose hope, the club grabs a case-breaking clue. However, everything is not what it seems. And the farther the club members get, the story gets more twists and page turning events until the surprise ending. An ending which you will never see coming.
This is a thrilling book for those who like mysteries.
Book Review: Great Re-introduction to Patterson
Summary: 3 Stars
A serial killer is on the loose with a strange fetish for newlyweds. The killings are gruesome, yet the killer seems to enjoy it; almost as if, painting a picture or telling a story. Investigators scramble to find their target before the killer finds theirs. Enter the world of Lindsay Boxer as you see this murder-laced story unfold from her point of view. A good page-turner on a cold and cloudy weekend.
For those who like a good suspense novel who are always on the go and need a quick read, this book is for you.
Without knowing much about the author, I picked this book up one weekend hoping to become submerged into a twisted tale that was not my own. I was pleasantly surprised as I was introduced to several new characters that I think will work well together in this series.
Definitely written with 'girl-power' in mind, this book is a necessary relief from a sometimes male dominated mystery/suspense world. I gave this a strong 3.5 (it probably deserves a 4, but I don't give out 5's too often..so I have to grade tough...lol) If you are a fan of suspense writers today (Sanford, Johansen, Woods, etc), you will enjoy this one.